NU Heads to Norman to Face No. 4 Oklahoma

The Nebraska softball team hits the road this weekend for a two-game series at fourth-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners will be the Huskers’ third top-15 opponent over the last three weekends, as NU also traveled to then-No. 4 Texas A&M the weekend of April 9 before hosting No. 11 Texas at Bowlin Stadium last weekend.

There are many similarities between this week’s trip to Norman and the Huskers’ travels to College Station, Texas, two weeks ago. When Nebraska traveled to the heart of Texas to face fourth-ranked Texas A&M, the Huskers had won seven straight games, including a 3-0 midweek road win at Kansas in their previous contest.

This weekend, Nebraska will again bring a seven-game win streak - including a 3-0 midweek road victory at Iowa State - to the home stadium of the No. 4 team in the land.

After the Aggies swept the Huskers - winning both games by a score of 1-0 - Nebraska will be looking for its first win over a top-five opponent this weekend since defeating Florida State, 1-0, in March of 2004.

When the Huskers and Sooners square off on Saturday, Nebraska will be looking to halt an eight-game losing streak to top-five foes, dating back to the 2004 NCAA Tournament, where second-ranked California defeated Nebraska twice to earn a berth to the Women’s College World Series.

NU has struggled to score in each of its losses to top-five teams, managing only five runs in the eight games, including four in a 5-4 loss to Texas last season. Overall, the Huskers have been shut out six times during its current losing streak to top-five foes.

Fortunately for the Huskers, the NU offense has been at its best of late, scoring 29 runs over its current seven-game win streak for an average increase of nearly one run per game.

Runs have been hard to come by in league games away from Lincoln for Nebraska this season. The Huskers have lost four of their six Big 12 road games this season, with each of those losses came to teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the NFCA/USA Today Coaches poll.

In each of its conference road losses this year, Nebraska has failed to score a run. NU has scored only six runs in six league road games, scoring three each at Kansas and Iowa State.

The pitching, however, has been quite good, allowing only eight runs in the six games. In fact, the Huskers have allowed more than one earned run just once on the road in Big 12 action this season.

While Nebraska is just 4-6 on the road this season, the Huskers have faced quality competition in those 10 games. In fact, the total combined record of the Huskers’ seven road opponents is an outstanding 215-87-1.

Scouting the Fourth-Ranked Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma enters this weekend with a 45-5 record and a 10-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play after handing No. 10 Baylor its first league losses of the season in a doubleheader sweep on Wednesday.

The Sooners and Huskers share 10 common opponents, with OU posting a 15-2 record against those foes compared to NU’s 13-6 mark.

Oklahoma boasts a solid pitching staff and one of the top offenses in the nation, ranking third in the country in average and second in runs per game. OU also ranks 13th in the nation in fielding percentage and 22nd in ERA.

Oklahoma is paced offensively by Samantha Ricketts, who is hitting .438 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. Returning All-American Norrelle Dickson leads the league with a .490 average and 31 stolen bases. Susan Ogden (.431) is also hitting better than .400 as a total of five Sooners are hitting .300 or better. Traci Dickenson adds punch at the bottom of the order as she has homered 12 times while driving in 44.

In the circle, junior college transfer right-hander Lauren Eckermann has been a welcomed addition to a staff that struggled last season. Eckermann has thrown more than half of the Sooners’ total innings, compiling a 28-2 record with a 1.55 ERA and 10 shutouts in 194.2 innings of work. She has also been named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week a league-high three times this season.

The defense has been stellar behind Eckermann and the OU staff, as Oklahoma leads the league with a .975 fielding percentage. The Sooners and starting catcher Lindsey Vandever have also thrown out 17-of-33 would-be base stealers.

A Look at the Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Oklahoma, 38-29. The Huskers swept the season series in Lincoln last year and have posted three consecutive victories over the Sooners while winning seven of the last eight meetings. In Norman, NU is just 8-14 all-time, but Nebraska managed to split a pair of games at the OU Softball Complex in 2005.

Nebraska and Oklahoma have traditionally been the league’s top teams as the Sooners rank first in Big 12 victories all-time and the Huskers rank second. The two squads also rank 1-2 in producing All-Big 12 performers. Both teams have combined to finish either first or second in the regular-season standings 13 times and in the conference tournament on 12 occasions.

Last season, Nebraska rolled to a doubleheader sweep over the Sooners, including a 9-1 run-rule victory in game one. The Huskers relied on a powerful offense to take both games of the doubleheader, belting three home runs in the first game and hitting back-to-back homers in the first inning of game two to account for the only runs of the game.

Nebraska got off to a quick start in the first contest, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first. NU built a 7-1 lead after three innings before adding single runs in the fifth and sixth inning to wrap up the six-inning victory. Crystal Carwile was the top slugger, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Ashley DeBuhr held a potent OU offense to just one run on only four hits while striking out 11.

