Huskers Continue Travels with Shocker Invitational

The 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team looks to rebound from a pair of losses last weekend when it travels to Wichita, Kan., this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the Shocker Invitational, hosted by Wichita State.

NU (12-5) opened play winning its first three games at the Hyatt Regency Cougar Classic last weekend before falling twice to Houston in the final two games of the tournament.

The Huskers finished the weekend with a 3-2 record and outscored their opponents 29-19, despite the losses to the Cougars.

Nebraska will look to bounce back this weekend against a field with a combined 20-27 record. NU will also get an early taste of the upcoming Big 12 Conference schedule as Nebraska will face Texas Tech on Saturday.

Despite entering the tournament on a two-game losing streak, the Huskers are still off to one of their best starts in recent years. NU has posted 12 victories in 19 games this season, marking only the third time since the 1999 season that a Husker team has reached 12 victories before the 20th game of the season.

History could also be on the line this weekend as senior Anne Steffan enters the weekend on a career-best 14-game hitting streak. If she were to hit safely in each of Nebraska's five games this weekend, Steffan would tie Ali Viola's school record 19-game hitting streak. Steffan leads the team with an incredible .525 average this season after going 10-for-17 last weekend.

Scouting the Field
This weekend's field is a combined 20-27 this season with only host Wichita State (9-6) posting a winning record. NU owns a combined 59-16 all-time record against the four teams it will face this weekend, including a perfect 14-0 mark versus UMKC.

Valparaiso (0-4)
Valparaiso entered the week with an 0-4 record, including a 4-3 loss against Kansas. The Crusaders have struggled offensively this season as they have been outscored 22-3 this season. Opposing pitchers have posted a miniscule 0.64 ERA against Valparaiso, while the Crusaders' staff has posted a 4.15 ERA.

Offensively, Valpo has only three hitters batting better than .200. Taylor Callahan leads the team with a .250 average, one run scored, three hits, one home run and three RBIs.

In the circle, Chris Halstead (0-2) has thrown the most innings (12.2) of anyone on the staff, posting a 3.55 ERA.

Friday's meeting will mark the first time Valparaiso and Nebraska have ever met on the diamond.

Wichita State (9-6)
Host Wichita State is the only team in the tournament other than NU that entered this week with a winning record. The Shockers are 9-6 in 2005, including a pair of loses to Big 12 teams Texas Tech (4-2) and Oklahoma State (3-2).

WSU and Nebraska share four games against three common opponents this season. The Shockers have defeated Western Michigan, New Mexico and Texas State twice, while NU defeated each of those teams once.

Offensively, the Shockers are led by Stephanie De La Riva. De La Riva is hitting .395 with 10 runs scored, two doubles, four home runs and 11 RBIs, all team highs. Her four stolen bases, .519 on-base percentage and .721 slugging percentage are also team bests.

In the circle, the tandem of Margo Pruis and Lindsay Craig have thrown the overhwelming majority of the innings for WSU. In 48 innings, Pruis is 4-3 with a 1.60 ERA and opponents are hitting just .213 against her. Craig (4-3), has posted similar numbers. In 48.1 innings, she has posted a 1.88 ERA and opponents are htiting a meager .198 against her.

Wichita State and Nebraska have met 39 times before, with NU enjoying a 26-13 all-time series edge. The Huskers have won 10 of the last 11 meetings, including four straight.

UMKC (3-9)
UMKC entered the week with a 3-9 record, including a pair of losses to Big 12 foes Kansas (8-0) and Missouri (11-0). The Kangaroos and Huskers share one common opponent, New Mexico State. NMSU defeated UMKC 9-0, while NU defeated the Aggies 4-3.

Offensively, UMKC is led by Casie Wolf, the only Kangaroo hitter batting better than .275. Wolf is hitting .370 with three doubles and three RBIs. As a team, UMKC is hitting just .194, while opponents are hitting .309.

In the circle, Jessica Heimann and Veronica Weaver have logged the most innings. Each allows opponents to hit .282 while Heimann (3-4) has an ERA of 3.72 and Weaver (0-3) has an ERA of 5.53.

