Six Huskers Named to All-Region Teams

The Nebraska softball team had six players named to National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Mountain Region teams, the organization announced on Thursday. 

Jordyn Bahl, Ava Kuszak and Olivia DiNardo were named to the All-Mountain Region first team, Hannah Camenzind and Samantha Bland were on the second team and Kacie Hoffmann was on the third team. The last time NU had three athletes on the All-Region first team was in 2016. 

This marks the third All-Region honor for Bahl and DiNardo, second for Kuszak and first for Bland, Camenzind and Hoffmann.

Bahl was also recognized as a top-10 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, and was named both the Big Ten Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. She also was a member of the All-Big Ten first team. Bahl has also been a two-time national player of the week this spring, and she has won six Big Ten weekly awards, including five pitcher-of-the-week honors and one player-of-the-week award.

Bahl is the first Husker in school history to record 15 doubles and 15 home runs in the same season. She also became the sixth Husker to record 50+ runs, hits and RBIs in a season. At the plate, the junior has notched 61 runs, 71 hits, 59 RBIs, 16 doubles, 2 triples and 19 homers on a .458 batting average. She has only struck out 14 times and has a slugging percentage of .955 and an on-base percentage of .540. 

In the circle, Bahl has an ERA of 1.57 and a record of 23-6 across 174.1 innings pitched. She has struck out 254 batters and allowed only 39 earned runs. 

Kuszak was a member of the All-Big Ten first team and also has 50+ runs, hits and RBIs this season. She boasts a batting average of .421 with 56 runs, 64 hits, 56 RBIs, 12 doubles, a triple and 19 home runs. The junior adds a .888 slugging percentage and a .519 on-base percentage. 

DiNardo has 14 runs, 50 hits and 39 RBIs on a .391 average. She has contributed nine doubles and five home runs on a 1.036 OPS. 

Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree Bland owns an average of .304 with 48 runs, 48 hits and 40 RBIs. She has also hit eight doubles, a triple and 10 home runs with a .557 slugging percentage and .339 on-base percentage. Bland has started at third base in every game and is the only Husker to have started all 52 games. 

Camenzind was also on the All-Big Ten second team. She averages .396 and has notched 36 runs, 52 hits, 38 RBIs, 14 doubles, a triple and eight home runs. The Valley, Neb., native also has pitched 61.0 innings for the Big Red and posts an ERA of 3.21 with a 5-2 record. 

Hoffmann, a native of Elkhorn, Neb., has 20 runs, 42 hits and 24 RBIs on a .368 average. She has also logged nine doubles, a triple and seven home runs with a 1.099 OPS.

NU will kick off the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional with a matchup against the UConn Huskies tomorrow, May 16 at 2 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.