Huskers Host Baylor in First Home Game

Lincoln - The 21st-ranked Nebraska softball team will host its first home game of the season this weekend against No. 19 Baylor Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium. The teams will also play Sunday at 1 p.m.

The weekend matchup with Baylor is a contest between the first -place and second-place teams in the Big 12 Conference. The Bears, at 5-0 in conference and 35-7 overall currently sit atop the Big 12 standings, while NU (23-11, 3-0) is in second. On Monday, Baylor swept a doubleheader with ninth-ranked Oklahoma, which beat NU, 1-0, on March 20. On Wednesday, the Bears defeated Texas A&M, 1-0. Nebraska lost a 3-2 extra-innings decision to A&M on March 14.

Nebraska has won five in a row and has won 12 of its last 15. On Wednesday, NU defeated Kansas, 3-0, to improve to 3-0 in conference. The Huskers used a three-run sixth inning to secure the victory.

Senior Peaches James (17-5) earned the win against the Jayhawks, tossing her 10th shutout of the season in a complete-game three-hit effort. James also struck out 13, just one shy of her season high.

With the win, James moved up to second in school history with 35 career shutouts. James also notched her 79th career victory, leaving her one victory shy of becoming only the third pitcher in school history to win 80 games in a career. Her complete game was also the 79th of her career, leaving her one complete game away from tying Lori Sippel (1985-88) for second in school history with 80 career complete games.

Over three games last week, NU hit .305 (25-for-82), while holding opposing hitters to a .094 average (6-for-64). NU set a season high with three home runs in a season-high 10-run fourth inning last Saturday. In the inning, Nebraska hit back-to-back home runs for the second time this season.

James enjoyed an outstanding week, going 3-0 with a 0.88 ERA in the circle and hitting .444 (4-for-9) at the plate with three home runs. James also recorded career strikeout No. 700 against Creighton last Wednesday and moved into third place in school history with her 709th career strikeout against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Sophomore Katie Linke had the first game-winning RBI of her career with her two-out single in the top of the eighth in the Huskers’ 1-0 extra-innings victory over Creighton. Linke followed that up by hitting her first career home run against the Cowgirls on Saturday.

Scouting the Competition
Baylor (35-7, 5-0)
Baylor is one of the hottest teams in the country. Winners of 28 of their last 32 games, the Bears swept a doubleheader from No. 9 Oklahoma on Monday and defeated Texas A&M, 1-0, on Wednesday. Nebraska is a combined 0-2 against Texas A&M and Oklahoma this season.

Offensively, Baylor is led by by Carrie Leerberg, who is hitting .402 on the season with an on-base percentage of .417. Leerberg is tied for the conference lead with three tiples and ranks second in the Big 12 with 20 stolen bases and ranks fourth in hits with 43.

In the circle, left-hander Christin Vitek is the Bears' top pitcher. Like NU's Peaches James, Vitek has been named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week three times this season. Vitek has a 0.86 ERA in 138.2 innings this season. She is also average nearly eight strikeouts a game, striking out 158. As a staff, Baylor leads the Big 12 in pitching with a team ERA of 1.05.

Last season, Nebraska took two games from Baylor. Nicole Trimboli had two RBIs and three runs scored against the Bears last year, while Peaches James picked up both victories last season, allowing only one run in 13.1 innings.

Last Time Out
Nebraska defeated Kansas, 3-0, on Wednesday in a game shortened to six innings because of darkness.

Scoreless through six innings, NU loaded the bases for the third time in the game in the sixth inning. The third time was the charm as the Huskers broke through for three runs in the inning, highlighted by senior Nicole Trimboli's two-run double. Junior Sheena Lawrick added an RBI ground out to end the scoring.

Senior right-hander Peaches James (17-5) earned the win for NU, tossing her 10th shutout of the season in a complete-game, three-hitter. James fell one strikeout short of tying her season high of 14. James struck out 13 in her six innings of work.

Initially, the game was postponed after six innings when it was determined that it was too dark to continue playing. On Thursday morning, both coaches agreed that the game would count as finished instead of postponing the game and making up the last inning at a later date.

Big Innings
Nebraska has been prone to big innings this season. NU has scored in 63 innings this year and has scored more than one run in 40 of those 63 innings (64 percent).

On 23 different occassions, the Huskers have scored three or more runs in a single inning. On Saturday at Oklahoma State, Nebraska exploded for its biggest inning of the year, a 10-run fourth. NU hads also produced two nine-run innings.

