Nebraska Embarks on Long Road Trip

Quickly
No. 17 Nebraska (11-8) heads to Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend for the Florida State Invitational. Games will be held at the Seminole Softball Complex and at the Messler complex, which features four fields. Nebraska will play Penn State, Florida A&M, Saint Louis and North Carolina in pool play. Bracket play will then begin with both a Gold and Silver bracket.

Nebraska's Schedule/Venue (All Times CST)
March 12: vs. Penn State (FSU), 1 p.m.
                vs. Saint Louis (Messer), 5 p.m.
March 13: vs. Florida A&M (Messer), 9 a.m.
                vs. North Carolina (Messer), 11 a.m.
                Bracket Play (TBA)
March 14: Bracket Play (TBA)

Players to Watch
Nicole Trimboli, Sr., CF
Trimboli enjoyed a great weekend at the Hampton Inn Classic in Lawrence, Kan. Trimboli went 5-for-9 at the tournament (.556 average) while driving in seven runs in only four games. On Sunday, Trimboli earned sole possession of second place on Nebraska's all-time RBI chart with a four-RBI performance against Utah. On the day, she was 5-for-5 with five RBIs, including the game-winning RBI in the Huskers' 1-0 win over KU.

Peaches James, Sr., RHP
James was dominant in posting a 2-0 record last weekend at the Hampton Inn Classic in Lawrence, Kan. James allowed only one run in 13 innings, while striking out 26 hitters for an average of two strikeouts per inning. James posted a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over Kansas on Sunday.

Sheena Lawrick, Jr., 1B
Lawrick hit .600 (3-for-5) last weekend. She teamed up with Trimboli for back-to-back home runs against Utah and finished the tournament with a slugging percentage of 1.200. She totaled four runs scored and three RBIs. Lawrick was patient at the plate, drawing six walks.

Nebraska Embarks On Long Road Trip
The 17th-ranked Nebraska softball team begins the first part of a 10-day road trip this weekend when it heads to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Florida State Invitational. The Huskers will play pool teams Penn State, Saint Louis, Florida A&M and North Carolina before bracket play begins Saturday and Sunday.

The Invitational features No. 11 Michigan and sixth-ranked Florida State, as well as Notre Dame, who is 2-0 against the Huskers this season. Michigan is the only other team in the tournament that NU has faced. Nebraska beat Michigan 5-4 in the team's first meeting, Feb. 14, and the Wolverines won a 5-1, eight-inning decision over the Huskers on Feb. 27.

Nebraska (11-8) went 3-1 last weekend at the Hampton Inn Classic in Lawrence, Kan. Nebraska outscored its opponents 22-4, posting two victories over Utah and splitting a pair of games against host Kansas.

The Huskers received excellent pitching performances over the weekend. Right-handers Summer Tobias, Peaches James and Ashley DeBuhr combined for a 1.12 ERA, while holding opponents to a .154 average. James was 2-0 at the tournament with a 0.54 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 13 innings. She tied a season-high with 14 strikeouts against Utah on Saturday, and followed that up by striking out 12 Jayhawks in a complete-game shutout on Sunday.

Tobias pitched a five-inning no-hitter in the Huskers’ 12-0 win over Utah on Sunday. It was the second no-hitter of her career and the second no-hitter of the season for a Nebraska pitcher. James tossed a no-hitter against Houston in a 2-0 Husker win on Feb. 20. Both are tied for third in school history with two complete-game no-hitters.

Senior Nicole Trimboli moved into second place on Nebraska’s all-time RBI chart by driving in seven runs over the weekend. She enjoyed a perfect Sunday in which she went 5-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and five RBIs, including the game-winning RBI in the Huskers’ 1-0 win over Kansas, which ended the Jayhawks' 10-game winning streak.

As a team, the Husker offense showed great discipline at the plate in Lawrence. In its four games, NU drew 21 walks and had two batters hit by pitches. Nebraska earned at least five walks in three of the four games, led by junior Sheena Lawrick, who drew six walks over the weekend.

