As the end of college basketball season (which I’ve devoted much space to on this blog in recent weeks) draws near, baseball season is in full force. And the University of Nebraska Press LOVES baseball season.

NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture holds an annual conference each spring, and this year, two of our authors will be featured speakers there. Lee Lowenfish, author of Branch Rickey, will give a presentation on his book – which is now out in paperback – on Friday, and Monica Nucciarone, author of Alexander Cartwright, will speak on Saturday. The conference is in Tucson, and more information on Lowenfish and Nucciarone’s presentations is available on the events page of our Web site.

And while we’re on the topic of baseball, if you attend any games this spring and happen to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," you might want to read Take Me Out to the Ball Game: The Story of the Sensational Baseball Song, by Amy Whorf McGuigggan. TMOTTBG tells the story of how that particular song came to be THE baseball song. It also details the song’s history (vaudeville is in the mix). Neat.

If this post has you all jazzed up for live baseball, the Huskers’ next home game is March 20.