Nebraska Heads to Rutgers This Weekend

The Nebraska softball team travels to Piscataway, N.J., this weekend for a four-game Big Ten Conference series with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The teams will open the series with a single game Friday at 2 p.m. (Central) before playing a doubleheader on Saturday at Noon (Central). The series finale is set for 10 a.m. (Central) on Sunday. All four games will be available to watch online for subscribers to Big Ten Network+.

Nebraska (9-7) has won six of its last eight games. The Huskers are in sixth place in the Big Ten standings, and Nebraska has won two straight conference series.

With its nine wins, Nebraska has already matched its highest Big Ten win total since 2018. The Huskers also won nine Big Ten games during a 22-game conference schedule in 2018 and a 23-game slate in 2019. Nebraska’s 9-7 record could be even better, as three of the Huskers’ four losses have come in extra innings. Overall, five of the Huskers’ seven losses have been by two runs or less.

Nebraska nearly pulled off the first four-game conference series sweep in program history last weekend. The Huskers won the first three games against Penn State by a combined score of 27-4, including their first two run-rule victories of the season. Nebraska then rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the series finale and had the bases loaded with only one out in the bottom of the seventh inning before losing in eight innings, snapping a four-game winning streak.

Quick Hitters

• Nine of Nebraska’s 16 games have been decided by two runs or less, and five of the Huskers’ seven losses have come by either one or two runs.
• The Huskers have already played four extra-inning games this season. Nebraska has not played five extra-inning games in a season since 2016 (6).
• Nebraska has used a different batting lineup in all 16 games this season. In fact, the Huskers have started at least three different players at each spot in the lineup.
• The Huskers are batting .341 and averaging 6.0 runs per game over the last eight games.
• Nebraska has outscored its opponents 15-1 in the second inning this season.
• NU ranks second in the Big Ten with eight home runs this season, five of which have come in the past four games.
• The Huskers’ .977 fielding percentage is currently on pace to break the school record of .973 set in 2006.
• Tristen Edwards enters this weekend with 46 career doubles, two shy of the Husker career record of 48 doubles.
• Billie Andrews is hitting .522 (12-for-23) this season with runners on base and .615 (8-for-13) with runners in scoring position.

Andrews Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week
Shortstop Billie Andrews was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Tuesday following a big weekend in the Huskers’ series victory over Penn State. 

• Andrews produced multiple hits in each of the four games against the Nittany Lions. She finished the series 10-for-15 (.667) with a 1.133 slugging percentage. Andrews scored six runs, drove in five and produced the first two triples and first home run of her career.
• In the series opener, Andrews went 2-for-3 with a triple, producing her first career multi-hit game. In a doubleheader the next day, Andrews was 5-for-7 with another triple, a homer, four runs scored and four RBIs. She set career highs with three hits, two extra-base hits, three RBIs and two runs in the first game. Andrews was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in the series finale, including a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Andrews is batting .302 this season, and she leads the Huskers with 16 hits, two triples, 12 runs and 12 RBIs. Among all Big Ten hitters, Andrews ranks second in triples, fourth in RBIs and eighth in runs scored.

Home Sweet Home for Huskers
The return to Bowlin Stadium last weekend for the first home games in nearly two years sparked big performances for several Huskers. As a team, Nebraska hit .370 in its four-game series with Penn State and averaged 8.0 runs per game. Defensively, the Huskers posted a .982 fielding percentage and 2.52 ERA, while limiting Penn State to a .207 batting average.

• As noted above, Billie Andrews was impressive last weekend, going 10-for-15 with multiple hits in all four games en route to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. 
• Freshman Sydney Gray also put up big numbers before suffering an injury late in the final game last weekend. Gray went 7-for-12 (.583) in the Penn State series with five RBIs and six runs scored. She had at least one extra-base hit in all four games, finishing with three doubles and her first career home run.
• Junior Anni Raley made the most of her two starts at catcher last weekend, producing a pair of three-hit games. Raley went 4-for-5 on the weekend with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Raley was 2-for-2 in the opener with Penn State, setting career highs with two hits, two runs and two RBIs.
• Junior Peyton Glatter made the most of her at bats against Penn State. Glatter collected her first hits of the season, going 3-for-6 with a three-run homer.
• Senior Cam Ybarra hit .462 (6-for-13) in the four games last weekend with two doubles and her first home run as a Husker. She scored her first four runs of the year and added four RBIs.
• Freshman Kaylin Kinney also hit her first career home run last weekend, while senior Rylie Unzicker posted a .400 average (2-for-5) and a .571 on-base percentage, reaching base in four of her seven plate appearances against Penn State.
• Senior right-hander Olivia Ferrell went 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA over three appearances and 14.0 innings against the Nittany Lions. Ferrell was 2-0 and did not allow an earned run in her two starts last weekend, both of which were complete games. She threw a three-hit shutout in game one and tossed a one-hitter in game three. 

