Scarlet vs Cream Scrimmage G1 Samantha Bland-JH126

Honors & Awards

  • Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2024)
  • Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2023; Spring 2024*)
  • Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2024)

Freshman Season (2024)

  • Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team
  • Started 50 games as a freshman
  • Started 43 games in left field and two in right field
  • Also started four games at shortstop and one at second base
  • Hit .286 with 48 hits, 31q runs, 14 doubles, six homers and 36 RBIs
  •  Tied for the team lead in doubles
  • Her 14 doubles were the 2nd-most by a freshman in school history and ranked 8th overall
  • Ranked 2nd on the team in hits and was 3rd in runs and RBIs
  • Had a hit in four straight games from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17
  • Produced her first career hit and RBI against Utah Valley
  • Went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs vs. Montana
  • Also scored the first run of her career against the Griz
  • Had a big weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic
  • Went 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles, two homers, six runs & eight RBIs
  • Ranked 5th in the 30-team tournament in RBIs
  • Was 5-for-11 with two doubles, two homers & seven RBIs vs. ranked teams
  • Went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs vs. No. 19 UCLA
  • Went 1-for-3 with her first career home run against No. 23 Oregon
  • Was 2-for-4 with her first career grand slam against No. 20 Utah
  • Had a double and a run scored against Wichita State
  • Went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and three RBIs vs. Northern Iowa
  • Was 9-for-16 (.563) in four games at the Big Red Spring Classic
  • Added three doubles, one homer, three runs and seven RBIs
  • Went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs against Northern Colorado
  • Was 4-for-5 with two doubles and a homer against North Dakota
  • Hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning with Nebraska down one
  • Finished with three RBIs against the Fighting Hawks
  • Was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI against Creighton
  • Drove in a run for the fourth consecutive game against UNC on March 17
  • Had a big series in her Big Ten debut against Illinois
  • Went 4-for-7 in the two games with four runs, a walk and an RBI
  • Won game one with a walk-off RBI single in the eighth inning
  • Went 2-for-3 with a walk and a career-high three runs in game two
  • Hit a home run and scored twice in game one at Wisconsin
  • Was 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs against Kansas
  • Went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI in game two of the Penn State series
  • Was 5-for-9 with two doubles and four walks in the Rutgers series
  • Reached base in nine of her 13 plate appearances in the series
  • Went 1-for-2 with a double and two walks in game one
  • Was 1-for-2 with an RBI, two runs and two walks in game two
  • Went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in game three
  • Had a game-tying two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning
  • Gave NU a lead with an eighth-inning home run in game one at Michigan
  • Went 3-for-6 with a double and two runs in the Iowa doubleheader
  • Was 2-for-4 in game one with a double and a run
  • Went 1-for-2 in game two with two walks, two runs and two stolen bases
  • Hit a two-run home run in game one against Northwestern
  • Had three RBIs in the series at Minnesota
  • Went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in game one
  • Was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI in game two
  • Had a hit, a walk and scored twice vs. Minnesota at the Big Ten Tournament

Before Nebraska (Chino Hills HS/Corona Angels)

  • Four-year varsity letterwinner 
  • Two-year captain for Chino Hills HS
  • 2023 Chino Hills Softball MVP
  • 2023 Female Athlete of the Year (Chino Hills HS)
  • Two-time LA Times All-Star
  • Two-time League MVP (2022-23)
  • First-Team All-League (2021)
  • Three-time Baseline League Champions (Chino Hills HS - 2021-23) 
  • 2022 Offensive MVP 
  • 2021 Defensive MVP 
  • Played club ball for Corona Angels under Head Coach Marty Tyson 
  • Helped her club team to an Alliance Fastpitch National Championship Runner-Up finish 

Personal

  • Born on Jan. 29, 2005 
  • Daughter of Damon Bland and Daniela Alvarez-Bland 
  • Has a younger brother, Nico 
  • Child, youth and family studies major