Huskers Head to Big 12 Tournament

When: Wednesday, May 13, through Saturday, May 16

Where: Don Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Press Box Phone Number: (405) 425-3466

Media Coordinator: Mike Houck, Oklahoma Sports Information, (405) 325-8227, will serve as the local media coordinator. Any media requesting interviews with Nebraska players can contact NU softball SID Matt Smith, (402) 770-5926.

Audio: Live or delayed audio broadcasts can be heard on the internet at Huskers.com.

Live stats and updates: www.big12sports.com, www.soonersports.com

Television: The Big 12 Tournament championship game and the semifinal on the opposite side of the bracket will be televised live by FOX Sports Net.

Nebraska Players to Watch
Anne Steffan, Jr., 2B
Steffan is the Huskers' leading hitter with a .352 average. She went 2-for-5 last weekend against Missouri and scored a run. With two stolen bases last weekend, Steffan now has 27 on the season, just four shy of the single-season school record.

Jessica Yoachim, So., 3B
Yoachim has been the Huskers' top hitter in Big 12 games this season. The Arkansas City, Kan., native is tied for second in the conference with a .356 average in league games only. She is 16-for-45 in Nebraska's 17 Big 12 games, has scored nine runs and boasts an on-base perentage of .396.

Peaches James, Sr., RHP
James is the ace of the Nebraska staff. For the season, James is 30-7 with a 0.79 ERA. She has struck out a school-record 302 batters, while surrendering only 61 walks. James has already set single-season school records in shutouts and strikeouts this season and she needs six strikeouts to break the career strikeout record.

Huskers Look to Sweep Big 12 Titles
The 13th-ranked Nebraska softball team heads south to Oklahoma City, Okla., this week for the 2004 Big 12 Conference Tournament May 13-16 at Don Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Huskers (38-15 overall and 14-3 in the Big 12) enter the tournament as the top seed after claiming the regular-season championship. As the top seed, NU will face the winner of eighth-seeded Texas and ninth-seeded Iowa State at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Nebraska swept a pair of games at Texas April 9-10 and defeated Iowa State at home on April 7. The Huskers were scheduled to take on the Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, on April 20, but heavy rains forced the cancellation of the game.

With a win in the opening round, Nebraska would move on to face the winner of the Baylor-Oklahoma game on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. With a loss, NU would face the loser of that contest in an elimination game at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Nebraska is seeking its seeking its third Big 12 Tournament title, which would tie Texas for the most tournament championships. The Huskers last took home the title in 2001, which was also the last time NU won the regular-season conference championship.

Quick 2004 Season Review
Nebraska enters the Big 12 Championship playing its best ball of the season. The preseason No. 8 Huskers started slow and dropped as far as No. 22 in the polls before putting it all together in late March.

NU opened the season with a 2-3 record at the UNLV Classic, despite defeating then-No. 10 Michigan and then-No. 14 DePaul. The Huskers again went 2-3 at the prestigious NFCA Classic Feb. 27-28 and saw their record drop to 9-8 after a non-conference loss to Kansas on March 6.

After the loss to the Jayhawks, Nebraska picked up seven straight victories before losing three of five games. NU lost back-to-back games against then-No. 7 Oklahoma and then-No. 23 Arizona State at the KIA Klassic. It would mark the last time NU would drop back-to-back games until the final weekend of the regular season.

After the back-to-back losses, Nebraska rattled off a season-high 12 straight wins, including a pair of victories over then-No. 19 Baylor. During that stretch, NU outscored its opponents 51-10 and recorded six straight shutouts.

NU saw its win streak snapped by Notre Dame on April 13, but rebounded quickly by taking two games from then-No. 17 Oklahoma April 17-18 to improve to 10-0 in the Big 12 Conference.

The Huskers saw their six-game winning streak and perfect record in the Big 12 fall with a 3-0 loss to Kansas in Lincoln on April 28. The loss dropped Nebraska to second in the Big 12 standings for the first time all season.

Trailing Texas A&M by one half game, NU used a pair of extra-innings wins over the Aggies to clinch the Big 12 regular-season title with a record of 14-1. The Huskers closed out the regular season by dropping two games with third-place Missouri last weekend.

Nebraska in the Big 12 Tournament
Nebraska has enjoyed success in the eight-year history of the Big 12 Conference tournament, claiming two titles and three runner-up finishes. NU has advanced to the championship game in four of the past six years.

The Huskers went 2-2 at last year's tournament and own a 22-11 all-time record at the tournament.

Nebraska has been the top seed in the tournament twice before. In 1998, Nebraska went on to win the team title as the No. 1 seed and in 2001, NU finished fifth in the tournament after claiming the regular-season crown. In all, Nebraska has an 8-2 record all-time as the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

All seven previous Big 12 tournaments have been won by either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The top seeds have claimed five titles, while the No. 2 seeds have won three titles.

NU vs. Iowa State and Texas
Nebraska has a combined 3-0 record in 2004 against its two potential first-round opponents.

