Huskers Face Three Top 20 Teams at UNLV Classic

Lincoln -- The 12th-ranked Nebraska softball team will try its luck against three ranked teams this weekend when it travels to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2002 UNLV Classic at the Desert Breeze Softball Complex. The Huskers begin competition Friday, Feb. 16, against No. 4 Louisiana State at 11 a.m. NU also faces Kent State on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, NU will face Brigham Young at 4 p.m. before a 6:30 p.m. re-match with No. 2 UCLA. The Huskers finish the weekend Sunday with a 10:30 am. meeting with No. 18 Oregon State.

Traditionally a slow-starting team, Nebraska raced to a 4-1 record in its opening weekend Feb. 8-10 at the Fiesta Bowl/ASU Classic last weekend, upsetting No. 10 Cal State-Fullerton and collectively outscored its opponents, 19-8. Three wins at the UNLV Classic would give Nebraska its best 10-game start in six seasons.

NU Coach Rhonda Revelle credits some of the Huskers success in the early-going to its experienced roster. Nebraska returns nine letterwinners and eight starters (six position, two pitchers) from its 2001 team that went 51-15 overall and posted a 16-2 conference record.

Nebraskas experience starts on the mound, where All-America candidates Leigh Ann Walker and Peaches James return. Walker tied for second nationally with 10.8 strikeouts per game in 2001, and James led the Big 12 with a 0.67 earned-run average in league games. Other returning All-Big 12 selections include senior third baseman Cindy Roethemeyer, sophomore outfielder Kim Ogee and sophomore outfielder/first baseman Nicole Trimboli.

Nebraska vs. the 2002 UNLV Classic Field
Nebraska owns a combined all-time record of 10-11 against the five teams it will face at the 2002 UNLV Classic. The Huskers are 1-0 vs. LSU, 0-1 vs. Kent State, 4-2 vs. Oregon State, 1-8 vs. UCLA and 4-0 vs. BYU. A quick look at Nebraskas weekend opponents follows:

** No. 4 Louisiana State (5-1)
A 2001 College World Series participant, LSU is 5-1 after opening the weekend at home in Baton Rouge at the LSU Tiger Classic. The Tigers were upset, 8-4, by No. 19 DePaul. Their four wins were against unranked teams.
Senior outfielder Trena Peel and sophomore pitcher Kristin Schmidt have led Louisiana State statistically this season. Peel is hitting .375 with seven runs scored, two triples, five RBIs and a .524 on-base percentage. Schmidt is 2-0 with a 0.36 earned-run average.

LSU Head Coach Yvette Girouard leads the 2001 NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year. Girouard, who spent 19 years at the helm of Louisiana-Layfayette before taking the reigns of LSU last year, owns a 818-261 (.758) all-time record. Her career-winning percentage ranks fifth in NCAA history.

** Kent State (0-0)
Kent State kicks off its 2002 campaign this weekend in Las Vegas. The Golden Flash return 12 letterwinners and 10 starters from their 2001 team that produced a 32-22 record. Shortstop Marci Ridenbaugh, a third-team NFCA All-American in 2001, led Kent State with a .361 average last season. Sophomores Kate Leary and Tracie Logar also return. Leary was a second-team All-MAC honoree who had 138 strikeouts in 136 innings. Logar had the MACs second-lowest earned-run-average in 2001 (1.52).

Kent State Head Coach Karen Linder enters the 2001 season with a career record of 363-310-1 in 14 years.

** Brigham Young (3-1)
BYUs opening weekend was highlighted by a 3-1 upset of No. 18 Oregon State Feb. 8. NFCA All-American Oli Keohohou, who led the nation in slugging percentage in 2001, was 2-for-3 with a home run. Keohohou currently leads BYU in batting average (.600), slugging percentage (1.300) and on-base percentage (.733).

The Cougars are coached by Mary Kay Amicone, the 2001 WAC Coach of the Year. Amicone is in her second season at BYU and owns a 19-28 record.

** No. 2 UCLA (9-0)
The Bruins are 9-0 after six wins at the Feb. 8-10 Fiesta Bowl Classic, including a 6-1 victory over Nebraska. NU and Texas A&M are the only teams who have scored a run on UCLA this season. The Bruins have outscored their nine opponents 72-2.

