Huskers Open 10-game Homestand Today

The 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team opens a 10-game homestand on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Northern Colorado beginning at 1 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium. The 16-4 Huskers have matched the best 20-game start in school history and the team's last victory marked the 1,000th all-time win in the 31-year history of the program.

Tuesday's game would have marked one of the earliest home openers in school history, however the Huskers have already played a pair of games at Bowlin Stadium. While the UNC doubleheader was scheduled to be the 2006 home opener, NU took advantage of unseasonably warm conditions and swept an impromptu doubleheader with Missouri Western on March 1, which is believed to be the earliest home game in the history of the program.

Nebraska enters Tuesday's matchup following a 4-2 performance last weekend at the Florida State Invitational, which culminated with the Huskers capturing the consolation championship of the Gold Bracket.

The Husker pitching staff excelled at the tournament, especially after the first day. In four games on days two and three, junior Ashley DeBuhr and freshman Molly Hill did not allow an earned run, tossing three shutouts. The pair have not allowed an earned run in a whopping 33.2 innings heading into Tuesday's game.

Scouting the Northern Colorado Bears
Northern Colorado is 6-16 on the season and has lost eight straight games. During their current losing streak, the Bears have been outscored 60-9. UNC went 0-5 at last weekend's Shocker Invitational and suffered a 12-2 loss to Big 12 foe Texas Tech on Sunday.

The Bears are led offensively by Ashley Martinosky, who is hitting .351 with a team-high five home runs and 15 RBIs. As a team, Northern Colorado is hitting .270 and is averaging nearly four runs per game.

In the circle, the Bears' three-pitcher staff has compiled a collective ERA of 8.10. Each pitcher has thrown more than 40 innings this season. Shea Carpenter has a team-best 3-2 record, but opponents are hitting .337 against her. Jessica Milligan is 2-7 with a team-low 6.70 ERA and is the only pitcher to hold opposing hitters to a batting average under .300.

Nebraska is 6-0 all-time against Northern Colorado, including a pair of hard-fought 3-2 victories in a doubleheader on April 21 of last year.

Program Records 1,000th Victory
Husker softball became the first women's sport at the University of Nebraska to reach the 1,000-win plateau with a 1-0 victory over Kent State on Sunday in the consolation championship of the Gold Bracket.

Nebraska is the fifth Big 12 school to reach the milestone. Kansas became the fourth league school to win 1,000 games during the 2005 season. NU narrowly became the fifth school, as Missouri, sitting on 999 all-time victories, suffered a loss on the same day Nebraska recorded its 1,000th victory.

The milestone was even more special to NU Head Coach Rhonda Revelle and Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel. Both coaches also played at Nebraska and together they have combined to be a part of 832 of NU's 1,000 victories (83 percent).

Monumental Weekend
Last weekend proved to be a monumental three days for the 2006 Nebraska softball team and the history of the Husker program.

With a 3-0 win over Florida A&M on Saturday, the 2006 squad became the fastest team to score 100 runs in the 31-year history of NU softball.

In the final game of the tournament on Sunday, the Huskers captured the consolation championship of the Gold Bracket with a 1-0 victory over Kent State.

That win marked the 1,000 all-time victory in program history, making softball the first women's sport at Nebraska to reach the 1,000-win plateau.

The victory also gave the 2006 Huskers a 16-4 record after 20 games, tying the 2003 squad for the best 20-game start in the history of Nebraska softball.

