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Balanced effort sparks NU to shutout

By Curt McKeever/Lee Enterprises

LINCOLN - This was the kind of tuneup the Nebraska baseball team needed entering this weekend's home series against Missouri.

While blanking Western Illinois 8-0 Wednesday afternoon, the Huskers got 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball from sophomore pitcher Drew Bowman, a notable performance from center fielder Bryce Nimmo in his first action in 10 games, and even a 1-for-3, two-walk, two-run day from struggling shortstop Ryan Wehrle.

The Huskers recorded their first shutout since last April, issued no walks for the first time this year and got a season-high 14 hits, putting the contributions of Jake Opitz on the back burner.

Poor Opitz. All the steady-hitting second baseman did was homer during a four-run first inning, single in the second and triple in the fourth to fall a double shy of becoming the first Husker to hit for the cycle at Haymarket Park.

NU coach Mike Anderson was plenty impressed with the cycle produced by the pitching quartet of Bowman, Luke Wertz, Zach Herr and Thad Weber.

“Ten strikeouts, no walks -that says it all,” Anderson said after his team improved to 12-7. “That's what we've been looking for, whether it was Bowman (or) whoever else.”

Bowman, the left-handed transfer from Arizona State, gave up only two fifth-inning singles before Anderson pulled him with two outs in the sixth in order to keep him as an option for this weekend.

“It was a huge step for me,” Bowman said after improving to 3-0. “It was the first time that I've really come out and done what I wanted to do, and just felt good.”

Bowman threw just 63 pitches and struck out four before Wertz showed him up by fanning all four batters he faced.

Meanwhile, Wehrle, who started just one of three games at Texas Tech last weekend and entered Wednesday with just one hit in his previous 32 at-bats, singled to lead off the first before scoring. He then walked and scored in the second, hit a third-inning fly ball that was caught at the left-field wall and later reached again on a walk.

After Opitz hit a wind-blown home run the opposite way to left to make it 2-0 with two outs in the first, Andy Gerch and Craig Corriston doubled and Jeff Lanning singled to give Bowman plenty of breathing room.

Andrew Brown singled in another run in the second, and with two outs in the third, Nimmo singled and stole two bases before scoring on a throwing error.

Nimmo singled later in the game for his first two-hit day since May 7 at Oklahoma State.

“It felt good to be at the plate again,” said Nimmo, who was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion and sprained right shoulder during an outfield collision with DJ Belfonte in Nebraska's March 4 game against Notre Dame.

“It was a good day to keep the ball out of the air, which is what I always need to do, so that was kind of the main focus there. (I'm) just kind of getting back in the groove of things, but overall it felt pretty good.”

Wednesday was the first day Nimmo received medical clearance to return. He hit ninth in the order and also made two catches.

“You just give him an opportunity to not have to fit a huge role within your offense and whatever you get out of him you get,” Anderson said. “We know he's a great defensive guy. If we can bunt, move runners over. ... If we can get two sharp hits like that each night, great.

“It obviously helps with a left- hander and it takes the pressure off of (two-way player Steve Edlefsen) having to do both (pitch and play outfield). I just think Eddie's going to be a guy that we use out of the (bull)pen more than we thought we would, so to rest him, that's what Bryce is going to do. We need to get (Nick) Sullivan going so that helps that whole outfield.”

Sullivan, who hadn't fully recovered from a broken thumb when the season began, walked twice and scored a run in two plate appearances Wednesday.

“We jumped on them early,” Nimmo said of the 11-12 Leathernecks, who are 0-12 against Big 12 Conference opponents. “We had good, aggressive hacks early in the count, and disciplined at-bats at the same time. And Bowman, no doubt, shoved it and did a great job pitching.”

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.