Huskers Return to NFCA Leadoff Classic

The Nebraska softball team heads south again this weekend, as the Huskers travel to Columbus, Ga., for their 14th consecutive appearance in the annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic.

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Nebraska takes a 7-4 record into play this weekend, as the Huskers will be looking to post a winning record in the month of February for the eighth time in the past nine seasons, a noticeable accomplishment considering the Huskers have still not practice outside this season. Since losing the first three games of the year, Nebraska has won seven of its last eight contests. The Huskers’ four losses this season have come by a combined five runs, while Nebraska’s average margin of victory is 4.4 runs per game.

 

Continuing the winning ways will not be easy for the Huskers, as Nebraska faces a challenging five-game schedule at one of the nation’s premier tournaments. Four of the top eight teams in the most recent ESPN.com/USA Softball poll will be at the South Commons Complex this weekend, and Nebraska will face two of those squads. Overall, each of the Huskers’ five opponents this weekend finished with at least a .500 record in 2009.

 

Nebraska opens the tournament on Friday morning against SEC foe Arkansas before facing No. 8 Georgia Tech on Friday evening. The Yellow Jackets won an NCAA Regional last year and have already defeated two ranked teams this season. Georgia Tech is led by All-American Jen Yee, who is familiar with the Huskers, as she was teammates with Nebraska volunteer assistant coach Sheena Lawrick and junior right-hander Robin Mackin at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with Team Canada, coached by NU Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel.

 

The Huskers then seventh-ranked Alabama, which has advanced to the Women’s College World Series in each of the past two seasons and four of the last five years overall. Nebraska closes play on Saturday against Central Florida. On Sunday morning, the Huskers will face ACC foe Virginia Tech, which advanced to the Women’s College World Series as recently as 2008.

 

Nebraska fans can follow all of the games this weekend on Huskers.com, as softball play-by-play veteran Nate Rohr will call all of the action. Live stats and a live chat will also be available on Huskers.com.

 

The Huskers are coming off a 4-1 performance at the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Ala., last weekend. Nebraska showed improvement in all three phases of the game from a 3-3 showing at the season-opening Hotel Encanto Tournament in Las Cruces, N.M.

 

Offensively, the Huskers hit five home runs last week while averaging nearly seven runs per game. In the circle, the Husker staff posted a 1.03 ERA while tossing the first shutout of the season and limiting opposing hitters to a .187 average and 37 strikeouts in 34.0 innings. Defensively, NU posted its first two errorless games of the season, while finishing the weekend with a .966 fielding percentage.

 

Scouting the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4)
Arkansas brings a 5-4 record into Friday morning’s matchup with Nebraska, as the Razorbacks have won three straight under first-year head coach Mike Larabee. Arkansas has already faced one Big 12 team this season, defeating Iowa State, 4-2 on Feb. 14.

 

Arkansas has a lower batting average than its opponents, but 14 homers have helped UA outscore their opponents by eight runs.

Jessica Bachkora paces the offensive attack with a .438 batting average, as she is one of five Razorbacks hitting .333 or better. Bachkora also leads the team with 11 runs scored and five home runs. Miranda Dixon owns a .385 average and has homered three times, while Sandra Smith has been the top run producer with nine RBIs.

 

In the circle, Arkansas has used a four-pitcher rotation. Freshman Hope McLemore is the ace of the staff, as she is 3-1 with a team-low 1.17 ERA in a team-high 24.0 innings. She has tossed one shutout and picked up two saves, while striking out 22 and holding opposing hitters to a .209 average. Layne McGuirt is 2-0 on the season, but owns a 3.27 ERA in 15.0 innings, as opponents are hitting .377 against her. Kim Jones (0-1, 1.97 ERA in 10.2 innings) and Dixon (0-2, 4.20 ERA in 11.2 innings) have also seen action for the Razorbacks.

 

NU leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 2-1, with each meeting coming at Bowlin Stadium in 2007. Nebraska won the first two meetings, before Arkansas avoided a sweep with a 5-4 win in the finale.

 

Scouting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-1)
The Huskers will face their first ranked opponent of the season in Friday’s second game against No. 8 Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets enter play this week with an 8-1 record, as Georgia Tech is coming off its first loss, a 4-1 setback to then-No. 11 Cal. Tech also owns wins over then-No. 3 Florida (3-0) and then-No. 21 Northwestern (9-6).

