Huskers Wrap Up Road Trip with Midweek Matchups

The Nebraska softball team hopes to continue its recent success this week, when the Huskers wrap up a five-game road trip with midweek games at Kansas on Wednesday and at Iowa State on Thursday.

The Huskers have been impressive the past two weeks while winning seven of their last eight games, including four straight. The strong play began following a disappointing opening weekend of Big 12 play, when the Huskers were swept in a two-game road series against a Texas squad that has since climbed into the top 15 of the national rankings and sits in second place in the Big 12 standings with a 7-1 league record.

Nebraska found its footing during a six-game homestand the following week. The homestand did not begin well, however, as Drake rallied from a 2-0 deficit with two outs in the seventh inning to post a 4-3 eight-inning victory. But the Huskers shut out the Bulldogs in the nightcap before sweeping a doubleheader from South Dakota State the next day by a combined score of 14-3.

The Huskers then fell to 0-3 in conference play when 18th-ranked Texas A&M scored five times in the sixth inning to rally for a 6-3 win. In game two, Nebraska turned the tables on the Aggies, scoring six times in the sixth inning to rally for an 8-3 victory.

The 4-2 record marked the Huskers’ second best week of the season. Nebraska improved upon that by posting its first perfect week of the year last week, while putting an end to several streaks. The Huskers snapped a 12-game losing streak in true road games with a 4-3 victory at Creighton last Wednesday. Nebraska then traveled to Texas Tech and swept the Red Raiders in a two-game conference series.

In game one, Nebraska rallied from a 1-0 deficit by scoring once in the sixth and twice in the seventh in a 3-2 win. Then in game two, the Huskers blanked Tech by a score of 2-0. The sweep was Nebraska’s first road sweep in Big 12 play since 2006 and was only the Huskers’ second overall sweep of a Big 12 opponent in the past three seasons.

On the strength of their play over the past two weeks, the Huskers enter action this week with a 24-17 record and a 3-3 mark in league play. While winning seven of its last eight games, Nebraska has put together some impressive statistics.

During that stretch, the Huskers are batting .330 as a team with a .489 slugging percentage. NU is averaging nearly five runs per game and has homered seven times, including four homers from junior Heidi Foland and two home runs from freshman Brooke Thomason.

But the biggest improvement has come in the circle. Nebraska has posted a 1.12 ERA over the past eight games. Opponents are hitting just .136 against the Huskers, having collected only 26 hits in 56.0 innings. Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann is 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA and a pair of shutouts during that stretch, while junior right-hander Robin Mackin is 3-1 with a 0.85 ERA.

Scouting the Kansas Jayhawks (17-22 Overall, 1-7 Big 12)
Kansas is 17-22 on the season, as the Jayhawks are the only Big 12 team with a losing record. The Jayhawks, under the direction of first-year head coach Megan Smith, are just 1-7 in conference play. The lone victory came on Sunday, when KU upset No. 23 Baylor, 2-1, in Waco. That loss snapped a five-game losing streak for Kansas, which has lost seven of its last 10. The Jayhawks are 4-4 at home this season, but 0-2 in conference games.

Nebraska and Kansas share two common conference opponents this season in Texas and Texas A&M. The Huskers posted a 1-3 record against those two schools, while Kansas went 0-4, including being outscored 22-5 by the Aggies and 13-2 by the Longhorns. The Jayhawks are last in the Big 12 in batting average and ERA overall and in conference-only games.

Offensively, Kansas is batting .249 and is averaging 3.6 runs per game. In Big 12 play, the Jayhawks are hitting just .167 but they have homered six times in eight games, the third-highest total in the league. KU’s regular lineup features four freshmen and two sophomores. Freshmen own the top four batting averages on the team. Rosie Hull leads KU with a .386 average, but only one of her 39 hits has gone for extra-bases. Alex Jones is the only other Jayhawk above .300, as she is batting .344 with a league-high three triples. Sara Ramirez leads the team with six home runs, while Brittany Hile has driven in a team-high 23 runs.

In the circle, Kansas boasts a staff ERA of 4.38, while opposing hitters are batting .311 against the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks’ ERA is 1.38 higher than that of any other Big 12 team, while their opponent batting average is .064 higher than any other conference school. In Big 12 play, those totals have risen to a 6.76 ERA and a .362 opponent batting average. KU uses a three-pitcher rotation. Jones is 5-5 on the year with a team-low 3.90 ERA in 66.1 innings. Allie Clark is 6-5 with a 3.93 ERA in 87.1 innings, while Sarah Vertelka is 6-12 with a 5.12 ERA in a team-high 94.1 innings. But in Big 12 play, Vertelka has started only one game and she is 0-3 with a 7.13 ERA.

Husker History vs. Kansas
Kansas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 55-49. The Huskers have played more games against the Jayhawks than any other team except in-state rival Creighton. The series has gone back-and-forth recently, as neither team has won more than two straight games since the Huskers won four in a row from 2001 to 2002. Nebraska has won three of the past five meetings, but the teams split a doubleheader in Lawrence last season. Since Arrocha Ballpark opened in 2004, NU has posted a 6-1 record on the road against Kansas in conference play, with the lone loss coming last season. The Huskers are 16-19 all-time in Lawrence. Husker Head Coach Rhonda Revelle is 30-25 against Kansas in her career.