The Huskers picked up right where they left off in game two, when NU scored three first-inning runs on the strength of a two-run home run from Carwile and a solo blast from Trisha Tannahill one batter later. Molly Hill and DeBuhr made sure those runs would hold up, as they combined on a three-hit shutout.

NU Boasts Nation’s No. 5 ERA
In the second NCAA statistical rankings released on Tuesday, the Husker pitching staff ranked fifth in the nation with a 1.21 team ERA. Sophomore right-hander Molly Hill ranked 10th individually with her 0.99 ERA, while senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr ranked 33rd with a 1.31 ERA.

DeBuhr also came in at No. 19 on the strikeouts-per-seven-innings chart with an average of 9.5, while Hill was 71st at 7.6. DeBuhr was also on the charts in victories (40th) and saves (87th), while Hill ranks 71st in wins.

The Nebraska defense also ranked in the top 40 in fielding percentage (26th) and double plays per game (38th), while sophomore Meghan Mullin currently ranks 26th in the nation with an average of 0.31 sacrifice hits per game.

DeBuhr Picks Up Pair of Weekly Honors
Senior right-hander Ashley DeBur earned a pair of awards for her outstanding efforts last week. DeBuhr was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday and after tossing a four-hit shutout against Iowa State that night, DeBuhr was selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Co-Player of the Week on Wednesday.

DeBuhr was a perfect 3-0 between April 9-15 while allowing just four earned runs in 27.0 innings of work. After not allowing an earned run in a complete-game victory over South Dakota State on Monday, DeBuhr picked up a victory at Creighton on Thursday, before playing a crucial role in the Huskers’ sweep of 11th-ranked Texas last weekend.

In game one against the Longhorns, DeBuhr allowed just two earned runs while striking out 14 in a career-high 11 innings. She then earned her second save of the season and combined on a shutout by allowing just one baserunner in wrapping up the Huskers’ 2-0 victory with two innings of relief on Sunday.

DeBuhr also enjoyed a big strikeout week, punching out 37 in 27.0 innings, including at least 10 in each of her three starts. DeBuhr struck out 10 against South Dakota State and 11 against Creighton. With her 11 strikeouts against the Bluejays, DeBuhr moved into the No. 2 spot on the NU all-time strikeout chart while becoming just the second pitcher in school history to post 200 or more strikeouts in three consecutive seasons. DeBuhr then added 14 strikeouts in her lone start against Texas.

The Big 12 honor was the first of the season for DeBuhr and third of her career, while the national honor was the first of her career.

Revelle Set to Manage 900th Game as Head Coach
When Rhonda Revelle leads the Huskers against No. 4 Oklahoma in Norman on Saturday, she will be looking to give Nebraska its first victory over a top-five opponent since 2004. Whether or not she accomplishes that feat, Revelle will set a milestone of her own against the Sooners, as Saturday will mark her 900th career game as a head coach.

Whatever it Takes to Win
After playing small ball to earn a sweep over No. 11 Texas last weekend, the Huskers used the long ball to take control in each game this week against Iowa State.

Against the Longhorns, each of NU’s 14 hits was a single. Of the seven runs Nebraska scored against Texas, two came on squeeze bunts, one came on a sacrifice fly and one came on a bases-loaded walk.

The Huskers then recorded three extra-base hits, including a home run, while scoring six runs on nine hits against Iowa State on Tuesday. NU’s three extra-base hits marked the first time in 10 games that Nebraska had recorded more than two extra-base hits in a game.

NU belted another home run in the win on Thursday, while also adding a pair of doubles to mark the Huskers’ second consecutive game with at least three extra-base hits.

Hitting Stride
Nebraska is hitting .270 as a team in its current seven-game win streak, recording at least six hits in each contest. Prior to its current stretch, NU had gone four straight games with five or fewer hits. The Huskers have averaged 4.1 runs per game on 7.2 hits per game during the seven-game win streak after averaging just 2.7 runs and 6.3 hits per game in their previous six games.

Consistency in the Circle
Pitching has undoubtedly been Nebraska’s strength this season, as the Huskers lead the Big 12 Conference and rank fifth in the nation with a 1.18 team ERA. The staff has shown remarkable consistency in the circle this season, allowing one earned run or less in 33 of the Huskers’ 47 games (70 percent).

In fact, Nebraska was on the verge of allowing more than one earned run in three straight games for the first time all season last week. After allowing one earned run or less in 10 straight contests, Creighton and No. 11 Texas managed two earned runs each in back-to-back games to tie the staff’s longest streak this season of allowing more than one earned run. NU responded by shutting out Texas on Sunday, however, and has now tossed two consecutive shutouts.