 

The Yellow Jackets boast a powerful offense and a solid ace in the circle. Tech is batting .322 as a team with 16 doubles and 21 home runs in nine games, as the Yellow Jackets average 7.6 runs per game.

 

All-American Jen Yee paces the offense with a .625 average, as she is 15-for-24 on the season with four homers and 10 RBIs. Yee has struck out only once in 33 plate appearances. Freshman sensation Hope Rush has not only assumed the role of ace pitcher, but she has also brought a big bat to a Tech lineup. Rush has homered four times in her first nine collegiate games, while hitting .379 with 11 RBIs.

 

In the circle, Rush has thrown two shutouts in her first five career starts en route to posting a 5-1 record and a 1.75 ERA. In 36.0 innings, she has struck out 32 and allowed only 26 hits, including only four extra-base hits (1 2B, 3 HRs). Behind Rush is Jessica Coan, who is 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA. In 13.2 innings, Coan has struck out 19 and held opponents to a .130 average, but two of the six hits she has allowed have been home runs. Kristen Adkins (1-0, 5.25 ERA in 9.1 innings) rounds out the Yellow Jacket staff.

 

The all-time series between Nebraska and Georgia Tech is tied 1-1. The Yellow Jackets earned a 1-0 win at the 2004 NFCA Leadoff Classic before NU posted a 9-1 five-inning victory at the 2005 NFCA Leadoff Classic.

 

Scouting the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2)
The Huskers face another ranked team in No. 7 Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide is 7-2 against a tough schedule that has included six games against ranked teams. Alabama went 1-2 in a three-game home series with No. 4 Missouri to open the season. But the Tide has rebounded, winning six in a row, including three victories over then-No. 14 Ohio State last weekend.

Alabama has advanced to the Women’s College World Series in each of the past two seasons. The Crimson Tide features a pair of returning All-Americans in Charlotte Morgan and Kelsi Dunne.

 

Cassie Reilly-Boccia leads the team with a .591 average, as she is 13-for-28 on the year with a team-high two home runs. Kayla Braud is batting .524 with eight runs scored, while Morgan is hitting .333 with a team-high five walks. Jazlyn Lunceford paces the Tide with six RBIs to go along with a .333 average.

 

In the circle, Dunne is 3-2 on the year with both losses coming to Missouri. She owns a 2.30 ERA in 24.1 innings, but her ERA is inflated by a poor start against the Tigers when she allowed four runs (three earned) in only 3.0 innings. Opponents are hitting only .187 against Dunne and she has struck out 38. Freshman Lauren Sewell has been impressive in a No. 2 role, going 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in 13.0 innings. Morgan (1-0, 4.80 ERA in 11.2 innings) and Amanda Locke (1-0, 2.62 ERA in 8.0 innings) round out the Alabama staff.

 

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Alabama, 1-0, as the Huskers won a 3-2 decision over the Crimson Tide en route to winning the 2002 NFCA Leadoff Classic title.

 

Scouting the Central Florida Golden Knights (4-5)
Central Florida owns a 4-5 record heading into play this week. UCF has lost two in a row, but the Golden Knights own a 6-2 victory over then-No. 16 Tennessee. On the Central Florida staff as a first-year assistant coach is former Husker Nicole Trimboli (2001-2004).

 

UCF has been outscored 36-26 on the season, as the Golden Knights have struggled offensively. Central Florida is hitting only .209 as a team and the Golden Knights have homered only once this season, while drawing only 13 walks and striking out 49 times.

 

Morgan Bullard is the only Golden Knight hitting .300, as is hitting exactly .300 with one triple and a team-high five runs scored. Hillary Barrow is batting .259 but leads the team with seven hits and six RBIs while producing the team’s lone home run.

 

In the circle, Central Florida owns a 3.03 ERA. Ashleigh Cole has seen the most action, posting a 2-2 record with a 1.64 ERA in 25.2 innings. She has started four contests and tossed three complete games while striking out 20 and walking only six. Diana Rojas owns a staff-best 1.40 ERA to go along with a 2-0 record, as she has limited opposing hitters to a .164 average in her 15.0 innings. Kristina DeMello (0-3, 3.89 ERA in 18.0 innings), Ashley Schmitt (0-0, 35.00 ERA in 1.0 inning) and Kazandra Holliday (0-0, 42.00 ERA in 0.1 innings) have also made an appearance in the circle this season for the Golden Knights.

 

Nebraska and Central Florida will be meeting for the first time on Saturday.