The Huskers and Jayhawks split a doubleheader in Lawrence last season, with Nebraska winning 4-0 in game one, before Kansas came back from a 1-0 deficit to score twice in the bottom of the seventh and earn a 2-1 walk-off victory in game two. In the first game, Nebraska’s four-run victory was the largest margin of victory for either team in a conference matchup since a 7-3 Husker win in Lawrence in 2005. Molly Hill tossed a two-hit shutout and Nebraska scored four runs on eight hits, including RBIs from three players.

In game two, Hill got the start and tossed 6.0 scoreless innings. She was removed in the bottom of the seventh, but re-entered and gave up the game-winning single with one out, although the loss was charged to Ashley Hagemann. Nebraska was just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the game.

Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones (22-19 Overall, 1-5 Big 12)
Iowa State returned every starter from last year’s team that finished 26-29 overall and 7-11 in Big 12 play. With a veteran lineup, the Cyclones are 22-19 this season and 1-5 in conference action, although four of Iowa State’s six league games have come against No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Oklahoma.

The Huskers and Cyclones share two common opponents over the last three weeks. Iowa State opened Big 12 play with a split at Texas Tech, while the Huskers swept the Red Raiders last weekend. In non-conference play, ISU lost both games to Drake last week, while the Huskers and Bulldogs split a doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium on March 30.

Iowa State is ninth in the Big 12 in both batting average and ERA. The Cyclones have scored the second-fewest runs of any conference team, while allowing the second most. Offensively, ISU is averaging 4.0 runs per game. The Cyclones are batting .281 as a team and have stolen 44 bases in only 56 attempts. In Big 12 play, Iowa State is batting just .209 and averaging only 2.0 runs per game.

Four Cyclone regulars are hitting at least .300, led by Heidi Kidwell. Kidwell is batting .364, as her 52 hits are tied with NU’s Heidi Foland for the league lead. None of the four .300 hitters have homered this season, as Iowa State has only 16 home runs as a team. Alex Johnson is Iowa State’s top slugger as she has driven in a team-high 24 runs, while tying for the team lead with seven doubles, two triples and four homers.

In the circle, Iowa State owns a 2.97 ERA. The Cyclones have been consistent, as they boast a 3.20 ERA in Big 12 play, despite facing Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, who rank third, fourth and fifth in the league in total runs scored this season. Rachel Zabriskie is 18-11 on the season with a 2.25 ERA. She has thrown more than half of the team’s innings, striking out 213 in 180.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .214 against her, but she has given up 29 home runs. In Big 12 play, Zabriskie has thrown all but 4.0 innings for the Cyclones, posting a 1-4 record with a 3.17 ERA. Freshman Tori Torrescano has been ISU’s No. 2 pitcher, as she is 4-5 on the year with a 3.80 ERA in 66.1 innings. Lauren Kennewell (0-3, 4.70 ERA in 22.1 innings) rounds out the staff, although two other Cyclones have thrown 1.0 inning each on the season.

Husker History vs. Iowa State
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Iowa State, 64-17. The Huskers have won 19 of the last 22 meetings, but the teams have split the season series the past two years. Husker Head Coach Rhonda Revelle is 35-10 in her career against Iowa State and owns a 5-3 advantage over fifth-year Iowa State Head Coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. Nebraska is 21-7 all-time in Ames, including a 10-0 five-inning victory last season. Iowa State won last year’s meeting in Bowlin Stadium with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory.

In the meeting in Ames last season, Nebraska scored seven runs over the first two innings and cruised to a 10-0 win. A pair of current Huskers homered in the victory, including a three-run shot from Jamie Gay and a two-run homer from Julie Brechtel. Brechtel finished 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, three runs scored and three RBIs in the win, as the junior is 4-for-5 with four RBIs in two career games at Iowa State. In the circle, Molly Hill and Ashley Hagemann combined on a two-hit shutout.

In game two in Lincoln two days later, Amanda Duran hit a three-run homer four batters into the first inning to put Nebraska on top 3-0. But the Cyclones rallied for one run in the second and three runs in the fourth to post a 4-3 win. Molly Hill took the loss and allowed only one earned run, but all nine Cyclones in the lineup had one hit. Nebraska managed eight hits, but stranded nine runners.

