Nebraska completes season sweep of Bluejays

Nebraska's batting practice session prior to Tuesday night's game against Creighton was its worst of the season in the opinion of Cornhuskers' head coach Mike Anderson.

However, Anderson never said a word. Following a grueling Big 12 Conference weekend series against league-leading Texas A&M that saw Nebraska lose in 16 innings on Friday before bouncing back with a dramatic doubleheader sweep Sunday, Anderson figured a let-down was almost inevitable.

"I've been worried about coming off the A&M weekend for a number of weeks, just knowing that it would be tough emotionally to come play this game," Anderson said. "Whether we won or lost against A&M, it wouldn't matter.

"Then, with all the stuff that happened with A&M this weekend, I thought it would be even tougher."

Never mind.

Mitch Abeita had a career-high four RBIs while Erik Bird and Casey Hauptman combined on a four-hitter as No. 5-ranked Nebraska swept the season series against intra-state rival Creighton with an 8-1 victory over the Bluejays before a crowd of 14,650 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

"I've talked about preparation throughout the year, that our preparation has been very, very good, (but) I watched BP and I didn't say a word to the kids," Anderson said. "I didn't get on them  --  most times I would because it just wasn't sharp. It just wasn't crisp. I didn't think our preparation was very good today.

"I didn't think our energy level was that good. We were fortunate to get on top."

Abeita said he wasn't nearly as concerned about a potential letdown by Nebraska. Never mind that the Huskers had just recorded their second- and third-largest comebacks in Anderson's six-year tenure Sunday against the Aggies to win 9-8 and 13-10.

"Creighton-Nebraska is a big rivalry and you always want to come out shooting, getting on top of the other team," Abeita said. "I think we come out with the same intensity every game. If we don't, we've got leaders on the team that will let us know.

"We're always going to bring ourselves up to play."

Abeita gave Nebraska a 3-0 first-inning lead, hitting a three-run homer down the right-field line off Creighton starter Greg Hellhake (3-1). With one out, Jake Mort singled to right and Jake Opitz doubled off the wall in right-center field, putting runners at second and third for Abeita, who then delivered his team-leading eighth homer of the year.

"(Hellhake) had been coming in with fastballs the whole at-bat," Abeita said. "That last pitch just didn't get in quite enough. I got my hands extended and was able to put it out of the ballpark."

While Abeita's homer didn't make it out of the park by much, Anderson said the effect was huge.

"I think that set the tone of the whole game," Anderson said.

Then, Nebraska's pitchers  --  both Omaha natives  --  took over.

"It was wonderful to see from two Omaha kids," Anderson said. "I know they were motivated by that. That's good stuff to see."

Bird (5-1) started and got the win, allowing three hits and one run over five innings. The junior right-hander struck out three and walked four, holding the Bluejays hitless for the first 3 2/3 innings.

Bird continued to be a solid mid-week starter for the Huskers. He entered game 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA in six starts this season.

Hauptman picked up where Bird left off, tossing four shutout innings to earn his first save in a career-long stint. The freshman right-hander allowed one hit, faced the minimum and finished with a career-high six strikeouts.

"Hauptman was very deceptive tonight," Abeita said. "He threw the ball really well. It was a good outing for a freshman."

A special outing, to be more precise.

"Growing up in Omaha and to come down to the College World Series all the time, it was always fun and you always dream of pitching on that mound," Hauptman said. "It was just great to get out there and pitch."

Hauptman entered the game with a 1.32 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last six outings, dating back to a March 4 game against Nebraska-Kearney.

"I just went out with confidence and the defense made great plays behind me," Hauptman said. "I've just been in the bullpen every day, working hard and trying to make myself better. Things just fell into place tonight. It was fun."

The heart of Nebraska's order came up big in the Nos. 2-5 spots as Mort, Opitz, Abeita and Tyler Farst combined to go 9-for-17 with seven RBIs. Opitz and Farst had three hits apiece, leading the Huskers' 14-hit attack.

Creighton cut its deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth as Vicente Cafaro dropped a pop-fly single  --  CU's first hit of the game  --  in front of Nebraska left-fielder Dan Johnston to score Darin Ruff with two outs. Bluejay Steve Winkelmann, who was running with the pitch, tried to score from first, but Nebraska shortstop Andy Cotton retrieved the ball in shallow left field and threw home to cut down Winkelmann and end the inning.

The Huskers answered in the fifth as Opitz's one-out single off Creighton reliever Bob Lackovic scored Bryce Nimmo from second and Abeita's sacrifice fly to center plated Mort, increasing Nebraska's lead to 5-1. Nimmo and Mort drew back-to-back walks with one out, chasing Hellhake.

Still with two out, Opitz stole second and scored on Tyler Farst's single to right for a 6-1 Nebraska advantage.

The Huskers added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. Farst's double to right field scored Optiz and DJ Belfonte later drilled a single to center, scoring Farst from second.

Game notes

• Tuesday's attendance of 14,650 at Rosenblatt Stadium was the 24th largest crowd in NCAA baseball history and the second-largest this season. Tuesday night's game between Georgia and Georgia Tech at Turner Field in Atlanta drew a crowd of 22,599.
• Nebraska recorded its fourth season series sweep of Creighton in the past nine years, previously sweeping the Bluejays in 2000, 2003 and 2006. The Huskers beat CU 4-3 in Lincoln on April 22 and then downed the Bluejays 16-7 the following night at Rosenblatt.
• NU's David Stewart, who was 4-for-9 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in Sunday's doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M, was 2-for-3 against Creighton. The freshman entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth.
• The Huskers are scheduled to close out their regular season this weekend with a three-game series at Missouri. Friday's opening game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Columbia, Mo.
• Anderson said Nebraska's Craig Corriston should be ready to return to the lineup for this weekend's series at Missouri. The senior first baseman had knee surgery April 30, but returned to the lineup last Friday night against Texas A&M before sitting out the past three games. Anderson said Corriston would've been available to pinch hit against Creighton.

Nebraska (39-9-1)    300    030    002 — 8    14    0
Creighton (33-18)    000    100    000 — 1    4    1
W — Bird (5-1). L — Hellhake (3-1). Sv — Hauptman (1). 2B — Nebraska, Optiz (13), Farst (2). HR — Nebraska, Abeita (8).