Huskers Face Tough Opening Weekend

The eighth-ranked Husker softball team opens the 2004 season with a doubleheader on Friday at the UNLV Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. Nebraska faces defending national champion and preseason No. 1 UCLA at 3:30 p.m. (CST) before facing No. 14 DePaul at 6 p.m.

The competition doesn't get any easier on day two of the season, as NU plays seventh-ranked Michigan at 1 p.m., followed by a game against Notre Dame at 6 p.m. On Sunday, the Huskers will face Oregon State at Noon.

Nebraska has experienced success in season-opening tournaments the last two years. Playing in the ASU/Fiesta Bowl Classic last season, NU went a perfect 5-0. In 2002, the Huskers went 4-1 at the UNLV Classic.

Matching the early season success of the past two seasons won't be easy for the Huskers. Traditionally, Nebraska sees limited outdoor practice time before its first tournament. This season, NU may not see the field for the first time until pre-game warmups on Friday.

Below freezing temperatures and more than 20 inches of snow over the last two weeks have prevented the Huskers from practicing outside in Lincoln. NU will arrive in Las Vegas on Thursday, but most likely will not arrive early enough to get on the field that night.

Nebraska enters the season with high expectations after losing to Iowa in last year's NCAA Regionals, finishing with a 39-17 record. Twelve Huskers return from last year's team, including five starters and top pitchers Peaches James and Summer Tobias.

In addition to being preseason No. 8 in both polls, Nebraska was chosen to finish second in the conference in the Big 12 Coaches preseason poll. Last season, the Huskers finished in a tie for fifth in the Big 12.

Nebraska vs. the UNLV Classic Field

Nebraska is 20-23 all-time against this weekend's opponents at the UNLV Classic. NU is 1-10 all-time vs. UCLA, 0-5 vs. DePaul, 6-5 vs. Michigan, 6-1 vs. Notre Dame and 7-2 all-time against Oregon State.

No. 1 UCLA

The defending national champion Bruins return 11 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's team that went 54-7. UCLA returns its top pitcher, right-hander Keira Goerl, who was the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year in 2003 and was a first-team All-American in 2002 and 2003. The 2003 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player, Goerl was 40-7 last season with a 0.63 ERA and 23 shutouts. She tossed a no-hitter in the NCAA Championship Game.

No. 14 DePaul

DePaul finished 2003 with a 48-7-1 record and a No. 9 ranking. The Blue Demons return six starters and 10 letterwinners, including two All-Americans in pitcher/outfielder Sarah Martz and infielder Saskia Roberson. Martz hit .446 at the plate in a team-high 183 at bats and was 15-1 with a 1.23 ERA in the circle. Roberson hit .327 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs.

No. 7 Michigan

Michigan returns seven starters from its 2003 team that went 44-16 and reached the NCAA Regional championship game, falling just short of the WCWS. All-Great Lakes Region selection Meghan Doe will serve as the Wolverine's captain in 2004. Last season, Doe was the only player to start and play in all 60 of Michigan's games. She had career-best numbers in 10 categories last season, leading the team in stolen bases (16) and posting the second-best average (.333).

Notre Dame

Notre Dame returns five starters and 10 leterwinners from last season's BIG EAST Champion squad that compiled a 38-17 record. The Fighting Irish will be led by outfielder Megan Ciolli, a first-team NFCA All-Mideast Region selection in 2003. Ciolli played in 53 games last season, collecting 64 hits (.356 average) and recording a slugging percentage of .494.

No. 23 Oregon State

Oregon State finished 2003 with a 36-31 record but is expecting big things in 2004. Monica Hoffman is the Beavers' top pitcher. Last season, Hoffman threw 242.2 innings en route to a 1.99 ERA and a 26-15 record.

2003 UNLV Classic Recap

At the 2003 UNLV Classic, Nebraska posted a 4-1 mark, with its only loss coming to eventual national champion UCLA, 4-1.

Unlike this season, last year's Classic was NU's second tournament of the season.

A 6-1 win over then-defending national champion and third-ranked California was the highlight of the tournament for the Huskers. Nebraska also defeated Oregon State (6-2), Cal Poly (8-2) and South Carolina (9-1).

After the tournament, the Huskers moved up to No. 3 in the USA Today/NFCA poll, the highest ranking in school history. Senior Lisa Wangler was also named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the second consecutive week after hitting .444 at the tournament.

Trimboli Leaving Mark at NU

Senior Nicole Trimboli's time at Nebraska may be drawing to a close, but her legacy will live on in the Husker record book. The former left fielder and current starter in center already ranks among the top 10 in two career offensive categories and is poised to enter the top 10 in nine other categories.

Trimboli currently ranks sixth in career RBIs with 125. She needs only 13 RBIs to move up to second in Husker history. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native has averaged almost 42 RBIs in her first three seasons and at that pace would finish with 167 RBIs.

Capable of hitting for power, Trimboli enters the 2004 season 10th on the all-time home run chart with 19 round trippers.

A career .301 hitter, Trimboli is on the verge of cracking the top 10 in at bats, games played, hits, doubles, runs scored, total bases, slugging percentage, stolen bases and hit by pitches.

Trimboli needs 44 at bats, 36 games played, six hits, six doubles, 10 runs scored, nine total bases, seven stolen bases and three hit by pitches to crack the top 10 in each category.

Lawrick Playing Through Pain

Starting first baseman Sheena Lawrick was inadvertantly struck by a ball during the Husker's first week of practice. The senior was hit when a toss deflected off of the glove of Jocelyn Evans.