A Look at the Lineup
Pitcher - #42 Peaches James, 5-7, Sr., RHP, Papillion, Neb.
Jamesis 17-5 this season with a miniscule 0.78 ERA, including a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA against top-five teams . Overall against ranked teams, James is 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 41.2 innings ... James ranks in the top five in school history with 79 career victories (third), 754.8 innings pitched (second), a 1.31 ERA (fifth), 739 strikeouts (third), 35 shutouts (second), 79 complete games (third) and two no-hitters (fourth) ... James is first in the conference in ERA (0.81), shutouts (nine) and opponent batting average (.146). James was also second in wins (17), strikeouts (174) and complete games (16) ... James has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week a league-high three times this season ... Offensively, James is the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week after hitting three home runs in a two-game set at Oklahoma State last weekend.

Catcher - #34 Brittney Yolo, 5-7, Sr., R/R, Sebastopol, Calif.
The winner of last year's Nebraska Softball Coaches Award, Yolo recorded her first career triple on March 17 against UNLV at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif. ... Tied a career-high with two hits against Houston on Feb. 20. Also set career-highs this season with her three-game hitting streak and her two runs scored against Manhattan on Feb. 21 ... Yolo has split time with freshman Jamie Waldecker.

First Base - #4 Sheena Lawrick, 5-4, Jr., L/R, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Lawrick, who is hitting .333 on the year with 24 RBIs, leads the team in four offensive categories. She is the team leader with seven doubles, a .607 slugging percentage, 27 walks and a .509 on-base percentage. She is also tied for the team lead with two triples and four home runs ... Lawrick is listed among the conference leaders in nine categories, including the top-five in RBIs, walks, triples, on-base percentage and slugging percentage ... Hit her first career grand slam against Oklahoma State on March 27 ... Lawrick played for the Canadian National Team this summer and is on the final watchlist to make the Olympic team.

Second Base - #1 Anne Steffan, 5-7, Jr., L/R, Mankato, Minn.
One of the fastest players in school history, Steffan leads the team with a .368 average, 29 runs scored, 42 hits and 19 stolen bases ... Only a junior, Steffan needs just four more stolen bases to move into the top-10 in school history in career stolen bases ... Is tied for third in the Big 12 in stolen bases, tied for second in runs and tied for fifth in hits ... Recorded her 100th career hit against Florida State on March 18.

Shortstop - #2 Devin Porter, 5-4, Fr., R/R, Lakewood, Calif.
Porter delivered the game-winning RBI with a squeeze bunt against Indiana on Feb. 22 at the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston, Texas ... Set a career high with two RBIs against Florida a&M on March 13 ... In limited offensive action, has produced four sacrifice hits, which is tied for the team lead.

Third Base - #8 Jessica Yoachim, 5-4, So., L/R, Arkansas City, Kan.
Yoachim enjoyed a career day against Manhattan on Feb. 21 at the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston, Texas. Yoachim went a career-high 3-for-3 at the plate, with a career-high three runs scored and a career-high three RBIs ... For the season, Yoachim is fourth on the team with 17 runs scored ... In the field, Yoachim had made only four errors in 51 chances, good enough for a .922 fielding percentage ... Yoachim has split time with redshirt freshman Carmen Kier.

Left Field - #28 Trisha Tannahill, 5-9, So. L/R, Overland Park, Kan.
Tannahill is tied for the team lead with five game-winning RBIs this season. For the season, Tannahill is hitting .306 and is fourth in runs scored (15), third in hits (30), second in doubles (six) and third with 19 RBIs ... Had a career-high four hits against Penn State on March 13 ... From March 12-13 at the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla., Tannahill hit safely in five straight games, a new career best ... Is perfect in the field in 23 chances ... Ranks 10th in the Big 12 with 19 RBIs.

Center Field - #88 Nicole Trimboli, 5-8, Sr., L/L, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Trimboli leads the team with .30 RBIs, is tied for first with four home runs, is second with a .529 slugging percentage, is tied for second with 22 runs scored and is third with a .327 average ... Is tied for the team lead with five game-winning RBIs, including the game-winning double in the Huskers' 3-0 win at Kansas on Wednesday ... Moved into second place on the all-time RBI charts at NU this season ... Ranks in the top 10 in school history in seven career offensive categories

Right Field - #9 Liz Lawhorn, 5-5, Sr., R/R, Muscatine, Iowa
Lawhorn set career-highs last weekend with two doubles and two RBIs against Oklahoma State March 27. She also matched her career high by collecting three hits last Saturday against the Cowgirls ... Hit a team-high .500 (4-for-8) last week, recording an impressive on-base percentage of .636 ... Is fourth on the team with a .383 on-base percentage, including 16 walks, second best on the team.

