FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Lincoln – Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson announced Monday that three players will join the Husker baseball program next season. The group consists of two-way performer Adam Bailey (Scottsdale, Ariz.), infielder Kyle Bubak (Salt Lake City, Utah) and left-handed pitcher Nate Kerkhoff (Overland Park. Kan.).
Bailey hails from Scottsdale, Ariz., and is an outfielder/pitcher at South Mountain Community College for Coach Todd Eastin. In 2008, Bailey earned first-team all-conference honors, hitting .400 with four homers, 21 doubles and 40 RBIs, while also going 1-1 with four saves and a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work at South Mountain CC. Bailey began his collegiate career at Arizona State, making 10 appearances in helping the Sun Devils reach the College World Series in 2007. He was a three-time all-region selection at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, helping the team to a 94-8 record and three straight state titles at the school.
“Adam has the possibility of being a two-way guy for us next year, but is someone who can help us offensively,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “He is a left-handed hitter who has shown that he can hit for both average and power in a very good junior college league, and we think that can translate to the Big 12.”
Bubak spent the 2008 season playing baseball at Salt Lake Community College for Coach DG Nelson. The switch-hitting infielder earned first-team All-Region 18 honors, hitting .276 with two homers, 34 RBIs, 14 doubles and 14 stolen bases in 59 games. He was also chosen as the Region 18 Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, as SLCC finished with a 39-20 record.
“We are excited about having Kyle in our program and giving us more depth across the infield,” Anderson said. “He is also a very good all-around athlete who adds to our team speed and defense.”
Kerkhoff was a four-year letterwinner at Blue Valley High School, where he played for Coach Matt Ortman and helped BVHS to a Kansas Class 6A state title in 2008. As a senior, he earned second-team all-state honors from the Kansas Baseball Coaches Association, going 8-2 with a 1.24 ERA. Kerkhoff, who set school marks in both wins and ERA, fanned 55 over 62 innings, tossed four complete-game shutouts and threw 24 consecutive shutout innings at one point. In addition, he hit .329 with 22 RBIs, as BVHS finished with a 19-6 record. He compiled a 22-6 career record with a 2.25 ERA in high school, fanning 169 over 199.2 innings. Kerkhoff finished with seven shutouts in his prep career while also establishing career school marks for both wins and innings pitched.
“Nate is a very dedicated young man who has had a lot of success at the high school level, and has earned a chance to compete at the next level,” Anderson said. “He has a great work ethic and has a chance to help our staff next year and has he continues to develop.”
Anderson also said that recruit Curtis Petersen, a fourth-round pick of the Florida Marlins, has signed a professional contract and will not attend Nebraska in the fall.
“With Curtis, we knew that being selected that high put him in a position where it was financially beneficial to begin his professional career. It is a good situation for him, but disappointing because we would have liked to have the opportunity to help his development.”
The Nebraska baseball team finished with a 41-16-1 record and was ranked 20th by Baseball America in 2008. The Huskers have reached the NCAA Tournament in nine of the past 10 years, and have been a No. 1 regional seed seven times in that span.
