[Husker] Husker win

[jschlechte at usfamily.net]

> I have two questions for those who really follow
> Husker Baseball.  Is this team the best Husker team in
> this great run over the last 8 years? Is this the bast
> chance NU has had to do some real damage in Omaha?
> I believe that this is the most balanced team we have
> had.  We don't have the one guy as of yet like a
> Gordon, Hopper, or Johnson (although Buckman and
> Gorsett are close) but this team hits from 1-9.
> NU has an excellent closer and three very good
> starters.  Middle relief is coming around nicely IMO.
> Do you agree with this assessment?

First Question - That's a tough one as I'd like to see how they perform 
at least
through the Big 12 tourney and regional action when the pressure is on. 
  I think
(& hope) they'll do fine as the Texas series was certainly big.  Right now I'd
say they are second to 2000 as the depth in the pitching staff was amazing in
coming back from the first game defeat in the Big 12 tourney as some of them
hadn't had the greatest seasons, but stepped it up in the post season.  If
Komine hadn't gotten his jaw broken in MN (seeing that in person, I'm still
amazed how he recovered enough to make the play) in the first game of the
regional against Butler, I think NU would have taken Stanford down in 
Palo Alto
and done a lot of damage in the CWS.  Stanford ended up losing the 
title game of
the CWS.  NU had Jamie Rodrigue, Trevor Bullock, RD Spiehs, Brian 
Rodaway, Chad
Wiles, Scott Fries and Thom Ott as the closer.  Dan Johnson and Matt Hopper
were crushing the ball.  Then add Adam's Stern & Shabala, Jamal Strong, Justin
Cowan, John Cole, Will Bolt, John Hesse to the line-up as needed and it was
pretty strong.

I'll wait to see if they make the CWS before making too much of a statement
about the CWS as a lot can happen between now and then.  It's been good to see
the bullpen step up, but expect to see hot teams in the CWS just like 
Ok State.
So it's imperative to keep the ball down and hopefully not have issues 
like the
first two games against OSU.

Go Big Red,

- Jay