Huskers Set to Play Five Games in Five Days

The Nebraska softball team (27-15, 5-5 Big 12), winners in six of its last eight games, wraps up its season-ending seven-game homestand with a busy five-day schedule this week, beginning with a mid-week match-up against Kansas on Wednesday ata 6 p.m.

After concluding the season series with the Jayhawks, NU will host Northern Colorado in a doubleheader on Thursday, before welcoming Oklahoma State to Bowlin Stadium for a two-game set on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday's game will be televised by NET Sports and College Sports Television.

Sunday's game also marks the final regular-season home game for Nebraska. The Huskers' three seniors will be honored before the game and fans can purchase general admission tickets for only $1 as part of Fan Appreciation Day. The first 500 fans will also receive a bag of popcorn, courtesy of Colby Ridge.

The Huskers are coming off a 3-1 week that included a perfect 3-0 mark in Big 12 play to even their overall league record at 5-5. Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr pitched every inning last week and only allowed four runs (three earned).

DeBuhr began the week by tossing the third perfect game in school history in NU's 2-0 victory over Iowa State. Against the Cyclones, DeBuhr retired all 21 batters she faced, including 10 strikeouts, and allowed only two balls out of the infield while finishing off ISU on just 81 pitches.

Following the win over Iowa State, Nebraska traveled to Omaha to face the 22nd-ranked Creighton Bluejays. NU went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base while CU's Jessica Merkel hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to lift the Bluejays to a 1-0 extra-inning victory. DeBuhr again pitched well, allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out 12.

NU quickly rebounded by sweeping Texas Tech over the weekend. In the first game, NU's bats came alive, pounding out seven runs on nine hits in a 7-1 victory. DeBuhr recorded her third double-digit strikeout game of the week, striking out 10 while surrendering only one unearned run on five hits.

In the series finale, NU scored two quick runs in the first inning and added another run in the third before holding on for a 3-2 victory. DeBuhr tossed another complete game, allowing only two runs on four hits.

For the week, DeBuhr posted a 3-1 record with a 0.72 ERA. Opponents hit just .133 against her and she struck out 37 while walking only three.

Offensively, junior Elizabeth Rock went 8-for-12 (.667) last week, including a perfect 5-for-5 in the Texas Tech series. Juniors Trisha Tannahill (5-for-11, .455) and Jessica Yoachim (5-for-12, .417) also posted impressive numbers for the week.

Sunday's victory over the Red Raiders also marked the 500th victory at Nebraska for Head Coach Rhonda Revelle. Revelle, who collected her 500th overall victory on March 19, is only the third coach of any sport in Nebraska history to reach the milestone.

Scouting Kansas (19-18, 2-7 Big 12)
Kansas is 3-2 in its last five games, including a victory at 18th-ranked Missouri and a pair of close loses to No. 8 Baylor. The Jayhawks are just 2-7 in league play, but have played five games against top-10 teams and seven games against top-25 teams.

KU is led offensively by Destiny Frankenstein, who is batting .359 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs. She has been even better in league games, hitting .385 with a pair of home runs. Heather Stanley, who is hitting .271, has emerged in Big 12 play to hit .360 with three home runs.

In the circle, Kansas utilizes a deep pitching staff. Three Jayhawks have thrown at least 60 innings this season, led by Serena Settlemier, who has tossed 101.2 innings. Settlemier (8-6) has a 2.96 ERA this season, but a 5.19 ERA in league games only. As a staff, KU boasts a 2.92 ERA, but a 5.33 ERA in Big 12 Conference games.

Kansas leads the all-time series 49-44, but NU defeated the Jayhawks in the first meeting this year, 7-3.

Last Meeting
Nebraska snapped a season-high four-game losing streak and picked up its first Big 12 victory when it defeated Kansas, 7-3, in Lawrence on March 30.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr picked up the win for NU, allowing three runs on five hits in a complete-game effort.

Fellow sophomore Jamie Waldecker led the offensive charge for the Huskers, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Junior Jessica Yoachim went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and sophomore Devin Porter wente 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the win.

Kassie Humphreys took the loss for KU, allowing four runs in four innings of work. Serena Settlemier pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief and went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run.

