Huskers Continue Homestand

The 21st-ranked Nebraska softball team wraps up a four-game homestand with a pair of games this week at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers will take on in-state rival Creighton at 5 p.m. on Tuesday before facing Iowa State on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The NU-Creighton matchup will conclude the season series for the two schools. Nebraska defeated Creighton in Omaha, 1-0, in eight innings on March 24.

The Huskers, winners of seven in a row and 16 of their last 19, are looking to make it 13 straight versus the Bluejays and 11 straight against the Cyclones. On Wednesday, NU will look to improve to 6-0 in conference for only the third time since the inception of the Big 12 Conference in 1996.

Senior right-hander Peaches James looks to continue some personal streaks of her own this week. James has thrown four straight shutouts, five straight complete games and has picked up seven straight victories. James has also gone 28.1 innings without giving up a run.

Nebraska gained control of the Big 12 Conference race by going 3-0 against conference foes last week. In a mid-week game at Kansas, NU earned a 3-0 win behind a three-hit shutout by James. Over the weekend, the Huskers swept Baylor 2-0 and 3-0, handing the Lady Bears their first conference losses of the season.

Against Baylor, James was dominant again, tossing a one-hitter on Saturday and a two-hitter on Sunday to increase her scoreless innings streak to 28.1 innings. James racked up 30 strikeouts in her three starts last week, including 13 against Kansas on Wednesday and 10 in the series finale against Baylor on Sunday. Sunday’s 10-strikeout performance was the 10th time this season that James has recorded double-digit strikeouts in a game. Sunday’s performance left James with 204 strikeouts on the season. James recorded her 10th, 11th and 12th shutouts of the 2004.

James also moved up the all-time school charts this weekend. With her 81st career victory on Sunday, James, one of only three pitchers in school history to win 80 games, moved into a tie for second place in all-time wins at NU. Sunday’s complete-game victory also gave James sole possession of second place in school history with her 81st career complete game.

Nebraska, which is hitting a league-high .315 in conference play, will be without junior Sheena Lawrick for the remainder of the season. Lawrick tore her left ACL against Baylor on Sunday and will be replaced at first base by freshmen Jamie Waldecker and Carmen Kier. Lawrick, who was the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, ranked in the top-10 in the Big 12 in seven different offensive categories.

Creighton (24-8-1)
Creighton enters Tuesday's game fresh off a three-game sweep of Indiana State that saw the Bluejays outscore the Sycamore 21-0. Creighton is led offensively by Stacey Rybar. Rybar is second on the team with a .360 average and 21 RBIs, but leads the team in runs scored (27), doubles (8), triples (2), home runs (7) and total bases (69). Against NU on March 24, Rybar went 1-for-3, collecting one of the Bluejays' three hits.

In the circle, Tammy Nielsen (15-5) is the Bluejays' ace. Against Nebraska, Nielsen threw a complete-game eight innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits. Nielsen also struck out eight, but walked six Huskers. For the season, Nielsen has an ERA or 0.66 and has struck out 204 in 137 innings in holding opponents to a .138 average.

On March 24, NU was led by junior Anne Steffan, who was 2-for-4 at the plate. Sophomore Katie Linke also had a good day, driving in the game-winning run with a two-out double in the top of the eighth.

In the circle, freshman Ashley DeBuhr and senior Peaches James combined to shutout the Bluejays, limiting them to three hits while striking out 10.

Iowa State (9-19)
Iowa State is looking to end a 10-game losing streak to the Huskers. Offensively, ISU is led by Julia Lindsey, who is the only Cyclone hitting higher than .230 for the season. As a team, Iowa State is hitting only .191 on the season. Lindsey is hitting .320 with a team-high 24 hits, 11 runs, three doubles and six stolen bases.

In the circle, Alyssa Ransom has logged the most innings. Ranson (7-10) has allowed 35 earned runs in 109.2 innings (2.23 ERA). Ransom is holding opposing hitters to a .238 average and has tossed three shutouts.

