Diedrick still No. 3 l-back, but stuck on sidelines
PIEPRICKfrom page 10
San Jose State allowed Diedrick to
see time in the backfield. His 12
yards on five carries vs. the
Spartans are his only offensive
stats to date.
Coach Frank Solich said closer
calls vs. Notre Dame and Iowa
required the proven starters.
“We have confidence in
Dahrran,” Solich said. “But in
those types of games you general
ly go with your top two guys.”
Diedrick said he understands
that philosophy and, despite his
confidence, isn’t angry about
watching from the sidelines.
“I think I can get in and every
thing will still run smoothly,” the
six-foot, 220-pound sophomore
said. “But that’s a coach’s deci
sion.”
In 1999, other opportunities
were garnered when injuries in
the backfield left the Huskers
depleted.
Alexander filled in for the
injured Willie Miller at fullback vs.
Kansas, thus moving Diedrick into
the No. 2 running back spot.
Diedrick saw some playing time in
the game, rushing six times for 27
yards. Diedrick iso saw time in
the Big 12 title game when
Alexander split open his hand.
Injuries haven’t been a con
cern on offense thus far, Solich
said.
Next season, Diedrick will
most likely find himself with that
same staying power, since he will
be the most experienced of NU’s
four current underclassmen I
backs. The thought of competing
for that top spot is what keeps
Diedrick going this year, he said.
“That’s been my main motiva
tion,” he said. “Even though I’m
haven’t been playing that much, I
know that next year will be my *
time. I know that as long as I stay in
there and progress the way I have,
it’s just a matter of time.”
But Gillespie, Diedrick's posi
tion coach who has admitted that
Diedrick has improved in many
l
facets of his game, isn’t penciling
him as next year’s starter right
now.
“We need to be sure that the
guy that lines up there at No. 11
back is a guy we can depend on to
be consistent,” Gillespie said.
Should Diedrick impress
Gillespie enough next season and
jump from the sideline and into
the spotlight, Diedrick said he’ll be
ready. Diedrick said he wants to be
a main factor in Nebraska reload
ing for next season.
“Any position at Nebraska
there’s not a dropoff when seniors
leave,” Diedrick said. “ Somebody
just jumps into the spot and plays
well.”
Baseball
reloading
for fall
5/ ■ ' 1
BY DANE ST1CKNEY
The Big Red machine that
came within one win of the
College World Series last year
lost a few parts over the summer.
Gone is Justin Cowan, a
third-team All-American catch
er and finalist for the 2000
Johnny Bench award.
Gone is Jamal Strong, the
swift centerfielder who stole a
record 69 bases in two years.
Gone is right fielder Adam
Shabala, the most valuable play
er of last season’s Big Twelve
Tournament
NU also lost shortstop
Brandt Vlieger and a trio of
pitchers: Scott Fries, Chad Wiles
and Tiever Bullock.
This season, a group of jun
ior college transfers, redshirt
freshmen, true freshmen and
holdovers from last year’s squad
will try to fill the gaps.
But Baseball Coach Dave Van
Horn said he isn’t too concerned.
What the team lacks in experi
ence is made up in depth, he
said.
“We’ve got a lot of open
spots, but we’ve got a lot of tal
ented new players,” Van Horn
said. “We’ve got deeper talent
this year than last, which means
it will be one of the most com
petitive fall practices we’ve ever
had.
"Hopefully that will make us
better.”
Junior college transfers
Brandon Eymann and Willie
Jones will compete for the start
ing shortstop position, and Jeff
Blevins, another junior college
transfer, is expected to push
incumbent Josh Hesse at third,
Van Horn said.
Catcher Travis Anderson, a
junior college transfer from
California, could quickly
become a star, Van Horn said
Anderson hit over .500 last year,
leading his junior college league.
Another catcher, Jed Morris,
a sophomore junior college
transfer, will add strong defense
behind the plate, Van Horn said.
Another junior college trans
fer, outfielder Justin Seely, could
add some pop at the plate, as
could speedy freshman outfield
er Drew Anderson.
