Huskers fall short
with two losses
By Jay Saunders
Staff Reporter
In a weekend in which the Ne
braska men’s tennis team was hop
ing to accomplish their goals, they
didn’t1.
NU may have lost a chance at
achieving its season-long goal of
making the Region Five Tbuma
ment after dropping home matches
to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
this weekend.
Coach Kerry McDermott said
he was disappointed in the
Comhuskers’ effort against OU, a
match they lost 5-2 at the Cather
Pound tennis courts Sunday.
Dinko Verzi continued his hot
streak at No. 2 singles winning the
first game from Chris Barkula 6-4.
Barkula retired leading Verzi 3-2 in
the second set. Markus Bergerheim
was the only other winner for NU
with a 6-4,2-6,6-2 win over Charlie
Roberson at No. 3 singles.
“We didn’t compete well
against OU,” McDermott said. “I
don’t mind losing if we give 100
percent, but I was really disap
pointed in die effort.”
The result was the same against
Oklahoma State, but McDermott
was much happier with the effort
given in a 6-1 loss to the Cowboys.
Bergerheim completed his Okla
homa sweep by beating Brad
Chiller in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
NU hung tough at the top two
singles spots but came up short.
Magnus Grahn took the first set
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from Pavel Kudrnac 7-6 in a
tiebreaker. Kudrnac came back to
win the next two sets 6-2,6-3 and
improve his record to 14-1. Verzi
lost his first home singles match
in two years, dropping a 2-6, 7-6
1-6 decision to Martin Dvorack.
“We competed much better
against OSU,” McDermott said.
“We got beat hands down by a bet
ter team.” ,
It was the all-important doubles
point that may have killed Ne
braska this weekend. The return of
Andrew Wiese from an ankle in
jury wasn’t enough to help the
Huskers in doubles.
“It would have helped us build
momentum,” McDermott said.
“We knew Oklahoma State was
very strong in doubles and had our
work cut out for us.”
The two losses this weekend
dropped the Huskers’ record to 9
14 and knocked NU out of conten
tion for a spot in the regional tour
nament, which had been a season
long goal. The Huskers losses
locked NU into the sixth spot in the
region. A team needs to be ranked
in the top five to advance to the
tournament.
McDermott said NU is not
happy about not being in the re
gional tournament, but they can’t
get down on themselves before this
week’s Big 12 Tournament.
“When you have a goal and
don’t reach it, you are always a
little disappointed,” McDermott
said. “That is the past, and now we
have to lode forward.”
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Backups busy this spring
Perino and London
are still battling for a
second-string spot.
..
By Peter Maehoefer
Staff Reporter
The opportunity to fill the spot
backing up NU quarterback Scott
Frost heated up in Saturday's scrim
mage at Memorial Stadium.
Jeff Perino, a 6-foot-2,190-pound
sophomore, and Frankie London, a 6
foot-2, 175-pound sophomore, who
are both battling for the right to back
up Frost in the fall, used the third
scrimmage of the spring to try to shake
up the depth chart.
“There’s definitely competition
between us,” Perino said. “It does a
lot more good than it does bad.”
Both quarterbacks continued to
make their cases Saturday in a scrim
mage once again dominated by the
Husker defense.
Perino completed 5 of 8 passes for
130 yards—including a 62-yard gem
to Jeff Lake. London threw for 69
yards completing 3 of 11 attempts, and
rushed for another 15 on nine carries.
The two were forced into an intercep
tion by the NU defense.
Monte Christo was 0 for 1 before
suffering a concussion after a hit near
the sideline early in the scrimmage.
Christo’s availability for Saturday’s
Red-White game will be known this
week. Overall, five players suffered
injuries in the scrimmage.
“It was a pretty hard-hitting scrim
mage,” NU Coach Tom Osborne said.
“You have to remember we have 14
offensive players out with injuries.”.
The injuries ihclude six offensive
lineman—Eric Anderson (shoulder),
Jeff Clausen (knee), Adam Julch
(knee), Josh Heskew (foot), Brandt
Wade (knee) and James Sherman
(knee). The Husker team got more bad
news when linebacker Casey Macken
tore his anterior cruciate ligament
during a non-contact drill in warmups.
Pertae ctnpleted 5 passes fer 130 yards.
“When you’ve had as many inju
ries as we have had,” NU rush end
Grant Wistrom said, “the offense isn’t
going to look real sharp.”
The Husker offense finished the
scrimmage with406 total yards—142
rushing and 264 passing. The offense
scored two touchdowns, one on a
Perino 4-yard run and a 1-yard sneak
by Jay Runty. Kris Brown added a field
goal to finish out the NU scoring.
