DeBuhr Named Pitcher of the Week

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

DeBuhr earned a victory and a save against Missouri over the weekend to lead the Huskers to a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference. She tossed a complete-game in the first contest and did not allow an earned run while surrendering just four hits and striking out six.

She then earned a save by tossing two hitless innings against the Tigers in a 5-3 win on Sunday. For the weekend, DeBuhr held Missouri to a meager .133 average. She also picked up her seventh straight win ? and sixth consecutive victory in league play ? in Saturday’s dominating effort. Sunday’s save was her career-high third of the season, as she posted just one save in her first two seasons combined.

The honor was the first of the season for the Beatrice, Neb., native and the second of her career. DeBuhr is also the first Husker pitcher honored this season and earned the third weekly honor for NU in 2006. Seniors Lizzy Aumua and Trisha Tannahill each earned player-of-the-week accolades earlier this season.

No. 14 Nebraska traveled to Oklahoma City, Okla., on Monday for the Big 12 Championship. The second-seeded Huskers open the tournament at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday against the winner of a play-in game between No. 7 seed Missouri and No. 10 seed Texas Tech. Prior to that game the 2006 league honors - including the All-Big 12 and academic All-Big 12 squads - will be handed out at a pre-championship banquet.