 

Scouting the Virginia Tech Hokies (4-5)
Nebraska closes play against a Virginia Tech team that advanced to the Women’s College World Series as recently as 2008. The Hokies are 4-5 on the 2010 season, with three of their four wins coming by at least six runs, including a pair of 14-3 run-rule victories. Two of Virginia Tech’s five losses have come to No. 6 Georgia (8-0 and 6-1).

 

Virginia Tech is hitting .291 and has stolen 21 bases in nine games. Defensively, the Hokies have allowed 13 unearned runs, while giving up at least two runs in every game this season.

 

Whitney Davis is the Hokies’ top hitter, as she boasts a .483 average thanks to a team-high 14 hits. Misty Hall is next with a .357 average that includes one home run and seven RBIs. Kristin Graham has produced a team-best eight RBIs to go along with a .345 average, while Courtney Liddle has homered a team-high three times.

 

In the circle, Jasmin Harrell is 3-1 on the season with a 3.12 ERA and has walked only two batters in 24.2 innings. Kenzie Roark has seen the most action behind Harrell, posting a 1-3 record with a 4.44 ERA in 17.1 innings. Kristin Graham has yet to allow an earned run this season in 11.2 innings and has surrendered only five hits, although she is 0-1. Tennessee transfer Ashton Ward (0-0, 9.00 ERA in 4.2 innings) rounds out the Hokie staff.

 

Nebraska earned a 1-0 victory over the Hokies in the 2004 NFCA Leadoff Classic in the only other series meeting.

 

Quick Hitters
The information below provides a quick glimpse of a few statistics and brief notes of interest as the Huskers travel to Columbus, Ga., for the 15th annual NFCA Leadoff Classic.

• The Huskers are 126-72 (.636) all-time in the month of February, including a 7-4 record last season.
• NU has posted a winning month of February in seven of the last eight seasons (3-6 in 2008).
• Under Revelle, Nebraska is 117-69 (.629) in February. She has posted a winning month of February 12 times in 16 seasons (the Huskers did not play a game in February of 1993, Revelle’s first season).
• Junior Robin Mackin enters play this weekend with 97 career hits, including 95 at Fresno State during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. She could reach the 100-hit milestone this weekend.
• Nebraska posted its first two errorless games of the season last weekend at the Tiger Invitational. So far this season, the Huskers are averaging 1.5 errors per game.
• The Huskers have outscored their opponents 11-3 in the fifth inning this season and 13-0 in the sixth.

Foland Continues Trend of Fast Starts
Junior Heidi Foland has been a fast starter in each of her first two seasons as a Husker. That trend has continued into her junior year, as Foland has homered four times in 11 games while producing a .395 average and eight RBIs.

In her career, Foland is a .354 hitter in the month of February, and seven of her 10 career home runs have come during the opening month of the year.

 

Homering Huskers
Nebraska has hit 10 home runs this season, including homers from six players. Junior Heidi Foland is the only Husker with more than one homer this season, as she leads the team with four. As a team, Nebraska is averaging nearly one home run per game.

Below are some Husker home run highlights from the first two weeks of the season:

• The Huskers have hit at least 10 home runs in February for only the fourth time in program history. No Nebraska team has ever homered more than 12 times in the opening month, a mark the Huskers could challenge this weekend.
• Nebraska homered four times against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville last Saturday. Junior Heidi Foland homered twice, while senior Whitney Barrett and junior Julie Brechtel produced their first home runs of the season. The four-homer game marked the first at Nebraska since a 21-1 win over Illinois on Feb. 24, 2006, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. A Husker team has not hit more than four home runs in a game since a five home run performance against Bowling Green on March 13, 1998.
• The Huskers homered in each of their final four games at the season-opening Hotel Encanto Tournament, marking only the second time in four seasons that Nebraska has homered in four straight games.
• Freshmen Gabby Banda and Brooke Thomason each homered the opening weekend, after no freshman homered in 2009. In fact, during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons, a grand total of two freshmen hit home runs. Banda and Thomason are the first pair of freshmen to homer in the same season since Crystal Carwile and Brittany Pascale in 2006. The last time more than two freshmen homered in the same season was when three freshmen (Ali Viola, Jenny Smith and Angela Blackwood) combined for 24 home runs in 1995.

Pitchers Fare Better in Second Weekend
The Husker pitching staff showed strong improvement at the Tiger Invitational last weekend after struggling somewhat at the season-opening Hotel Encanto Tournament. In six games the opening weekend, opponents hit .241 against Nebraska while averaging 4.7 runs per game. In five games last week, the staff lowered those numbers to a .187 batting average and 1.6 runs per game.