Quick Hitters
The information below provides a quick glimpse of a few statistics and brief notes of interest as the Huskers wrap up a five-game road trip with midweek travels to Kansas and Iowa State:

• The Huskers are 456-218 (.677) all-time in the month of April, including a 4-1 mark this April and an 8-8 record last April.
• Nebraska is just 2-6 this season in one-run games, but has won its last two one-run decisions.
• Nebraska tied the school record by turning three double plays at No. 10 Arizona State on March 14.
• The Husker offense has produced at least 10 hits in five of the last eight games. Overall, Nebraska has produced 13 double-digit hit totals this season.
• Nebraska has produced at least 10 hits in two of its last three Big 12 games. Last year, the Huskers never had more than nine hits in a conference game.
• Junior second baseman Julie Brechtel has not committed an error in 34 straight games, as she is perfect in 100 chances this season. The 34-game errorless streak is the longest streak of Brechtel’s career, eclipsing a 32-game errorless streak last season. Overall, Brechtel has posted five separate 10-game stretches without an error in her career.
• Junior Heidi Foland has already homered 12 times this season, good for eighth place on the Husker season chart. With her next home run, Foland would become the first Husker to homer 13 times in a season since 2000.

Husker Pitchers Coming on Strong
The Nebraska pitching staff has been impressive over the past two weeks. After posting a 17-15 record and a 3.11 ERA over the first six weeks of the season, the staff has gone 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA over the past two weeks. The Huskers have also seen the opponent’s batting average drop nearly .100 over the past two weeks, while the staff is allowing nearly half as many home runs per game (0.84-to-0.44) and 1.06 fewer walks per game (3.79-to-2.73). During the last two weeks, the staff has also increased its strikeouts-per-seven innings average from 7.99 to 8.75.

Individually, sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann is 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA over the past two weeks. She has thrown a shutout in two of her three starts, while adding a pair of saves and 36 strikeouts in only 29.1 innings. Opponents are batting just .126 against Hagemann. Junior right-hander Robin Mackin has started six games the past two weeks and is 3-2 with a 1.50 ERA in 32.2 innings. Despite those solid numbers, Mackin was even better last week when the Husker coaching staff kept her on a pitch count. Last week, Mackin started all three games and went 2-0 with a 0.49 ERA. In 14.1 innings, she struck out 15 and allowed only five hits.

Husker Power
Husker Power been on full display this season, as Nebraska has produced impressive extra-base hit totals despite losing six regulars from last year’s lineup. The Huskers lost three of their top five doubles totals and four of their top six home run totals from last season, but have already produced more triples than they did in 2009, while needing only four doubles and two home runs to equal last year’s totals in those categories.

In 41 games, Nebraska has produced a total of 86 extra-base hits this season, including 54 doubles, three triples and 29 home runs. The 86 extra-base hits are just five shy of last year’s 54-game total and are already more than the 2007 and 2008 season totals. Overall, the Huskers are on pace to finish with 100 extra-base hits for only the second time since 2004, as the 86 extra-base hits are already the 11th-highest total in the 35-year history of the program.

NU is averaging 2.05 extra-base hits per game, a total that would rank fifth in school history. A Husker team has not averaged 2.00 extra-base hits per game in a full season since 1998 (2.15). Fueling the total has been Nebraska’s propensity for doubles this season.

The Huskers have hit 54 doubles in only 41 games this year, an average of 1.3 doubles per game. Not counting postseason play, NU is on pace to hit 75 doubles, a total that would rank third in school history. Nebraska has not hit 60 doubles in a season since 2003 and hasn’t recorded 70 doubles in a season since 2001.

Individually, junior Heidi Foland already is tied for eighth on the Husker season charts with 12 home runs this season, while sophomore Ashley Guile is tied for 10th with 12 doubles.

Tough at the Top
Nebraska’s primary No. 1-5 hitters in the lineup ? Heidi Foland, Nikki Haget, Ashley Guile, Julie Brechtel and Brooke Thomason ? are batting a combined .361 (211-for-585) with 37 doubles, one triple, 24 home runs, 120 RBIs and 118 runs scored. Collectively, the group boasts a .560 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. Each of the five players have at least 35 hits this season, while no other Husker has more than 19, and all five players have at least 23 RBIs, while no other Husker has more than 11. The group is averaging 5.1 hits per game, 2.9 RBIs per contest and 3.0 runs per game. Perhaps even more impressive is that the group consists of two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman.

Huskers Hitting Well in Big 12 Play
After hitting just .085 in a two-game series at No. 15 Texas in the opening weekend of Big 12 play, Nebraska has hit .319 over its last four conference games. The Huskers’ conference-only batting average is up to .261, a total that ranks fourth in the league. NU has also totaled 10-or-more hits in two of its last three league games after failing to record more than nine hits during 18 conference games in 2009.

The Huskers have also hit for power during the early portion of the conference slate. Nebraska’s 14 extra-base hits in Big 12 play are part of a four-way tie for second in the league, an impressive statistic considering the Huskers have played only six conference games, while the other teams with 14 extra-base hits have played either seven or eight Big 12 games.

Fourteen of Nebraska’s 40 hits in conference play have gone for extra bases. The Huskers are averaging 2.33 extra-base hits per game in Big 12 play. That total ranks second in the league, as Texas (3.25) is the only other team averaging more than 2.00 extra-base hits per game.

Although Nebraska has only played six conference games this season, the Huskers are already more than halfway to their offensive totals from last season’s entire 18-game league schedule in doubles (10-of-16), home runs (4-of-6) and extra-base hits (14-of-22).