Last season, senior Peaches James dominated Iowa State. James tossed two complete games against the Cyclones, allowing only six hits and one unearned run in 14 innings. At the plate, James went 3-for-6 with two runs scored.

Lawrick Out for the Year
The Nebraska softball team will be without junior first baseman Sheena Lawrick for the remainder of the season. Lawrick suffered a torn ACL on Sunday running out a single against Baylor.

The Huskers' No. 3 hitter in the lineup, Lawrick's offense and defense will be missed. Lawrick was second on the team with a .337 average, and leads the team with seven doubles, a .596 slugging percentage, 28 walks, three hit by pitches and a .508 on-base percentage. Lawrick was also second in home runs (4), second in RBIs (24), second in total bases (60) and commited only three errors in 259 chances at first base (.989 fielding percentage). Lawrick also finished the season with 28 walks, which ranks ninth on the NU single-season chart.

A Look at the Lineup
1. Second Base - #1 Anne Steffan, 5-7, Jr., L/R, Mankato, Minn.
One of the fastest players in school history, Steffan leads the team with a .364 average, 31 runs scored, 44 hits and 19 stolen bases ... Only a junior, Steffan needs just four more stolen bases to move into the top-10 in school history in career stolen bases ...She is tied for the league lead with 31 runs scored and is seventh in the league in average, sixth in stolen bases and sixth in hits ... Recorded her 100th career hit against Florida State on March 18.

2. Center Field - #88 Nicole Trimboli, 5-8, Sr., L/L, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Trimboli leads the team with 32 RBIs and five home runs, is second with a .529 slugging percentage, is tied for second with 22 runs scored and is third with a .327 average ... Had the game-winning double in the Huskers' 3-0 win at Kansas on March 31 ... Moved into second place on the all-time RBI charts at NU this season ... Ranks in the top 10 in school history in seven career offensive categories ... Ranks in the top seven in the Big 12 in six different offensive categories.

3. Left Field - #28 Trisha Tannahill, 5-9, So. L/R, Overland Park, Kan.
Tannahill had the game-winning RBIs in both victories over No. 19 Baylor last weekend. On Saturday, Tannahill's two-run double put the Huskers up for good and on Sunday, her first-inning sacrifice fly also proved to be the game-winning RBI. Tannahill leads the team with seven game-winning RBIs this season. For the season, Tannahill is hitting .311 and is fifth in runs scored (15), third in hits (32), tied for first in doubles (seven) and third with 21 RBIs ... Had a career-high four hits against Penn State on March 13 ... From March 12-13 at the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla., Tannahill hit safely in five straight games, a new career best ... Is perfect in the field in 24 chances.

4. First Base - #22 Jamie Waldecker, Garden Grove, Calif.
Waldecker will fill in tonight for Sheena Lawrick at first base. As a catcher and designated player this season, Waldecker is hitting .180, but is third on the team with 13 walks. For the season, Waldecker's on-base percentage is .333. Waldecker hit her first career home run on Feb. 22 against Indiana. In her first collegiate game against DePaul on Feb. 13, Waldecker went 1-for-2 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

5. Pitcher - #42 Peaches James, 5-7, Sr., RHP, Papillion, Neb.
James was named the USA Softball National Player of the Week today after tossing three complete-game shutouts last week. Jamesis 20-5 this season with a miniscule 0.70 ERA, including a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA against top-five teams ... James ranks in the top five in school history with 81 career victories (tied for second), 774.8 innings pitched (second), a 1.28 ERA (fifth), 769 strikeouts (third), 38 shutouts (second), 81 complete games (tied for second) and two no-hitters (fourth) ... James is first in the conference in ERA (0.70), shutouts (nine), opponent batting average (.140), wins (20), strikeouts (204) and complete games (16) ... James has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week a league-high three times this season ... Offensively, James was the Big 12 Player of the Week for the week of March 30 after hitting three home runs in a two-game set at Oklahoma State.