Leading Off

• Nebraska's 16-4 record matches the best 20-game start in school history
• Nebraska is 14-0 when out-hitting the opponent
• Nebraska is averaging more than five runs per game
• NU is 13-1 when holding the opponent to two runs or less
• Four Huskers are hitting .300 or better
• Six Huskers have homered through the first 20 games
• Six Huskers hit a home run in the entire 2005 campaign
• Nebraska has 17 home runs as a team, two shy of the entire 2005 total over 59 games
• Nebraska is 39-of-43 in stolen base attempts after going 16-for-16 last weekend
• Lizzy Aumua leads the team with a whopping .500 average (36-for-72)
• Aumua tied an NU single-game record with a 5-for-5 effort against Illinois
• Devin Porter has hit three home runs in her last 11 games
• Porter had just two home runs in her previous 125 career games
• Porter has produced both a 5-RBI and 6-RBI game this season
• Jamie Waldecker produced a career-high 6 RBIs vs. Illinois, including her first career grand slam
• Crystal Carwile also has a 5-RBI game this season
• Senior KoKo Tacha has already set single-season career highs in hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs
• The Husker pitchers have not allowed an earned run in 33.2 innings
• Right-hander Ashley DeBuhr has thrown back-to-back shutouts
• Right-hander Molly Hill is 9-1 with a 1.22 ERA in her Husker career
• Nebraska has already matched its save total (1) from the entire 2005 season
• Nebraska has already hit more triples this season (4) than it did in the entire 2005 season (2)

Scoring Clip
A 3-0 win over Florida A&M that followed an 11-6 victory over St. John's gave the Huskers 100 runs scored in 17 games, making this year's team the fastest squad in school history to score 100 runs.

It took NU just seven games to total 50 runs as the 2006 Huskers tied the school record for the fewest number of games before reaching the 50-run plateau. The 1995 squad finished with 51 runs in seven games.

This season marks only the fourth year in school history that NU scored 100 runs in fewer than 20 games. In contrast, twice in the 31-year history of Nebraska softball the Huskers have taken 30 or more games before they scored 100 total runs on the season.

The Right Stuff
While the overall highlights of last weekend's Florida State Invitational focused on the achievements of the team and program, the accomplishments of junior Ashley DeBuhr and freshman Molly Hill cannot be overlooked.

DeBuhr and Hill combined to allow just seven earned runs in six games last weekend. Even more impressive is that all seven of those earned runs came in the first seven innings of the tournament, meaning the duo combined to throw 33.2 innings without allowing an earned run entering Tuesday's doubleheader.

In the final four games of the tournament, Hill and DeBuhr posted three shutouts and allowed just two unearned runs in the other contest. In those four games, the pair combined to pitch 27.2 innings, allowing just 12 hits and posting 42 strikeouts. DeBuhr tossed a complete-game one-hitter and two-hitter, while Hill concluded the tournament with a two-hit shutout.

Fastest Start in School History
After a 4-2 record at the Florida State Invitational last weekend, the Huskers own a 16-4 record 20 games into the 2006 season. That mark matches the 2003 team for the best record through the first 20 games of a season in the 31-year history of Nebraska softball.

Stolen Bases
Nebraska finished a perfect 16-of-16 in stolen bases in six games last weekend, averaging nearly three swipes per game. On the season, NU has been successful on 39-of-43 stolen base attempts, stealing at an incredible .907 clip. In comparison, opponents have stolen just nine bases in 11 tries.

At this rate, this year's team could become just the fifth team in school history to record 100 stolen bases in a season. Last year, the Huskers - who were led by All-American Anne Steffan's single-season school-record 32 stolen bases - tallied 91 stolen bases in 108 attempts (.843).

Husker Power
Nebraska hit just one home run in six games last weekend, but the Huskers have still hit 17 home runs in 20 games this season. In comparison, NU hit just 19 dingers in 59 games a year ago.

Freshman Crystal Carwile leads the way with six home runs, including the lone homer over the weekend. She also has a two-home run game, becoming the first Husker since Peaches James in 2004 to hit more than one home run in a game. Junior Devin Porter ranks second with a career-high four home runs, while fellow junior Jamie Waldecker has three homers. Seniors KoKo Tacha and Trisha Tannahill and junior Carmen Kier each have one roundtripper on the year.

