Huskers Set Sights on Championship Season

Conventional wisdom in sport dictates that defense wins championships. In the world of collegiate softball, where dominant pitching is a staple of the sport’s top teams, it would appear that is most definitely the case.

The 2007 Nebraska softball team certainly hopes that old adage proves true, as the Huskers look for their outstanding pitching staff to lead them to a Big 12 Conference championship, as well as NCAA Regional and Super Regional crowns.

In 2006, seven of the eight teams that qualified for the Women’s College World Series ranked in the top 14 nationally in ERA, including four squads that ranked in the top seven. Nebraska, which advanced to the regional final, boasted a stellar staff last season, finishing 20th nationally with a 1.65 ERA.

NU Head Coach Rhonda Revelle knows how vital a talented pitching staff can be, as solid pitching has been a trademark of her program. Nebraska has produced an All-Big 12 pitcher in each of the last 10 seasons dating back to 1997. That pitching prowess has helped lead the Huskers to 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of WCWS berths since 1995. Revelle hopes this staff ? which she considers among the deepest in program history ? will lead Nebraska back to Oklahoma City.

"I think the pitching staff is really going to be the lifeline for the program this year because any one of the three pithcers can win any game," Revelle said. "I feel confident any of them could beat any team and that’s very comforting to know. Individually, they all have improved their game."

Led by senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr, a two-time All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region selection, the Huskers return every pitcher from last year’s squad that ranked second in the Big 12 Conference in wins and third in ERA. That staff also featured Molly Hill, who set a single-season school record with a .900 winning percentage after finishing with an 18-2 record as a freshman.

A trend among Husker hurlers in recent years has been the impressive improvement of a pitcher from their freshman to sophomore season. Hill is expected to take her game to another level to give the Huskers a formidable 1-2 punch with DeBuhr.

The staff is further bolstered by the addition of another talented pitcher, freshman Alex Hupp, who earned first-team high school All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in 2006.

The pitching appears to be in place, but the Huskers’ biggest challenge this season may be finding production outside of the circle. Seniors Devin Porter and Jamie Waldecker return after earning all-conference accolades in 2006, and promise to provide a potent punch in the middle of the NU order. While Nebraska also returns its top home run hitter from a year ago in second-team All-Big 12 pick Crystal Carwile, the lineup could feature as many as six players with fewer than 75 career at bats.

The inexperience of Nebraska’s hitters illustrates another interesting aspect of this Husker season. Four of NU’s five seniors have started at least 80 games through their first three seasons, including DeBuhr in the circle. In fact, Nebraska’s three senior position players have combined to start 431 games in three years.

While the seniors are proven producers who have been through the rigors of a demanding season, the majority of the Huskers’ roster is inexperienced. Two-thirds of the roster - 10 of 15 players - enters the 2007 campaign with no more than one season of experience at the Division I level, including four newcomers.

NU will rely heavily on newcomers in the outfield, where Nebraska lost all three starters from last season. With senior Jaime Borg switching to the outfield after serving as a pitcher the last two seasons, NU now has five outfielders listed on its roster. Including Borg, those five players have combined for 19 starts and 38 at bats at the Division I level.

The production of the underclassmen and their ability to adjust to the higher level of competition may be a major factor in determining just how far Nebraska can go this season. That brings Revelle back to the pitching staff, which she hopes can be a stabilizing factor for the team as the younger Huskers gain experience early in the season.

"The coaches are spending a lot of time talking about how to maximize our offense. There are areas where we do not have a lot of experience ? its not that we lack talent, we lack experience at this point. Part of the fun is to create our offensive identity. I think our defense and pitching have experience. When you can come out and shut out teams, it really speaks volumes to giving your offense time to get going."

Even with all of the questions and all of the inexperience, Revelle points to the overall talent level and work ethic of her team as reasons why the Huskers have high hopes for the 2007 season.

"I’ve always said I’ve never known teams in the country and the conference that talk about Nebraska right out of the gate," Revelle said. "I think we’re in better shape to make a run at the Big 12 trophy than we were even last year. Our goals are really to work to put one or two of those Big 12 trophies in our trophy case and position ourselves to be a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. It’s a real goal of this team to be a No. 1 seed."