Young Husker Team Makes Strides in 2007

The 2007 Nebraska softball team finished with a 37-20 record while earning the program’s 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Huskers finished fifth with a 10-8 record in a highly competitive Big 12 Conference that featured six NCAA Tournament qualifiers and five ranked teams, including three among the top 11.

Nebraska’s 37 wins in 2007 kept alive the program’s streak of 10 consecutive seasons with at least 35 victories. The Huskers were also just three wins away from becoming the sixth NU team since 2000 to win 40 games. With a young squad that featured 10 freshmen and sophomores among its 15 players, Nebraska struggled through some early-season growing pains that left NU with a record of just 8-7 in early March before the Huskers began to find their stride by winning 28 of their next 34 games, including a season-high 12-game win streak and two separate seven-game win streaks.

Even with the improvement that propelled the Huskers to a fifth-place Big 12 finish which secured NU’s claim as the only league school without a losing season in Big 12 history, Nebraska suffered losses it felt it should have won.

NU’s season ended with three postseason losses, one at the Big 12 Championship and two at Bowlin Stadium in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers’ had the lead late in each of those games but were unable to hold on for the win, an all-too-common theme for the young NU squad.

Half of Nebraska’s 20 losses came by just a single run, while the Huskers led in 47 of their 57 games. NU also lost twice when leading with two outs in the bottom of the seventh after not losing when leading after six innings for more than three years.

Despite some frustrating losses, 2007 was another successful season in the annals of Nebraska softball. Among the many highlights of the 2007 season were NU’s:

• 10th consecutive season with at least 35 victories
• 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance
• 12th consecutive .500 or better Big 12 record
• Big 12 Conference team strikeout leader
• Big 12 Conference individual ERA leader
• New four-year home victories record
• Fourth home regional at Bowlin Stadium in the last five seasons
• Four All-Big 12 honorees
• Three academic All-Big 12 honorees
• Drawing 10,000 fans to Bowlin Stadium for the sixth consecutive season

While the above highlights give fans a quick glimpse at the successes of the 2007 Huskers, they provide only a snapshot of NU’s season. What follows ia a more in-depth look at the accomplishments of the 2007 Nebraska softball team.

Home Cooking
Nebraska was a tough team to beat at Bowlin Stadium in 2007, as it finished with an 18-5 record one season after posting a 20-1 mark at home. Contrastly, NU was just 5-9 on the road, but each of the Huskers’ nine road losses came against teams ranked in the top 25 of the USA Today/NFCA Coaches polL

NU Posts 35th Win for 10th Straight Year
Nebraska picked up its 35th win of the year against Oklahoma State on April 28, marking the 10th consecutive season the Huskers have won at least 35 games in a season. NU was just three victories shy of reaching the 40-win plateau for the third time in the last four years and the sixth time since 2000.

Huskers Post Winning Record in Big 12 Play
With a split at 25th-ranked Missouri on May 6 and 7, Nebraska finished Big 12 Conference play with a 10-8 record. The Huskers are the only team in the history of the league that has never have posted a losing conference record and NU has recorded at least 10 victories in 11 of the league’s 12 seasons. The lone exception was in 2005, when Nebraska finished 9-9.

Husker Hurlers Lead League in Strikeouts
The Nebraska pitching staff led the Big 12 Conference with 455 strikeouts in 2007 and NU was the only league team to average at least eight strikeouts per seven innings. The 2007 Huskers - who posted the fourth-highest single-season strikeout total in school history - are just the third NU staff to lead the Big 12 in strikeouts since the inception of the conference in 1996 and the first since 2004.

Individually, senior Ashley DeBuhr ranked second in the league with 268 strikeouts, while sophomore Molly Hill ranked eighth with 175.

Hill Leads League in ERA
Sophomore Molly Hill led the Big 12 Conference with a 1.05 ERA in 2007, becoming the first Husker to lead the league in ERA since 2004 when Peaches James earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Year and All-America honors. Hill also became just the fourth underclassmen to post the league’s best ERA since the Big 12 was formed in 1996 and the first since four-time All-American, three-time National Player of the Year and Olympic gold medalist Cat Ostermann in 2003. Hill’s 1.05 ERA also ranked ninth nationally.

