The 2005 Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team was Mike Anderson's third year as head coach. The Huskers played their home games at Hawks Field. 2004 Nebraska posted a 36–23 record, with 14 of the losses being by two runs or less as they barely missed their first NCAA regional appearance since 1998. However, the Huskers were the only Big 12 team not shut out during the whole season, and they established a school record and ranked eighth nationally with a .975 fielding percentage shattering the previous best of .971. A few honors include Big 12 player of the years and first-team All-American third baseman Alex Gordon and All-Big 12 selections Zach Kroenke, Curtis Ledbetter and Joe Simokaitis. Preseason The Huskers returned six everyday position players along with three of their top four weekend starters Will Bolt was promoted to volunteer assistant coach overseeing the infielders and assist with the hitters. He was on the staff serving as a graduate manager for the 2004 season. Collegiate Baseball rated Nebraska's class of 23 newcomers, which includes 16 freshmen, six junior college transfers and Nebraska-Kearney transfer Joba Chamberlain, 16th nationally ranking which is the highest ever for a class of Husker newcomers. Four high school seniors and four junior college transfers have signed National Letters-of-Intent to play baseball at Nebraska beginning in the 2005–06 season. Alex Gordon was selected to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, Preseason NCBWA All-America First-Team, and was the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Player of the Year. Roster Schedule Season review Summary While the 2005 Nebraska baseball season will be remembered for many things, it was the never-say-die attitude that captured the hearts of Husker fans around the state. Heading into the final weekend of the season, the Huskers were two games behind Baylor in the conference race. Nebraska won its first two games against Kansas State, while Baylor and Missouri split their first two contests, putting the Huskers in position to earn a share of the league crown. Behind Kroenke's complete-game gem on Senior Day, Nebraska posted a 3–1 victory, while Missouri capped NU's title hopes by beating Baylor in Waco later that day, giving the two teams a share of the Big 12 crown. The two teams would meet one week later with the Big 12 Tournament title on the line. The game was scoreless until the sixth when Andy Gerch's sacrifice fly plated Gordon for the game's only