 

Junior right-hander Robin Mackin was 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16.1 innings over the opening weekend, which marked her first extensive collegiate action in nearly two years. Last weekend, Mackin tossed three complete games, going 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 20.0 innings.

 

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann saw even more dramatic improvement from week one to week two. Hagemann was 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA the opening weekend, allowing 12 earned runs in only 15.1 innings. Last week, Hagemann tossed the first seven-inning shutout of her career and posted a 2-0 record with a 1.02 ERA. She allowed only two earned runs in 13.2 innings, while holding opposing hitters to a .128 average. Hagemann threw 13.0 scoreless innings to open the tournament, before allowing four runs (two earned) in the bottom of the seventh inning of her final appearance.

 

Guile Piling Up Walks
Sophomore Ashley Guile leads the Big 12 Conference with 13 walks this season in only 11 games. Guile walked seven times in last Friday’s doubleheader with Central Michigan, as she saw only six strikes in eight total plate appearances. Three of those strikes came in her only official at bat of the doubleheader, when she picked up an RBI single on a 3-2 pitch in game two.

 

In the second game, Guile walked four times to tie the Nebraska record for walks in a game. The record was first set by Husker volunteer assistant coach Sheena Lawrick in 2005 and matched last year by Meghan Mullin. The 13 walks have helped Guile post a .610 on-base percentage that also leads the Big 12.

 

As a freshman in 2008, Guile walked 25 times, the highest total by a Husker freshman in 12 years. To date in her career, Guile has walked 38 times, as she averages one walk every 5.5 plate appearances. A native of Olathe, Kan., Guile also owns an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, as she has 14 fewer career strikeouts than walks (38-to-24).

 

Hits Keep Coming for Haget
Sophomore Nikki Haget, who entered this season without a single career at bat, has been a hitting machine at the top of the Husker order. She leads the team with a .455 batting average, six multi-hit games and a current nine-game hitting streak.

 

Haget has been even better over the last nine games since she moved to the No. 2 spot in the batting order. Since finding a home batting second, Haget has gone 15-for-31 (.484), hitting safely in every game while scoring 10 runs and producing one double, one walk, three stolen bases and four RBIs, including three with two outs.

 

Haget has produced six multi-hit efforts during her current nine-game hitting streak, including a streak of five consecutive two-hit games. That streak was the longest by a Husker since Anne Steffan had multi-hit streaks of eight and six games during her All-American senior season in 2005. Haget’s five-game multi-hit streak was the longest by a Husker sophomore since at least 1995, when individual game-by-game statistics first became available.

 

Huskers Strong in Late Innings
Nebraska has not only started games fast this season, scoring seven times in the first inning en route to outscoring its opponents 11-4, but the Huskers have been terrific in the fifth and sixth innings. The Huskers have outscored their opponents 24-3 over the fifth in sixth innings, including 13-0 in the sixth inning. Most of those runs have been huge in helping the Huskers earn or secure a victory.

 

Nebraska trailed 6-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning against Penn State on Feb. 14, but scored six times to rally for an 11-6 win. In the next game, Nebraska trailed 1-0 heading to the fifth inning against Central Michigan before rallying for two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to capture a 4-1 victory. The Huskers also broke a scoreless tie in game two against the Chippewas with four runs in the fifth inning and one more in the sixth. In the next game against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the Huskers scored three times in the fifth inning for what proved to be the game-winning runs. In the final game last week, Nebraska broke a 1-1 tie with one run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth during a 5-1 victory over Ohio.

 

Hupp Posts Big Week
Senior Alex Hupp produced an excellent weekend while starting all five games at the Tiger Invitational in Auburn, Ala., last weekend. Hupp finished 5-for-14 (.357) with one double, one triple, one stolen base, three runs scored and four RBIs. She began the tournament with a pair of two-hit, two-RBI games in a doubleheader against Central Michigan. On the weekend, Hupp set or tied her career bests in hits, hitting streak, doubles and triples.

 

On the strength of her big weekend, Hupp is already eclipsing some of her season totals from her first three years in the program. Her six hits are three more than she had in 2008 and just one shy of last year’s total, while her triple against Central Michigan was the first of her career. Hupp has also been hit by a career-high-tying four pitches this season, while she is only five RBIs and three runs away from matching her career high in each category.