Digging In On Defense
Nebraska’s defense has been impressive this season, as the Huskers boast a .977 fielding percentage that is on pace to be the top mark in program history.

• Nebraska has played more than one-third of its scheduled games, and its .977 fielding percentage would currently rank as the top season fielding percentage in school history. 
• The Huskers rank 21st nationally in fielding percentage and 11th in double plays per game (0.56).

Big Red Bats Coming Alive
Nebraska’s offense got off to a slow start this season, which should not have come as much of a surprise considering it had been almost a year since hitters had faced an opposing pitcher and considering the Huskers have started multiple freshmen in the lineup every game. But the bats have begun to come alive, helping NU to a 6-2 record over its last eight games.

• Nebraska is batting .341 and averaging 6.0 runs per game over its last eight contests after hitting just .145 and averaging only 2.5 runs per game over its first eight games.
• The Huskers are averaging 9.3 hits per game over the last eight games, including five contests with double-digit hits. In the first eight games this season, Nebraska had only one game with double-digit hits and averaged just 3.8 hits per game.
• Nebraska has hit five home runs in the past four games, helping the Huskers rank second in the Big Ten with eight home runs this season. NU also ranks fourth in the league in runs (68) and RBIs (60) and fifth in slugging percentage (.380).

Husker Pitching Staff Showing Improvement
Nebraska’s pitching staff has been much improved this season. Through 16 games, the Huskers boast a 2.48 ERA, have allowed only three home runs and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 2-to-1.

• The Huskers have allowed two or fewer runs 10 times in 16 games this season. In the previous two seasons, Nebraska allowed two or fewer runs only 19 times in 75 games (13 times in 52 games in 2019; 6 times in 23 games in 2020).
• Nebraska has allowed fewer than two runs five times in 16 games this season. In the previous two seasons, the Huskers allowed fewer than two runs only seven times in 75 games (6 times in 52 games in 2019; 1 time in 23 games in 2020).
• NU is limiting opposing hitters to a .239 batting average. That is on pace to be the lowest opponent batting average since 2014, when Nebraska made an NCAA Super Regional.
• Nebraska is averaging just 2.0 walks per game this season after averaging at least 3.2 walks per game each of the previous six seasons. 
• The Huskers have allowed only three home runs in 16 games and 406 opponent at bats. Opponents are averaging one home run every 135 at bats this season. In the shortened 23-game season last year, opponents homered an average of every 23 at bats.
• Senior Olivia Ferrell is leading the way with a 5-5 record and a 1.96 ERA. Ferrell has pitched in 10 of Nebraska’s 16 games with eight starts. She ranks fifth in the Big Ten in wins, seventh in strikeouts (51), eighth in innings pitched (50.0) and ninth in opponent batting average (.208). Ferrell has now allowed one earned run or fewer in each of her last five starts.
• Junior Courtney Wallace has also appeared in 10 games this season, while starting six contests. Wallace is 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA and one save in 45.1 innings. Wallace ranks fourth in the Big Ten in saves and 10th in wins.
• Freshman Kaylin Kinney has appeared in eight games with two starts. She has excelled in relief, posting a 2.62 ERA with two saves in six relief outings. Kinney is tied for the Big Ten lead and ranks 21st nationally in saves.
• Junior Karlee Seevers and freshmen Caitlynn Neal have each thrown 1.0 scoreless inning this season.

Close Calls
Nebraska has been accustomed to playing close games so far this spring, as nine of the Huskers’ 16 contests have been decided by either one or two runs.

• Nebraska is 4-5 in games decided by two runs or less this season, including 2-1 in one-run games and 2-4 in two-run games. In 23 games last year, the Huskers played only six games decided by two or fewer runs (3-3 record in those games).
• Ten of Nebraska’s 16 games have been either a tie, one-run or two-run game entering the sixth inning. The Huskers are 5-0 when leading after five innings, 0-6 when trailing after five innings and 2-1 when tied after five innings.
• NU has played four extra-inning games this season, posting a 1-3 record in those games.
• Five of Nebraska’s seven losses have been by either one or two runs. Nebraska had the tying runner in scoring position in its final at bat in three of those five losses.

Edwards Nears Nebraska All-Time Doubles Record
Tristen Edwards had two doubles in the four-game series with Penn State last weekend. The senior outfield now owns 46 career doubles, two shy of the school record.

• Edwards ranks fourth in school history with her 46 career doubles. The record of 48 doubles is shared by three-time All-American Ali Viola (1995-98), two-time All-American Tobin Echo-Hawk (1993-96) and All-American Kim Ogee (2000-03).
• Edwards also enters this weekend with 92 career extra-base hits. Three-time All-American Jennifer Lizama ranks third in Husker history with 93 career extra-base hits and Tristen’s older sister Taylor, a two-time All-American, ranks second with 95 career extra-base hits. Three-time All-American Ali Viola owns the school record with 105 career extra-base hits.