According to Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, Lawrick suffered a broken mandible and will have to wear braces for the first few weeks of the season. The Calgary native, already known for her toughness, returned to practice the very next day.

Meet the Newest Huskers

The Nebraska softball team welcomes five newcomers to the 2004 squad. Freshmen Jaime Borg (Waverly, Neb.), Ashley DeBuhr (Beatrice, Neb.), Devin Porter (Lakewood, Calif.) and Jamie Waldecker (Garden Grove, Calif.), along with Jocelyn Evans, a transfer from Mount San Antonio College, make up the group.

Borg, a converted pitcher, will play some outfield this season and will be a pinch runner. She was a three-time All-Conference selection at Waverly High and was a first-team All-State selection her senior year.

DeBuhr comes to NU as one of the most highly decorated prep softball players in Nebraska history. At Beatrice High, she compiled a 75-12 record with a 0.32 ERA. DeBuhr was a three-year All-Nebraska selection and a two-year Super State selection. In her first collegiate action during the Huskers' fall season, she posted a 4-1 record with a 2.48 ERA.

Porter will make an immediate impact on the team. She started at shortstop for all 16 fall games. At Lakewood High, Porter earned All-League honors in each of her four seasons. She was twice named Best Defensive Player and was the 2003 Most Valuable Player.

Waldecker hit .276 with a slugging percentage of .448 and nine RBIs last fall for the Huskers. In her senior season at Pacifica High, she batted .360 with 30 RBIs and five home runs. Waldecker was named Pacifica's Female Athlete of the Year, as well as Garden Grove Female Athlete of the Year.

Evans helped lead Mount San Antonio College to a state championship when she earned the state tournament slugger award. In high school, Evans was a career .350 hitter and was named Most Valuable Offensive Player twice.

Fourteen NCAA Bids and Counting

Nebraska softball is in an elite class when it comes to postseason play. The Huskers are one of only nine teams to appear in the past nine NCAA Tournaments. Nebraska also has a strong history of earning high seeds in the tournament. For the past seven seasons, Nebraska has earned a two seed or higher in the opening NCAA Regional. The only other teams to accomplish that feat are Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington. Overall, NU has earned 14 NCAA Tournament bids, advancing to the College World Series seven times.

Tough Schedule Awaits

The 2004 Nebraska softball schedules features 14 games against teams ranked in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll, including five games against 2003 Women’s College World Series participants.

NU opens the season on Feb. 13 with a doubleheader against defending national champion and preseason No.1 UCLA and No. 12 DePaul. The Huskers also face No. 10 Michigan twice, 19th-ranked Florida State and No. 20 Arizona State before entering the conference season.

The Big 12 Conference schedule includes four games against WCWS participants Oklahoma and Texas. Nebraska will also play a pair of games at 21st-ranked Oklahoma State and at home against No. 18 Texas A&M.

James Breaks Vertical Jump Record

Senior pitcher Peaches James broke her own all-time, all-sport vertical jump record during the Nebraska softball team’s winter performance testing for the third time in her career with a leap of 31 inches.

In 2002, James became the first female in athletic department history to record a jump of 30 inches, breaking the previous record of 29.5 inches. Last year, James improved her 30-inch leap with a jump of 30.5 inches.

Huskers in the Pros

Four former Huskers signed with teams in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league last fall, while two current players were selected in the NPF Senior Draft.

Seniors Peaches James and Nicole Trimboli were selected at the 2004 National Pro Fastpitch Draft, Dec. 6, 2003, in Montgomery, Texas.

In the second round of the College Senior Draft, James went to Texas with the 15th overall pick. The right-handed pitcher was 23-13 with a 1.55 ERA in 243.2 innings pitched last season. James ranks fourth all-time at NU with 551 strikeouts.

Trimboli was selected 20th overall by Colorado in the College Senior Draft. The outfielder started all 56 games for Nebraska last season and batted .277 with 32 RBIs and 25 hits.

Former Huskers Kim Ogee (2000-03) and Amber Burgess (2000-03) signed with the Denver Altitude in mid-October. Amanda Buchholz (2000-03), signed with Texas in early December. Leigh Ann Walker (1999-2001) also signed a professional contract with Arizona.

Olympic Interest

Two current Huskers were invited to train for the Olympics in 2003. Senior Peaches James was invited to the ARCO Olympic Training center, while junior Sheena Lawrick played for Team Canada last summer. According to Revelle, Lawrick is on the watch-list for making the Canadian Olympic team and has a good chance to make the squad.

NU Earned Highest Ranking Ever

The Nebraska softball team earned a No. 3 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Division I Top 25 poll Feb. 19, 2003 marking the program’s highest ranking since the poll was created in 1995.

The Huskers were also ranked in the top 10 for 10 consecutive weeks, before finishing with a No. 13 ranking.

Home Sweet Home

The Husker softball team continued to receive tremendous fan support in 2003. Nebraska ranked seventh in the nation in Division I softball attendance with an average of 615 fans per game.

NU was one of only eight schools to total more than 10,000 fans for the entire season. Among these eight schools, Nebraska was the only school to total more than 10,000 fans in less than 20 home games. The Huskers totaled 11,074 fans in 18 home games.

Head of the Class

Nebraska leads all Division I softball programs with 22 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards won by 15 players.

NU is the only school with more than 20 academic All-America awards, and the only Big 12 school ranked in the top 10. The Huskers are followed by The College of New Jersey (18), DePaul (16), Northern Illinois (16), Illinois Wesleyan (15), Notre Dame (15), Fresno State (14), Ohio Northern (14), Millikin University (13), Missouri Southern State (13) and Southern Illinois (13).