Scouting Northern Colorado (10-21)
Northern Colorado is 10-21 in its second year at the Division I level and has won two straight games. UNC and NU share five common opponents this season. In six games against those opponents, the Bears went 1-5 and were outscored 47-9. In eight games against the same teams, the Huskers own a 7-1 record and have outscored their opponents 45-21.

UNC is led offensively by Whitney Platten, who is one of five starters hitting .300 or better. Platten leads the team with a .395 average, 10 doubles and 18 RBIs and ranks second with four home runs.

In the circle, Kelsey Dumler has thrown a team-high 108.2 innings, allowing opponents to hit .360 against her and score 100 earned runs for an ERA of 6.44. Stephani Miller boasts the best ERA on the team at 3.20, allowing 30 earned runs in 65.2 innings.

Nebraska leads the all-time series 4-0, including a doubleheader sweep last season.

Last Time We Met
NU swept a doubleheader from Northern Colorado on April 27 last season. In game one, right-hander Ashley DeBuhr tossed a complete game one-hitter and did not allow an earned run in a 9-1 five-inning victory. Jessica Yoachim, Anne Steffan and Carmen Kier each had at least two hits for NU, with Kier hitting her first career home run.

In the second game, Nebraska fought back from an early 1-0 deficit to win 8-2. Yoachim and Trisha Tannahill each had multi-hit games for the Husker offense. Yoachim finished the two games 5-for-8 with four runs scored.

Leading Off
Nebraska has excelled at getting the leadoff hitter on base this season. Batters leading off the inning have recorded a hit 96 times in 262 at bats for a .366 average. Leadoff hitters have also drawn 21 walks this season. Overall, a Nebraska hitter leading off an inning reaches base 50 percent of the time.

Rock & Roll
Junior Elizabeth Rock went 7-for-11 in the Huskers’ four games last week for a .636 average. In addition to leading the team in average, Rock was also tops in runs (four), doubles (one), total bases (9), slugging percentage (.727), on-base percentage (.636), sacrifice hits (3) and stolen bases (2).

In Nebraska’s three Big 12 Conference games last week, Rock was even better, posting an .857 average (6-for-7) including going 5-for-5 in two games against Texas Tech. She added four runs, a double, an RBI, three sacrifices and a stolen base against league foes last week.

For the season, Rock ranks second on the team with a .430 average and leads the team with 16 sacrifices, just six shy of tying the school record.

DeBuhr Surging
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr pitched every inning of Nebraska’s four games last week, posting a 3-1 record for the week, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Big 12 Conference games. Against Iowa State on Wednesday, DeBuhr recorded the first perfect game of her career and only the third in school history. She retired all 21 batters she faced in the Huskers’ 2-0 victory, including 10 via the strikeout. She finished the week recording double-digit strikeouts in three of the four games.

For the week, DeBuhr posted a microscopic 0.72 ERA, allowing just three earned runs in 29.1 innings. She also finished with one shutout and four complete games. Perhaps most impressive was DeBuhr’s strikeout-to-walk ratio. DeBuhr racked up 37 strikeouts while walking just three to finish with a whopping 12-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents hit just .133 against her last week, managing only 13 hits in 98 at bats.

In league games only, DeBuhr went 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA and struck out 25 in 21 innings. Her only loss of the week came in a 1-0 nine-inning defeat to 22nd-ranked Creighton, although DeBuhr only surrendered four hits in the loss, including three infield singles.

DeBuhr Nearing Record
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr has 210 strikeouts this season, which ranks eighth in single-season school history. She needs just 26 strikeouts to surpass Jenny Voss' sophomore record of 235, set in 1998. DeBuhr also has a chance to become only the second player in school history to record 300 strikeouts in a season. Peaches James became the first last season when she struck out a school-record 394 batters.

Perfection
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr tossed her first career perfect game and only the third in school history in the Huskers' 2-0 victory over Iowa State on April 13.

Following an hour and a half delay due to a scheduling problem with the umpires, DeBuhr made quick work of the Cyclones, retiring all 21 batters she faced on just 81 pitches.

She allowed only two balls to leave the infield and rung up 10 strikeouts, including a punch-out of Jessica Quade with two outs in the seventh inning to complete the perfect game.

RPI Simulation
The National FastPitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released a simulated Rating Percentage Index (RPI) on Saturday. NU came in at No. 24 on the RPI behind by a schedule that ranked as the 14th-toughest in the nation.