Fast Starts
Nebraska has gotten off to some fast starts this season, as the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning in 14 of 33 games (42 percent). NU is 13-1 on the season when it scores a run in the first inning.

The 41 first-inning runs that Nebraska has scored are the most runs of any single inning. In the first frame, NU has outscored its opponents an overhwelming 41-7. Twenty-eight percent of the Huskers' total runs have come across the plate in the first inning (42/148).

Included in these numbers are a pair of nine run, first-inning outbursts. NU scored nine runs in the first inning against Manhattan College on Feb. 21, and duplicated that feat March 7 against Utah in a 12-0 win.

Nebraska has plated more than one run in nine of the 14 games in which it has scored in the first inning. In two games this season, the Huskers' lone run of the game has come in the first, including last Thursday against fourth-ranked Florida State. In all, nine of the 15 game-winning RBIs have come in the first inning.

Stat of the Week
Before last week, NU was hitting .257 as a team, but in its three games this past week, NU hit .305.

Nebraska also had a power explosion over the weekend. In two games against Oklahoma State, the Huskers belted five home runs, including three in one inning. In the Huskers' previous 32 games, NU had hit 11 home runs. Six of Nebraska's game-winning RBIs have come via the long ball, including two last weekend.

Aided by the home run barrage, NU also saw its slugging percentage rise considerably. Slugging .350 before last week, Nebraska had a slugging percentage of .524 over the weekend to increase its season slugging percentage to .373.

James Tough On Ranked Teams
Senior right-hander Peaches James has started five games against ranked teams this season. In those five games, she is 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 41.2 innings.

James was dominant against third-ranked California and fourth-ranked Florida State in shutout performances over both squads. Against California, James held the Bears to only five hits in recording her first shutout against a ranked foe this season. Against Florida State March 18, James tossed a complete-game three hitter, striking out five and walking none. Only one Seminole advanced past first base in the game.

James has also posted victories over then-No. 12 DePaul and then-No. 10 Michigan. She suffered her only losses to a ranked team in an extra-innings loss to then-No. 7 Michigan and a 1-0 defeat to No. 7 Oklahoma.

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 seven career offensive categories and is poised to enter the top 10 in seven other categories.

Trimboli is currently in second place for career RBIs with 155. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native has averaged almost 42 RBIs in her first three seasons and at that pace would finish with 167 RBIs. Currently, Trimboli is second in the Big 12 with 28 RBIs.

Capable of hitting for power, Trimboli is currently ninth on the all-time home run chart with 23 round trippers. She is also fifth on the all-time hit list with 209, is eighth with 110 runs scored, ranks seventh all-time in total bases with 317 and is sixth in at bats with 685. Recently, Trimboli moved into 10th place with 42 stolen bases.

Trimboli needs three games played, two doubles and three hit by pitches to crack the top 10 in each category.

Nebraska vs. Ranked Teams
Nebraska, 19-11 overall, is 4-4 against top-25 teams this season after facing three ranked teams during its 11-day road trip. NU is 2-0 against top-five teams and 3-2 against top-10 teams in 2004.

The Huskers opened the season with three games against ranked teams, falling to then top-ranked UCLA before posting back-to-back victories over then-No. 12 DePaul and then-No. 10 Michigan. Nebraska faced Michigan again at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, dropping a 5-1 extra-inning decision to the Wolverines, ranked seventh at the time. NU posted its biggest win of the season the following day, blanking No. 3 California, 3-0.

At last week's Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., NU defeated fourth-ranked Florida State, 1-0, but fell to No. 7 Oklahoma (1-0) and No. 23 Arizona State (6-3).

At the plate, junior second baseman Anne Steffan and junior first baseman Sheena Lawrick have excelled against ranked teams. In the Huskers’ eight games against ranked teams, Steffan is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with six runs scored, one RBI and four stolen bases. A .374 hitter on the season, her batting average is .088 points higher in games against ranked teams than it is against non-ranked teams. Against No. 4 Florida State last Thursday, Steffan was 3-for-3 and scored the only run of the game.

Lawrick has been nearly as good against top-25 teams, going 9-for-25 (.360) with four RBIs and two runs scored and an on-base percentage of .529.

Fourteen NCAA Bids and Counting
Nebraska softball is in an elite class when it comes to postseason play. The Huskers are one of 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 13 games against teams ranked 20th or better in the final 2003 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 UCLA and DePaul, who finished ninth in 2003. The Huskers also face No. 12 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 14th-ranked Oklahoma State and at home against No. 17 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.

Revelle Tops 450
NU head coach Rhonda Revelle won her 450th game at Nebraska on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Revelle’s current record is 451-250 in 11 seasons at Nebraska.

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).