The 1988 Nebraska softball team capped off a stellar era in NU softball, a five-year stretch of success rarely seen in collegiate athletics. The 1988 squad advanced to the Women's College World Series, marking the Huskers' fourth trip to the series ina span of five seasons.
After finishing the regular-season with a 36-17 record that included a 7-3 Big Eight record and the program's fifth consecutive conference title, the Huskers hosted the NCAA Central Regional. After defeating Iowa State, 5-2, in the first round, Nebraska fell to in-state rival Creighton, 3-2. Facing elimination, the Huskers responded by defeating the Bluejays, 7-2 and 4-1, to earn a berth in the WCWS.
The 1988 Women's College World Series represented a first of sorts for Nebraska, as the Huskers traveled to Sunnyvale, Calif., for the series after playing in Omaha in each of their previous for WCWS appearances.
Nebraska opened the sereis with a 3-0 loss to Cal Poly-Pomona, but quickly rebounded with a 5-1 win over Adelphi. NU then met Fresno State for the fourth time in WCWS history and the Bulldogs were able to even the WCWS series record between the two school by edging the Huskers, 1-0, in nine innings.
NU excelled in 1988 as the program advanced to the World Series and won the Big Eight Conference crown despite not having a single All-American. The pitching staff ranked as one of the best in school history, led by Lori Sippel, who went on to be named the NCAA Athlete-of-the-Year and was also a finalist for the Honda Broderick Award.
Below is a quick look at the accomplishments of the 1988 squad, along with the team's NCAA Tournament results.
- Finished with a 39-20 record
- Won program's fifth-consecutive Big Eight title
- Earned school's sixth WCWS berth in eight years
- Finished in a tie for fifth place
| NCAA Central Regional (Lincoln, Neb.) | ||
| Opponent | Result | Score |
| Iowa State | Win | 5-2 |
| Creighton | Loss | 2-3 |
| Creighton | Win | 7-2 |
| Creighton | Win | 4-1 |
| WCWS (Sunnyvale, Calif.) | ||
| Opponent | Result | Score |
| Cal Poly-Pomona | Loss | 0-3 |
| Adelphi | Win | 5-1 |
| Fresno State | Loss | 0-1 (9) |