Huskers Host South Dakota in Wednesday Home Opener

After playing its first 21 games away from home, the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team welcomes South Dakota to Bowlin Stadium for a Wednesday doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

The Huskers (19-2) take a seven-game winning streak into game one, while the Coyotes (9-8) have won five straight. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting the Bowlin Stadium ticket office on game day, located at the main entrance behind home plate, or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or visiting Huskers.com. Fans unable to make it out to the ballpark for the home opener can follow all of the action online, as Nate Rohr will have the radio call on Huskers.com.

Nebraska has won five straight home openers and extending that streak to six straight wins would give Head Coach Rhonda Revelle her historic 700th win at Nebraska. With a perfect 5-0 weekend at the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla., last weekend, Revelle stands at 699 wins in her 19 seasons at Nebraska. Former baseball coach John Sanders is the only coach to win 700 games as a Husker.

A win would also add to Nebraska's seven-game winning streak and continue to build on the best start in school history. At 19-2, the 2011 Huskers own two more wins than any other team in program history through 21 games. In addition to the seven-game win streak, the Huskers have won 17 of their last 18 games since a loss to then-No. 1 Arizona in the third game of the season. During the streak, Nebraska has won four straight games against ranked teams, including two straight against top-10 opponents.

The latest victory over a top-10 foe came last Saturday and highlighted the Huskers' perfect weekend. After defeating a pair of 2010 NCAA Tournament teams on Friday, Nebraska squared off with No. 1 Florida on Saturday night. Freshman Taylor Edwards produced the game's only run with an RBI single three batters into the game, and Nebraska won its first game ever against a No. 1 team. While Edwards provided the offense, the story of the game was the effort of junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann.

Hagemann took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against a powerful Gator squad that had defeated Ball State, 21-0, in five innings immediately before facing the Huskers. Hagemann finished with a two-hit shutout, marking her second straight shutout against a top-10 team. Hagemann also tossed a one-hit shutout against then-No. 10 Hawaii.

An Elkhorn native, Hagemann has been dominant this season. Hagemann was the first pitcher in the country to reach 10 wins in 2011, and she is 14-1 on the year with a 1.21 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 86.2 innings. Hagemann has won 13 consecutive decisions and has posted a 0.83 ERA during that stretch.

Offensively, Taylor Edwards leads NU with a .422 average, six doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBIs in only 64 at bats. Junior Nikki Haget is batting .409 and has scored 25 runs.

Scouting the South Dakota Coyotes (9-8)
South Dakota brings a five-game winning streak into Wednesday's doubleheader and a 9-8 overall record. The Coyotes have not lost since a 3-0 defeat to Robert Morris on March 9. Nebraska and South Dakota share one common opponent in La Salle. The Huskers defeated the Explorers 9-0 in five innings last weekend, while the Coyotes earned a 6-2 win over La Salle to begin their current win streak on March 9.

South Dakota is averaging 4.2 runs per game this season and has scored 29 runs during the five-game win streak. Mel Johnson, who went 4-for-7 with a home run in last year's doubleheader against Nebraska, has been the Coyotes' top hitter this season. Johnson is the only Coyote hitting better than .300, as she leads the team with a .326 average, 14 RBIs and a .512 slugging percentage. She is one of four Coyotes who has homered two times this season. Lindsey Boyd is enjoying a strong freshman season, batting .296 with two homers and 10 RBIs. She also leads South Dakota with 17 runs scored, 16 hits, seven stolen bases and eight walks.

In the circle, the Coyotes have used a four-pitcher rotation while posting a 4.09 staff ERA. Johnson, a right-hander, has logged the most innings, posting a 3-2 record with a 4.38 ERA in 32.0 innings. She has started five games this season, as have right-handers Erica Denney and Missy Blackburn. Denney is 3-1 on the year with a team-best 2.47 ERA. She has tossed South Dakota's lone shutout and has allowed 10 runs in 28.1 innings. Blackburn is 0-3 on the year with a 5.40 ERA in 23.1 innings. Lincoln native Paige Policky is 3-2 in her freshman season with a 4.31 ERA in 26.0 innings.

Defensively, South Dakota has committed 24 errors in 17 games this season to post a .952 fielding percentage. The Coyotes have allowed 15 unearned runs to score, an average of almost 1.0 unearned run per game.

Husker History vs. South Dakota
Nebraska has won all five meetings between the two programs, including sweeping doubleheaders at Bowlin Stadium each of the past two seasons. Last year's doubleheader also marked Nebraska's home opener, with the Huskers winning game one, 7-5, and taking the nightcap, 9-3. The Huskers are 34-0 all-time against the four Division I Dakota softball programs (North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State).

