LINCOLN, Neb.—Though his team goes into the season with a revamped pitching rotation and needs to develop depth throughout the lineup, Nebraska coach Mike Anderson’s expectations remain the same.
“We should win the Big 12 title and move on through the College World Series,” Anderson said Tuesday. “We should keep thinking like that. Are we young? Yes. Is that possible? Yes.”
Anderson said it doesn’t bother him when people outside the program doubt the Huskers’ ability to play for a championship.
“I hope no one gives Nebraska respect,” he said. “Every year, being a northern school, we should have a little bit of an underdog feeling.”
That underdog status was confirmed by the Big 12 coaches’ preseason poll. Nebraska was picked to finish seventh. The six teams ahead of the Huskers, led by defending champion Texas A&M, are all ranked in the national top 20.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” sophomore pitcher Mike Nesseth said. “The polls say we are seventh. Last year, I think we were sixth and had a chance to win the Big 12 in the last series. They’ve got to pick you somewhere. It’s kind of a motivation for us.”
Nebraska returns five everyday starters from the 2008 team that was 41-16-1 and reached the NCAA regionals for the eighth time in nine seasons. The pitching staff is led by senior Erik Bird (5-1 last season) and Nesseth (4-1 and four saves).
The Huskers finished third last season after being picked sixth. They were fourth or better in the Big 12 five of the last six years.
They open this weekend with a four-game series at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Sophomore right-hander Michael Mariot will make his first collegiate start Friday. Mariot had a 2-0 record with a 6.75 ERA last season, but improved over the summer while pitching in the California League and for the Beatrice Bruins.
“It’s not 100 percent unexpected,” Mariot said of the start. “But I didn’t picture myself starting the first game of the season. I just wanted to throw more than 14 innings this year.”
Nesseth will get the ball for the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, with Bird pitching the nightcap. Sunday’s starter had not been determined.
Anderson said he’ll start his experienced players such as third baseman Jake Mort, outfielders DJ Belfonte and Nick Sullivan, catcher Cody Neer and first baseman Tyler Farst. But he expects younger players to break into the lineup as the season progresses.
“I like to write lineups,” Anderson said. “That’s kind of my hobby. I keep all those things and go back and look at them. I’ve written lineups where I’ve had five freshmen in there for position players and a freshman pitcher. My goal is to put them in position to be successful and let them continue to have success. I want to take my time with the freshmen.”
Nebraska is scheduled to play its first home game Feb. 25 against North Dakota. The Huskers’ first home weekend series is set for March 6-8 against Cal State Northridge.
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