The simulated RPI is designed to predict the official RPI the NCAA uses to determine selection and seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

Steffan Reaches Another Milestone
Senior Anne Steffan went 1-for-5 against ninth-ranked Baylor on April 10 to record the 200th hit of her career.

With the hit, Steffan became just the seventh player in school history to record 200 career hits. She is just two hits shy of moving into sixth place on the all-time hit list.

Steffan is also one of just six players in NU history to record 200 hits and 100 runs scored in a career. She has scored 125 runs to date, which is tied for seventh place all-time at Nebraska.

Tough Losses
Nebraska is 6-2 in its last eight games, with both losses coming on the road to a ranked team in extra innings. The Huskers' lost three one-run leads, including two in extra innings, in a 6-3 defeat to No. 9 Baylor on April 10. NU's second loss was a 1-0 setback at No. 22 Creighton on April 14.

The Huskers are 26-2 this season when they out-hit their opponents with both losses coming in the last two weeks. Nebraska is 0-5 this season in extra inning games.

Nearing History
Senior Anne Steffan has 28 stolen bases this season, one shy of her career high and just three shy of the school record. Kim Ogee currently holds the single-season school record with 31 stolen bases in 2002. With two more stolen bases, Steffan would join Ogee as the only Huskers in school history to steal 30 bases in a season.

Stealing an Advantage
Nebraska has enjoyed a decisive advantage in stolen bases over its opponents this season. Nebraska has stolen 76 bases in 91 attempts (84 percent). While the Huskers have swiped 76 bases, opponents have only stolen 11 bases in 20 attempts (55 percent). In four games last week, NU swiped six bases in six tries, while opponents stole just one base.

Patient Hitting
Nebraska has drawn 109 walks this season, an average of more than two per game. The walks total has helped NU post an impressive .364 on-base percentage. Although complete on-base percentage statistics are unavailable, this year’s Huskers would rank third in school history in on-base percentage.

Hit Parade
Five Huskers have already recorded 10 or more multi-hit games this season. Senior Anne Steffan leads the team with 22 multi-hit performances through 42 games. Juniors Elizabeth Rock (16) and Jessica Yoachim (13) and senior Sheena Lawrick (12) have also reached double-digits in the category. In all, 11 of Nebraska’s 12 position players have recorded a multi-hit game and as a team, NU has recorded 87 multi-hit games this season.

RBI Parade
Senior Sheena Lawrick and sophomore Jamie Waldecker, the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters in the Nebraska lineup, have combined for 17 multi-RBI games in 40 games this season. Even more impressive is the fact that as a team, NU has produced 34 multi-RBI games and 10 of the Huskers’ 12 position players have recorded a multi-RBI game this season.

School-Record Streak Ends
Senior Anne Steffan went 0-for-4 on March 25 against Texas A&M to end her school-record 26-game hitting streak. She quickly responded by going 2-for-3 in the series finale and has hit safely in 38 of 42 games this year.

Revelle Earns 500th Victories
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle won her 500th career game on March 19 when the Huskers blanked Cal-State Fullerton 8-0 at the Kia Klassic. Revelle is one of 38 active coaches to reach the milestone. She also earned her 500th victory at Nebraska in the Huskers' 3-2 win over Texas Tech last Sunday.

Earlier this season, 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.

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.

Power Surge
Sophomore Jamie Waldecker, Nebraska’s cleanup hitter, hit more home runs in a 10-game stretch from March 17 to March 30 than she did in her first year and a half as a Husker. A proven run producer, Waldecker has homered four times in her last 14 games and is second on the team with a career-high five round-trippers this season.

Senior Sheena Lawrick and junior Trisha Tannahill, who each homered at No. 9 Baylor, have also set single-season career highs in home runs this season. Lawrick leads the team with six home runs, while Tannahill has belted two round-trippers this season, after hitting one in each of her first two seasons.

100-Hit Club
Junior Jessica Yoachim recorded the 100th hit of her career against Texas on April 2. The hit was not only a milestone for Yoachim, but proved to be the only hit the Huskers would muster off All-American Cat Osterman. Yoachim also became just the second left-handed hitter to get a hit off Osterman in 94 at bats this season.

Senior Sheena Lawrick also recorded her 100th hit against North Dakota State on April 6.