A Look at the Expected Lineup
1. Whitney Barrett, 2B (29 starts, .179, 0 HR, 5 RBIs)
Barrett earned 13 starts at second base through the first 22 games of the season, before being limited by a hand injury. Barrett has returned to start the last 13 games at second and had eight hits in six-game stretch immediately following her return from the injury after entering that stretch with only three career hits.

2. Meghan Mullin, CF (47 starts, .324, 0 HR, 9 RBIs)
Mullin saw limited action as a freshman in 2006, but showed good patience and bat control in the box. As a regular starter this season, Mullin has already surpassed her freshman totals in nearly every category and she leads the team with 47 hits, a .324 average and 12 stolen bases, while recording her first career extra-base hit.

3. Crystal Carwile, 1B (47 starts, .282, 2 HR, 20 RBIs)
Carwile burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2006, homering three times in her first weekend en route to finishing with 12 homers, one shy of the NU freshman record. Carwile began the 2007 season slowly after missing the offseason with shoulder surgery, but leads the team with one triple, 11 doubles and 20 RBIs.

4. Devin Porter, SS (47 starts, .262, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs)
Porter has made great progress as a player through her first three seasons in the Husker program. She has been named the Huskers’ Most Improved Player in each of the last two years and enjoyed her best season in 2006, when she earned second-team All-Big 12 honors after leading the Huskers with a .360 average in league play.

5. Jamie Waldecker, C (24 starts, .257, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs)
A clutch hitter with power, Waldecker is also one of the best defensive catchers in the Big 12 Conference. A broken hand forced her to miss 18 games overall and 25 at catcher. Has started 12 of the last 13 games at catcher and is finding her groove as she has seven hits and eight RBIs in her last five games.

6. Brittany Pascale, DP (44 starts, .267, 1 HR, 10 RBIs)
Pascale showed continued improvement throughout 2006 and emerged as one of NU’s most clutch hitters. Pascale had three seventh-inning, pinch-hit at bats that resulted in the game-tying run. In 2007, she has drawn a team-high 23 walks and is 6-for-11 over her current career-high four-game hit streak.

7. Haley Long, RF (39 starts, .278, 0 HR, 12 RBIs)
Long was a late find for the Huskers as she was brought in this past summer to add depth to the outfield. Long has appeared in 40 of NU’s 47 games and ranks third among all players with a .278 average. She has also recorded five doubles and 12 RBIs, while drawing six walks and being hit by three pitches.

8. Darcy Rutherford, LF (24 starts, .270, 0 HR, 3 RBIs)
Rutherford is arguably the Huskers’ most improved player. Primarily a pinch runner in 2006 when she appeared in 25 games and scored four runs, Rutherford went 2-for-4 in the first weekend to post her first career hits. She has started the last three games in left field and has hit safely in each contest, going 3-for-7 with an RBI.

9. Carmen Kier, 3B (47 starts, .190, 0 HR, 10 RBIs)
Kier is in her second season as the everyday starter at third after belting a career-high five homers and driving in a career-high 19 in 2006. Known to work the count, Kier has drawn 48 career walks, including 11 this season to rank second on the team. She also boasts power as nearly 30 percent of her career hits have gone for extra bases.

10. Ashley DeBuhr, RHP (21 starts, 17-6, 1.25 ERA, 223 Ks, 167.1 IP; 10 starts, .200, 1 HR, 4 RBIs)
DeBuhr continued to be more dominant in the circle, following her second-team All-Big 12 and All-Midwest honors from 2005 with first-team selections in 2006. Ranks second at Nebraska with 891 career strikeouts. Has been stellar against ranked opponents, compiling a 4-3 record with a 0.75 ERA while holding hitters to a .148 average.

-OR- Molly Hill, RHP (21 starts, 15-7, 1.00 ERA, 159 Ks, 147.2 IP)
Hill is the Huskers’ No. 2 pitcher, but has the credentials to be the ace of nearly any staff. As a freshman, Hill went 18-2 to establish a school-record .900 winning percentage. She is 15-7 this year with a league-leading 1.00 ERA, while ranking in the top five in the Big 12 Conference in four categories.

Jaime Borg, OF (5 starts, .273, 0 HR, 0 RBIs)
Borg moved back to the outfield after being the Huskers’ No. 3 pitcher in each of the past two seasons. She has three hits this season after having only one career hit entering her senior season.

Kimberly Fuller, INF (19 starts, .130, 1 HR, 7 RBIs)
In limited action in 2006, Fuller went 2-for-11, but drew three walks to post a .357 on-base percentage. She has split time at second with Whitney Barrett this season, earning 19 starts and posting six hits and seven RBIs.

