The loss, coupled with Texas� 3-0 win over Texas A&M in Austin, puts the Huskers and Longhorns in a tie for first place heading into the final day of the season. A Husker win on Sunday clinches at least share of the conference title and the No. 1 seed in next week�s Big 12 Tournament, while a loss would give the Huskers the No. 2 seed, as the winner of Sunday�s Texas-Texas A&M game would earn the No. 1 seed.

"It's a big game, that's the nice part," Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said of Sunday�s series finale. "We feel that we can win a conference championship, and we need to go out and play to win. We have to make the most of it with a conference championship right in front of us."

Walker improved to 8-4 on the year, holding Nebraska to seven hits and one run, a Bubbs Merrill RBI single in the second, before Zane Carlson tossed three scoreless innings for his eighth save.

NU (41-14, 19-7 Big 12) finished with nine hits, including three by Joe Simokaitis and two by Matt Hopper, but could not capitalize, hitting into three double plays and stranding seven runners.

"Let's give credit to Baylor," Anderson said. "Walker pitched really well for them and shut us down. The biggest difference between Friday and Saturday is that we didn't get the big hits today. They had the home runs and the big hits"

Chris Durbin, who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, opened the game with a leadoff homer off Nebraska starter Quinton Robertson to give the visitors a quick 1-0 lead.

The Huskers, which lost for just the fourth time at Hawks Field this spring, tied it in the second, as Matt Wells doubled with two outs and came around on Merrill�s RBI single.

The Bears (37-18, 15-11 Big 12) took the lead for good in the fourth, as Michael Griffin opened the frame with a single before Zach Dillon�s first homer of the year gave BU a two-run lead. Baylor struck again off of the Husker starter in the sixth, as Dillon coaxed a two-out walk and came home on Trey Webb�s two-run homer, giving the visitors a 5-1 cushion.

Robertson (8-2) suffered his first loss since March 15, allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings. The junior right-hander struck out five, but allowed a career-high three homers as he lost for the first time in nine starts.

Baylor added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on Griffin�s RBI double and an RBI single by Mark Saccomanno.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. start, as Phil Shirek (5-1, 2.63 ERA) takes on BU right-hander Mark McCormick (5-2, 5.55 ERA). Nebraska will honor seniors Josh Birmingham, Steve Hale, Matt Hopper, Jeff Leise and Jamie Rodrigue prior to tomorrow�s game.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.