Blevins jump-started the Husker offense with a three-run homer in the first off Minnesota starter Reid Mahon, as the Huskers scored 12 runs and pounded out 13 hits off seven Golden Gopher hurlers to improve to 22-11 on the season.

Shirek, who improved to 3-1, scattered five hits and struck out three in his longest outing of the season. He went five innings in starts against Southern Miss and Wisconsin-Milwaukee before his six-inning stint this afternoon. In his last three starts, the right-hander from Minot, N.D., is 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA and has a 10-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

“Phil’s fastball was jumping today,” Van Horn said. “He was able to mix in a few change ups and breakers. The main thing was that he got ahead of the batters today, that was the key.”

The Huskers, who were held to six hits in Tuesday’s loss at Creighton, got out of the gate quickly, scoring four runs off the UM starter, who fell to 0-2 on the season. With one out, Daniel Bruce was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Jed Morris single, one of three hits on the afternoon for the Husker catcher. Matt Hopper drove Bruce home, as UM shortstop Scott Welsh misplayed the grounder. Blevins then belted a three-run homer to left, his second off the year, off Mahon, who allowed four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings of work.

Minnesota, which dropped to 13-16 on the year, trimmed the Husker lead to 4-1 in the third, as Ben Pattee’s RBI double to center scored Jeremy Beaulieu from first.

NU extended the margin five runs in the fourth as Will Bolt, who also had two hits and scored three times, reached on an error and eventually scored on a errant pickoff attempt by UM reliever Nick McCauley before Morris drove in another run with his Big 12-leading 17th double of the season.

The Gophers scored a pair of unearned runs off Shirek in the fourth, but the Huskers put the game out of reach with five runs in the bottom of the frame. NU took advantage of a pair of walks, including one to Jeff Leise with the bases loaded, a fielding error and passed ball before Hopper, who drove in two runs, capped the frame with an RBI single to center, breaking an 0-for-10 dry spell.

The Huskers, who are now 13-2 at Hawks Field this season, added their final run in the sixth as Will Bolt doubled to lead off the inning before eventually scoring on Brandon Eymann’s sacrifice fly.

NU reliever Jeremy Becker, Waylon Byers and Jason Burch all threw one scoreless inning of relief, as the Huskers held Minnesota to seven hits and allowed one walk in the win.

The Huskers return to conference play this weekend, as Nebraska travels to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game series with the Tigers. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast by the Pinnacle Sports Radio Network.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.