Senior Class Sets School-Best Mark
Despite an 0-2 home showing in the NCAA Tournament, the 2007 senior class posted a 61-19 career home record, including a 38-6 mark the past two seasons. The 61 home wins are the most in a four-year period by one class, eclipsing the previous total of 59 from 1998 to 2001.

Hupp & The Home Run
Freshman Alex Hupp came off the bench to go 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs at No. 4 Oklahoma on April 21. The home run was her second of the year, making her just the second freshman since 2002 to hit more than one home run in her debut season. Crystal Carwile is the only other player to accomplish the feat in the last five years, as she hit a team-leading 12 home runs as a freshman in 2006.

Consistency in the Circle
Pitching was undoubtedly Nebraska’s strength in 2007, as the Huskers ranked second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally with a 1.41 staff ERA. The staff showed remarkable consistency in the circle this season, allowing one earned run or less in 39 of the Huskers’ 57 games (68 percent).

The Huskers allowed one earned run or less in 34 of their last 42 games, with sophomore Molly Hill accomplishing the feat in 21 of her last 23 starts and senior Ashley DeBuhr posting one earned run or less in 13 of her last 19 starts.

DeBuhr Climbs Strikeout Charts
Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr finished her final season with 268 strikeouts to become just the second pitcher in school history to post three 200-strikeout seasons in a career. The only other pitcher to accomplish the feat was former All-American Leigh Ann Walker, who struck out at least 200 batters from 2000 to 2002.

The only Husker pitcher to post more than one 300-strikeout season, DeBuhr also eclipsed the 700-, 800- and 900-strikeout plateaus in 2007 to become just the second NU pitcher ever to record 900 career strikeouts. She ended a stellar career with 936 strikeouts, good for second in school history and just nine shy of Peaches’ James school-record total of 945.

Porter Sets School Record
Senior Devin Porter was hit by a pitch in game two of an April 1 doubleheader with Texas Tech, giving Porter 18 in her career, breaking the previous school record of 17, set by Trisha Tannahill just last season. Porter increased her career total to 22 hit-by-pitches.

Porter wasn’t the only Husker with a high hit-by-pitch total, as Nebraska set a new school record by being hit by 39 pitches in 2007.

Sophomores Step Up
Sophomores Meghan Mullin and Molly Hill led Nebraska in batting average and ERA, respectively, in 2007 to become just the third pair of underclassmen in the last 10 seasons to lead NU in average and ERA in the same year (1997 & 2003 were the other seasons). A pair of sophomores had not led the Huskers in both categories in the same year since Lori Sippel and Margie Ogrodowicz last accomplished the feat in 1986.

Mullin became the first sophomore to lead the team in average since All-American Anne Steffan in 2003.

Double Trouble
Nebraska turned in another solid season defensively, finishing fourh in the Big 12 Conference with a .968 fielding percentage. In addition to the high fielding percentage, the Huskers turned 19 double plays in 2007, their highest total since the 2004 season.

Bowlin Stadium Sees 100th Game
Nebraska’s dramatic 4-3 eight-inning, come-from-behind victory in game one of a March 27 doubleheader with Drake was not only an exciting game to watch, but it also marked the Huskers’ 100th game at Bowlin Stadium, which opened prior to the 2002 season. NU boasts an 84-31 all-time record at Bowlin Stadium.

A Consistent Winning Combination
Nebraska’s homegrown pitching duo of senior Ashley DeBuhr and sophomore Molly Hill each posted at least 17 victories for the second straight season. DeBuhr - who won at least 10 games for three consecutive seasons - won 18 games in 2007, while Hill - who won 18 games as a freshman last season - boasted 17 wins.

With both pitchers reaching double-figures in wins, it marked only the second time in the Big 12 era - dating back to the 1996 season - that the same pair of Husker pitchers each posted 10 or more victories in consecutive seasons.

DeBuhr and Hill join exclusive company, as Jenny Voss and Leigh Ann Walker accomplished the feat in 1999-2000 and Walker teamed with Peaches James to accomplish the feat in 2000-01. Voss, Walker and James were each a first- or second-team All-American hurler for the Huskers.

