NU Wraps Up Season-Opening Road Trip at No. 21 Arizona State

LINCOLN – The Nebraska softball team wraps up its season-opening 20-game road trip this weekend when the Huskers visit Arizona State for a three-game series.

Nebraska and ASU will open their series on Friday at 8 p.m. (Central) before playing at 7 p.m. (Central) on Saturday and 1 p.m. (Central) on Sunday. All three games can be heard for free on Huskers.com, courtesy of the IMG College Husker Sports Network. Arizona State is also providing a free live video stream of all three games on www.thesundevils.com.

The Huskers head to Tempe in search of their first winning weekend of the season. NU was just one out away from finishing with a winning record last weekend at the Wooo Pig Classic in Arkansas, but Lamar scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for a 10-9 victory over the Big Red.

Nebraska finished with a 2-3 record last weekend with the one-run loss to Lamar and a two-run loss to Arkansas, who is receiving the most votes of any non-ranked team in this week’s NFCA poll. NU has played nine of its 17 games against teams ranked in this week’s poll, and both Arkansas and Oregon State have earned the most votes of any non-ranked team at least once this season.

The challenging schedule continues this weekend against a Sun Devil squad who is ranked 21st in this week’s NFCA poll. Arizona State is 15-5 with four of its five losses coming to top-20 teams.

Nebraska has lost 12 straight games to ASU, last defeating the Sun Devils in 1999. The Huskers have also lost eight consecutive true road games. NU aims to snap both of those streaks this weekend.

This Week's Top 10

1) Nebraska has played 13 of its 17 games against teams either ranked (nine) or receiving votes (four) in this week’s NFCA top-25 poll.

2) Including this weekend, the Huskers will have played 16 of their first 20 games against ranked teams (12) or teams receiving votes (4).

3) Nebraska leads the nation with nine games vs. current top-25 teams and 13 games against teams ranked or receiving votes in this week’s NFCA poll.

4) NU hosts its first home games next weekend, welcoming New Mexico State to Bowlin Stadium for a three-game series March 18 and 19.

5) Nebraska has used a different batting lineup in each of its 17 games this season.

6) The Husker offense has produced at least a dozen hits in three straight games, the second-longest streak of 12-hit games in program history.

7) According to the most recent NCAA rankings, Nebraska’s opponent winning percentage of .716 ranks third nationally.

8) Laura Barrow recorded her 100th career hit in Nebraska’s last game vs. Lamar. She is one of three current Huskers to reach the milestone.

9) Gina Metzler ranks eighth in the Big Ten Conference with a .449 batting average.

10) Metzler has totaled 22 hits in 49 at bats this season after entering the year with 17 hits in 69 career at bats (.246 average).

Metzler Riding 9-Game Hitting Streak

Junior Gina Metzler has hit safely in nine consecutive games entering this week’s series at No. 21 Arizona State.

• The nine-game hitting streak is the longest of Metzler’s career and is the longest by a Husker since Mattie Fowler had a 10-game hitting streak last season.

• Metzler is 17-for-31 (.548) during her hitting streak. She has produced multiple hits four times during the streak.

• Metzler also has a streak of three consecutive multi-hit games. She is 10-for-13 (.769) in NU’s last three games.

• She has produced three straight games with three-or-more hits. Metzler had never had a three-hit game prior to her current streak.

• She has as many multi-hit games during her hitting streak (4) as she did in her first 55 career starts.

• Metzler extended her hitting streak by going 12-for-18 (.667) at the Wooo Pig Classic last weekend.

• Metzler led off the first inning with a single in four of Nebraska’s five games last weekend. On the season, Metzler is 8-for-12 (.667) when leading off an inning.

Metzler Exceeding Career Totals

Junior Gina Metzler leads Nebraska with a .449 average, nine runs and 22 hits. Metzler has already set career highs in nearly every offensive category while often eclipsing her career totals entering the year.

• Metzler has 22 hits in 49 at bats this season after recording 17 hits in 69 at bats in her first two seasons.

• It took Metzler only 14 starts and 43 at bats to eclipse her career hit total entering the year.

• Metzler has a team-leading five multi-hit games in her 15 starts this season. In 49 starts her first two seasons, Metzler totaled three multi-hit games.

• Metzler has three doubles in 49 at bats after totaling one double in 69 career at bats entering 2017.

• Metzler has four RBIs this season after totaling four RBIs in her first two years combined.

• Metzler has produced her first career three-hit game, four-hit game and multi-RBI game this season.

• In eight starts vs. ranked teams, Metzler is 7-for-24 (.292) with one double and one RBI. Her .292 average vs. ranked teams is the second-highest of any Husker.

• Metzler ranks eighth in the Big Ten with her .449 average.

Perry Posts Big Game vs. Lamar

Freshman Alexis Perry posted a career-best effort in Nebraska’s last game against Lamar, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one homer and four RBIs.

• Perry entered the game without an extra-base hit or an RBI through her first 11 games and 25 at bats before doubling twice, homering once and driving in four.

• She established a career high in hits (3) vs. Lamar, while posting the third multi-hit game of her career.

• Perry became the first Husker to have three extra-base hits in a game in nearly two years. She also became the first Husker freshman in 11 years to total three extra-base hits in a game and just the fourth ever.

• The last Husker to produce three extra-base hits in one game before Perry was Steph Pasquale, who accomplished the feat in both games of a doubleheader at Iowa on March 25, 2015. Pasquale had two doubles and one home run in game one of the doubleheader and then one double and two home runs in game two.

