Just because they wear steel spikes doesn’t mean there aren’t a few cowards among them.

I’m here to tell you that there are baseball players standing on fields all over the world who would prefer the ball be hit anywhere other than to themselves in pressure-filled situations. If the ball is hit their way, well, fine, they’ll deal with it. But deep down, at the very core of their being, they would rather the ball go  elsewhere.

Of course, the same goes for pitchers. Some pitchers function just fine in the biggest of games. They basically tolerate big games and pressure-packed moments, but they don’t hunger for such situations.

Johnny Dorn hungers for them.

“I absolutely love them,” said the Nebraska senior pitcher, the rock of the Husker rotation, and arguably the face of the team.

Dorn was talking about the NBA playoffs the other day. He enjoys watching the playoffs. It’s high-intensity time.

“Everyone wants to be in that championship game and be the guy to be called upon to be successful in that situation,” Dorn said.

I disagree. There are plenty of players — some very good players, mind you — who shy from pressure.

“You shouldn’t be in it if you don’t want pressure,” said Dorn, a relatively soft-spoken sort who nonetheless possesses a hard-edged competitiveness and guile that both calms and inspires teammates.

“You can tell which guys don’t want (pressure),” he said.

Dorn thrives on pressure. And here it comes again. Nebraska’s pitching staff seems to be running on fumes. The Huskers allowed 10 runs on 13 hits in Friday’s win against Eastern Illinois (27-29) in the opening game of the NCAA regional at Haymarket Park.

As a Friday night starter all season, Dorn was asked to set the tone for weekend series. In this regional, top-seeded Nebraska (41-14-1) figured it could get past Eastern Illinois without its ace. Mission accomplished.

Tonight, the Huskers can take control of the regional with yet another victory by “G.I. Johnny.”

Since 1999, Nebraska has competed in nine NCAA regionals. In each of the Huskers’ four regional championship years, they started the tournament 2-0.

So, no pressure, Johnny.

Dorn doesn’t dominate games like Shane Komine. He doesn’t throw 100 mph like Joba Chamberlain. He hasn’t mastered a knuckle-curve. But he has mastered the art of fearlessness, and his command of pitches is superb. He also has pulled off quite a trick in that he’s made something as non-sexy as consistency into something to behold.

Dorn, 6-1 with a 2.38 ERA this season, has allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his 14 starts.

This is no time for goodbyes. Nebraska’s excellent season on the diamond still could become a special one. But Dorn’s time at NU is winding down. If nothing else tonight, tip your cap to the young man who embodies Husker baseball — an in-state player with modest talent, but an extraordinary work ethic and the will to succeed.

His passion is as real as the salty sweat stains on his red cap.

Dorn’s legacy at Nebraska? He’ll always be known as a pitcher who helped carry the Huskers through some tough times. He’ll always be known for his steady hand in big game after big game. His legacy can only improve tonight. He’s responded far too many times, in too many heated situations, for his legacy to be tarnished much at this point.

“He’s one of the most important guys to come through here from a fan standpoint,” said popular Nebraska student manager Brooks Wells of Grand Island, Dorn’s catcher in high school. “Johnny’s beloved.”

We certainly appreciate Dorn’s tenaciousness and class.

“You think a team’s chased him (from the game) in the second inning, then again in the fourth,” Wells said. “Then you look up and Johnny’s still in there in the seventh.”

Dorn is interesting in that he actively pursues reasons to prove people wrong. Never mind if the reasons are slightly contrived.

“Even if people say something good about you, you try to nibble at it and see if there’s something you can turn around and use as motivation,” he said.

Inside his closet at home, he taped a piece of paper with the number 1,453 on it. That’s how many players were selected in last year’s Major League Baseball amateur draft. His name wasn’t called.

But Nebraska never has been hesitant to call on Dorn when the pressure’s especially intense, as will be the case tonight.

Dorn’s different than a lot of athletes in that he doesn’t remember particulars from big games. He gets into a zone. He blocks out non-essential data.

“It’s weird,” he said.

It’s been wonderful to watch.

“Maybe the reason I don’t think about it is because I don’t want to think about it,” Wells said when asked about Dorn’s college career nearing an end.

Let’s not think about it tonight. Let’s just enjoy.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.