2002 Outlook
One of five freshman pitchers brought in this season, Casey Jorgensen brings impressive credentials into the Husker program. The 6-2, 200-pounder was selected as the South Dakota Player of the Year by USA Today last spring, going 6-1 with 58 strikeouts in 38 innings. He battled several minor injuries during the fall, but should be ready for the start of spring drills. He comes from a baseball background, as his grandfather, Merlin Jorgensen, pitched in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
?Casey had some nagging hamstring and some elbow inflamation during the fall and wasn?t at 100 percent,? pitching coach Rob Childress said. ?We are hoping that he is healthy entering the spring and can be a contributor for us.?
Roosevelt High School
Jorgensen earned first-team All-South Dakota honors at Roosevelt High School for coach Rob Aspaas in 2001, the first year the state sponsored high school baseball. The USA Today Player of the Year, Jorgensen went 6-1 with 58 strikeouts in just 38 innings of work, leading RHS to a 13-1 record. He was also selected by Baseball America as the state?s top senior prospect following his senior season. Over the summers, he pitched American Legion ball, compiling a career record of 37-7 with a 1.74 ERA in four summers. He struck out 632 hitters in 344 innings pitched, including a personal-best 22 in a game in 2001. An honor roll student, he also played two years of baseball in high school. Jorgensen selected Nebraska over Minnesota, Northern Illinois and several community colleges.
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