2008 Baseball draft

[Smolton]

Seems the Huskers will most likely lose so good talent!

• MLB: Bodies, numbers begin to shrink in majors

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• MLB: Bodies, numbers begin to shrink in majors
LINCOLN — With the annual pillaging of college rosters and recruiting classes — also known as the Major League Baseball draft — to begin Thursday, Nebraska coach Mike Anderson appears unusually at peace with the situation.

"It does dictate what your team is going to be," Anderson said Wednesday, "which is a good thing."

Nebraska may lose its top two starting pitchers with remaining eligibility, in the draft, which opens with five rounds today and finishes with 45 rounds Friday.

Baseball America rates right-handed junior Aaron Pribanic and lefty junior Dan Jennings as the top prospects in Nebraska.

Pribanic has pitched one year at NU, finishing 3-4 with a 4.72 ERA. He struggled with command during the season's second half, but his lively fastball has made Pribanic a candidate to land as high as the third round.

If so, Anderson said, he expects to lose the 6-foot-5 pitcher.

"Good for him, that's the way I look at it," Anderson said. "They're going to draft guys who have that potential. His next year is going to be a good year. It would be nice if it was here, but everybody else realizes it's going to be good."

MLB draft
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• When: 1 p.m. Thursday

• TV: ESPN2

• First pick: Tampa Bay Jennings finished 6-3 with a 3.39 ERA, serving for much of the spring as Nebraska's bullpen ace in long relief and as a closer.

If they return to NU, Pribanic and Jennings would enter fall practice as top contenders to replace departing senior Johnny Dorn atop the weekend pitching rotation. Dorn, though never drafted, is likely to land with a professional organization today or Friday.

A year ago, Nebraska lost six of seven pitchers drafted with remaining eligibility.

Its recruiting class also stands to take a hard hit.

Anderson identified five NU signees as possible draft picks: Right-handed pitcher and infielder Jake Kuebler, right-handed pitcher and infielder Kash Kalkowski of Grand Island, Neb., right-handed pitcher Shane Dyer of South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College, right-handed pitcher Curtis Petersen of Aubrey, Texas, and infielder Shane Hood of Moline, Ill.

"Each of them are in a little different category," the coach said.

All of the recruits, Anderson said, told professional scouts they intend to go to college. Still, the coach does not count on the same loyalty from recruits throughout the summer signing period that he expects from players already inside the program.

The signing deadline is Aug. 15.

Anderson said his postseason meetings with the Huskers went well this week and that he expects no significant roster defections. This offseason marks the first year that transfers in baseball must sit out one season before playing at another school.

In addition, rosters must be cut to 35 next season, with a minimum 30 players on at least a 25 percent scholarship.

It all figures into Anderson's recruiting approach. For the better part of two years before signing this group of recruits, the coach said, NU failed to meet some of its needs in recruiting players strong on offense.

The team's final batting average this spring of .276, with 38 home runs, reflected the problem.

"Right now, we're trying to recruit to write lineups," Anderson said. "We'll have a better idea after this week how that's going to look."

[Husker Fanatic]

Yep, here is a link to the news! HotHuskers.com The Husker Social Network!::News

[Joe]

Aaron Pribanic went in the 3rd round of the 2008 baseball draft. he is the highest selected Husker. Dorn went in the 15th round, does that sound right?

He went to the Marlins.

[Crazy Deigo]

Wow, the Huskers baseball team did lose quite a few players. I wonder how many that got drafted will actually go pro. I mean, is it worth it if you are drafted 350th?