Huskers Head West to Open Season

The 21st-ranked Nebraska softball team travels to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend for the season-opening Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State. The Huskers will be challenged immediately, as NU faces seventh-ranked Stanford in the opening game of the season, followed by a matchup with No. 15 Oregon State to conclude the first day of the 2006 campaign.

Nebraska is scheduled to play five games in three days at the tournament, facing Cal State Northridge and Utah State on Saturday and closing the weekend with a Sunday game against Nevada.

The Huskers are coming off a 36-23 campaign that saw NU advance to its 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament and earn its 11th straight top 25 national ranking. Nebraska returns nine starters from last year's squad, including four players who have combined to earn six All-Big 12 awards. The Kajikawa Classic will also be the first career tournament for the Huskers' six-player freshman class.

The freshmen will be asked to contribute immediately as at least one newcomer will be in the opening day lineup and as many as four could earn a start before the weekend is over.

After an unseasonably mild January, Nebraska will begin the season having had the opportunity to practice outside on several occassions. The Huskers, who normally conduct the overhwhelming majority of their preseason practice indoors, hope the outside practice time will help lead to a fast start to the 2006 season.

Huskers Return to Arizona
Nebraska returns to Arizona to open its season at an Arizona State tournament. Prior to opening the year at the UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2004 and 2005, NU traveled to Tempe, Ariz., for the season-opening Fiesta Bowl Tournament for five consecutive years from 1999 to 2003.

The Huskers own an all-time record of 16-9 when they open their season at an Arizona State-hosted tournament. In 2003, the last time Nebraska traveled to Arizona to kick of its season, the Huskers went a perfect 5-0, defeating Fresno State, Mississippi State, Massachusetts, Southwest Texas State and Cal State Fullerton by a combined score of 24-9. In 2002, NU went 4-1 at the tournament.

Nebraska is 9-1 in its last 10 games at an Arizona State-hosted tournament and has won seven consecutive games. That streak will be immediately tested this weekend when the Huskers face a pair of top-15 foes on the first day of the Kajikawa Classic.

Nebraska vs. the Kajikawa Classic Field
Nebraska enjoys an all-time 19-13 series edge against its five opponents this weekend. The Huskers own a 3-3 all-time mark against Stanford, an 8-3 edge over Oregon State, trail Cal State Northridge 2-4 and are 6-3 all-time against Utah State. When NU faces Nevada on Sunday, it will mark the schools' first-ever meeting.

Nebraska faced both Oregon State and Cal State Northridge in 2005. The Huskers rallied from a 3-2 deficit to defeat OSU 4-3 on the second day of the season, but lost to Cal State Northridge 7-2 in bracket play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 25.

NU and Stanford have not met since the 2003 season, when the Huskers defeated the Cardinal 1-0. Nebraska owns a two-game winning streak over Stanford.

Nebraska and Utah State have not met since the 2002 season, when the Huskers blanked the Aggies 8-0. NU has won five straight games against Utah State.

Although Nebraska will not face any Big 12 schools, the Huskers will get an early look at two league schools also competing in the tournament. Texas A&M and Texas, picked to finish 1-2 in the Big 12 this season in a vote of the league coaches, are also competing at the Kajikawa Classic.

All in the Family
When Nebraska faces Cal State Northridge on Saturday, there will be a family connection linking the two teams. The matchup will pit brother and sister against each other, as Assistant Coach Jen Ogee is in her fifth year at Nebraska, while her brother, Jason Cline, is in his second season as an assistant for the Matadors.

The siblings will not face each other in person, however, as Ogee will not make the trip since she is pregnant and is expecting her first child in about a month.

NU Seeks Fast Start
Nebraska looks for a quick start to its 2006 season this weekend at the Kajikawa Classic. NU faces No. 7 Stanford in the season opener on Friday, marking the third consecutive season that the Huskers have faced a ranked opponent in the season opener.