NU had 12 home runs through seven games to open 2006, after taking 32 games in 2004 and 33 games in 2005 to reach the mark. The Huskers enjoy a 17-to-9 advantage in home runs over their opponents. After the first weekend, NU enjoyed a 6-to-5 advantage, marking the first time since April 18, 2004, that Nebraska has more home runs than its opponents at any point during the season.

Nebraska homered in seven straight games to open the season, the longest stretch since NU homered in 10 consecutive games March 10 through March 17, 2002. The Huskers also have produced four multi-home run games in 2006, after posting just one in 2005 and three in 2004.

Carwile Climbing Freshman Home Run Chart
Freshman Crystal Carwile's three home runs in the first five games of the season were the most home runs by a Husker freshman since Nicole Trimboli hit eight in the whole 2001 campaign. Carwile has since added two more homers to give her five on the season. The school freshman record is 13 by Ali Viola in 1995.

Carwile's five roundtrippers would have ranked third on the 2005 NU squad and her total matches the home run total of all freshmen from the 2004 and 2005 seasons combined.

The Producers
In the first 15 games of the season, four Huskers produced double-figure RBI totals. Junior Jamie Waldecker drove in 16 RBIs in 15 games, while fellow junior Devin Porter produced 14. Freshman Crystal Carwile also boasted 14 and senior KoKo Tacha tallied a career-high 10 in just 15 contests.

In the past five seasons (2001 through 2005) a grand total of four Huskers drove in 10 or more runs in the first 15 games of a season. This year marks the first season in that stretch that more than one Husker drove in 10 or more runs in the first 15 games of a season. In 2005, Sheena Lawrick was the lone player, in 2004 it was Nicole Trimboli, in 2003 it was Lisa Wangler and in 2001 it was Amber Burgess. No player produced double-figure RBI totals through the first 15 games of the 2002 season.

Porter Produces Career Weekend
Junior Devin Porter had a career weekend in helping lead the 17th-ranked Huskers to a 6-1 record the week of Feb. 27, including a 4-1 mark at the Best Western Airport Festival in Tulsa, Okla. At the Tulsa tournament only, Porter hit .385 (5-for-13) with a double, three home runs and eight RBIs.

Her three home runs in five games were one more than her previous career total in 125 games. She posted a 1.154 slugging percentage at the tournament and was perfect in the field at shortstop. For her effort, she was named to the all-tournament team.

On the week, Porter hit .389 (7-for-18) with a double, a triple, three home runs and nine RBIs. She also posted a .450 on-base percentage and a 1.056 slugging percentage. Porter drove in the game-winning run in three of the Huskers' six wins.

Winning Streak Snapped
Nebraska saw its 10-game winning streak snapped on March 4 by Big 12 foe Kansas in non-conference action. The Huskers ran off 10 straight wins after a season-opening loss to then-No. 7 Stanford, before the Jayhawks shutout NU, 4-0.

The Huskers committed a then-season-high two errors in the loss, while the four runs allowed were the most since the loss to Stanford. At the plate, Nebraska failed to score at least two runs for the first time this season and the Huskers were held to a season-low three hits.

NU quickly responded by winning its next two games by a combined 16-4 score.

Triple Your Pleasure
Nebraska hit one triple last week to push its season total to four triples. In 2005, the Huskers produced a total of three triples in 59 games.

Pascale Shines in Tulsa
Freshman Brittany Pascale burst onto the scene at the Best Western Airport Festival in Tulsa, Okla., March 3-5. The catcher earned two starts behind the plate, one at designated player and appeared in all five games. She finished the weekend 7-for-10 (.700) with her first career double and first career RBI. She was also perfect behind the plate in 17 chances and threw out 1-of-4 would-be base stealers.

One of her best at bats came in a pinch-hitting situation. Pascale was called on to step in and hit with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning when the Huskers trailed Notre Dame, 2-1. In a great at bat, Pascale fell behind in the count, before working it full and lifting a fly ball to deep right field for a sacrifice fly. Her effort sent the game into extra innings, where the Huskers pulled out a 5-2 victory.

