Gearing Up For Game Day: at MinnesotaGearing Up For Game Day: at Minnesota
Softball

Gearing Up For Game Day: at Minnesota

 

Big Week for Husker Softball

Last week proved to be a big week for Husker softball. On the field, Nebraska went 3-0, sweeping a three-game series at Northwestern. The Huskers became the first team ever to sweep Northwestern on its home field in a three-game Big Ten series (note that the Big Ten has only played three-game series since 2012).

Before the weekend even began, Kiki Stokes was taken in the first round of the 2016 NPF College Draft with the No. 6 overall pick. Stokes, her teammates and coaches saw Stokes' name called while the team was waiting for its fligh to Chicago.

The on Sunday night after the Huskers' sweep, Mattie Fowler became just the second Husker softball player to be named Nebraska's Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Fowler was unable to attend the banquet due to the Huskers' thrilling 11-inning win at Northwestern, but her mother Kelly delivered a speech Mattie following Sunday's game.

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The week was capped when Stokes was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday and Nebraska made it back into the national rankings, coming in at No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball top-25 poll on Tuesday.

National Recognition for Knighten

Somewhat surprisingly, despite a terrific season, MJ Knighten was not named one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, released last week. It seems Husker fans aren't the only people who think Knighten was worthy of the honor, as ESPN.com national writer Graham Hays offered his unsolicited opinion on Knighten being left off the list of finalists:

"The rest of the Big Ten wants no part of Nebraska's MJ Knighten. Is their evaluation more accurate than that of voters who didn't include her on their ballot for USA Softball's watch list?

Knighten began the weekend tied for the second nationally in home runs, 12th in RBIs, 14th in slugging percentage and just outside the top 50 with an on-base percentage better than .500, but that resume wasn't enough to place her among the top 25 candidates for the national player of the year award.

She homered off Oregon's Cheridan Hawkins in an upset win earlier this season. She hit a double off James Madison's Megan Good and a home run off teammate Jailyn Ford -- in the same inning. She scored the winning run in a 1-0 win against Michigan, then ranked No. 1. But that resume wasn't enough to place her among the 25 players on the USA Softball list. And beyond boosting her on-base percentage, she isn't getting many opportunities to make her case.

Knighten walked eight times in three games against Northwestern this weekend. Only Penn State's Macy Jones, who is quietly clobbering the ball, has walked more in Big Ten games.

Nebraska got the sweep against Northwestern, recent NPF draftee Kiki Stokes enjoying life ahead of Knighten in the order with three home runs. But is Knighten getting her due?"

On a relevant side note, Hays' coverage of NCAA softball is outstanding. Fans can read his weekly column every Monday on the softball home page of ESPNW.com.

 

Another Look Ahead to the Big Ten Tournament

Only the top 12 teams make the 2016 Big Ten Tournament. The Huskers are a near-lock to make the tournament and could mathematically clinch a spot in the tournament this weekend depending on results across the conference. Nebraska has earned a first-round bye in each of the three Big Ten Tournaments in which it has participated (2013, 2014, 2015) but the Huskers have their work cut out for them to make it four straight years with a bye.

Only the top four teams receive a bye, and the Huskers moved up two spots to fifth in the Big Ten standings following last weekend's sweep of Northwestern. The Huskers are tied with fourth-place Ohio State (9-4-1) in the wins column and are two games behind Minnesota and Purdue, which are tied for second with an 11-3 record. Michigan is atop the standings with a 12-2 record.

A series victory at Minnesota would be a big boost for the Huskers' hopes of earning a bye, but Nebraska also has the toughest remaining schedule of any of the top five teams in this week's conference standings.

The 2016 Big Ten Tournament will be played at Nittany Lion Softball Park on the Penn State University Campus May 12-14.