NU is 8-5 all-time in season openers under Head Coach Rhonda Revelle and is 18-11 all-time in the documented history of Husker softball. Despite the success, Nebraska is currently on a two-game losing streak in season openers, with each loss coming to a Women's College World Series squad. In 2004, the Huskers fell to defending national champion UCLA, 10-1 (5), and last year Tennessee, playing its seventh game of the season, blanked NU 5-0.

Fall Season Recap
Nebraska went 9-3 in the fall season that concluded with the Husker Fall Classic in October of 2005. NU opened the fall with a 3-0 record in a rain-shortened Augustana (S.D.) Tournament, defeating South Dakota State, North Dakota State and St. Cloud State by a combined score of 21-3.

Next up for the Huskers was a trip to Colorado Springs, Colo. In the first game of the tournament, Nebraska was shutout by host Colorado State, 2-0. NU quickly rebounded with a pair of victories over Utah, before avenging the earlier loss to the Rams with a 9-0 run-rule victory.

Nebraska concluded its fall season in grand fashion by hosting a stellar field at Bowlin Stadium for the Husker Fall Classic. In a perfect ending to the fall season, the Huskers played a pair of games against defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Michigan and the Canadian National team, while also facing in-state rival Creighton.

Freshman right-hander Molly Hill got the start in the first matchup with the Wolverines and Michigan's offense responded in a 5-2 win. Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr then tossed back-to-back complete games in a pair of Husker victories. DeBuhr tossed a four-hit shutout and four players recorded multi-hit games as Nebraska blanked Creighton 2-0.

NU then got another shot at Michigan and DeBuhr outdueled Wolverine All-American pitcher Jennie Ritter in a 4-1 six-inning victory that was shortened due to a time limit. DeBuhr tossed her second four-hitter of the day and senior Trisha Tannahill went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs to pace the Husker offense.

A pair of games with the Canadian National team, featuring NU Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel and fifth-year assistant coach Sheena Lawrick, rounded out the fall slate. Hill earned the start in the first game and tossed a complete game three-hitter and the Big Red offense exploded for nine runs in a 9-1 run-rule victory. Offensively, freshman Crystal Carwile went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

In the rematch, DeBuhr tossed her third complete game in two days. What was more impressive about this complete game was the fact that the game went 12 innings before Canada pulled out a 2-1 victory. DeBuhr allowed only one earned run and struck out 12 while allowing only five hits in a superb effort. Carwile again led the offensive charge with a solo home run that accounted for the Huskers' lone run.

Nebraska Earns National Ranking in Preseason Poll
Nebraska was ranked 21st in the USA Today/NFCA preseason coaches poll. The Huskers were one of six Big 12 schools ranked in the top 25.

Defending national champion Michigan was the top-ranked preseason team, followed by UCLA and Tennessee. Texas and Arizona, respectively, rounded out the top five in both polls.

The Huskers finished the 2005 campaign with the No. 25 ranking. The final ranking was NU’s 11th consecutive top-25 season-ending ranking. The Huskers are one of only six teams in the nation to be ranked in the final USA Today/NFCA poll in each season of its existence.

Nebraska will get a chance to see how it fares against the other ranked teams when the Huskers open the season on Friday. NU faces No. 7 Stanford in the season opener before facing No. 15 Oregon State in the second game of the day. In all, Nebraska is scheduled to play at least 13 games against eight preseason ranked teams this season.

Huskers Feature Returning All-Big 12 Talent
The 2006 Nebraska softball team boasts plenty of talent and experience, but the Huskers also feature four players who have garnered six combined All-Big 12 accolades in their careers.

Senior Jessica Yoachim highlights the decorated returnees, as she has earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in each of the past two seasons and aims for her third consecutive accolade in 2006. Fellow senior Trisha Tannahill has also earned a pair of nods to the All-Big 12 squad in her career. Tannahill earned first-team honors as a sophomore and was a second-team pick last season.

The junior battery of catcher Jamie Waldecker and right-hander Ashley DeBuhr have also been recognized as two of the best in the league. One of the best batteries in the league and perhaps the nation, Waldecker burst onto the Big 12 scene as a freshman in 2004 and took home second-team All-Big 12 honors. After tossing only 36.2 innings as a freshman behind second-team All-American Peaches James in 2004, DeBuhr was a second-team All-Big 12 pick last year, throwing the third perfect game in school history and becoming just the second pitcher in school history to strikeout more than 300 batters in a single season.