Hill Suffers First Setback Since 2003
Freshman right-hander Molly Hill suffered the first loss of her career in a 4-0 setback against Kansas on March 4. Hill had started her career 6-0. Hill also finished with a perfect record in her senior year of high school and had not lost a game (excluding travel ball) since 2003.

Hill quickly bounced back by earning a win in her next start. She is 9-1 on the season with a team-low 1.22 ERA in a team-high 68.2 innings.

Huskers Explode for 21 Runs
After a 12-day layoff, the Huskers exploded for seven first-inning runs, eight more in the second and five more in the third en route to a 21-1 rout of Illinois on the first day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 24.

The 21 runs were the second-most in school history (23 is the school record) and marked only the second time in program history that Nebraska scored 20 or more runs in a single game. The Huskers batted around in each of the first three innings and finished with 16 hits.

NU also pounded out four home runs by four different players. The four-homer game marked the first time since March 13, 1998 against Bowling Green - a span of 484 games - that the Huskers had four players hit a home run in the same game.

The 21 runs and 20-run margin of victory were both the largest in the history of Illinois softball, while the Huskers also set and tied several NFCA Leadoff Classic records in the 11th year of the annual prestigious event.

Nebraska's 21 runs were a new Leadoff Classic record, as were the Huskers four home runs. Junior Jamie Waldecker established a new tournament record with six RBIs in the win, while senior Lizzy Aumua also earned a spot in the record book with five hits.

Tacha Off to Career-Best Start
Senior KoKo Tacha is having a career year in her final season as a Husker. While that may sound premature with the season only 20 games old, consider that Tacha has already surpassed some career highs and is approaching her single-season career highs in nearly every offensive category.

Tacha is hitting .302 in 16 starts this season. She has hit three doubles and produced 13 hits and 10 RBIs, all of which are new career bests. She also boasts one home run, which ties her single-season career best. Tacha has also stolen one base while her career high for a season is three.

DeBuhr in Control
Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr has been in control in the circle this season. She has shown great command of the strike zone, registering a whopping 95 strikeouts against just 12 walks to post a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 8-to-1.

Back-to-Back in Back-to-Back
Nebraska hit back-to-back home runs in consecutive games on the first - and only - day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Feb. 24.

In a 21-1 rout of Illinois, freshman Crystal Carwile and senior Trisha Tannahill belted back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning. Then in the bottom of the first in the second game of the day against Florida Atlantic, junior Jamie Waldecker and Carwile hit back-to-back solo shots.

Tannahill and Carwile were the first Huskers to hit back-to-back home runs since Katie Linke and Peaches accomplished the feat on March 27, 2004 at Oklahoma State.

Carwile Opens Career with a Bang
Freshman Crystal Carwile not only got off to a tremendous start to the 2006 season, but an incredible start to her Husker career in the first tournament of her rookie season.

Carwile went 1-for-6 with an RBI in her first day, before exploding onto the scene on day two, and finished the tournament as the Huskers' cleanup hitter and boasting a .375 average, three home runs, seven RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage.

The Chino, Calif., native opened the second day of her career with a 1-for-3 effort against Cal State Northridge that included her first career home run. Carwile then put together possibly the greatest single-game performance by a freshman hitter in school history.

Hitting in the No. 4 spot for the first time, Carwile quickly produced with an RBI double in the first inning against Utah State. Following a ground out in her next at bat, Carwile belted a solo home run in the fifth inning and secured a Husker victory with a three-run shot in the seventh. She finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs.

Carwile closed her first weekend at Nebraska on a three-game hitting streak, finishing 1-for-3 against Nevada in the final game of the Kajikawa Classic.

Hill Brilliant in Career Debut
While Crystal Carwile was making an immediate impact at the plate as a freshman during the season-opening Kajikawa Classic Feb. 10-12, Molly Hill stepped into the circle and produced in her first career tournament as well.