Oh, So Close
While Nebraska posted a solid 37-20 record against a tough schedule that featured 23 games against opponents that appeared in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll at least once this season, the Huskers came very close to posting an outstanding record.

Half of lost the Huskers’ 20 losses were by just one run and NU dropped nine contests when they led after the third inning, including each of their three postseason losses. Overall, Nebraska had a lead in 47 of its 57 games this season, despite being shut out seven times.

Let’s Play Extras
After going to extra innings just five times in 56 games a year ago, Nebraska played five extra-inning contests through the first 26 games of the 2007 season. The Huskers were a perfect 5-0 in extra innings last season and went 6-2 in 2007 after defeating Texas, 5-4, on April 14 in an 11-inning contest that marked NU’s longest game since April of 2003.

Nebraska had won eight consecutive extra-inning affairs before falling to No. 20 Florida State on Feb. 23 and had won three straight after that setback before losing at fourth-ranked Texas A&M.

A big reason for Nebraska’s success in extra-innings - especially in 2007 - has been the work of the pitching staff. The Husker hurlers threw a total of 13 extra frames in 2007, with 10 of the 13 innings subject to the international tie-breaker rule, where a runner is automatically placed on second to start the inning. In those 10 innings, NU allowed the runner placed on second to score only twice. Overall, NU allowed just five runs in extra innings all season.

Four Huskers Earn All-Big 12 Honors
Senior Ashley DeBuhr was selected to the 2007 All-Big 12 first team, while Husker sophomores Molly Hill, Haley Long and Crystal Carwile were second-team selections.

DeBuhr earned her second straight appearance on the first team and ended her career as a three-time All-Big 12 selection after earning second-team honors as a sophomore in 2005. DeBuhr went 18-11 with a 1.65 ERA and ranked second in the league with 268 strikeouts.

Hill joined DeBuhr as an All-Big 12 pitcher, earning the first All-Big 12 award of her career. Hill led the league with an overall ERA of 1.05, while compiling a 17-9 record. A right-hander from Wayne, Neb., Hill finished Big 12 play with a 5-3 record and a 1.24 ERA that ranked fourth in the conference.

With DeBuhr and Hill both earning spots on the all-conference teams, it extended the Huskers’ league-leading streak to 11 consecutive seasons with at least one pitcher earning All-Big 12 accolades. It also marked the first time since 2002 that Nebraska had more than one pitcher earn all-conference honors. That season NU boasted two All-Americans - one current and one future - in Leigh Ann Walker and Peaches James.

While the pitchers headlined Nebraska’s All-Big 12 selections, a pair of underclassmen were selected for their work with the bat. Carwile earned second-team honors for the second consecutive season after posting a .289 average with 14 doubles, three home runs and 27 RBIs. Her 14 doubles ranked fourth in the league, while her six doubles in conference action tied for the Big 12 lead.

Long, who completed in her first season at the Division I level, joined Hill as a first-time honoree. Long batted .272 in 2007, but she led all NU starters with a .271 average during league play while also stealing a team-high two bases. Long also recorded four multi-hit games during Big 12 play while striking out only six times.

Nebraska’s four selections were tied for the third-most among all schools. Oklahoma led the league with seven selections, while regular-season champion Baylor had six honorees. The Huskers, who featured 10 combined freshmen and sophomores on their 15-player 2007 roster, had three underclassmen selected, which tied the Sooners for tops in the league.

Three Huskers Named to Academic All-Big 12 Team
Senior Jaime Borg and sophomores Molly Hill and Meghan Mullin were each named to the academic All-Big 12 first team.

A Lincoln native, Borg earned her degree in nutrition, fitness and health promotion before completing her eligibility on the field. The 2005-06 Julie Geis Memorial Scholarship recipient, Borg set career-high numbers across the board in 2007, including a .250 average, four hits, 12 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Hill was the lone Husker to earn a spot on both the All-Big 12 and academic All-Big 12 squads. Hill carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in Speech Language Pathology and was awarded the 2006-07 Julie Geis Memorial Scholarship. Also a first-team academic All-District VII honoree, Hill excelled on the field where she led the league with an overall ERA of 1.05 that also ranked ninth nationally, while compiling a 17-9 record.