UCLA returns 12 players from a 2001 team that produced a 62-6 record and a national runner-up finish, including senior catcher Stacey Nuveman, who competed with the U.S. National Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Nuveman is one of three Bruins averaging .500 or better at the plate, and she leads the team in home runs (three), slugging percentage (1.143) and on-base percentage (.727). UCLA is hitting .420 as a team.

The Bruins are led by Sue Enquist, who is in her 14th year as head coach with a 653-121-1 (.843) record.

** Oregon State (8-1)
Oregon State has won seven straight to tie the best start in school history after suffering a season-opening upset loss to unranked Brigham Young Feb. 2. The Beavers are led by junior utility player and former Husker Clare Burnum (1999), who owns a team-best .520 (13-for-25) average. Junior second baseman Guthrie Brynnen is hitting .467 with three doubles and three home runs.

OSU is led by Kirk Walker, who owns a 226-214-3 record in his eighth season at the helm.

2001 UNLV Classic in Review
Nebraska went 3-2 at the 2001 UNLV Classic and shut out three teams, including Fordham, Oregon and Cal Poly. The pitching staffs impressive performance was highlighted by junior Leigh Ann Walker, who allowed just two hits and struck out 13 against Cal Poly Feb. 18.

But it was junior Leigh Suhr who provided the headline moments of the weekend. The Papillion, Neb., native started at second base for the first time in her career and earned Big 12 Player-of-the Week honors, leading the team with a .500 batting average, six runs scored, seven hits, two doubles, a home run, eight RBIs and a .857 slugging percentage in the five games.

The Need For Speed
The 2002 squad is perhaps the quickest group ever at Nebraska. The Huskers broke program testing records (which have been kept since 1996) in both the 10-yard dash and the 40-yard dash with team averages of 1.94 and 5.68 seconds, respectively. Freshman utility player Anne Steffan set a record in the individual 40-yard dash with a time of 5.20 seconds, followed by junior center fielder Kim Ogee (5.36) and sophomore outfielder Briana Bates (5.39).

Nebraskas speed has already been evident on the base paths this season. The Huskers stole 14 bases on 16 attempts at the Fiesta Bowl/ASU Classic Feb. 8-10, led by Ogee, who posted four stolen bases on four attempts, and Bates, who stole three against New Mexico State Feb. 10. If Nebraska continues at that rate of production during what would be, at minimum, 48 regular-season games, it will shatter the 12-year-old record of 124 set by the 1990 squad.

Individually, Ogee ranks third on the career stolen bases chart after upping her total to 52 with four at the Fiesta Bowl Classic Feb. 8-10. Ogee is on track to break Jennifer Lizamas (1997-2000) record of 91 career stolen bases.

Walkers Winning Ways
With three wins Feb. 8-10 at the Fiesta Bowl/ASU Classic, senior pitcher Leigh Ann Walker moved into third on the Nebraska career victories chart with 57, ranking behind Jenny Voss (110) and Lori Sippel (73). Walker, who produced her second consecutive 20-win season in 2001, ranks among the top 10 on eight Nebraska career charts, including strikeouts (third, 465), winning percentage (fourth, .737), shutouts (sixth, 18), saves (sixth, six), innings pitched (seventh, 486.0), complete games (eighth, 38) and earned-run average (eighth, 1.48).

Walker, a 2000 NFCA Second-Team All-American, is coming off a 22-win season in which she tied for second nationally with 10.8 strikeouts per game.

Running Start
Nebraska could achieve its best start in six seasons with three wins in five games at the 2002 UNLV Classic Feb. 15-17. The Huskers, who routinely begin seasons by facing some of the nations top competition, have not won more than six of their first 10 games since 1996, when they opened with a school-record 13-1 run.

Looking Back: Fiesta Bowl/ASU Tournament
Nebraska went 4-1 at the Fiesta Bowl/ASU Classic Feb. 8-10 in Phoenix, Ariz. The Huskers upset No. 10 Cal State-Fullerton, 3-2, and also defeated UNLV, 1-0, Wisconsin, 8-0, and New Mexico State, 6-0. Nebraskas only defeat was a 6-1 loss to No. 2 UCLA.