6. Designated Player - #59 Katie Linke, 5-7, So., R/R, Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast)
Linke is hitting .289 on the season, collecting 11 hits in 38 at bats. One of the Huskers' top pinch hitters, Linke has started 10 games this season, including three straight starts on March 24, 27 and 28 ... Had the first game-winning RBI of her career with her two-out, eighth-inning RBI single against Creighton on March 24 in the Huskers' 1-0 extra-inning victory.

7. Right Field - #9 Liz Lawhorn, 5-5, Sr., R/R, Muscatine, Iowa
Lawhorn set career-highs March 27 with two doubles and two RBIs against Oklahoma State. She also matched her career high by collecting three hits last Saturday against the Cowgirls ... Hit a team-high .500 (4-for-8) last week, recording an impressive on-base percentage of .636 ... Is fourth on the team with a .383 on-base percentage, including 16 walks, second best on the team.

8. Catcher - #34 Brittney Yolo, 5-7, Sr., R/R, Sebastopol, Calif.
The winner of last year's Nebraska Softball Coaches Award, Yolo recorded her first career triple on March 17 against UNLV at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif. ... Tied a career-high with two hits against Houston on Feb. 20. Also set career-highs this season with her three-game hitting streak and her two runs scored against Manhattan on Feb. 21.

9.Third Base - #8 Jessica Yoachim, 5-4, So., L/R, Arkansas City, Kan.
Yoachim led the team over the weekend with a .500 batting average (3-for-6), including a 2-for-3 effort in the Huskers' last game. Yoachim enjoyed a career day against Manhattan on Feb. 21 at the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston, Texas. Yoachim went a career-high 3-for-3 at the plate, with a career-high three runs scored and a career-high three RBIs ... For the season, Yoachim is fourth on the team with 17 runs scored ... Defensively, Yoachim has made only four errors in 51 chances.

James on a Roll
Senior right-hander Peaches James is enjoying another great stretch in what has been a tremendous season. James (20-5) was the winning pitcher in all three of Nebraska’s games last week, posting a 3-0 mark with a 0.00 ERA. James tossed three complete-game shutouts, allowing only three hits in six innings against Kansas on Wednesday, one hit against Baylor on Saturday and two hits against the Bears on Sunday. In tossing her 10th, 11th and 12th shutouts of the season, James saw her scoreless innings streak rise to 28.1 innings.

Against conference-leading and 19th-ranked Baylor over the weekend, James tossed 14 innings of shutout ball, allowing only three hits. James held the Bears to a .070 batting average. For the week, James held opposing hitters to a paltry .095 average.

The Papillion, Neb., native once again posted an incredible strikeout-to-walk ratio last week. James struck out 30 hitters, while walking only 6, a ratio of 5-to-1. Sunday’s 10-strikeout performance was the 10th time this season James has recorded double-digit strikeouts in a game and left James with 204 strikeouts on the season.

For the season
For the season, James is 20-5 with an ERA of 0.70. In 149.1 innings, James has allowed only 15 earned runs on 71 hits. James has struck out 204 batters this season, while limiting opposing hitters to a meager .140 batting average. James has also thrown 19 complete games?including a no-hitter and four one-hitters?and has a league-high 12 shutouts.

For her career
James also moved up the all-time school charts this weekend. With her 81st career victory on Sunday, James, one of only three pitchers in school history to win 80 games, moved into a tie for second place in all-time wins at NU. Sunday’s complete-game victory also gave James sole possession of second place in school history with her 81st career complete game.

James is on pace to finish her career with 892 strikeouts and 45 shutouts, each of which would be a new school record. James is also on pace to finish with 864.1 innings pitched (second all-time) and 93 complete games (second all-time).

Single-Season Records Watch
Junior Anne Steffan
Steffan, who is currently hitting .364, would finish with the 10th best single-season average if she can maintain her current pace. Steffan also has 121 at bats and is projected to finish the season with at least 195 at bats, just 10 shy of the 10th-place single-season record.

Steffan is also challenging to put her name on the single-season hit list. The Mankato, Minn., native has 44 hits this season and at that pace would finish with 71 hits for the season, including two-game stints at the Big 12 Championship and NCAA Regionals. Seventy-one hits would put her in sixth place on the chart.

