LINCOLN The No. 9-ranked Nebraska baseball team returns to Haymarket Park to begin a busy week, hosting No. 5 Wichita State at 6:37 p.m. Tuesday.
The clash between the Huskers (25-6-1) and Shockers (27-5) has garnered heavy interest as a large crowd is expected and the game will be televised (MYTV, G.I. cable 17 and DirecTV 25). Tuesday's matchup is the first time the teams have ever met in Lincoln with both squads ranked in the top 10 and the first time since 2005 that a matchup between top-10 teams has taken place at Hawks Field.
Coach Gene Stephenson (1,632-538-3 at WSU) and his Shockers are wrapping up a four-game road trip, as they took two of three games at Creighton over the weekend, winning the final two games of the series. Like the Huskers, the Shockers have enjoyed a long winning streak of their own, reeling off 19 straight wins before it was snapped earlier this month.
Third baseman Conor Gillaspie leads a potent Shocker offense with a .411 batting average and 40 RBIs. The preseason Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, Gillaspie is one of seven regulars in the WSU lineup hitting above .300.
Wichita State has speed throughout the lineup, stealing 63 bases in 73 chances, including 14 from Andy Dirks and 12 from Ryan Jones. Dusty Colemen leads the Shockers with five homers and is second on the squad with 35 RBIs.
Redshirt freshman Tim Kelley, who is 4-1 with a 4.00 ERA in six starts, is scheduled to start for Wichita State. The right-hander earned the win in his last outing, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings of a 4-3 win over Kansas State last Tuesday.
Wichita State leads the all-time series against Nebraska 20-19 as last year's win in Wichita broke the series deadlock. The two teams have met annually in the regular season since 2001, with the Huskers taking two games at Haymarket Park in that stretch.
Last year, Damon Sublett's two-run eighth-inning single capped a four-run comeback as No. 11 Wichita State rallied for a 5-3 victory. The Shockers trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but rallied for four runs on four hits and two walks against the Husker bullpen, as Sublett's two-run single off Erik Bird capped the outburst.
Bird is scheduled to start for Nebraska. The right-hander enters the game 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA.
Game notes
& The Huskers have been tough against ranked teams at home over the last decade, posting a 57-28 (.671) record, including an impressive 19-7 (.731) mark against top-10 teams. NU is 38-19 (.667) against ranked foes since Hawks Field opened in 2002.
& Nebraska's unofficial RPI is 13th nationally and second only to Oklahoma State among Big 12 teams entering the week. With Tuesday's game against Wichita State, the Huskers will have played 18 of their last 20 games against teams with RPI rankings of 75 or better.
& The Huskers have shown the knack for comebacks in 2008, overcoming deficits 10 times this spring, including a four-run deficit at No. 13 Texas on March 28. Under coach Mike Anderson, the Huskers have authored 88 come-from-behind wins.
& Husker starting pitchers have pitched at least five innings in 26 of the past 32 starts this season and are a combined 17-4 on the season.
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