In game one, South Dakota hit three home runs off Ashley Hagemann and led 4-0 after four innings of play. The Huskers put five runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth, only to see South Dakota tie the game in the top of the sixth. A two-run sixth inning put Nebraska back on top and Alex Hupp came on in the seventh to earn the save. Offensively for the Huskers, Hupp was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Julie Brechtel was also 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Ashley Guile went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Heidi Foland and Nikki Haget both scored two runs.

Nebraska fell behind again in game two, as South Dakota led 1-0 after one inning of play. But the Huskers scored nine runs over the next four innings to post the 9-3 victory. In a reverse from game one, Hupp earned the win, while Hagemann got credit for the save. Guile paced the Huskers' 13-hit attack with a 3-for-4 game that included two RBIs. Foland and Haget had two hits apiece, while Gabby Banda went 2-for-3 with a double and a career-high two RBIs.

Husker Head Coach Rhonda Revelle is 4-0 all-time against South Dakota and Coach Amy Klyse. Klyse is in her fourth season at South Dakota and owns an 82-81-1 career record. Also on the Coyote staff is Ally Rutherford, the twin sister of Darcy Rutherford, who was an outfielder for the Huskers from 2007 to 2010.

Quick Hitters
The information below provides a quick glimpse of a few statistics and brief notes of interest as the Huskers open the home portion of their schedule with a doubleheader against South Dakota.

• Nebraska owns an all-time record of 411-240 (.631) in the month of March. The Huskers have posted a winning month of March in each of the last 15 seasons dating back to 1994.
• NU has allowed a total of 40 runs in 21 games this season, an average of 1.9 runs per game. That total could be even lower, as 21 of the 40 runners who have scored (53 percent) reached base via a walk or hit-by-pitch.
• Nebraska has yet to be shut out through the first 21 games this season. Only six times in school history - including this year - has a Husker team not been shut out at least once in the first 20 games of the season. The Huskers' current 21-game streak without being shut out is the sixth-longest season-opening streak in school history. The longest is 39 games to open the 1996 season, followed by 34 (2002), 29 (1995) and 22 (2003).
• Freshman Taylor Edwards has hit safely in 15 of her last 16 games, including a current five-game hitting streak. The only time Edwards was held without a hit during that stretch was against Long Island, when she was 0-for-2 to end her 11-game hitting streak. Edwards was due up in the bottom of the sixth inning in that game, but never had the chance to bat as Nebraska's travel plans halted the game after the top of the sixth inning with NU leading 6-2. Edwards has reached base safely in 17 straight games.
• Nebraska has won 17 of its last 18 games, including a 10-game win streak and a current seven-game win streak. The longest win streak the Huskers had put together in the past three years was seven games in 2009. This year's team has posted two winning streaks of at least seven games for the first time since 2007, when NU had three win streaks of at least seven games.

Haget Continues Hot Hitting
Junior Nikki Haget continued her impressive start to the season by collecting 10 hits in five games at the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla., last weekend. She hit .589 (10-for-17) at the tournament with one double, two RBIs, four stolen bases and nine runs scored.

Haget began the tournament with a 6-for-7 day against Radford and Maryland that also included five runs scored. She then went 2-for-3 with a career-high three stolen bases against La Salle the next day. During her hot start to the tournament, Haget had a hit in six consecutive at bats. In Nebraska's 1-0 upset of top-ranked Florida, Haget began the game with an infield single and came around to score the game's only run.

Haget has now hit safely in six straight games, including four multi-hit efforts during that stretch. She has also scored a run in seven straight games, including four games where she scored at least two runs.

Workman Coming Off Excellent Weekend
Junior right-hander Haley Workman, a transfer from Chattanooga State Community College, enjoyed her best weekend as Husker in five games at the Under Armour Showcase last weekend in Florida. Workman started two games at the tournament, posting a 2-0 record with a 0.51 ERA. She tossed her first career complete game and shutout against La Salle, when she threw a two-hitter and struck out nine.

Workman's control played a large role in her success, as she struck out 22 batters and walked only eight. In her eight games prior to last weekend, Workman had walked 20 and struck out only 19, while allowing 11 runs in 21.1 innings. Six of the 11 batters she walked eventually came around to score (55 percent) during that stretch.

Huskers and the Home Opener
Nebraska officially opens the 10th season of play at Bowlin Stadium with a doubleheader against South Dakota on Wednesday. The Huskers are 8-1 in home openers at Bowlin Stadium and have won their last five home openers since a 6-5 eight-inning loss in the 2005 home opener against Creighton.

NU has posted a winning record every season at Bowlin Stadium. Overall, the Huskers have owned a winning home record in each of the past 33 seasons dating back to 1977.