Junior Trisha Tannahill reached the milestone earlier this season, singling in the second inning against Wichita State on March 13, marking the 100th hit of her career. Senior Anne Steffan entered the season with 137 hits in her career.

In the Clutch
Sophomore Devin Porter has provided several clutch hits for the Nebraska softball team this season. Porter recorded the game-winning RBI in four of the Huskers' five games at the Shocker Invitational March 11-13 and leads the team with six game-winning RBIs. On the season, Porter ranks third on the team with 13 RBIs. Last week, Porter drove in the game-tying run in the fourth inning against fifth-ranked Texas before NU eventually fell 3-1. The run was the only run scored against the Longhorns.

Last season Porter had only two game-winning RBIs and 10 total RBIs.

NU vs. Ranked Teams
NU is 4-8 this season against ranked teams after losing to No. 22 Creighton on April 14. The Huskers have posted victories over then-No. 14 Washington, then-No. 16 Oregon State and then-No. 15 Georgia Tech along with Saturday's victory over Baylor.

Connected to the Program
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, who is in her 13th year in charge of the Husker program, and Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel, who is in her 16th year, have been integral in the history of Nebraska softball. As both a player and coach, Revelle has been a part 577 of NU's 970 all-time victories. Throw in Sippel's four-year playing totals and four years she coached before Revelle arrived, and Revelle and Sippel have been a part of 733 of the program's 970 victories.

Superb Seniors
Senior Sheena Lawrick is enjoying a tremendous senior season. She has reached base safely in 39 of Nebraska's 42 games this season. She is third on the team with a .358 average while pacing NU with 11 doubles, six home runs, 39 RBIs, a .600 slugging percentage, 28 walks and a .483 on-base percentage. Lawrick has also recorded a team-high 10 multi-RBI games. Two times this season Lawrick has reached base safely on seven consecutive at bats.

Lawrick ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 in five categories. She ranks second in the league with 28 walks, fourth with a .483 on-base percentage, is tied for eighth with 11 doubles and ninth with 39 RBIs.

Senior Anne Steffan is also having a fine senior season. Steffan leads the team with a .441 average, 28 stolen bases and 67 hits and ranks second with 33 runs scored. On pace to put her name on several single-season school records, Steffan has hit safely in all but four games this season. She had her school-record 26-game hitting streak snapped against Texas A&M. Steffan leads the team with 21 multi-hit games this season and has had at least two hits in 20 of the last 31 games.

Steffan ranks in the top five in the conference in four offensive categories. She is second in average (.441), hits (67), stolen bases (28) and is fifth in on-base percentage (.475).

Career Year for Lawrick
Senior Sheena Lawrick is enjoying a career season in 2005. Lawrick, who is third on the team with a .358 average, has already set single-season career highs in total bases (72), home runs (6), RBIs (39), runs scored (27) and stolen bases (8). Her six home runs are two more than she had in each of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Lawrick’s 39 RBIs are 15 more than she had in 36 games last season, and her eight stolen bases are seven more than her previous career high and six more than her three-year career total before this season. Her 27 runs scored are also a career high, four more than she had last season.

Lawrick has also drawn 28 walks this season to equal her career-high total from the 2004 season.

In addition, her .358 average, .600 slugging percentage and .483 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 91 innings in 2005 and has produced three or more runs in 26 of those frames. When the Huskers score a run in an inning, 29 percent of the time they add at least two more runs in that frame. Nebraska has also added seven innings where five or more runs have crossed the plate, including a five-run fifth inning against North Dakota State.

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. None were intentional.

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 hits.

Career Fair
Senior Kira Boerkircher and juniors Katie Linke and KoKo Tacha have already established single-season career highs in several categories.

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 11 starts, 33 at bats and five RBIs are more than her previous three seasons combined. Her four hits are a new single-season high, as are her four total bases. She also needs just one walk to tie her career high for walks in a season.

Linke has drawn a career-high nine walks this season and has hit a career-high two doubles, which tied her previous career total. Linke is also nearing career highs in several categories. She needs just four runs, four RBIs and three total bases to set career highs in each respective category.

Tacha has set career highs of 19 starts, 54 at bats, 11 hits, one home run, 15 total bases, five walks, nine put outs and one assist, and her eight RBIs are just one shy of matching her career high.

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 and her third hit was the 150th of her career. Steffan also scored one run in the game, the 100th run scored of her career.