2009 Husker Softball Position Breakdown

Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2009 Nebraska softball team.

Pitching
The circle has historically been a decorated place at Nebraska. The Huskers have produced a dozen All-Big 12 pitchers and two All-Americans so far this decade. NU ranked ninth nationally in ERA in 2007 and 20th in 2006, but injuries, inexperience and a lack of depth led to a staff ERA of 3.47 last year. While injuries are always unpredictable, Nebraska will be more experienced this year as it returns every hurler from a season ago, while bolstering its depth with the addition of two talented newcomers. With a five-pitcher staff featuring an All-American and two all-conference selections, pitching is expected to be a strength for the Huskers in 2009.

Senior tri-captain Molly Hill returns as the veteran of the group after seeing extensive work over her first three seasons. Hill boasts a 50-28 career record with a 2.11 ERA. Despite undergoing knee surgery in January of 2008, Hill was forced to carry most of the workload last season, when she finished 15-17 with a 3.27 ERA. In 2007, Hill was able to split time with Ashley DeBuhr, and that allowed Hill to post a 17-9 record with a 1.05 ERA that led the Big 12 and ranked seventh nationally.

The addition of junior Robin Mackin should help ease the workload on Hill and help Hill regain the form that had her sporting a 35-11 career record and a 1.41 ERA entering last season.

Mackin brings impressive numbers to Lincoln, as she led the Western Athletic Conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts in each of her two seasons at Fresno State. A 2007 third-team All-American, Mackin is the WAC career leader in strikeouts-per-seven innings, as she struck out 771 batters in only 584.2 innings for the Bulldogs. She also benefits from extensive international experience, as she pitched for Team Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finishing with a 2.10 ERA in 6.1 innings of work. Mackin has a strong history of shutting down high-powered offenses at the highest levels, as she went 2-1 with a 0.98 ERA in three starts against gold medalist Japan and bronze medalist Australia leading up to the Olympic Games.

A native of Newmarket, Ontario, Mackin could also be a force at the plate. In two seasons at Fresno State, she hit .282 with 60 RBIs.

While Mackin and Hill have the potential to be a dominant 1-2 punch, Nebraska has other capable pitchers waiting in the wings, including junior Alex Hupp, sophomore Tori Tyson and freshman Ashley Hagemann.

Hupp emerged as the Huskers' No. 2 pitcher last season, when she finished with a team-best 9-8 record and a team-low 3.11 ERA. She showed her true potential against the best competition, as she posted a 1.40 ERA against ranked teams. Hupp entered the season with just 17.2 innings of experience, but threw 133.0 innings in 2008. With a deeper and more experienced staff, Hupp's work in the circle may be limited so she can focus her attention on helping the Husker offense.

Tyson was thrown into the fire as a freshman last season, and that experience is expected to benefit her in 2009 as she continues to learn from two of the top pitchers in the league. Tyson threw only 24.1 innings a year ago and finished with a 1-3 record and a 7.19 ERA. Her numbers were inflated by facing top competition, as 16.0 of her innings came against top-20 teams, including 7.0 innings against top-10 foes.

The lone freshman in the mix, Hagemann is a proven winner who is expected to be a key component in the circle and in the Husker lineup. A four-time state champion for Elkhorn High School, Hagemann was the back-to-back winner of the Gatorade Softball Player-of-the-Year award for the state of Nebraska in 2007 and 2008. She was 25-1 with a 0.38 ERA as a senior, while her 1,088 career strikeouts are a Nebraska Class B state record. Offensively, Hagemann produced a Class B-record 50 RBIs as a junior, while hitting .536 with 10 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs as a senior. Hagemann was limited by a hand injury during the Huskers' fall season and did not pitch or hit in two fall tournaments.

Catching
Nebraska boasts a deep and talented stable of catchers in 2009. Senior Amanda Duran started 29 games before suffering a season-ending injury last season, while sophomore Ashley Guile earned 25 starts behind the plate. The lone newcomer among the group is Kirby Wright, a freshman from Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

Duran has come on strong in the offseason and is expected to be the regular starter. A two-time first-team All-American at the junior college level, Duran put up solid numbers in her first year at Division I in 2008. Duran hit a team-high .343 with runners in scoring position and ranked second on the squad in doubles and RBIs despite missing the final 20 games of the season with a hand injury. With a year of experience under her belt, the Huskers are hopeful Duran can make a big impact in the Husker lineup this spring.