Nebraska is a perfect 14-0 all-time versus UMKC, including a 23-0 win in 1996. The 23 runs in that meeting are the school record for most runs in a game. Ten of the 14 meetings have been run-rule victories for the Huskers.

Texas Tech (8-8)
Nebraska will face Big 12 Competition for the first time this weekend when it faces Texas Tech on Saturday. The Red Raiders entered the week with an 8-8 record, including a 1-1 record against Texas State and New Mexico, teams that Nebraska defeated earlier this season.

Offensively, TTU is led by Ashley Parker, who is hitting .392 and Jennifer Corkin, who is hitting .326 with six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs. As a team, Texas Tech is hitting just .237, but four Red Raiders are hitting .290 or better and opponents are hitting just .228.

In the circle, Erin Crawford (4-4) and Sarah Losleben (4-1) have been Tech's top pitchers. Crawford is holding opposing hitters to a .219 average while posting a 3.35 ERA in 45.2 innings. Losleben is the team leader in wins and has allowed 16 earned runs in 39.1 innings for a 3.66 ERA.

Nebraska swept the season series from Texas Tech last season and has won seven straight in the series. The Huskers own a 19-3 all-time series edge over the Red Raiders.

Streaking
Senior Anne Steffan, the Huskers' leading hitter with a whopping .525 average this season, is currently riding a career-high 14-game hitting streak. The streak started with a 1-for-3 effort against Colorado State on Feb. 18 and has continued to pick up steam. Not only has she hit safely in the last 14 games, she has recorded at least two hits in 10 of the last 11 games.

The school record for longest hitting streak is 19, a mark reached twice by Ali Viola. If Steffan can record a hit in each of the Huskers' five games this weekend, she would tie Viola's mark.

Offensive Surge
Through four tournaments and 17 games, Nebraska is hitting a blistering .318 as a team and has produced an average of more than five runs per game.

Nebraska has recorded at least 10 hits in seven games this season after totaling only 13 double-digit hit games in 62 games last season.

Three players are hitting .425 or better this season, while another is hitting .352. Senior Anne Steffan leads the team with a whopping .525 average.

For the year, Nebraska's average is .089 points higher than its opponents.

Superb Seniors
Senior Sheena Lawrick is off to a tremendous start in her final year as a Husker. She has reached base safely in each of Nebraska's 17 games this season and has recorded at least one hit in every game but three. She is second on the team with a .440 average (22-for-50) and leads the team with six doubles, five home runs, 26 RBIs, a .860 slugging percentage and 13 walks. Lawrick has also recorded a team-high seven multi-RBI games. Two times this season, Lawrick has reached base safely on seven consecutive at bats.

Senior Anne Steffan is also enjoying a fast start the 2005 season. Steffan leads the team with a .525 average, 17 runs scored, a .563 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases. On pace to put her name on several single-season school records, Steffan has hit safely in all but one game this season, including a curent career-high 14-game hitting streak. She leads the team with 11 multi-hit games this season and has had at least two hits in 10 of the last 11 games. She drew a walk in the only game where she failed to record a hit, meaning she has reached base safely in each of the Huskers' 17 games this season.

Career Year for Lawrick
Senior Sheena Lawrick is enjoying a career season through only 19 games in 2005. Lawrick, who is second on the team with a .440 average, has already set single-season career highs in home runs (5), RBIs (26) and stolen bases (6). Her five home runs are one more than she had in both the 2003 and 2004 season. Lawrick’s 26 RBIs are two more than she had in 36 games last season and her six stolen bases are five more than her previous career high and are four more than her three-year career total before this season.

Lawrick, who missed half of last season after suffering a torn ACL, is on pace to set career highs in nearly every category. She needs just seven runs, nine hits, 16 walks and 11 total bases to break her previous highs, all set last season.

In addition, her .440 average, .860 slugging percentage and .565 on-base percentage would also be career highs. Lawrick also hit safely in a career-high eight games earlier this season.

Big Innings
Nebraska has been prone to producing big innings this season. In total, NU has scored in 40 innings in 2005 and has produced three or more runs in 13 of those frames. When the Huskers score a run in an inning, 33 percent of the time they add at least two more runs in that inning. Nebraska has also added four innings where five or more runs have crossed the plate.

