Huskers Host Talented Field at Lincoln Regional

The Nebraska softball team joins a talented four-team field at Bowlin Stadium this week when the Huskers host one of 16 NCAA Regionals in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

NU, which is hosting an NCAA Regional at Bowlin Stadium for the fourth time in the past five years, is making its 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 18th all-time.

Joining the Huskers (37-18) in Lincoln are Washington (35-16), the top seed in the regional and the No. 6 national seed, Georgia (43-26) the regional’s No. 3 seed and fourth-seeded Creighton (39-12-1).

Each of the four teams are currently receiving votes in the polls, while the Huskers, Bulldogs and Huskies have each been ranked in the top 15 at some point this season.

Nebraska is familiar with each regional foe, as the Huskies traveled to Lincoln for regional play in 2003 and 2005 - winning each time - while the Huskers beat Georgia, 2-1, earlier this season and split a pair of games with Creighton. Nebraska and Creighton are also paired in the same regional for the fourth time in five years.

NU is 37-18 this season after going 0-1 at the Big 12 Championship following an opening-round 3-1 loss to seventh-ranked Texas A&M. The Huskers were victorious in 10 of their final 15 games and an April 26 loss to Kansas serves as NU’s lone loss to a non-ranked foe since March.

In fact, since snapping a three-game losing streak in late March, NU has compiled a 17-7 record over the last month and a half. Six of the Huskers’ seven losses during that stretch have come to ranked opponents, including five against top-10 foes Oklahoma and Texas A&M, with four of those contests coming on the road and the fifth at a neutral site. NU has also picked up three wins over ranked squads during that stretch.

The Huskers finished fifth with a 10-8 record in a rugged Big 12 Conference. NU finished ahead of 18th-ranked Texas - which was swept by the Huskers - but behind No. 8 Baylor, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 7 Texas A&M and a Missouri squad that just fell out of the top 25 last week following a regular-season-ending split with Nebraska. The Huskers had the added challenge of facing each of the top four teams on the road.

On the season, Nebraska has played 21 of 55 games against teams that have been ranked at least once this season. Eight of NU’s 18 losses were by just one run and the Huskers also led in eight of their 18 defeats.

Nebraska was 2-2 in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, as No. 14 NU fell twice to 10th-ranked California. The Huskers, who have made the most NCAA Tournament and Women’s College World Series appearances of any Big 12 school, are looking to win their first regional title since 2002 and advance to Super Regional play for the first time in school history.

NU is 51-37 all-time in 18 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including an NCAA Regional record of 40-23. At home, the Huskers are 21-9 in postseason play, including a 7-6 mark at Bowlin Stadium.

NU hopes for three straight victories to advance to Super Regionals and give Coach Revelle her 600th career victory.

Scouting the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 43-26 record, including a 13-15 mark in a highly competitive Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last nine games and played each of their last four games against top-10 foes.

Georgia is led by a potent offense and a solid pitching staff. The Bulldogs have scored more than 300 runs this year, while hitting 29 homers and stealing 133 bases in 148 attempts. The staff meanwhile boasts a 2.48 ERA but has tossed 22 shutouts.

Kellie Middleton is Georgia’s top hitter, as she boasts a team-best .387 average. Middleton is a double threat at the plate, as she can hit for power (16 doubles, 5 home runs, 42 RBIs) and she also boasts plenty of speed as she has legged out five triples while stealing 46 bases. Melissa Wood and Megan McAllister are tied for the team lead with nine home runs.

In the circle, Kasi Carroll has been the Bulldogs’ ace, compiling a 26-9 record with a team-low 1.88 ERA in a team-high 216.0 innings. Opponents are hitting .240 against her, but have struck out 214 times. Christie Hamilton (15-13, 2.86 ERA, 176. IP) and Kate Gaskill (2-4, 3.35 ERA, 62.2 IP) have also seen time in the circle.

A Look at the Series History
Nebraska and Georgia have split games the only two times they have met. Both meetings have come at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., with the Bulldogs winning 4-1 in 2005 and the Huskers taking a 2-1 decision this season.

In the meeting this season, Nebraska used a one-out, seventh-inning solo home run off the bat of Devin Porter to earn the victory. Molly Hill earned the victory, tossing a three-hitter while not allowing an earned run, striking out six and walking four.

The Huskers out-hit the Bulldogs, 8-3, but Nebraska left 10 runners on base. The top of the NU order did all of the damage, as Crystal Carwile and Haley Long each had two hits, while the top six in the order combined to go 8-for-20 with a pair of walks and two RBIs.

A Look at the Field in the NCAA Tournament
The four teams in the Lincoln regional have combined for 48 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 18 by Nebraska, 16 by Washington, 10 by Creighton and six from Georgia. Each team has won at least 10 games in the postseason and combined the squads have posted a 130-89 (.594). Both the Huskies (53) and Huskers (51) ranking in the top 10 all-time in NCAA Tournament victories.

According to an informal survey compiled by Florida State, Washington has the fifth-longest active streak with 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, while Nebraska ranks seventh. The Huskies’ 53 victories rank sixth all-time, while NU’s 51 wins rank seventh. Washington and Nebraska are also tied for the sixth-most WCWS berths all-time with seven.

Noting NU in the NCAA Tournament
Nebraska is in an elite class when it comes to postseason play, as NU’s rich history dates back to the inaugural Women’s College World Series in Omaha in 1982. In the NCAA Tournament, the Huskers have:

• Earned a Big 12-best 18 NCAA Tournament bids, including 13 straight
• Earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in regional play in 10 of the last 11 years
• Advanced to the Women’s College World Series a league-high seven times, most recently in 2002
• Hosted a regional competition 10 times, including four of the last five seasons
• Compiled a 51-37 (.580) all-time NCAA Tournament record
• Compiled a 40-23 (.635) NCAA Regional record
• Compiled a 7-1 (.875) NCAA Tournament record against Missouri Valley Conference foes
• Compiled a 3-0 NCAA Tournament record against the Southeastern Conference
• Won their opening game of the tournament in each of the last three years
• Only lost their opening game once in 13 appearances under Coach Revelle