The Nevada Wolf Pack baseball team, fresh off a four-game split with the Kansas Jayhawks in Mesa, Ariz., will open at home this weekend against the Northern Illinois Huskies.
The Wolf Pack swept Northern Illinois in a four-game series in 2006 at Peccole Park in the only series between the two schools.
It was a wild series, with the Pack scoring 47 runs in the four games on 49 hits. The Pack hit 12 home runs in the four games, three each by Shawn Scobee and Jordan Opdyke and two by Leo Radkowski. Both Scobee and Opdyke homered twice in a 13-9 win in the third game of the series.
The Pack swept the series depite allowing 30 runs in the four games. The Pack fell behind in the second game 4-0 in the first inning and 6-0 in the first inning of the fourth game before rallying to win 12-8 and 17-10.
The series sweep over Northern Illinois was part of a 10-game winning streak for the Pack in 2006. The Pack, though, finished that season 26-28. Northern Illinois was 24-31 in 2006.
The Huskies, of DeKalb, Ill., finished 15-40 in 2012 and are 0-4 this year after four games at Texas Tech last weekend. They lost to the host Red Raiders 13-0 and 8-0 and were also beaten by BYU, 5-3, and Northern Colorado, 3-2.
Jeff Zimmerman, who had six homers and 29 RBI last year, went 6-for-12 in the four games.
NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTE: The Wolf Pack received several solid performances from players making their Nevada debuts last weekend in Arizona.
Second baseman Scott Kaplan was 7-for-14 with a pair of RBI. Brad Gerig was 3-for-10 with three doubles and four RBI and beat Kansas 9-8 on the final day of the series with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Freshman Lance Berringer was 5-for-13 with two runs scored and Bryce Barger was 1-for-3 with a walk.
KLEIN KEEPS HITTING: Outfielder Brooks Klein, who led the Pack last year with eight home runs, 42 RBI and a .335 average, picked up last weekend where he left off last season.
The senior was 8-for-17 against Kansas with four runs scored, a double, two triples and two RBI. He also struck out just once in the four games.
BULLPEN STRUGGLES: The Pack was fortunate to get a split in the four games against the Jayhawks considering the performance of its bullpen.
Wolf Pack relievers surrendered 16 hits and 13 earned runs in just 12.1 innings in the four games. They also walked 10 and struck out just four.
Sean Prihar was the only Pack reliever to escape harm, pitching two shutout innings. Freshman Michael Fain earned a victory and a save in relief and allowed three hits, three walks and two runs in four innings.
Wolf Pack starters Bradey Shipley, Tyler Wells, Tom Jameson and Mark Reece combined to allow 24 hits, eight walks and 12 earned runs in 21.2 innings. Wells pitched the gem of the weekend for the Pack, tossing six scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory.