On April 7 the Huskers defeated Iowa State, 6-0 in the only meeting of the year between the two teams. Sophomore Trisha Tannahill went 2-for-3 in that meeting with three RBIs, including the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Jamie Waldecker and junior Anne Steffan also recorded two hits against the Cyclones.

In the circle, sophomore Summer Tobias tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits. Nebraska has won 11 straight games in the series, with its last loss coming on April 25, 1999.

Against Texas, the two-time defending regular-season and tournament champion, NU took the season series 2-0. Senior right-hander Peaches James one-hit the Longhorns on April 9 in Austin, notching her 40th shutout of her career, a school record. James was dominant, allowing only a bunt single and striking out 12 in a 5-0 victory.

The second game between the two teams was much closer, with James getting out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the seventh to secure Nebraska's 5-3 win. The Huskers scored two first-inning runs, but Texas answered back with two if its own in the bottom half of the frame.

NU scored another pair in the top of the fifth, but again the Longhorns responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run.

The game ended when Jaclyn Daniels sent a well-hit ball towards the gap in left-center. Tannahill was able to run down the ball for Nebraska and turn a double play by throwing back to first base to double off the runner.

Offensively, senior Nicole Trimboli went 4-for-8 against Texas with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Waldecker also enjoyed a good series, going 3-for-7 with two doubles and two RBIs. As a team, Nebraska scored 10 runs on 17 hits, including six extra-base hits, in the two-game set.

Nebraska has won two straight games over Texas and leads the all-time series 13-7. In last year's Big 12 Tournament, the Longhorns eliminated the Huskers with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh in their 2-0 win.

Nebraska's 2003 Big 12 Tournament Recap
Nebraska entered last year's Big 12 Conference tournament as the sixth seed and finished in a tie for fifth. NU, which went 10-8 in the Big 12 a season ago, opened the tournament with a 5-0 shutout of Missouri.

The win gave Nebraska another shot at Oklahoma State, which had won two one-run decisions over the Huskers. The Cowgirls made it three straight against the Big Red with a 3-2 win in nine innings. On the brink of elimination, Nebraska responded by picking up its first win in three tries against Texas A&M with a 6-4 victory.

Nebraska was eliminated by eventual champion Texas when the Longhorns hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 2-0.

Right-hander Peaches James went 1-2 at the tournament with a 1.64 ERA, while Summer Tobias went 1-0 with a 1.75 ERA.

Offensively, Nicole Trimboli and Anne Steffan led the team with .333 averages. Trimboli went 5-for-15 with a triple and three RBIs, while Steffan finished 3-for-9 with two runs scored.

Huskers Clinch Big 12 Title
Nebraska clinched its first Big 12 Conference regular-season championship since 2001 by sweeping a two-game series with Texas A&M May 1-2 at Bowlin Stadium. NU entered the weekend series in second place in the league standings, one half-game behind the first-place Aggies.

The Huskers regained first place on May 1 with a thrilling 5-4, eight-inning victory over A&M. NU then clinched the Big 12 regular-season championship on Sunday with a 4-3, 10-inning win over Texas A&M.

The game headed into the bottom of the 10th inning with the game tied at 3-3. The Huskers loaded the bases with only one out for first baseman Jamie Waldecker. The freshman from Garden Grove, Calif., promptly delivered by singling to center on an 0-1 pitch to give NU the regular-season championship. With the win, Nebraska joined Oklahoma as the only program to win three regular-season championships since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.

NU to Host Regional
The University of Nebraska has been selected as one of eight regional host sites for the 2004 NCAA Division I Women’s Softball Championship, the NCAA Division I Women’s Softball Committee announced May 3. NU’s selection marks the second consecutive year and eighth time in school history that it has served as a regional host site. Nebraska has advanced to the NCAA Women’s College World Series in six of the seven previous years in which it has hosted a regional.

With two regular-season games remaining, Nebraska is 38-13 overall and 14-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The Huskers captured the Big 12 regular-season championship with a 4-3, 10-inning win over second-place Texas A&M on Sunday.

The Huskers have defeated 10 ranked teams this season, including top-10 teams Michigan, Florida State and California. Nebraska has won 20 of its last 22 games and has been ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll all season. The Huskers are currently ranked 13th.

The eight regional sites, with host institutions, are as follows: Tuscon, Ariz. (University of Arizona); Waco, Texas (Baylor University); Los Angeles, Calif. (University of California, Los Angeles); Tallahassee, Fla. (Florida State University); Athens, Ga. (University of Georgia); Ann Arbor, Mich. (University of Michigan); Lincoln, Neb. (University of Nebraska, Lincoln); and Stanford, Calif. (Stanford University).

Olympic-Bound Despite Injury
Junior first baseman Sheena Lawrick was chosen as one of 15 players to represent Canada in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Softball Canada announced on May 5.

Lawrick made the team despite tearing her ACL on April 4 against Baylor. She is expected to be cleared to play by August, just as Team Canada’s schedule intensifies. The team will train in Prague, Czechoslovakia, August 2-5, before training in Athens August 7-13. The Olympic Games run from August 14-23.

