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• Photo Showcase: NU baseball practice opens
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LINCOLN — Baseball players aren't necessarily supposed to be thrilled about 40-degree weather on an overcast day, when it doesn't take long for a sharp 15 mph wind to numb fingers and toes.
But for the Nebraska baseball team, that's a lovely January afternoon — just nice enough to hold the first half of the season's first practice outside.
Coach Darin Erstad's reasoning: If you would play a game in the conditions, you'd better practice in them. The players had no issues with that Friday.
"We're very fortunate to be able to get outside this time of year," junior outfielder Chad Christensen said. "That doesn't happen very often in Nebraska. We got a lot done. Every day you can get outside this time of year is just very beneficial for us."
The Huskers certainly are grateful for their new indoor practice facility, a $4.75 million training center that helps provide more realistic conditions for hitters and pitchers in live-ball situations.
But at Haymarket Park Friday, they spent most of their time conducting defensive drills using the full baseball field. Some specific scenarios. Lots and lots of repetition.
And starting outside allowed them to begin the afternoon with a demanding base-running routine.
"What better way to get the ticker going than to run around the bases a little bit, and dive in the dirt?" Erstad said. "That's kind of what we do."
Erstad was upbeat when he met with reporters Friday, conveying the same confidence he'd displayed seven months earlier at his introductory press conference as NU's coach.
He said it plainly: The goal for this team is to reach the College World Series.
The Huskers missed the Big 12 tournament the past three seasons. They're moving to the less-reputable Big Ten this year. They've lost their top hitter from a year ago (Cody Asche) and their top pitcher (Casey Hauptman).
But that hasn't dampened the players' enthusiasm, Erstad said.
"Conditioning-wise, they're off the charts from where I thought they would be," Erstad said. "They've transformed their bodies. ... Now it's up to us as coaches to have them ready baseball-wise."
NU does return several contributors from a year ago, though a few have changed roles. Junior Kurt Farmer has moved from first to third. Junior Kash Kalkowski is set to play first. Freshman Pat Kelly is the starter at shortstop, moving Christensen to the outfield. Tyler Niederklein, a 13-game starter in 2011, will begin the year in the bullpen.
But Erstad has told his players to expect a yearlong battle for every spot — just because a player starts the opener doesn't mean he'll stay there. The new coach will let leaders emerge naturally, too.
By the time conference play begins March 23 with a home series against Illinois, everyone will know "what pieces are the right pieces to that puzzle," Erstad said.
Until then?
"You lay it on the line every day," Erstad said. "They've grasped that. They understand that it's not just once or twice a week. Every day we go out there and play at a certain level of intensity and effort."
Nebraska opens its season Feb. 17 with a three-game series against Gonzaga in Peoria, Ariz.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com
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