Hill appeared in four games at the tournament - including two starts - and posted a 3-0 record with a 1.53 ERA. In the first start of her career, Hill tossed a complete game and allowed just two runs in an 8-2 victory over 15th-ranked Oregon State. The Wayne, Neb., native then earned a win by tossing four innings of one-hit relief against Cal State Northridge and followed that performance with a victory against Utah State. Hill was the pitcher of decision in three straight games, earning the victory in each of those contests.

Hill allowed just four earned runs in 18.1 innings in her first weekend of competition. She also struck out 18, while walking just five.

Freshmen Contributions
While Crystal Carwile and Molly Hill have made the biggest impact of Nebraska's six-player freshman class, all six newcomers made their career debuts in their first weekend as a Husker.

Meghan Mullin has also made a significant impact, starting eight games and hitting .235 with six runs scored. Catcher Brittany Pascale has earned 11 starts and is hitting .294.

Kimberly Fuller and Darcy Rutherford have not earned a start, but both have seen action. Fuller has appeared in three games and is 0-for-2 with three walks and a pair of RBIs. Rutherford has appeared in 14 games and has scored three runs while going 0-for-3 at the plate.

DeBuhr Eclipses 400-Strikeout Mark
Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr struck out nine in a five-inning victory over Illinois on Feb. 24. Her fifth strikeout of the game was the 400th of her career, making DeBuhr the fifth player in school history to reach the mark. DeBuhr set the NU sophomore record with 335 strikeouts in 2005. In 2006, DeBuhr has struck out 68 batters in 43.2 innings, against only nine walks.

Multi-Hit Games Boost Team Average
Nebraska has opened the 2006 season by posting a .313 team batting average and recording double-figure hits in seven of its first 20 games.

Senior Lizzy Aumua (.500 average) leads a contingent of four Huskers who are hitting .300 or better. Senior Jessica Yoachim ranks second with a .444 average, while freshman Crystal Carwile (.333) and senior KoKo Tacha (.302) are also hitting better than .300.

Eight Huskers have produced 35 multi-hit games through the first 14 contests of the 2006 season. Aumua leads the way with nine multi-hit efforts, while Yoachim and Waldecker each have five and Tacha and Carwiel have each produced four.

Revelle Reaches Another Milestone
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle reached another career milestone on the second day of the Huskers’ season-opening Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 11. When Nebraska defeated Utah State 7-3 in its fourth game of the weekend, it marked Revelle’s 800th game as head coach of the Huskers. Revelle, who pitched for NU from 1981-83, also played in 128 career games a Husker and has currently been associated with 940 of Nebraska’s 1,547 all-time games (61 percent).

RBIs in Bunches
Through the first 14 games of the season, a Husker produced five or more RBIs in a single game on four occasions. Prior to this season, a total of four Huskers had produced five or more RBIs in a game in the past five years.

Junior Devin Porter has a five- and six-RBI game to her credit, while fellow junior Jamie Waldecker also has a six-RBI game. Freshman Crystal Carwile has also produced a five-RBI game. The school record for most RBIs in a single game is seven, set by Jenny Smith in 1996.

Porter produced five RBIs in consecutive at bats against 15th-ranked Oregon State in the second game of the season. She hit a two-run single in the top of the third inning and belted her second career home run - a three-run shot - one inning later.

Carwile matched the feat the next day when she drove in five against Utah State. Carwile had an RBI double in the first inning, a solo home run in the fifth and a three-run homer in the seventh to give her five RBIs in the game.

Prior to Porter's performance, Nebraska had not had a player produce a five-RBI game in 109 games. Porter and Carwile are also the first Husker teammates to have a five-RBI day in the same season since Nicole Trimboli and Amber Burgess accomplished the feat 29 games apart in the 2002 season.

Junior Jamie Waldecker added a six-RBI game against Illinois at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 24, two games after Porter's performance.

Against Northern Iowa on March 5, Porter drove in six runs in consecutive at bats. She hit her first career grand slam in the third inning, then belted a two-run double in the fourth.