Nebraska vs. its Pool
Penn State (5-11)
Penn State has struggled offensively this season, but superb pitching has kept the team in most games. Meghan Wolfer is the Nittany Lions' top hitter with a .297 average. As a team, Penn State is hitting .184 on the season.

In the circle, Penn State has been dominant. The staff has a team ERA of 1.77, while holding opposing hitters to a .226 average. The team's top two pitchers, Marisa Hanson (2-6) and Missy Beseres (3-5) are a combined 5-11, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Hanson has a team-leading ERA of 0.99 and Beseres is close behind with a 1.72 ERA. Beseres has struck out 50 batters in 53 innings.

Penn State is 5-8 at neutral sites this season. Friday's game will mark the first ever meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Huskers.

Saint Louis (6-5)
Saint Louis has three everyday starters hitting .330 or better. AshLeigh Williams is hitting .364 (12-for-33) and has a .636 slugging percentage, including a team-leading three doubles and two home runs. Ashlee Heady is the top run producer, driving in 10 runs in the Billikens' 11 games.

In the circle, Saint Louis' top pitcher is Elizabeth Nielsen. Nielsen is 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 2004, but opposing hitters are batting .291 against her. In 37.1 innings, Nielsen has surrendered 41 hits, but has struck out 31 hitters.

Nebraska is 1-1 all-time against St. Louis. The Billikens are 4-4 in games at neutral sites.

Florida A&M (11-13)
Despite its 11-13 record, Florida A&M has outscored its opponents 105-94 on the season. They are led offensively by Ruby Nugent, who has started all 24 games and his hitting .405 (32-for-79). She leads the team in 10 offensive categories. She has scored an amazing 25 runs this season. No other player on the team has more than nine.

In the circle, the Rattlers boast two quality pitchers. Monique Mattingly (3-3) has posted a 1.40 ERA in 50 innings this season, and opponents are only hitting .218 against her. Danielle Brown has logged the most starts on the team and is 7-5 with a 1.91 ERA in 69.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .211 against her, and she has struck out 77 batters on the season. As a staff, Florida A&M is yet to surrender a home run in 2004.

Nebraska is 2-0 all-time versus Florida A&M, while the Rattlers are 6-6 at neutral sites this year.

North Carolina (12-10)
North Carolina has two players hitting better than .420. Emily Price is hitting a team-high .424 (28-for-66), and Dionne Streete is close behind with a .423 average (30-for-71). Price is the team leader in RBIs with 17, while Streete is the team leader in runs scored with 17.

In the circle, the Tar Heels have two primary pitchers. Crystal Cox (6-5) has struck out 80 in 78.1 inning and has an ERA of 2.53. Alison Yin (5-5) has allowed 17 earned runs in 56.2 innings (2.70 ERA), but has allowed only 22 hits.

Nebraska is 1-0 all-time against North Carolina.

First Inning Success
Nebraska has gotten off to some fast starts this season, as the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning in nine of 19 games (47 percent). NU is 8-1 on the season when it scores a run in the first inning.

The 31 first-inning runs that Nebraska has scored are more runs than any other inning. Thirty-eight percent of the Huskers' total runs have come across the plate in the first inning (31/82).

Included in these numbers are a pair of nine run, first-inning outbursts. NU scored nine runs in the first inning against Manhattan College on Feb. 21 and duplicated that feat last Sunday against Utah in a 12-0 win.

On the year, junior Anne Steffan, the Huskers' leadoff hitter, leads the team with 16 runs scored. Senior Nicole Trimboli is second with 10 runs scored, and is 10th all-time at NU with 98 runs in her career.

Ranking Right Up There
Six Huskers rank in the top-10 in the Big 12 in 18 different categories. Senior right-hander Peaches James is ranks among the top eight in seven different categories.

Junior Anne Steffan is sixth in the league with six runs score and is tied for fifth with 11 stolen bases. Sophomore Trisha Tannahill is tied for fourth with five doubles on the season and junior Sheena Lawrick is No. 4 in walks with 14 and sixth in on-base percentage, reaching base at a .475 clip.