Finally, one of the fastest players in school history, Steffan is just two stolen bases shy of tying for eighth-place on the single-season list. At her current pace, Steffan would finish with 30 stolen bases, just one shy of the record.

Junior Sheena Lawrick
Although Lawrick's season is over, she did enough in her time to leave her mark on the record book. In only 36 games, Lawrick drew 28 walks, which is ninth on the single-season charts.

Senior Nicole Trimboli
Trimboli, who has driven in the second most runs in school history, has 32 RBIs in 2004 and is projected to finish with 52 RBIs, which would place her fifth on the single-season chart.

Sophomore Trisha Tannahill
Tanahill is tied for the team lead with seven doubles and is on pace to finish with 11 doubles in 2004, just one shy of 10th on the single-season chart.

Senior Peaches James
James, who is enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, is challenging the top spot in single-season strikeouts and shutouts.

James has already struck out 204 batters this season, leaving her just 82 strikeouts away from the single-season record. James has also tossed 12 shutouts this season, leaving her just three shy of the single-season record.

James' 20 victories so far this season are just two shy of 10th place on the single-season chart. She has also logged 149.1 innings, and needs just 59 more to enter the top-10. James is also challenging in complete games. Having already thrown 19 complete games, James is just three shy of entering the top 10.

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 eight career offensive categories and is poised to enter the top 10 in seven other categories.

Trimboli is currently in second place for career RBIs with 161. Currently, Trimboli is second in the Big 12 this season with 32 RBIs.

Capable of hitting for power, Trimboli is currently ninth on the all-time home run chart with 24 round trippers. She is also fifth on the all-time hit list with 213, is eighth with 112 runs scored, ranks sixth all-time in total bases with 326, is sixth in at bats with 699, 10th in games played with 221 and is in 10th place with 42 stolen bases.

Trimboli needs one double and three hit by pitches to crack the top 10 in each category.

Big Innings
Nebraska has been prone to big innings this season. NU has scored in 66 innings this year and has scored more than one run in 42 of those 63 innings (67 percent).

On 23 different occassions, the Huskers have scored three or more runs in a single inning. On March 27 at Oklahoma State, Nebraska exploded for its biggest inning of the year, a 10-run fourth. NU has also produced two nine-run innings.

Last weekend against No. 19 Baylor, NU scored in three innings, but managed two multi-run innings. In the Huskers' 2-0 win on Saturday, a two-run first inning propelled Nebraska and a two-run fifth inning secured NU's 3-0 win on Sunday.

Fast Starts
Nebraska has gotten off to some fast starts this season, as the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning in 15 of 36 games (42 percent). NU is 14-1 on the season when it scores a run in the first inning.

The 41 first-inning runs that Nebraska has scored are the most runs of any single inning. In the first frame, NU has outscored its opponents an overhwelming 41-7. Twenty-eight percent of the Huskers' total runs have come across the plate in the first inning (42/148).

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 March 7 against Utah in a 12-0 win.

Nebraska has plated more than one run in nine of the 14 games in which it has scored in the first inning. In two games this season, the Huskers' lone run of the game has come in the first, including March 18 against fourth-ranked Florida State. In all, 11 of the 21 game-winning RBIs have come in the first inning.

Fourteen NCAA Bids and Counting
Nebraska softball is in an elite class when it comes to postseason play. The Huskers are one of nine teams to appear in the past nine NCAA Tournaments. Nebraska also has a strong history of earning high seeds in the tournament. For the past seven seasons, Nebraska has earned a two seed or higher in the opening NCAA Regional. The only other teams to accomplish that feat are Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington. Overall, NU has earned 14 NCAA Tournament bids, advancing to the College World Series seven times.

Home Sweet Home
The Husker softball team continued to receive tremendous fan support in 2003. Nebraska ranked seventh in the nation in Division I softball attendance with an average of 615 fans per game.

NU was one of only eight schools to total more than 10,000 fans for the entire season. Among these eight schools, Nebraska was the only school to total more than 10,000 fans in less than 20 home games. The Huskers totaled 11,074 fans in 18 home games.