Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

[Wild Hoss]

No problem with alternate uniforms, so long as they don?t go off the rails like Maryland did last year. Just leave the helmet be.

[entropy]

Football: L.A. Jordan picks Rickey Thenarse to take over program

April 18, 2012 | 2:06 pm

At 23, Rickey Thenarse figures to be the youngest football coach in the City Section this fall. He has been named head coach at L.A. Jordan, where he was a standout running back before playing for Nebraska.

"I just went in and applied for the job," Thenarese said.

Thenarse graduated from Nebraska in 2010, then tried to make the Seattle Seahawks last year. He will be a walk-on coach for Jordan while trying to become a substitute teacher.

Former Jordan Coach Elijah Asante, who coached Thenarse, said he believes he can be an outstanding coach.

"He's going to be a great coach," Asante said. "He's been a ballplayer all his life."

Thenarse said he understands what Jordan needs in a coach.

"To be the head coach at Jordan, you have to know the kids and have a relationship with them," he said. "I feel I'm a role model, and they'll respect me."
-- Eric Sondheimer

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2012/04/football-la-jordan-picks-rickey-thenarse-to-take-over-program.html

[entropy]

http://nebraska.scout.com/2/1177318.html (Premium)

2013 quarterback Aaron Bailey of Bolingbrook High (Ill.) finished up his Spring Break tour of his top five Saturday at Lincoln – and FOXSportsNext has the latest on his final visit.

[entropy]

Sounds like UNL leads..

[entropy]

Will Bolt is good at getting his point across.

So say Nebraska's hitting statistics.

Bolt, the Huskers' associate head baseball coach, is not exactly a wallflower in the dugout, especially if hitters are flailing away. He plays a lead role — and sometimes a loud one — in directing the offense.

"Sometimes he'll get us going by screaming," NU junior infielder Josh Scheffert said. "Sometimes he'll pull us together and try to see what our thoughts are, and what we need to change and adjust to in order to hit certain pitches.

"If he sees we're not playing to the best of our ability, he's not shy about it. He'll let you know."

Bolt is getting positive results. Nebraska (25-13, 7-5 in Big Ten) is hitting .317 as a team, good for second in the Big Ten and up 47 points from last season. The Huskers lead the league in home runs (33), RBIs (264), slugging percentage (.458), on-base percentage (.396), runs (293), hits (423) and total bases (611).

Bolt's philosophy: Be aggressive at the plate and on the basepaths. Do the little things — bunt for hits, try to read balls in the dirt.

Operate with confidence.

"But if we don't have our best swings on a given day, we're going to compete hard with what we have," said Bolt, a captain on Nebraska's 2001 and 2002 College World Series teams. "That's what I've been proud of — how well we've competed."

This weekend, Bolt may experience flashbacks to his college career, when Haymarket Park often was an intense and happening place. Big Ten leader Purdue (29-5, 10-2) comes to Lincoln for a three-game series starting Friday, arguably the Huskers' most important league series since beating Texas A&M two of three games in May of 2008. That series triumph put NU in position to capture the Big 12 title.

Currently in third place in the Big Ten, Nebraska is positioned to reach a conference tournament for the first time since 2008. An NCAA Tournament at-large bid remains a possibility, especially if the Huskers win this weekend's series.

Bolt was in the early stages of completing scouting reports on 16th-ranked Purdue on Wednesday morning. He did know that the Boilermaker pitchers "pound the strike zone — they throw a ton of strikes," he said. "They do a really good job of attacking on the mound. It seems like all the way around, that's their style. They attack."

Nebraska likely will respond in kind, if Bolt has any say in it. Same goes for his boss, Darin Erstad.

"Coach Erstad is by far the most intense person I've ever met in my life," Scheffert said.

Bolt isn't far behind. The intensity of the new coaching staff is paying off, so far.

Bolt said the hitters are putting in extra work, a reflection of the grind-it-out nature of the staff.

"The guys have exceeded my expectations," he said. "I wasn't sure what we'd get from an offensive standpoint, having lost the best hitter on the team last year (Cody Asche) and not having a .300 hitter in the lineup returning.

"We've had some veterans really step up their game and work habits and competitiveness at the plate."

Scheffert has enjoyed the most profound turnaround, hitting .379 after sinking to .220 last season. Michael Pritchard (.391 this season), Chad Christensen (.331), Kash Kalkowski (.315) and Cory Burleson (.258) are other returners who've improved markedly under Bolt and Erstad.

After averaging 5.4 runs last season, Nebraska is averaging 7.7 this year.

Granted, Big Ten pitching isn't nearly as strong as what Nebraska faced in the Big 12 — not that the Big Ten is a walk in the park.

"It's solid, man," Bolt said.

He said the Friday starters generally are strong, and most teams have a good closer.

"The only difference I see is the overall depth is not quite the same as it was in the Big 12," Bolt said. "Certainly, we've seen some good starting pitching. And we've seen some closers who have very good stuff. But maybe there's not quite as many horses as what we saw in the Big 12."