• The last Husker freshman to produce three extra-base hits in one game before Perry was Crystal Carwile on Feb. 24, 2006 vs. Illinois when she had two doubles and one home run. Carwile also had three extra-base hits two games earlier on Feb. 11 against Utah State (one double, two homers).

Dandy Dozen for Big Red Offense

After producing double-digit hits only once in its first 14 games, the Nebraska offense has recorded more than a dozen hits in each of its last three games.

• The Huskers have totaled 40 hits in their last three games, including 13 vs. IUPUI, 13 against Lamar and 14 in a rematch with Lamar.

• Nebraska’s 40 hits in its last three games are only two fewer hits than the Huskers had in their first 10 games combined (42).

• NU has recorded a streak of three consecutive games with 12-or-more hits. That ranks as the second-longest streak in program history and is one of only six times a Husker team has produced 12-or-more hits in three consecutive games.

Husker Offense Coming Alive

Nebraska’s offense has averaged 5.4 runs per game over its last seven contests, helping the Huskers post a 3-4 record following an 0-10 start.

• The Huskers are hitting .337 over their last seven games after posting a .180 average in their first 10 games.

• Nebraska has averaged 9.3 hits per game in its last seven games. In the first 10 games, NU totaled nine hits only once (vs. Auburn).

• Nebraska has averaged 5.4 runs per game in its last seven contests after averaging just 1.1 runs per game in its first 10 games.

• The Huskers have scored in 21 of their last 42 innings after scoring in only seven of their first 66 innings.

• Nebraska has produced 20 extra-base hits in its last seven games after recording only five extra-base hits in the first 10 games of the season.

• In its last game against Lamar, the Huskers set season highs with 14 hits, nine RBIs and six extra-base hits.

Husker Pitching Also Posting Progress

While the Husker bats have come alive, Nebraska’s pitching has also shown improvement.

• The Huskers have posted a 3.29 ERA over nine games the past two weeks after compiling an 8.03 ERA over eight games during the first two weeks of the season.

• Nebraska has allowed 83 fewer hits over the last two weeks than it did the first two weeks, despite playing one more game and logging 12.2 more innings.

• Opponents are hitting .100 lower against Nebraska the past two weeks (.279) than they did in the first two weeks (.379).

• The Huskers have held four of their last eight opponents to two or fewer runs. In the first nine games of the season, Nebraska held only one opponent to fewer than five runs (3 runs vs. Auburn).

Cassidy & Kneib Post Career Firsts

Sophomore Bri Cassidy and freshman Lexey Kneib both recorded their first career hit and RBI last weekend at the Wooo Pig Classic in Arkansas.

• Cassidy had an RBI single in her first at bat vs. IUPUI last Saturday. That marked Cassidy’s first career hit in 17 at bats, as well as her first career RBI.

• Kneib added an RBI single two innings later vs. IUPUI to mark her first career hit and RBI. Kneib went on to add another RBI single the next game against Lamar.

Nebraska vs. Ranked Teams

Nebraska will log three more games against ranked teams this weekend against No. 21 Arizona State, continuing what has been a rigorous non-conference schedule for the Huskers.

• NU is 1-8 against ranked opponents this season, although the Huskers won their last game vs. a ranked team, a 4-1 victory over No. 20 Missouri on Feb. 25.

• Thirteen of Nebraska’s 17 games have come against teams either ranked or receiving votes in this week’s NFCA poll, the highest total of any team in the country.

Scouting No. 21 Arizona State (16-5)

Arizona State is 16-5 following a 9-0 run-rule win over Maine on Wednesday. The Sun Devils are ranked 21st following a 3-2 record at the Judi Garman Classic last weekend, where ASU defeated Cal State Fullerton, South Carolina and Iowa, and lost to No. 14 Michigan and 22nd-ranked Baylor. Four of Arizona State’s five losses are to ranked teams, while the Sun Devils are 3-2 against Big Ten opponents this season, with both losses to Michigan.

The Sun Devils average 4.9 runs per game while posting a .280 batting average with 17 home runs in 21 games. ASU is also averaging nearly four walks per game.

Taylor Becerra is Arizona State’s leading hitter, posting a .434 average with one double, one triple and five RBIs. Chelsea Gonzales is batting .379 and leads ASU with six doubles and 19 RBIs and 15 runs, and she is tied for the team lead with four homers. Skylar McCarty owns a .324 average, while Ulufa Leilua is hitting .298 with four home runs. Leilua has also drawn a team-high 14 walks and is second on the team with 14 RBIs.

Defensively, Arizona State ranked 16th nationally in ERA entering the week. ASU has lowered its ERA to 1.27 while allowing only 2.1 runs per game and limiting the opponent to two or fewer runs 14 times in 20 games. Opponents are hitting just .220 against the ASU staff and have struck out 124 times and drawn only 18 walks in 21 games.

Breanna Macha has seen the most action in the circle, posting a 5-3 record with a 1.51 ERA in a team-high 51.0 innings. She also leads ASU with two saves, and she has struck out 28 while walking only seven. Giselle Juarez is 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA in 39.2 innings over eight appearances and five starts. She has added one save and limits opponents to a .183 average while posting 42 strikeouts against only nine walks. Dale Ryndak is 5-0 with one save and a 1.66 ERA in 33.2 innings, and she boasts a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 34-to-1. Alyssa Loza is 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing only two unearned runs in 19.0 innings while striking out 20 with only one walk.