Rounding out the honorees was Mullin, an outfielder from Mesa, Ariz. A history major, Mullin was named to the first team in her first season of eligibility. She started all 57 games for Nebraska in 2007, while leading the team with a .318 average, 55 hits and 12 stolen bases.

To qualify as an academic All-Big 12 selection, student-athletes must keep a 3.00 GPA or higher and must have participated in 60 percent of the team’s scheduled contests.

Huskers Earn Spots on Honor Roll
The Nebraska softball team was well represented on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall 2006 Honor Roll, with a total of 10 current and former players earning a spot on the list.

Sophomore pitcher Molly Hill and former Husker KoKo Tacha highlighted the list by posting a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. To be eligible for the honor roll, student-athletes must have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher. In all, 270 Nebraska student-athletes were honored, including 33 with a 4.0 GPA.

Tacha made the list for a ninth time, as she has been named to the honor roll every semester. Senior Jaime Borg earned a spot on the list for the seventh time in seven semesters, while Hill and fellow sophomore Meghan Mullin each made it a perfect 3-for-3. Other repeat selections included senior Ashley DeBuhr (fourth honor) and former Husker Jessica Yoachim (eighth selection), who is in her fifth year at Nebraska after earning an undergraduate degree in communication studies in May of 2006.

Newcomers to the honor roll were freshmen Alex Hupp, sophomores Brittany Pascale and Darcy Rutherford and senior Jamie Waldecker.

Tough Schedule
Nebraska has grown accustomed to playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation and 2007 was no exception. NU played a total of 15 games against teams that earned 2007 NCAA Tournament bids, including nine games against Super Regional foes and seven contests against squads that advanced to the Women’s College World Series.

The Huskers had the added challenge of facing the top competition on the road. Of the nine games against teams advancing to the round of 16, six came on the road while the other three were at neutral sites. NU’s seven games against WCWS foes included six road contests and one neutral site game.

Overall, Nebraska played a total of 23 contests against teams that made an appearance in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll at some point this year. In the final poll, Nebraska played seven games against the top seven teams and a total of 16 games against ranked teams and six more against squads receiving votes.

Revelle Nears 600th Wins
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle boasts a career record of 598-311, including a 590-295 mark at Nebraska. Already the first women’s coach of any sport in school history with 500 career wins, Revelle ranks third all-time among all coaches in NU history with her 590 wins at Nebraska.

Revelle Earns Trailblazer Award
Nebraska Senior Woman Administrator and Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was selected as the recipient of the 2007 Dr. Barbara Hibner Trailblazer Award.

The award began in 2000 to honor outstanding support and generous contributions to women’s athletics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was renamed in March in honor of Dr. Barbara Hibner, who was a valuable member of the Husker Athletic Department for 28 years before passing away on March 7, 2007.

A native of Eugene, Ore., Revelle completed her 15th season as Head Coach and her second year as Senior Woman Administrator in 2007. Revelle was a pitcher for the Huskers from 1981 to 1983 and helped lead NU to the inaugural Women’s College World Series in 1982.

She graduated from Nebraska with degrees in physical education and health in 1984. Before returning to Lincoln to become head coach of her alma mater in 1993, Revelle spent four years as an assistant coach at San Jose State University in California, where she earned a master’s degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management.

As NU’s head coach, Revelle has rejuvenated the Husker softball program and returned it to one of the premiere programs in the country.

In the process, Revelle became the first female coach in Nebraska history to record 500 career victories and 500 wins at Nebraska.

Revelle’s impact on softball and in women’s athletics is not limited to Nebraska. Revelle is the only coach in the Big 12 Conference with a dual administrative and coaching role, while she also serves as president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Off the field, Revelle has been an active member of the community. In 2006, she served as chairperson of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night campaign. That same year she was also chairperson for the Downtown YMCA Strong Kids campaign. A selfless promoter of the YMCA and its goals, Revelle has served on several YMCA campaigns and was named the 2003 Downtown YMCA Co-Volunteer of the Year.

In 2004, Revelle headlined the most successful United Way Combined Campaign at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Revelle has also been honored by her alma mater, as she is a member of the University of Nebraska Cather Circle and was a 2001 UNL "Emerging Leaders" Instructor.