Even more promising than the returning All-Big 12 talent is the influx of six freshmen to the Husker roster. Despite the returning talent and experience, Head Coach Rhonda Revelle expects the freshmen to make a major contribution in 2006. Although NU returns seven starters, Nebraska could feature a lineup that boasts as many as four freshmen starters.

NU Picked to Finish Fifth in Big 12
In a preseason vote of the Big 12 coaches, Nebraska was picked to finish fifth in the league in 2006.

Texas A&M, which claimed the regular-season crown in 2005, was the coaches' pick to win the league. Texas, last season's Big 12 Tournament champion, was tabbed as the No. 2 team in the league. Baylor and Oklahoma, respectively, rounded out the schools picked to finish ahead of the Huskers.

Each of the schools picked to finish ahead of Nebraska advanced past regional play in the 2005 NCAA tournament and is ranked in the top 15 of the 2006 NFCA/USA Today preseason top 25 poll.

Nebraska finished seventh in the Big 12 in 2005 with a 9-9 record and went 2-2 at the Big 12 Tournament. The Huskers were picked to finish fifth in the coaches 2005 preseason poll.

The Nebraska Circle
With Florida native Jordan Keen redshirting this season, the Huskers have three active pitchers on their 2006 staff, and each player is home-grown talent as a native Nebraskan.

Returning All-Big 12 performer Ashley DeBuhr hails from Beatrice, while fellow junior Jaime Borg is a Lincoln native. Freshman Molly Hill comes to Lincoln from Wayne, Neb.

The 17-player Nebraska roster boasts a total of five natives of the Cornhusker State, with three of those players being pitchers.

Keen to Redshirt
Sophomore right-hander Jordan Keen is expected to redshirt this season in an effort to rehab a nagging back injury. Keen posted solid numbers in her freshman season, going 9-2 with a team-best 1.57 ERA. She also ranked second on the team with two shutouts, eight complete games, 89.0 innings pitched and 68 strikeouts.

Keen's injury forced her to miss the Huskers' 2005 fall season as well. Head Coach Rhonda Revelle and Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Lori Sippel hope that with the rehab time, Keen will return even stronger in 2007.

Revelle Adds Title to R?sum?
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle added the title of Senior Woman Administrator to her resume in January when she replaced the Dr. Barbara Hibner - who hired Revelle to coach the Huskers - following Hibner's retirement at the end of 2005.

With the administrative role, Revelle becomes the only coach in any sport in the Big 12 Conference to serve as an athletic administrator in addition to his or her coaching duties.

Revelle was also re-named president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in December after Mona Stevens stepped down as head coach of the Utah Utes. NFCA rules state that the organization's president much also be a current head coach. When Stevens stepped down as coach, she subsequently relinquished her position as NFCA president. NFCA rules also state that in the event an NFCA president is removed, the former president will take over the title of NFCA President. Revelle, who served as NFCA President from 1999 to 2002, was appointed the new president since she was the last president prior to Stevens' appointment.

Sixteen 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 11 NCAA Tournaments. Nebraska also has a strong history of earning high seeds in the tournament. In the eight seasons prior to the format switch that occured in 2005, Nebraska earned a No. 2 seed or higher in the NCAA Regional every season. The only other teams that accomplished that feat were Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington.

Overall, NU has earned 16 NCAA Tournament bids, tying Texas A&M for the most NCAA berths of any Big 12 school. The Huskers have also advanced to the College World Series seven times.

Nebraska also has a strong history of hosting regionals at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers have been awarded an NCAA Regional in each of the last three seasons and four of the last five years overall.

Tough Schedule Ahead
Nebraska has grown accustomed to playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and 2006 will be no exception. NU will play at least 22 games - more than one-third of the total schedule - against teams that earned 2005 NCAA Tournament bids.