“I am pleased with the defense.
They are playing well,” Osborne said.
“I think we’ll have a great offense as
soon as everyone is back.”
London—who is listed as second
on the depth chart — should lead the
No. 2 offense in the annual Red-White
game at 1 pan. at Memorial Stadium.
“Spring ball pretty much deter
mines what will happen in the fall,”
Perino said. “In the fall, coach really
doesn’t want to adjust who will be the
backup.”
In other scrimmage statistics, Jay
Sims led all rushers with 26 yards on
five carries and Ahman Green added
24 yards on seven rushes.
Sean Applegate led all receivers
with 75 yards on three catches.
Applegate was followed by Jeff Lake
with 73 yards and Vershan Jackson
with 61 yards both with two recep
tions.
Erstad learns new position
ERSTAD from page 9
willing to help me leam the new posi
tion. If you can’t leam from him, you
can’t leam from anybody.”
With Murray’s career winding
down, Erstad said, the veteran had no
desire to play the field, opting instead
to fill the designated hitter role.
Erstad’s bat has also drawn
Murray’s attention.
“He uses the whole field, which is
the sign of a good hitter,” Murray said.
“He has some strength to hit the ball
out of the ballpark and he is strong
enough to knock balls over the infield
ers’ heads when he is fighting off a
pitchers’ good pitch. I think he’s go
ing to be pretty good.”
In two separate stints with the
Angels last summer, Erstad compiled
a .284 batting average in 208 at-bats.
Despite struggling for playing time in
a crowded outfield, Erstad said the
experience he gained has helped him
this season.
“You’ve seen most of the ballparks
and you know how the pre-game rou
tine works,” Erstad said. “The faces
are familiar and you don’t have to go
through new experiences every time.
You know what to expect and that’s
good for your mental preparation.”
Though he is more powerful and
lacks the speed ofa typical leadoff hit
ter, Erstad has spent the majority of
this season as the Angels first-hole
hitter. But batting-order shuffles don’t
concern Erstad.
“When I ask him to leadoff, I’m
not asking him to be Bip Roberts or
Lenny Dykstra or Brett Butler,”
Collins said. “I’m asking him to be
Darin Erstad, period. He’s a good hit
ter and he can run, therefore, I want
him to leadoff.”
M
It’s just a gradual
learning process to
make yourself a
complete
ballplayer.”
Darin Ebstad
Anaheim first baseman
Erstad’s attitude and approach to
the game also contributed to Collins’
decision to make him his everyday
leadoff hitter.
“He’s got a different makeup than
a lot of young players,” Collins said.
“Nothing intimidates the guy. He’s an
outstanding athlete, and that helps
him a lot.
He s going to be an outstanding
player. Don’t be surprised (me day if
you look up and he’s hitting 25 hom
ers. He’s got that kind of ability —
and he also may steal 35 bases.”
But Erstad takes things one day at
a time.
Of the 59 hits he collected last sea
son, only nine went for extra bases.
This season, Erstad has improved his
slugging percentage. Six of his 21 hits
this season have gone for extra bases
and he leads the Angels with five sto
len bases.
“I don’t compare stats and I don't
care about that stuff. I go out and play
and if we’re winning, great. That’s
what it’s all about.
“It’s just a gradual learning pro
cess to make yourself a complete
ballplayer. That’s what I’m trying to
do every single day.”
•.
Huskers
swept by
Oklahoma
From Staff Reports
The 20th-ranked Oklahoma
baseball team swept Nebraska in a
three-game series this weekend in
Norman.
The Sooners, who won their
10th consecutive game, improved
to 30-10 while NU fell to 22-25
after completing the sweep with an
11-9 win on Sunday.
The Comhuskers have lost six
straight times in conference play,
and have not won cm the road this
season.
After losing 11-3 on Friday, the
Huskers led OU 3-0 in the top of
the first inning on Saturday when
first baseman Tbdd Sears hit his
11th homer of the year. But the
Huskers had 10 hits in five innings
against the Sooners’ Kevin Olsen
(7-1).
Nebraska also led 3-0 on Sun
day after the first inning, when
right fielder Gabe Garcia had a
two-run double and sewed on a
single by Ken Harvey. Harvey had
three hits for NU and sewed twice
in the game. Garcia, Bryan
Schmidt, and Mike Tighe also had
two hits for NU.
Nebraska starter Seth Williams
took the loss (1-1) after giving up
six runs on five hits.
Hie Huskers will travel to No.
1 Texas Ibch April 22 through 23
fw a two-game series with the Red
Raiders.