Record-Setting Day
On Feb. 19, two Nebraska single-game records fell in the same game as NU defeated Texas-San Antonio 14-6 in six innings.

Senior Sheena Lawrick hit a three-run home run in her first at bat and then drew four consecutive walks. The four walks were a single-game Nebraska record, breaking the previous mark of three.

Not to be outdone, junior Jessica Yoachim went 5-for-5 against the Roadrunners to set the mark for the most hits in a game of seven innings or fewer. Yoachim broke the previous mark of four.

Career Fair
Senior Kira Boerkircher and junior KoKo Tacha have already established single-season career highs in several categories only 17 games into the year.

Boerkircher has not only surpassed her previous career highs, but has also surpassed some of her previous career totals, as she has seen the most playing time of her career in 2005.

Her eight starts, 24 at bats and three RBIs are than her previous three seasons combined. Her three hits are a new single-season career high, as are her three total bases. She also needs just one walk to tie her career high for walks in a season.

Tacha has set career highs of 10 starts, 33 at bats, nine hits, one home run, 12 total bases, six put outs and one assist, and needs just three walks and four RBIs to reach her career highs in each respective category.

Stealing an Advantage
Through 17 games this season, Nebraska is 28-for-33 in stolen base attempts after going a perfect 13-for-13 last weekend.

NU enjoys a remarkable edge in stolen bases over its opponents. While Nebraska has stolen 28 bases, opponents have stolen only three bases in six attempts this season.

Steffan Reaches Milestones
Senior Anne Steffan reached a pair of milestones in Nebraska's 4-2 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 20.

Steffan went 3-for-4 at the plate and her third hit was the 100th of her career. Steffan also scored one run in the game, the 150th run scored of her career, which ranks 10th all time in school history.

Three other Huskers should reach the 100th hit milestone as well this season. Junior Trisha Tannahill is just four hits shy of 100, while senior Sheena Lawrick needs just 13 hits and junior Jessica Yoachim needs just 17 hits to reach the milestone.

Revelle Nears 500th Win
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle won her 475th game at Nebraska on Feb. 13 when NU defeated 16th-ranked Oregon State, 4-3, at the Louisville Slugger UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. Revelle has since added 10 more victories, giving her 493 career victories, just seven shy of 500.

Revelle's 475th victory also marked the 950th win in the history of Nebraska softball, with Revelle collecting exactly half of NU's all-time victories.

Nine Huskers Make Honor Roll
Nine members of the Nebraska softball team and two former players were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the Fall 2004 semester.

Six Huskers made repeat appearances on the list, led by senior Kira Boerkircher who was honored for the fifth time in her career, and junior KoKo Tacha who also made the list for the fifth time in her career. Tacha has carried a perfect 4.0 grade-point average through her first five semesters of college.

Juniors Trisha Tannahill and Jessica Yoachim each earned their fourth appearance on the list, while sophomore Jaime Borg has appeared on the Honor Roll in each of her first three semesters. Senior Sheena Lawrick made the list for the second time in her career.

Junior Elizabeth Rock, a transfer this season from Mt. San Antonio College, and freshmen Jordan Keen and Cassie Kleinsmith were each honored for the first time in their career in their first semester of eligibility.

Former Huskers Peaches James and Liz Lawhorn, who completed their eligibility in 2004, were also named to the Honor Roll.

Huskers on Radio and TV
At least 11 Nebraska softball games will be carried by the Pinnacle Sports Network on Lincoln station KKUL 105.3 FM and two Husker games will be televised by NET Sports (formerly NETV) and College Sports Television (CSTV).

Nebraska’s radio schedule features nine regular-season games, including road games at Creighton, Iowa State and a pair of games at 2004 Women’s College World Series qualifier Oklahoma. The first two days of the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., will also be carried on KKUL.

A marquee matchup with Texas on Saturday, April 2 highlights the Huskers’ television schedule. The Texas game and NU’s game on Sunday, April 24 with Oklahoma State will be televised live by NET Sports and CSTV.