Senior righthander Leigh Ann Walker produced three complete game shutouts, holding UNLV, Wisconsin and New Mexico State to a combined .164 average. Offensively, the Huskers had a different hero every game. Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Peaches James drove in the game-winning run against Cal State-Fullerton with a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Junior catcher Amber Burgess was 3-for-4 with a grand slam home run, a double and five RBI against Wisconsin, and sophomore center fielder Kim Ogee, who scored the Huskers only run against UNLV, was 2-for-4 with a triple and a double against New Mexico State.

Huskers 12th in USA Today/NFCA Coaches Preseason Poll
Nebraska was voted 12th by the coaches in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association 2002 preseason poll released Jan. 12. The Huskers finished the 2001 season ranked 14th.

The coaches tabbed defending national champion Arizona first in this seasons preseason poll, as the Wildcats received 20 first-place votes. Second-ranked UCLA, the 2001 national runner-up, collected the other seven first-place votes. Stanford, Louisiana State and California rounded out the top five. No. 7 Oklahoma was the only other Big 12 school ranked in the top 25, while Texas was among the teams receiving votes.

NU is scheduled to play nine games against six teams ranked in the preseason poll in 2002, including No. 2 UCLA (twice), No. 3 LSU (twice) No. 7 Oklahoma (twice), No. 10 Cal State-Fullerton, No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 18 Oregon State. The Huskers will also play two games each against Texas and Wisconsin, which both received points in the poll.

Roethemeyer Returns For Sixth Season
Cindy Roethemeyer will be competing as a sixth-year senior in 2001-02. She did not compete in the 1997 season after tearing her ACL in winter conditioning, then came back to start all of Nebraskas games in 1998 and 1999 at third base. Against Stanford, in the sixth game of the 2000 season, Roethemeyer tore her ACL again and did not compete the rest of the year, receiving a medical hardship.

Cline Joins Staff
Former Washington assistant coach and U.S. National Team member Jennifer Cline takes over as the Huskers No. 2 assistant after Terry Schweikert (1999-2001) left to take the top assistant job at Cal State Fullerton. While at Washington, Cline, 27, helped guide the Huskies to four NCAA College World Series appearances and a 215-61 (.805) record. Before serving as an assistant, Cline had a successful run as a player for UW. Cline still holds 11 school records, including career RBIs (227) and career home runs (43).

Rocky Road
The Huskers 2002 schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. Nebraska will play at least 12 games against 10 different teams that qualified for the 2001 NCAA Tournament, including a total of six contests against No. 1 seeds UCLA, Louisiana State and Oklahoma. NU will also play at least eight games against teams that ended the 2001 season ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll, including No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Louisiana State, No. 5 Oklahoma (twice), No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 12 Cal State-Fullerton, No. 15 Florida State and No. 20 Oregon State.

Theres No Place Like Home
This year marks the NU softball team's inaugural season in its new stadium at Haymarket Park. Located on 32 acres one-half mile west of the UNL campus, Haymarket Park is a one-of-a-kind facility financed by the City of Lincoln, the university and Nebco, Inc., for the Nebraska softball and baseball teams and the Lincoln Saltdogs, a Northern League professional baseball team.

The 6,000-seat baseball stadium, which was completed in June, and the 2,500-seat softball stadium were built with a SubAir system. The system can both heat and cool the field, allowing green grass to be grown nearly year-round. Haymarket Park is one of only two facilites in the country equipped with the SubAir system. The other is Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver.

The $29.53 million complex also includes medical and laundry facilities, coaches offices and team lockers and lounges.

The softball team played its last game at its former home, the NU Softball Complex, May 6, 2001. The Huskers defeated Iowa State, 7-0, to clinch the Big 12 Conference title. Nebraska compiled a 186-41 record in 19 years at the NU Softball Complex.

Nebraska on the Radio
Pinnacle Sports Production is in its sixth year of producing live broadcasts of University of Nebraska sporting events. The network has traditionally aired broadcasts of football, volleyball, mens and womens basketball and baseball, but will add softball for the 2002 season. Ten softball home games to be announced will be broadcast live my announcer Mike Nelby on either KLIN 1400 AM or KOOL 105.3 FM. KRNU, the University of Nebraskas campus radio station, will also air selected home games on 90.3 FM. For the latest on softball radio broadcasts, please refer to huskers.com.

