Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Nebraska
Nebraska Downs Oklahoma State
May 19, 2001 | Cowboy Baseball
May 19, 2001
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -
Nebraska earned its third consecutive trip to the Big 12 Conference Phillips 66 baseball tournament title game with a 10-5 win over Oklahoma State in the semifinals Saturday.
First baseman Dan Johnson added two home runs to bring his Big 12-leading total to 22 as the Huskers pounded 16 hits against a trio of OSU pitchers, including losing hurler and starter Shane Hawk (2-3). Johnson also drove in four of the Huskers' 10 runs while teammate John Cole tied the Big 12 tourney record with his fifth stolen base.
Oklahoma State, 40-20 overall, awaits a possible NCAA at-large bid after missing the Big 12 finals by two victories. It's the Cowboys' 19th 40-win season in 20 years, and they were paced by centerfielder Jimbo McAuliff with another three-hit afternoon.
Wins by Texas A&M and Nebraska gave the Big 12 its second pair of unbeaten finalists in three years after Baylor and NU advanced to the 1999 finals with identical 3-0 marks. Nebraska had to come from the losers' bracket to go 5-1 and win the 2000 tourney title.
Nebraska also bids to become the first Big 12 regular season champ and tourney winner in the five-year history of the Big 12 as the 44-14 Huskers host the first round of NCAA Regionals on Friday, May 25, in Lincoln, Neb.
Winning pitcher Brian Rodaway struck out five and did not walk a batter in 7 2/3 innings to gain the win for NU. He advanced to 4-2 with relief help from three other Nebraska hurlers.
Texas A&M (33-26) and the Huskers meet in the tournament finals Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) in a nationally televised (Fox Sports Net) game. NU is two-time defending champion and has posted a 12-1 record in three years of Phillips 66 Big 12 tournament competition.