Alex Hupp, OF (29 starts, .110, 1 HR, 4 RBIs; 4 starts, 2-0, 1.98 ERA, 12 Ks, 17.2 IP)
A two-time NFCA High School All-American, Hupp is a pitcher who can also hit. She tossed a one-hit shutout in her first career start and has three doubles, a home run and four RBIs and has moved to the outfield to get at bats.

Crystal Gonzalez, OF (23 starts, .214, 0 HR, 0 RBIs)
Gonzalez was the Huskers’ top defensive outfielder and was also possibly the fastest player on the team. She tore her ACL prior to an April 1 doubleheader with Texas Tech and is out for the season.

Breaking Out
A pair of key veteran bats in seniors Jamie Waldecker and Devin Porter have awoken during Nebraska’s current seven-game winning streak, helping lead the Huskers to their best offensive stretch of the season.

The duo enjoyed breakout performances last week, which ignited what had been a struggling offense. Waldecker, who is beginning to look more comfortable at the plate after missing 21 games with a broken hand, went 7-for-16 with seven RBIs in five games last week, while Porter was 6-for-15 with five driven in. In two games this week, the pair have continued their hot hitting, as Waldecker is 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Porter is only 1-for-5 but has added a home run and two RBIs.

Waldecker played a key role as Nebraska avenged a 4-1 loss to Creighton by going 2-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs in the Huskers’ 7-2 victory. Her five RBIs were not only a season high but were the most by a Husker this season. She then went 2-for-4 and provided what turned into a walk-off single in the 11th inning of Nebraska’s 5-4 upset victory over 11th-ranked Texas on Saturday.

Porter’s numbers have also been solid during the recent run. She has seven hits and seven RBIs in her last seven games after recording only six hits in her last 15 games and a total of five RBIs over her last 24 games.

Porter and Waldecker entered the season as the Huskers’ most experienced hitters and they also ranked 1-2 among this year’s roster for highest career batting averages in Big 12 play. Both returning All-Big 12 performers, Porter and Waldecker were a combined 2-for-31 (.065) with no RBIs through the first seven conference games of the season. Over their last four league games, the duo is a combined 9-for-24 (.375) with six RBIs.

Nebraska vs. Ranked Teams
Nebraska has played a challenging schedule in 2007 and the Huskers have been respectable against the best competition, posting a 6-5 record against ranked teams, while going 26-8 against foes outside of the top 25. Seven of the 11 games - and four of the six wins - have been decided by one run, with seven games coming down to the winning teams’ last at bat.

Half of the 11 contests have gone extra-innings, including a 5-4 win over No. 11 Texas last Saturday. NU, which had won four of its first five games against ranked foes this season, led in each of its first five games, but has lost four of its last six, with each contest coming against a top-20 team.

In their six wins, the Huskers have produced the game-winning run in the seventh inning once, in the eighth inning twice and in the 11th inning once.

Husker Hurlers Excelling Against Ranked Teams
While Nebraska is 6-5 against ranked teams, the pitching staff has been stellar against ranked competition, compiling a 0.86 ERA. Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr and sophomore right-hander Molly Hill have combined to allow just 10 earned runs in 81.2 innings, as they have thrown three shutouts, while not allowing an earned run through seven innings in a total of six contests. The numbers were even more astounding before No. 17 Baylor scored five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in posting two victories.

NU has held three of its 11 top-25 foes to two hits or less, including No. 4 Texas A&M, which was no-hit through 7.1 innings before converting its first and only hit into the game’s lone run in a 1-0 eight-inning victory.

In a loss to No. 24 Florida State, DeBuhr was two outs away from tossing her third straight two-hit shutout against a ranked foe. Before giving up back-to-back ninth-inning homers to FSU, DeBuhr had thrown 23.1 scoreless innings against top-25 opponents, including two international tie-breaker frames where a runner was placed on second to begin the inning. She had also allowed just six hits in those 23 innings. DeBuhr is now 4-3 with a 0.75 ERA against ranked teams this season. A native of Beatrice, Neb., DeBuhr has stymied opposing hitters, holding them to a meager .142 average while striking out 51.

Pascale and Rutherford Riding Hit Streaks
Sophomore Brittany Pascale is currently engaged in a career-high four-game hit streak, while fellow sophomore Darcy Rutherford has hit in three consecutive contests, one shy of her career high.

Pascale is 6-for-11 (.545) during her current hit streak and has added a run scored and two RBIs, while recording her first career stolen base.

Rutherford has hit safely in each of the Huskers last three games, making her first three starts since April 1. In her current stretch, Rutherford is 3-for-7 (.429) with a pair of walks, a run scored and her third career RBI.

Both Pascale and Rutherford are each hitting .429 during the Huskers’ current seven-game win streak.