WHALEN: Erstad talks big game, but let’s see if Huskers deliver

Husker do! A diamond hidden in the mouth of a corpse?

One thing’s for certain: Nebraska’s new baseball coach talks a good game.

At his press conference Monday, Darin Erstad sounded every bit like a man ready to turn around NU’s baseball program. He spoke of his recruiting pitch, saying Nebraska “sells itself”; downplayed his lack of coaching experience by referencing great baseball minds he’d learned from (including his father and Mike Scioscia) and called NU’s facilities amongst the best in the nation. All is well in Lincoln.

Except for one thing: Erstad’s predecessor, Mike Anderson, talked a pretty good game too. He also coached a pretty good game, earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors twice. And, let’s not forget, Erstad was on the staff last season, when Anderson’s fate was sealed, as a volunteer hitting coach. The Huskers finished dead last in the Big 12 in runs under his tutelage.

...As Feb. 17 approaches, there’s really no way to tell how well Nebraska will adjust to its new era. It could be like the women’s basketball team and show huge improvement because of new blood and a softer schedule. Or the team could struggle to adjust to its new opponents and fight to finish .500 for the fourth year in a row.

Either way, it seems that Husker fans will be treated to some nice sound bites from their first-year coach.