Guile will challenge Duran for the starting catcher role. As a freshman last season, Guile earned 50 starts, with half of those coming behind the plate. Offensively, she was thrust into the middle of the Husker lineup, hitting third, fourth or fifth in every one of her starts despite her rookie status. She posted a .250 batting average with 18 RBIs in 2008, while posting a .383 on-base percentage on the strength of a team-high 25 walks, the most by a Husker freshman since 1997.

With a deep and veteran group in front of her, Wright is expected to learn from the upperclassmen as she prepares to compete for a starting role in 2010. NU's first recruit from the state of New York in the NCAA era, Wright is a solid defensive catcher and was a three-time all-state selection for Hendrick Hudson High School.

First Base
First base will once again be occupied by senior Crystal Carwile in 2009. A three-time All-Big 12 selection, Carwile has started every game but one at first base over the past three seasons, playing all but seven innings defensively. She is a terrific defensive first baseman with the ability to do a full split while stretching for balls on bang-bang plays at first, but her work with the bat has been an even bigger boost for the Huskers.

Carwile is just the third player in program history to lead NU in both homers and RBIs for three seasons, and she is poised to become the first player ever to rank as the Huskers' top statistical power hitter for four straight years. Carwile enters her final season with more than 100 career hits, runs and RBIs, joining an exclusive club of seven Huskers who have reached each milestone. Carwile and three-time All-American Ali Viola are the only two to reach each milestone prior to the start of their senior season.

A native of Chino, Calif., Carwile already ranks fifth in the NU record book with 27 career home runs, ninth with 32 doubles and seventh with a .510 slugging percentage.

Sophomore Kelli Linke will benefit from Carwile's experience, as Linke will serve as the backup first baseman in addition to competing for a spot as the designated player and a pinch-hitter. Linke was NU's top pinch-hitter as a freshman in 2008, when she finished with a .206 average, one home run and seven RBIs.

Second Base
Sophomore Julie Brechtel is the returning starter at second base, after she started 51 of a possible 53 games as a freshman in 2008. Brechtel is steady defensively and has great potential offensively.

She hit .220 with 16 RBIs last season, but a school-record nine hit-by-pitches helped her post a solid .346 on-base percentage. A native of Fullerton, Calif., Brechtel found successes and struggles offensively in her first year at the Division I level, but she is expected to benefit from that year of experience and emerge as a key player in 2009.

Behind Brechtel will be freshman Nikki Haget. One of the fastest players on the team, Haget was a two-time first-team All-Nebraska selection as a teammate of Ashley Hagemann for four-time state champion Elkhorn High School. She batted .550 with five doubles and three triples as a senior, leading Class B with 55 hits and 43 runs. A terrific natural athlete, Haget will also be a key pinch runner for the Huskers this spring.

Third Base
A talented athlete with limited softball experience, sophomore Heidi Foland was perhaps the surprise player of the 2008 season. A promising player with raw potential, Foland emerged to start 52 of 53 games at third base in her rookie season. A former Division II basketball recruit, Foland put together a strong freshman season despite focusing on the sport full-time for the first time in her life.

As would be expected with any freshman, let alone a relatively inexperienced one, Foland battled through some inconsistencies last season in what was ultimately a strong freshman campaign. She hit .252 on the season and was a perfect 9-of-9 on stolen base attempts. She also became the first Husker freshman to earn Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors since 2001. Defensively, Foland showed great range and continued to become more consistent as the season progressed. Entering her second year fully devoted to softball, Foland is expected to put together an even stronger sophomore season.

Freshman Jamie Gay will back up Foland at third base. A Beatrice, Neb., native, Gay impressed Husker coaches and teammates with her work ethic and solid play during Nebraska's fall season. At Beatrice High School, Gay was a first-team All-Nebraska selection as a senior, when she batted .495 with 16 doubles, two home runs and 30 RBIs, setting school records for average, hits and doubles.

Shortstop
Like Julie Brechtel and Heidi Foland, junior Whitney Barrett is entering her second year starting at the same infield position. Where Barrett has a leg up is that she logged 39 starts at second base as a freshman. As a sophomore in 2008, Barrett battled through some early-season injuries to start 46 games at short.

Barrett is a natural, smooth fielder and gives Nebraska a consistent and dependable effort at one of the sport's toughest positions. Offensively, Barrett was slowed by injuries through her first season and a half, but the Wetumpka, Ala., native began to emerge late last season. Barrett hit .325 in Big 12 Conference play, while batting .366 over the final 20 games of the season. She finished the year with career highs in nearly every offensive category, including tying for the team lead with a pair of triples.

