Husker baseball begins the season at Peoria, Arizona against Gonzaga in less than 10 days.
The last time we saw Husker baseball, well, let's say that fans stopped giving a damn, the team went straight into the tank, and Mike Anderson got hisself fired. Enter new head coach Darin Erstad, a new conference that's all but irrelevant on a national scale, and no one knows what to expect.
One thing is certain. The Husker athletic department wants you to come back to Husker baseball.
It's hard to know what to expect here. Perhaps Erstad can take a set of players that underachieved (understatement) under Anderson and turn them into Big Ten contenders in their first season.
If you're interested in Husker baseball, I want you to take about 15 minutes and watch Darin Erstad's speech at a Husker Athletic Fund Luncheon on February 3rd. (Hopefully the embed code works - it is a monstrous set of goo, if not hit the linky above.)
One thing about Erstad. He may not have the experience, but holy cow, if that guy doesn't sound like a head coach, I don't know what you're looking for.
I have a decision to make. A few years ago I covered college baseball heavily, to the point that I started a site called "Big 12 Hardball". I'd say I covered it as well as anyone else except the professionals. I stopped covering it heavily for a few reasons.
First, I was editing Cornhusker Kickoff, a Nebraska football yearbook. That is gone now, as my publisher is going out of business (damn you economy). Second, it was taking too much time away from my kids. And third, because, really, mostly no one gave a damn as the Husker baseball team sank into the basement of the Big 12.
So, here's the deal. Are you excited for Husker baseball? Are you interested in how Darin Erstad will fare as a head coach? Do you want us to cover Husker baseball, or are you one of those people who's ego gets fed by the football team and that's really the only sport you're ever going to care about?
Bottom line - are you planning on going back to Haymarket Park this year or not?