February 4, 2012

Creighton baseball picked 2nd in MVC

After winning both the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title and Missouri Valley Conference Tournament a season ago, the Creighton baseball team has been picked to finish second in 2012 in the preseason poll, voted on by the league coaches and released Wednesday. The Bluejays received three first place votes, and finished with 53 total points, leaving them in second behind Missouri State, who picked up five first place votes and 60 points.

2012 MVC Baseball Preseason Poll

Wichita State is picked to finish third in the conference this season, picking up 47 total votes. Indiana State (37 votes) was picked fourth followed closely by Illinois State (34) and Southern Illinois (31). Bradley (15) and Evansville (11) round out the preseason poll, taking the seventh and eighth positions, respectively.

Creighton returns seven starters and a solid pitching staff from last year’s team that finished 45-16, 15-6 in the MVC, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Head Coach Ed Servais became the winningest coach in Creighton history, surpassing both Jim Hendry and Jack Dahm last season. Servais was named the MVC Coach of the Year, highlighting Creighton’s six All-Conference selections following the season (Jonas Dufek, Trever Adams and Jimmy Swift on the first team and Mike Gerber, Ty Blach and Kurt Spomer receiving second team honors.)

Loper baseball picked third in conference after Sweet 16 run

The Nebraska-Kearney baseball team has been picked third overall, and tied with New Mexico HIghlands for first in the Plains Division, in the 2012 RMAC Preseason Coaches poll. Coming off a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, the Lopers (38-19, 27-11 RMAC) and the HU Cowboys each tallied 11 points in the Plains Division race. HU did receive four first place votes to the Lopers three.

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Alex Gordon wins AL Gold Glove

Alex Gordon, the former Husker star and Lincoln native, won one of three American League Gold Glove Awards handed out to outfielders. Gordon was the second overall pick in the 2005 baseball draft and his move to the outfielder was looked at as a last ditch effort to save his big league career.

Gordon played in just 49 games after missing most of the 2009 season with hip surgery and then played in just 74 in 2010. He was sent down to AAA Omaha where the former third baseman had to learn a new position while the organization prepared for the arrival of Mike Moustakas to take over the hot corner.

Gordon returned from the minors in 2011 and hit a career high .303 and set the franchise record with 20 assists.

Bubba Starling may be out until next spring for Royals

Bubba Starling, who left Nebraska football after signing with the Kansas City Royals, has been bothered by a leg muscle injury during Instructional League play in Arizona.

The five week league wraps up on October 17, meaning Starling may be done until next spring. Team officials say that he hurt himself running the bases.

NU baseball plays first of three scrimmages

Kash Kalkowski and Bryan Peters each had two RBIs for the White team, while their pitching staff gave up one earned run and struck out seven Red batters in a 6-3 White win. Offensively for the Reds, freshman Austin Darby blasted a triple to right field and Richard Stock, a transfer from USC, accounted for the team’s two RBIs.

The Huskers will play game two of their three-game series Friday at 5 p.m. with a seven-inning game at Hawks Field, before wrapping up the series on Saturday with a nine-inning game at 11 a.m. Admission is free on both days and parking is free on Friday, but it will cost $25 to park on Saturday due to the football game.