10,000th Hit
When junior KoKo Tacha singled in the second inning of Nebraska's 7-3 win over Loyola on Feb. 19, it marked the 10,000th hit in the history of Nebraska softball.

Husker softball began in 1976, but complete records are only available since the 1977 season.

15 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 10 NCAA Tournaments. Nebraska also has a strong history of earning high seeds in the tournament. For the past eight seasons, Nebraska has earned a No. 2 seed or higher in the NCAA Regional. The only other teams to accomplish that feat are Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington.

Overall, NU has earned 15 NCAA Tournament bids, tying Texas A&M for the most NCAA berths of any Big 12 school. The Huskers have also advanced to the College World Series seven times. Nebraska's success has allowed the Huskers to host an NCAA Regional in each of the past two seasons.

Tough Schedule Ahead
Nebraska has grown accustomed to playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and 2005 will be no exception. NU will play at least 19 games against teams that earned 2004 NCAA Tournament bids.

The Huskers will also play at least three regular-season contests against teams that advanced to the 2004 NCAA Women's College World Series, including Washington and Oklahoma (twice).

Finally, Nebraska will play at least 14 regular-season games against eight teams ranked in the preseason 2004 USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, including No. 6 Oklahoma (twice), No. 7 Washington, No. 15 Oregon State, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 19 Baylor (twice).

Big 12 Dominance
By capturing both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament crowns in 2004, the Nebraska softball program has claimed the most conference championships of any of the 10 league schools.

The Huskers have captured six overall titles, one more than Oklahoma and Texas. NU has won three regular-season championships and three tournament titles, both of which also tied for tops in the conference.

Nebraska is also the only school to boast a perfect record in league play since the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The Huskers went 16-0 in 1998. NU started 12-0 during last season's championship run before finishing with a 14-3 record.

Ranking Near the Top
Nebraska finished the 2004 season with a No. 14 final ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. The final ranking marked the 10th consecutive season the Huskers ended the year in the rankings in the 10-year history of the poll. Nebraska is one of only six teams in the nation - and one of only two in the Big 12 Conference - to be ranked in the final poll all 10 seasons.

Huskers in the Pros
Five former Huskers played in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league last summer.

Former Huskers Peaches James (2001-04), Nicole Trimboli (2001-04), Kim Ogee (2000-03), Amanda Buchholz (2000-03) and Leigh Ann Walker (1999-2001) all played in the six-team league.

James and Trimboli were each named to the 28-player NPF All-Star team. Only Arizona had more former players (four) named to the All-Star team than Nebraska.

James pitched for the Texas Thunder and finished the year with a 13-3 record and a microscopic 0.88 ERA. Trimboli hit .266 with a team-high 25 RBIs for the Akron Racers.

Among all NCAA softball programs, NU ranks second in producing professional players.

Olympic Connections
Senior Sheena Lawrick was selected to the 2004 Canadian Olympic Team despite recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament when the team was announced. Lawrick's knee healed a few weeks before Canada opened play in Athens, Greece. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Lawrick started two games for the Canadians, who finished the Olympics with a 3-4 record, which tied for the country's best showing ever.

Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel joined Lawrick at the Olympics as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Sippel, who pitched for the Huskers from 1985 to 1988, was a member of the 1996 Canadian National Team that also went 3-4 in the inaugural softball competition at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga.

Home Sweet Home
The Husker softball team continued to receive tremendous fan support in 2004. Nebraska ranked fourth in the nation in Division I softball attendance with an average of 955 fans per game. The average was up 340 fans from the 2003 season, marking the highest increase in the nation.

Nebraska also finished third in overall attendance after drawing 19,103 fans in 20 home games last season. NU drew more than 1,000 fans for a game on seven occasions in 2004, including a season-high 1,585 fans for Nebraska's opening NCAA Tournament game against Lehigh.

NU was one of only 14 schools to total more than 10,000 fans for the entire season and was one of only three schools to draw more than 15,000.

Head of the Class
Nebraska leads all Division I softball programs with 22 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards won by 15 players.

NU is the only school with more than 20 academic All-America awards, and the only Big 12 school ranked in the top 10.