The Huskers will also play at least 12 regular-season contests against teams that advanced to Super Regional play in 2005, including a pair of games at Texas, which advanced to the Women's College World Series.

Finally, Nebraska will play at least 12 regular-season games against teams ranked in the top 20 of the 2005 USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. The Huskers will also play 10 contests against top 15 teams.

Big 12 Dominance
By capturing both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament crowns in 2004, the Nebraska softball program is tied with Texas, the 2005 tournament champ, for the most conference championships of any of the 10 league schools.

NU has won a league-high three regular-season championships and three tournament titles.

Nebraska is also the only school to boast a perfect record in league play since the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The Huskers went 16-0 in 1998.

Ranking Near the Top
Nebraska finished the 2005 season with a No. 25 final ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. The final ranking marked the 10th consecutive season the Huskers finished the year among the top 25. Nebraska is one of only six teams in the nation - and one of only two in the Big 12 Conference - to be ranked in the final poll in each of its 11 years of existence.

Huskers Excelling in the Pros
Three former Huskers were named all-stars in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league last summer. The Huskers’ total of three players in the game trailed only UCLA for the most selections among all colleges and universities in the nation.

Former Huskers Peaches James (2001-04), Nicole Trimboli (2001-04) and Anne Steffan (2002-05) were each named all-stars.

Trimboli's Akron Racers and Steffan's Chicago Bandits met for the NPF title, with Akron winning 5-4 led by an RBI from Trimboli.

Olympic Connections
Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel was named Head Coach of Team Canada in March of 2005 and will lead Canada in the 2008 Olympic Games.

In her short tenure as head coach of Team Canada, Sippel has already guided the Canadians to great success. At the World Cup of Softball in July of 2005, Sippel led the Canadians to a 2-1 upset of the United States, handing the Americans their first loss in international play since 2002.

Sippel aslo guided Canada to a second-place finish at the 2005 Pan-American Qualifying Tournament that guaranteed the Canadian National Team a spot in the 2006 World Championships.

One of Sippel's star players is former Husker player and current undergraduate assistant coach Sheena Lawrick. Lawrick was selected to the 2004 Canadian Olympic Team despite recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament when the team was announced. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Lawrick started two games for the Canadians, who finished the 2004 Olympics with a 3-4 record, which tied for the country's best showing ever. Lawrick also produced both RBIs in Canada's upset victory over Team USA.

At the 2004 Olympics, Sippel joined Lawrick in Athens as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Sippel was a member of the 1996 Canadian National Team that also went 3-4 in the inaugural softball competition at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga.

Home Sweet Home
The Husker softball team looks for continued fan support in 2006. Last year, Nebraska ranked eighth in the nation in Division I softball attendance with an average of 673 fans per game. NU was one of 14 schools to draw 10,000 or more fans and the only school to reach the mark in 15 or fewer home games.

The thousands of fans that passed through the gates of Bowlin Stadium were not only treated to great softball, but watched the game from one of the top stadiums in the nation. In addition to its many fan amenities, Bowlin Stadium and its tremendous playing surface was named the 2004 SportsTurf Managers Association Field of the Year (the 2005 honor went to ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, a neutral field home to the Big 12 Tournament and the Women's College World Series).

In 2006, Nebraska is scheduled to play a Bowlin Stadium record 24 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 College of New Jersey boasts 18 selections to rank second in the nation.

Revelle Wins 500th Games
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle posted her 500th career victory and 500th win at Nebraska during the 2005 season. Revelle is only the third coach in school history to record 500 career victories and the first female coach to reach the milestone.

In addition to her coaching duties, Revelle was chosen by Athletic Director Steve Pederson to replace Dr. Barbara Hibner as Nebraska's Senior Woman Administrator, making Revelle the lone coach/administrator in the Big 12 Conference.

Approaching 1,000 All-Time Wins
In the official record book, Nebraska enters the 2006 season with an all-time program record of 984-546. The Huskers need just 16 victories to reach the 1,000-win milestone, which would be another accomplishment for a highly decorated program that ranks among the nation's best.