"We’ve been real impressed
with Drew,” Van Horn said. “He’s
shown he can do a lot of things
for us.”
One area that wasnt hit too
hard was the Huskers’ pitching
staff, which had the best earned
run average in the nation last
season.
The top two pitchers, the
closer and many relievers return,
but Van Horn said a team can
never have too much pitching.
Three redshirt freshmen,
Justin Pekarek, Derrick Conte
and Brent Potter, and two soph
omores, Jeff Blaesing and
Waylon Byers, will add punch to
an already strong staff, Pitching
Coach Rob Childress said.
Tine freshmen Mike Silman,
Jason Burch and Dustin Timm
have thrown around 90 mph this
fall and are expected to possibly
contribute this season.
"We've got a lot of talented
arms that we could use, and
there will be lots of competi
tion," Childress said. “We need
two or three to surface, but
which two or three that's going to
be, I don’t know."
In other news, Will Bolt, the
Huskers’ starting second base
man for the last three years, will
undergo knee surgery within the
week and will be sidelined for all
of fall practice. Van Horn said
Bolt should be ready to start the
season with no problems.
Aaron Gozart, a backup
catcher last season, has left the
team.
y -it
Despite offers, coaches stay at NU
COACHES from page 10
sidered leaving the Cornhusker
State was 20 years ago. He said he
interviewed for a coordinator job
in Utah, but the "situation wasn't
quite right”
Tenopir said it would be hard
to find an offensive line coaching
position more appealing than
Nebraska.
Tenopir added that the assis
tant coaches have the chance to
contribute to game plans.
“Some places, it’s a dictator
ship. Whatever the coach says,
that’s how it has to be, but not
here,” Tenopir said.
Darlington, a 28-year NU
assistant, said in the past 10 years,
only three or four legitimate
opportunities for a higher level
job have arisen.
“It’s hard to jump ship to a
lower school," Darlington said.
Darlington, who is the only
original Tom Osborne assistant
remaining, said he was satisfied
with being an assistant coach, so
he hasn’t pursued any other jobs.
Judging on past history, one of
the current Husker assistants will
get his chance to lead Nebraska on
Saturdays.
Bob Devaney passed the torch •
to Osborne, who passed the torch
toSolich.
The two assistant coaches
seemingly in line to take the torch
next are Brown and Gill. Neither
are planning on it, though.
When asked if he stayed at NU
so he could eventually be the
Husker head man, Brown said
that wasn’t a motive for sticking
w^,
around.
"It might be for some of the
coaches, but for myself, I look for
promises from no one,” Brown
said.
The Husker assistants who
will not get the job won’t com
plain. Their jobs at present are
among the best in the business,
Tenopirsaid.
“Some head coaching jobs
don’t compare to being an assis
tant here," he said.
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is hiring enthusiastic and
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water aerobic and spinning
Instructors. We have a variety of
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Please call Shawna today at
475-3386 or apply in person at
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Sport Clubs
On the Road At Home this Weekend
Men’s Rugby - Jackalope Tournament in NU women’s Rugby
Laramie, WY 9/29 -10/1. vs. south Dakota State University
Water Polo - Conference Preliminaries in Friday 7:00 PM Mabel Lee Hall Field oah&w)
Macomb, IL 9/29 -10/1. _
Results
Crew - Head of the Des Moines, Saturday. , .. .. ..., „
It was a full weekend for the NU Cycling club.
Men’s & Women’s Ultimate - Club Regionals Brent Peterson placed 1st in the Beginning
in Blaine, MN 9/30 -10/1. Senior race at the Hitchcock Challenge held
Women’s Soccer - Kansas State University September 23. On the 24th the club competed
Tournament in Manhattan, KS 9/30 -10/1. in the Nebraska State Criterium
Cycling - Lewis & Clark Mountain Bike Race Cha^P*°^shiP- Placing for NU were
in Council Bluffs, IA Saturday. '* ? i ^
J Enc Schmidt 2nd Cat 5 Race
« Office of Campus Recreation
SB CREC * 32 ECAB Phone 472.3467
www.unl.edu/crec_iNFO-REC 472.2692_
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