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It will be an early start to Nebraska’s annual Homecoming game, as the Big Ten Conference announced the start times for this year’s Homecoming games on Thursday. Nebraska’s Homecoming matchup with Illinois will kickoff at 11 a.m. (Central) on Saturday, Oct. 5, with television to be announced at a later date.

The 2013 season will mark the 103rd Homecoming game for the Husker football program, as Nebraska is 76-22-4 all-time in homecoming games, including 2-0 as a member of the Big Ten. Last year, the Huskers rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to defeat Wisconsin, 30-27. Nebraska is 4-1 in Homecoming games under Bo Pelini.

The 2013 matchup with Illinois will be Nebraska’s first contest with the Fighting Illini since a Husker victory in Champaign in 1986. Nebraska holds a 7-2-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 5-1 mark in Lincoln. This will mark Illinois’ second trip to Lincoln since 1925, and first since a 52-25 Husker win in 1985.

Nebraska-Kearney senior first baseman/outfielder Brian Wuest is a finalist for the 2013 Tino Martinez Award, an honor that goes to Division II’s top player.
A star in the major leagues for 16 years, Martinez played at Division II Tampa.
Wuest (Prosper, Texas) was one of 41 players (at least five players from D2’s eight regions) selected as a semifinalist last week. That list is now down to 10 with third baseman Grank Fink (Missouri Western State) and pitcher Harvey Martin (Minnesota State) also coming from the Central Region.
The 6-2, 215 lbs. Wuest finished 2013 batting .397 with 17 doubles, 15 HR’s and 64 RBI’s. Having an MIAA-best .821 slugging percentage, he draw 42 walks and recorded an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging average) of 1.354, tops in the region.
Initial nominations for the award were made by baseball sports information directors and media members. A panel of media, coaches, SID’s and former players voted to determine the finalists and the group will vote once again vote to determine the winner. A fan Internet vote is planned to also contributing to the crowning of the winner.
Three of the 10 players in contention for the award are still playing and will be looking to help their team win the DII Baseball National Championship, held in Cary, N.C. from May 25-June 1st. The winner of the 2013 Tino Martinez Award will be announced following the D2 World Series.
2013 TINO MARTINEZ AWARD FINALISTS
Adams, Mike Jr. LHP Tampa (still playing)
Dillon, Matt Jr. RHP Mount Olive, N.C.
Fink, Grant Sr. 3B Missouri Western State
Graham, Trevor Jr. RHP Franklin Pierce, N.H. (still playing)
Martin, Harvey Sr. RHP Minnesota State (still playing)
Petty, Kyle Sr. UTL California of Pa.
Scott, Cameron Sr. 1B Columbus State, Ga.
Sell, Nick So. 3B Seton Hill, Pa.
Sidhu, Harmen Sr. RHP Sonoma State, Calif.
Wuest, Brian Sr. 1B/OF Nebraska Kearney

Here are the rosters:

EAST Coaches:
Marcus Hilario - Omaha Benson
Phil Severson - Norris
Matt Coufal - Malcom
Eric Burenheide - Wakefield

EAST Roster:
Erick Vargas - Omaha Westside
Caleb Cobb - Norris
Tanner Oborny - Seward
Josh Moody - Fairbury
Sam Simpson - Bell. East
Skyler Teten - Syracuse
Nick Null - Plattsmouth
Tristan Bettenhausen - West Point
Devin Anderson - Wakefield
Austin Ruskamp - Freeman
Lucas Wiechman - Wisner Pilger
Preston Lauterbach - Bell West
Jacob Touchstone - Nebraska City
Austin Fehlhafer - Seward
Gerritt VanEngen - Freeman
James Burruss - Malcom
Aaron Estrada - Bell West
Tanner Evans - Gretna
Zach Ekeler - Fillmore

WEST Coaches:
Jake Froscheiser - Lincoln North Star
Erich Warner - Blair
Darin Garfield - Central City
Robert C. West Jr - Elm Creek

WEST Roster:
Mitch Maginnis - Grand Island Central Catholic
Ely Sharkey - Ainsworth
Shane Gray - Ralston
Tyler Joseph - Adams Central
Trey Trujillo - Grand Island Senior High
Austin Marshall - Kearney
Kenny Martin - Lincoln Southwest
Hunter Bamford - Kearney
Antoine Tureaud - Ralston
Jake Brown - Central City
Kalen Mazenkowski - Kearney
Jake Wells - Anselmo-Merna
Chance Bila - Chadron
Trey Schlender - Kearney
Stuart Hircock - Amherst
Dylan Gage - Maxwell
Chris Svoboda - St. Paul
Rulon Taylor - Medicine Valley
DJ Castillo - Lincoln High
Clayton Lange - Ord

With a shot at the No. 2 seed at the Big Ten Tournament on the line, the Nebraska baseball team (25-28, 15-9 Big Ten) was unable to take care of business on Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field. The Huskers dropped a 19-9 decision to the Michigan Wolverines (29-25, 14-10 Big Ten).
The Huskers could do no worse than the No. 3 seed in the tournament coming into the game and will face the No. 6 seed Wolverines in the opening round of the tournament, as the Wolverines punched their ticket with the win on Saturday at Hawks Field.
The two teams will play the second game of the tournament on Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. in Minneapolis, Minn., at Target Field. No. 4 Illinois and No. 5 Minnesota will play the opener at 12:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
Nebraska’s offense put up nine runs for the second straight game on Saturday and registered double-digit hits for the fifth straight game with 10 on the afternoon, but were unable to keep up with the Wolverine offense. Husker pitching gave up a season-high 19 runs on season-high 23 hits, the first time all season the Huskers have given up 20 or more hits.
Five Wolverines notched at least three hits on the day, including a four-hit game from both Travis Maezes and Cole Martin.

Sophomore Pat Kelly produced three hits for the second straight game, ending the series with a 7-for-14 performance at the plate with five RBIs. Chad Christensen was the only other Husker with a multi-hit day, as the totaled his 239th and 240th career hits, tying him with Alex Gordon for ninth all-time in Nebraska history.

Michigan jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with three runs in the first and a run in the second. The Huskers answered in the bottom of the fourth with a four spot, with NU stringing together three-straight two-out singles.

Needing a win to qualify for the league tournament, the Wolverines combined to score 10 runs over the fifth and sixth inning that put them ahead 14-5. Michigan put the game away for good with five runs in the top of the eighth.

The Huskers never stopped fighting, as NU plated four runs in the bottom of the ninth after entering the inning in a 19-5 hole.

The Huskers will head to Minneapolis on Monday and practice at Target Field on Tuesday in preparation for the league tournament. Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle will have the call of every game of the tournament on the Husker Sports Network, including for free on Huskers.com. The Big Ten Network will also carry every game of the tournament live.