Nebraska Coach Rhonda Revelle
Rhonda Revelle has produced a 347-193 record in nine seasons at the helm of the Nebraska softball program. Revelle's athletes have consistently earned national and conference awards for athletic and academic excellence. During the past eight years, 11 Huskers have won All-America awards -- including nine first- or second-team members -- and 45 Huskers have garnered all-conference honors, including 27 first-teamers.

The 2001 and 1998 Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year, Revelle placed a school-record seven Huskers on the 2001 Academic All-Big 12 first team. In the past eight years, 33 of her players have earned first-team academic all-conference awards for their dedication in the classroom. In addition, Revelle has seen four of her student-athletes earn Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America awards, including Jamie Fuente in 2001.

A former pitcher for Nebraska from 1981 to 1983, Revelle was a member of the 1982 team that made the school's first-ever appearance in the College World Series and won its first-ever Big Eight Championship. Revelle is still among the school's career top 10 in saves (seven) and ERA (1.60).

A native of Eugene, Ore., Revelle graduated from Nebraska in 1984 with degrees in physical education and health. Before returning to Lincoln in 1993, she spent four years as an assistant coach at San Jose State University in California, where she earned a master's degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management.

During the spring of 1997, Revelle and assistant Coach Lori Sippel were honored for their efforts in coaching, playing and promoting softball in Nebraska by being inducted into the Nebraska Softball Hall of Fame.

An accomplished guest speaker and respected among her peers, Revelle is serving her second term as president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, a position she has held since December of 1998. She has also served on the All-America Committee for six seasons and was the national chair of the committee for two years. Revelle has also participated on the Midwest Regional Softball Committee.

Huskers Return Eight Starters For 2002
The Huskers return eight starters, including two pitchers, from their 2000-01 team that finished 51-15 after claiming the regular-season Big 12 Conference title and earned their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.

Nebraskas experience begins on the mound, where the Huskers return their top two pitchers from a year ago in senior Leigh Ann Walker (22-7) and sophomore Peaches James (16-7). Walker recorded a 1.39 ERA, and James posted a 1.37 mark as NU led the Big 12 with a 1.45 staff ERA.

In the infield, NU returns four players who started all 66 of Nebraskas games last year, led by senior third baseman Cindy Roethemeyer. The first-team All-Big 12 selection was second on the team with a .348 batting average in league games last season. Junior shortstop Amanda Buchholz, who ranked third on the team with a .293 average last season, senior second baseman Leigh Suhr and junior catcher Amber Burgess also return.

The Huskers will also feature experience in the outfield. Junior Kim Ogee anchors the group after starting 66 games in center field as a sophomore. Ogee led the Huskers with a .314 batting average and 27 stolen bases in the spring. Sophomore Nicole Trimboli, who played left field last season but will play first base in 2002, led NU with eight home runs last season. Sophomore utility player Briana Bates, who started 23 games for NU in the outfield as a freshman, also returns.

2001 in Review
The No. 11 Nebraska softball teams season ended earlier than it had planned as the Huskers failed to advance to an NCAA Regional final for the first time in five years. But the Huskers still accomplished several goals and achieved many successes in 2001, a year in which they:

• Earned their 12th overall and their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.
  
• Earned a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed for the fifth straight year, joining Arizona, Fresno State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington as the only other teams to do so.
  
• Broke the school record for consecutive wins with 18 straight from March 9 to March 30.
  
• Won a school-record 47 regular-season games.
  
• Won 10 games against teams ranked in the NFCA/USA Today Top 25 poll.
  
• Twice defeated defending national champion Oklahoma.
  
• Shattered the single-season strikeouts record of 453 set in 2000. NU pitchers combined to strike out 502 opposing batters in 2001.

Seven Postseasons and Counting
Nebraska softball is an elite class when it comes to postseason play. The Huskers are one of 10 teams to appear in the past seven NCAA Tournaments. Nebraska also has a strong history of earning high seeds in the tournament. For the past five seasons, Nebraska has earned a two seed or higher in the NCAA Tournament. The only other teams to accomplish that feat are Arizona, Fresno State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington. Overall, the Huskers have earned 12 NCAA Tournament bids, advancing to the College World Series six times.