What a Difference a Year Makes
After 21 games last year, Nebraska's record stood at 11-10 following a 2-3 weekend that included three straight road losses at Tulsa. With nine returning starters from last year's team, Nebraska has shown improvement offensively and defensively and is off to the best start in school history at 19-2.

Hagemann Dominant in the Circle
Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann is enjoying the best start of her career, as she is only one win shy of matching her career high in victories. Hagemann has appeared in 17 of Nebraska's 21 games, posting a 14-1 record with a 1.21 ERA in 86.2 innings.

Since suffering her only loss to then-No. 1 Arizona in the third game of the season, Hagemann has been dominant. Since that loss, Hagemann is 13-0 with a 0.83 ERA and three shutouts. She has thrown 75.2 innings during that stretch, striking out 95 and allowing only 36 hits, as opponents have batted just .141 against her. Included in those totals are two starts against top-10 teams Hawaii (then-No. 10) and Florida (then-No. 1). Hagemann shut out both of those teams, allowing a total of only three hits including a 12.0-inning hitless streak.

After another impressive performance last weekend that included a two-hit shutout of the top-ranked Gators, Hagemann leads the Big 12 in wins and ranks among the league's top five pitchers in appearances (2nd, 7), innings pitched (3rd, 86.2), strikeouts (4th, 113) and opponent batting average (4th, .163).

Hagemann On 13-Game Win Streak
Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann is 14-1 this season and she was the first pitcher in the country to reach the 10-win mark in 2011. Hagemann's only loss this season is to sixth-ranked Arizona, a loss she suffered in the third game of the season. Since that loss, Hagemann has won 13 consecutive decisions - including a one-hit shutout of No. 10 Hawaii and a two-hit shutout of No. 1 Florida - to help Nebraska to a 19-2 record and the best start in school history

Hagemann is the first Husker pitcher to win 10 consecutive decisions since Molly Hill won 11 games in a row during March and April of the 2006 season. A Husker hurler hasn't won 15 games in a row since Peaches James won 15 straight decisions during her All-American senior season in 2004.

Taylor Edwards Driving in Runs at Record Pace
Freshman Taylor Edwards has produced 32 RBIs in her first 21 career games. Edwards has driven in at least one run in 16 of her 21 games this season, including 12 games with at least two RBIs. In the first two weekends of her career, Edwards produced at least one RBI in seven straight games, fueled by her NCAA-record six-game home run streak. The seven straight games with an RBI tied the school record, as Ali Viola (1995) and Lisa Wangler (2003) also produced seven-game streaks. Edwards is currently on a five-game RBI streak.

Edwards reached the 30-RBI mark last weekend, driving in 10 runs in five games in Florida. She produced her 30th RBI of the season with a solo home run against Central Connecticut State in the 21st game of the season. Edwards reached 30 RBIs faster than any player in Nebraska history, as the previous best was 30 games by Viola in 1996. Edwards was also the fourth-fastest Husker to reach the 20-RBI mark, producing her 20th RBI in the 13th game of the season.

Stat of the Week
Nebraska hit 13 doubles in five games last week, an average of 2.6 doubles per game. Eleven Huskers had at least one double in Florida, while sophomore Gabby Banda was the only player with more than one double. Banda doubled three times on the weekend, including twice against La Salle. Nebraska has recorded 31 doubles this season after ranking fourth in school history with 73 doubles last season. The Huskers' average of 1.5 doubles per game this season ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

Hagemann Nation's Fastest to 10 Wins
Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann picked up her 10th win of the season against Ohio State on Feb. 27, becoming the first pitcher in the country to reach double-digit victories in 2011. Later that same day, Arizona All-American Kenzie Fowler picked up her 10th victory of the season, as Hagemann and Fowler were the nation's only two pitchers to post 10 victories in the month of February.

Hagemann also became the fastest Nebraska pitcher to 10 victories, needing only 15 games to reach the mark. The previous record was set in 1998, when All-American Jenny Voss picked up her 10th victory of the season in Nebraska's 21st game. That season, Voss went on to lead the nation with a school-record 40 victories.

Hagemann's 10 wins in the month of February were also a Nebraska record and her individual win total exceeded the Huskers' team win total in 16 of the 18 seasons when NU has played in the month of February.

Huskers Post First Win vs. No. 1 Team
Nebraska defeated No. 1 Florida, 1-0, on March 12 to give the Husker softball program its first-ever win over a No. 1 team. The Huskers had been 0-9 all-time against the nation's top-ranked team, including a 6-1 loss to Arizona in the third game of this season. The win was also Nebraska's first win over a top-two team in school history, and was the Huskers' first win over a top-five team since a 1-0 victory over third-ranked Florida State in 2004.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann tossed a two-hit shutout in the win - her second straight shutout against a top-10 team - while freshman Taylor Edwards drove in the game's only run with an RBI single three batters into the game.