Purdue's prowess, however, may make Nebraska feel like it's back in the Big 12.

"We have to find that consistent level of play," Bolt said. "We're starting to see signs of it, that maybe we can make a run at the end of the season."

Like the good ol' days at Haymarket.

[entropy]

Originally Published: April 19, 2012

Erstad has Huskers in contention in Big Ten

By Walter Villa
Special to ESPN.com

Nebraska outfielder Michael Pritchard, who grew up in Omaha rooting for the Cornhuskers, said this weekend's series against No. 17 Purdue is his school's biggest set of games since it last made an NCAA regional in 2008.

"I think we'll get 20,000 fans combined for the three games," said Pritchard of the series, which will be played in Lincoln. "It's going to be out of control. It's going to be fun to play in a series that matters this much."

Third-place Nebraska (25-13, 7-5) would tie Big Ten leader Purdue (29-5, 10-2) if they are able to sweep the series. Then again, Purdue has won nine games in a row and hasn't lost a series all year.

The most interesting matchup will be Purdue's pitching -- best in the conference on the basis of its 2.91 ERA -- against Nebraska's offense, which ranks No. 1 in the league (7.7 runs).

Pritchard, who hits leadoff, is fourth in the league in batting average (.391) and second in runs (35). He ignites an offense that also includes Josh Scheffert (.379), Pat Kelly (.358) and Richard Stock (.357).

In addition, Chad Christensen leads the league in RBIs and runs scored, Scheffert is tied for the top spot in homers (7) and Rich Sanguinetti is third in RBIs.

First-year head coach Darin Erstad, who was a two-time All-Star during his 14-year major league career, credits associate head coach Will Bolt for Nebraska's improved offense.

"Coach Bolt has done a fantastic job in getting our hitters to believe in our approach of having a balanced offense," said Erstad, 37. "We want to be able to bunt and hit and run but also hit the long ball and run the bases aggressively. We want to put constant pressure on opposing pitchers."

Erstad, who won three Gold Gloves as a big league outfielder, caught the final out of the 2002 season, helping the Anaheim Angels win the World Series.

He also won a national championship at Nebraska in 1994 -- in football. He was the Huskers' punter, averaging 42.6 yards, good for 14th best in the country.

"I had the best seat in the house for Nebraska football games," Erstad joked. "I got to run out there and somewhat help the team, but it was great to see Tom Osborne win his first national title."

Erstad's real talent, of course, was in baseball. In 1995, he led the Big Eight in hitting (.410) and added 19 homers and 79 RBIs. He was the first overall pick in '95, drafted by the Angels.

Pritchard said Erstad has made a huge difference in Nebraska baseball.

"He brings a winning mentality to our program," Pritchard said. "We have a bunch of guys who have never been to an NCAA regional, but he and our other coaches are making us believe we can get there."

Since the offense seems to be a given, the key to the Huskers reaching the postseason could be the pitching. The bullpen, led by closer Travis Huber, lefty Aaron Bummer and right-handers Dylan Vogt and Ryan Hander, has been solid.

The rotation, though, has been in flux. The Huskers have tried eight starting pitchers this year, including Tom Lemke, who had offseason surgery to remove blood clots in his shoulder.
Lemke has made seven starts this season (3.93 ERA) but has since been relegated to the bullpen.

"He has no discomfort, but he got fatigued, and his velocity dropped," Erstad said. "We probably threw him too much too soon. We backed him off and will probably throw him shorter in the bullpen."

With Lemke out of the rotation for now, Erstad hinted that the search for consistent starters continues.

"It's an open competition," Erstad said. "We're still looking for guys to step up."

Those issues aside, Erstad said he is thrilled to be the Huskers' coach. He and his wife, Jessica, bought a house in the Lincoln area five years ago, while he was still in the big leagues, with the intention of putting down roots in the city.

"We were going to live here regardless," Erstad said of the family, which includes two sons and a daughter. "This university has been the most special thing in my life, outside my family. I absolutely love it.

"To be able to work with kids and see them progress is pretty powerful stuff. But our goal is to win Nebraska's first national title [in baseball]. It's not a pipe dream. The blueprint is there, and we want to prove it can be done."

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/notebook/_/page/2012seasonweek10/2012-college-baseball

[entropy]

The BIG needs more college baseball games on the BTN

[entropy]

Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 11:03 pm | Updated: 8:14 am, Thu Apr 19, 2012.

By Independent Wire Services




Throughout a life that has included many struggles, Jamie Bloom’s love for the Nebraska Cornhuskers has remained steadfast.

The 25-year-old Bloom, who is in hospice care at Golden LivingCenter-Grand Island Lakeview, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 4. The Scotia native has undergone 96 weeks of chemotherapy, seven weeks of radiation and numerous other surgeries and medical procedures in the past 21 years.