Also working at the shortstop position will be Foland, the Huskers' regular starting third baseman. Foland's athleticism translates well to the shortstop position, although Barrett is expected to be the everyday starter at short.

Outfield
Six Huskers will compete for playing time in a strong and deep outfield for Nebraska in 2009. NU returns four outfielders with starting experience, including two-year senior starters Haley Long (101 starts) and Meghan Mullin (122 starts). Mullin has started every game the past two seasons, while fellow senior Darcy Rutherford started every game in left field a year ago and has made 79 career starts in the outfield. Sophomore Crystal Gonzalez returns to the fold in 2009 after missing all of the 2008 season.

Although the outfield positions are interchangeable for many of the players, Rutherford returns as the starter in left field. While starting every game last season, Rutherford put up career numbers, including a .325 average. She hit safely in 15 straight games at one point in the season and was a consistent threat at the top of the Husker order and on the basepaths, where she scored 26 runs and stole 11 bases.

Also working in left field will be junior Alex Hupp. Hupp is also expected to see time in the circle, but with a talented and deep pitching staff, the Husker coaches may ask her to focus more on her offensive game. Hupp started 19 games in left field as a freshman in 2007 and is again a candidate for playing time in the outfield this season when the Huskers are looking to add power to the lineup. A two-time high school All-American who holds numerous school records for an Olathe East program that has produced nearly 20 Division I players, Hupp ranks third on the team in career home runs.

In center field, Mullin returns having started 110 consecutive games, the longest streak of any Husker. A native of Mesa, Ariz., Mullin also has experience in right field. A speedy slapper, Mullin has led NU in average the past two seasons, including a career-best .347 mark in 2008. Her .327 career average ranks 11th in school history, while she is just outside the top 10 on the NU career stolen bases and sacrifices charts. A returning All-Big 12 performer and team tri-captain, Mullin is expected to serve as the Huskers' leadoff hitter while taking control in a fast and athletic outfield.

Despite Mullin's solid play in center, Gonzalez also boasts experience at the position. Although she has not played in a regular-season game since March 28, 2007, Gonzalez started 23 of the Huskers' first 35 games in 2007, with each start coming in center. One of the fastest players on the team, Gonzalez slapped for a .214 average with five runs scored and five stolen bases in 2007 before an injury. Gonzalez was diligent in her rehabilitation following two surgeries and returned to the field last fall.

In right field, Long returns for her third season as a starter. A second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2007, Long put up better numbers in 2008, despite not being recognized by the conference. Last season, Long batted a career-high .298 while adding a career-high six stolen bases and 17 runs scored. A versatile hitter, she also added more power to her game, recording career-high totals of one home run, two triples, 10 doubles and 22 RBIs. She led NU in doubles, tied for the team lead in triples, ranked second in RBIs and tied for second in home runs.

Freshman Madison Drake will work behind Long in right field. With plenty of depth in front of her, Drake is expected to benefit from the veteran presence as she makes the switch from the infield to the outfield in her first year at the Division I level. A product of Lincoln Southwest High School, Drake was the starting shortstop for the Silverhawks' state runner-up team as a senior, when she earned first-team All-Nebraska honors.

Designated Player
The battle for the designated player position is expected to be one of the most hotly contested battles for NU in 2009. Senior tri-captain Brittany Pascale has started 51 games as the designated player in her career, but sophomores Ashley Guile (21 starts) and Kelli Linke (17 starts) each earned starting time at the spot as freshmen in 2008.

Pascale has had an injury-plagued career thus far that has prevented her from reaching her full potential. She earned 41 starts at catcher over her first three seasons, but a recurring shoulder problem and a roster featuring three catchers will allow Pascale to focus on her offensive game in 2009. A native of Frankfort, Ill., Pascale is known for her great plate discipline, as she has drawn more walks than any other current Husker, while posting a career .345 on-base percentage. Her injury limited her to 39 at bats in 2008, but a healthy Pascale could be a force in the Husker lineup this season.

One of the most promising hitters on the team, Guile could see action as the designated player when she's not catching. She hit in the middle of the order in 2008 and showed the ability to produce offensively, finishing with a team-high 25 walks, 18 RBIs and a .383 on-base percentage.

Linke will also compete for a spot in the lineup as the designated player. Last season, Linke was one of only two Huskers to record each leg of the cycle (single, double, triple and home run), finishing with a .206 average and seven RBIs in 68 at bats.