Before the injury, the Calgary, Alberta, native was enjoying a tremendous season for the Huskers. In 36 games, Lawrick hit .337 and led the team with two triples, a .596 slugging percentage, 28 walks and a .508 on-base percentage. Her 28 walks still rank fourth in the Big 12 Conference even though she has missed the last 16 games.

Since her injury, freshman Jamie Waldecker, a catcher, has emerged as the Huskers' first baseman, starting 11 games at first since Lawrick's injury.

James Breaks Record
Senior right-hander Peaches James, already one of the most decorated athletes in school history, etched her name in the NU record books with a six-strikeout performance against Texas A&M on May 1. The Papillion, Neb., native recorded her 286th strikeout in 2004 in the sixth inning, establishing a single-season school record. Lori Sippel, James’ pitching coach, had held the school record with 285 strikeouts in 1988.

James also has her eyes set on Nebraska’s all-time strikeout record. The right-hander passed Sippel for second place on the all-time charts with the 839th stikeout of her career on May 1 against the Aggies. After striking out nine over the weekend, her career total now stands at 853, only five strikeouts shy of tying Leigh Ann Walker’s school record of 858, set in 2002.

James also became the first pitcher in school history and only the 10th in Big 12 history to record 300 strikeouts in a single season last Sunday against Missouri.

With a regular-season championship-clinching win over Texas A&M on May 2, the All-America candidate improved her season record to 30-6 and became only the second pitcher in school history to win 30 games in a season.

Earlier this season, James broke the school record in single-season shutouts (15) and career shutouts (40).

Leading Off
Part of Nebraska’s offensive success in Big 12 games can be attributed to getting the leadoff hitter on base. In 115 innings in league games, NU’s leadoff hitter has reached base safely 41 times (36 percent).

Junior Anne Steffan, the Huskers' true leadoff hitter, has reached base to lead off the game in nine of the Huskers' 17 conference games.

Nebraska vs. Ranked Teams
Nebraska, 38-14 overall, is 10-5 against top-25 teams and has won six consecutive games against ranked foes after sweeping No. 23 Texas A&M in a two-game series May 1-2. 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, who were ranked seventh at the time. NU posted its biggest win of the season the following day, blanking No. 3 California, 3-0.

At the prestigious Kia Klassic, NU defeated then-No. 4 Florida State, 1-0, but fell to then-No. 7 Oklahoma (1-0) and then-No. 23 Arizona State (6-3).

In Big 12 Conference play, the Huskers swept then-No. 19 Baylor on April 3-4, swept then-No. 17 Oklahoma on April 17-18 and swept then-No. 23 Texas A&M May 1-2.

Nebraska is 11-8 against teams currently ranked in the top-25, with three of its eight losses coming at the hands of Notre Dame.

In the circle, senior right-hander Peaches James has been just as dominant against ranked teams has she has been against non-ranked teams.

James is 10-3 with a 1.18 ERA against teams ranked at the time they faced NU. Ranked opponents are hitting just .175 against her and have struck out 93 times in 94.2 innings. James has also posted four shutouts over ranked teams, including two against top-five teams.

In two games against top-five competition, James is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, blanking then-No. 3 California, 3-0, on Feb. 28 and then-No. 4 Florida State, 1-0, on March 18.

Big Innings
Nebraska has been prone to big innings this season. NU has scored in 107 innings this year and has scored more than one run in 59 of those 107 innings (55 percent).

On 26 different occasions, the Huskers have scored three or more runs in a single inning. On March 27 at Oklahoma State, Nebraska exploded for its biggest inning of the year, a 10-run fourth. NU has also produced two nine-run innings.

Fast Starts
Nebraska has gotten off to some fast starts this season, as the Huskers have scored a run in the first inning in 25 of 52 games (48 percent).

The 57 first-inning runs that Nebraska has scored are the most runs of any single inning. In the first frame, NU has outscored its opponents by an overwhelming margin of 57-15. Twenty-four percent of the Huskers’ total runs have come across the plate in the first inning (57/234).

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 13 of the 25 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 March 18 against fourth-ranked Florida State. In all, 12 of the 32 game-winning RBIs have come in the first inning, more than any other inning.

Home Sweet Home
In 2004, Nebraska has drawn 13,176 fans through 14 home dates, an average attendance of 941. NU drew 2,216 fans in two games against Missouri last weekend. Nebraska topped the 10,000 mark in total attendance for the second consecutive season in its 12th home game of the season.

Against Oklahoma on April 17, NU drew a season-high 1,523 fans. The attendance was the largest regular-season crowd and the second largest crowd overall in the history of Bowlin Stadium.

The Husker softball team also received tremendous fan support in 2003. One of only eight schools to attract more than 10,000 fans, Nebraska was the only school to total more than 10,000 fans in less than 20 home games, totaling 11,074 fans in 18 home games.