A severe stroke has confined Bloom to a wheelchair for the past five years. Earlier this year, Bloom endured additional health complications and was moved into hospice care two months ago.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bloom was granted his wish to meet two prominent University of Nebraska student-athletes as Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez and volleyball setter Lauren Cook traveled from Lincoln to Grand Island for an hour-long visit.

“Jamie is a big Husker fan,” said Jan Bloom, Jamie’s mother. “Every time a Nebraska game is on TV, he’s hollering ‘Go Huskers!’ or ‘Go defense!’

“He has always liked the Huskers — always.”

Martinez and Cook visited, signed autographs and posed for photos with Jamie and members of his family. While speech is sometimes difficult for him now, Bloom lifted his hand and pointed a finger at Martinez as family members clicked snapshots, as if to say, “Look who’s standing right beside me!”

“Jamie has always been kind of a fighter,” said Russ Bloom, Jamie’s father. “Through all his chemo and losing his hair and all, he still managed to keep his sense of humor.

“We’re very appreciative that Taylor and Lauren would come out here to do this for Jamie.”

Cook said meeting Husker fans like Jamie has a major impact upon her.

“It’s really humbling — just that Jamie would want to see someone like Taylor and I and that he would recognize us … that’s what Nebraska is all about,” Cook said. “To be out here in Grand Island and visit Jamie, it changes your (outlook) on life.”

Martinez agreed.

“It’s very heart-warming for Lauren and I, considering that Jamie doesn’t really know how much time he has and one of his wishes was to meet Husker athletes,” Martinez said. “It was nice to be able to meet him and try to show everyone that the University of Nebraska is really a great place with great people who really care.

“Lauren and I just wanted to some out here today to show our support.”

Cook said it’s satisfying to be able to take part in activities that return the favor to Husker fans, who are famous for ardent support of Nebraska’s football and volleyball programs.

“Fans travel a great distance to watch us play, so for us to kind of give back and visit fans out here means a lot to us,” Cook said. “If we can brighten Jamie’s day, that means the world to us.”

While several individuals had a hand in making the arrangements, the hospice visit was made possible largely by the Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation. Cathy Ferguson, HealthConnect at Home Hospice manager, said her organization and Saint Francis Foundation director Claire Aguilar are working to make visits like the one made by Cook and Martinez a semi-regular occurrence for hospice patients.

“We’d like this to kind of set a precedence for our hospice patients where we’d be able to kind of grant them a wish,” Ferguson said. “Hospice is all about quality of life and I think this was big for Jamie to be able to meet Lauren and Taylor and I think it had a big impact on Jamie’s family, too.”

[entropy]

Huskers Sign Junior College All-American

http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=205416405

Lincoln - University of Nebraska basketball coach Tim Miles announced Thursday afternoon that Deverell Biggs (Omaha, Neb./Seward County Community College) has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to join the Husker basketball program for the 2012-2013 season

[entropy]

Lots of dreaming... But...



NU facilities impress Okafor
Posted by: Steve Sipple on April 19, 2012 at 7:51PM CST

Safe to say Jahlil Okafor, the fourth-ranked high school basketball player in the class of 2014 by Rivals.com, was impressed by Nebraska's athletic facilities.

He says facilities will have a big influence on his college decision.

"I visited North Carolina. I visited Duke," the 6-foot-10, 280-pounder said Thursday. "Those campuses were great. But I think Nebraska has the best facilities, definitely."

You never know what might catch a recruit's eye. In Okafor's case, it was the flat-screen TVs in the bathroom stalls at the $18 million Hendricks Training Complex.

"I've never seen that before," he said.

His comments came during a Thursday appearance on "The Ticket" (93.7 FM in Lincoln and theticketfm.com).

[UMStan White]

Heartwarming story about Jamie Bloom but unfortunately it reminds me about the time when a close friend's father was dying of cancer, His dad was a life-long Husker fan. He called the AD department and asked if Tom Osburn, the coach at the time, could call his Dad just to let him know that they appreciated him as a fan before he died. He was told to basically fuck off. Told Osburn didn't have time to make calls to fans. Wonder how many calls Osburn made to "great players" like Lawrence Phillips?

[Optimus Prime]

...Nebraska fans had the opportunity to return the favor as "Osburn" failed in his senatorial campaign, embarrassing and speaks volumes.

[entropy]

haters..

[entropy]

stan.. what year was that? And do you know it even got to TO. Nebraska ran off a couple of AD's because of some of their policies, which did not create a family atmosphere.

I'm not saying TO can call everyone and doesn't get every fan in the state asking to talk with a dying relative... I'm sure Bo did too when he was at Michigan. tough spot to manage something like that, which I'm sure you understand. But the TO I know would at least send a message. I've seen them before. So I question if he even knew.

And the fact that he create a life skills organization within the athetic department that supports/promotes student athletes particpating in these events in the community... seems odd, doesn't it?

[entropy]

OP... just proved that Nebraskans voted on policies and not star power.