Senior Nicole Trimboli is tied for seventh with three home runs, tied for fifth with 32 RBIs and is in sixth place with a slugging percentage of .571.

James ranks fourth in ERA (1.22), fifth in strikeouts (92), tied for fifth in wins (eight), tied for eighth in starts (nine), sixth in innings pitched (68.2), tied for second in shutouts (three) and is third in opponents average (.164).

Sophomore right-hander Summer Tobias is right behind James, holding opponents to a .178 average, which ranks fourth in the league. Tobias is also No. 13 with an ERA of 1.89, is tied for fith with two shutouts.

James Tough On Ranked Teams
Senior right-hander Peaches James has started four games against ranked teams this season. In those four games, she is 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.

The highlight performance came at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. James was dominant against third-ranked California, holding the Bears to only five hits in recording her first shutout against a ranked foe this season.

James has also posted victories over then-No. 12 DePaul and then-No. 10 Michigan. She suffered her only loss to a ranked team in an extra-innings loss No. 7 Michigan.

Nebraska vs. Ranked Teams
Nebraska, 11-8 overall, is an impressive 3-2 against teams ranked in the top 15 at the time they faced NU.

The Huskers opened the season with three games against ranked teams, falling to top-ranked UCLA before posting back-to-back victories over No. 12 DePaul and No. 10 Michigan. Nebraska faced Michigan again at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, dropping a 5-1 extra-inning decision to the seventh-ranked Wolverines. NU posted its biggest win of the season the following day, blanking No. 3 California, 3-0.

At the plate, junior second baseman Anne Steffan and junior first baseman Sheena Lawrick have excelled against ranked teams. In the Huskers’ five games against ranked teams, Steffan is hitting .500 (8-for-16) with five runs scored, one RBI and three stolen bases. A .333 hitter on the season, her batting average is .167 points higher in games against ranked teams than it is against non-ranked teams.

Lawrick has been just as good against top-15 teams, going 7-for-15 (.467) with four RBIs and an on-base percentage of .529. A .279 hitter on the season, she hits .338 points better against ranked teams than she does in games against non-ranked teams.

In the circle, senior right-hander Peaches James has been the winning pitcher in all three Husker victories over ranked teams. James is 3-1 versus ranked teams, including a complete game shutout over third-ranked California on Saturday.

Trimboli Leaving Mark at NU
Senior Nicole Trimboli's time at Nebraska may be drawing to a close, but her legacy will live on in the Husker record book. The former left fielder and current starter in center already ranks among the top 10 in seven career offensive categories and is poised to enter the top 10 in seven other categories.

Trimboli is currently in a second place for career RBIs with 142. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native has averaged almost 42 RBIs in her first three seasons and at that pace would finish with 167 RBIs. Currently, Trimboli is tied for the Big 12 lead in RBIs with 23. Her average of 1.05 RBIs a game in 2004 is tops in the league.

Capable of hitting for power, Trimboli is currently ninth on the all-time home run chart with 22 round trippers. She is also tied for seventh on the all-time hit list with 194, is tied for 10th with 98 runs scored, ranks 10th all-time in total bases with 289 and is eighth in at bats with 641.

Trimboli needs 16 games played, three doubles, five stolen bases and three hit by pitches to crack the top 10 in each category.

Tough Schedule Awaits
The 2004 Nebraska softball schedules features 14 games against teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, including six games against 2003 Women’s College World Series participants.

NU opened the season on Feb. 13 with a doubleheader against defending national champion and preseason No.1 UCLA and No. 12 DePaul. Nebraska fell to UCLA 10-1, but defeated DePaul, 10-2. The Huskers also defeated No. 10 Michigan (5-4).

At the NFCA Leadoff Classic, NU fell to No. 7 Michigan 5-1 in eight innings, but upset third-ranked California, 3-0.

NU will also face fifth-ranked Florida State and No. 20 Arizona State before entering the conference season.

The Big 12 Conference schedule includes four games against WCWS participants fifth-ranked Oklahoma and 15th-ranked Texas. Nebraska will also hosts a pair of games against pre-season No. 23 Texas A&M.