Huskers Head to Purdue This Weekend

After its mid-week doubleheader was postponed due to inclement weather, the Nebraska softball team hits the road again this weekend for a three-game series with the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind., on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With the postponement of Tuesday’s doubleheader with Drake, the Huskers are now in the midst of a season-long seven-game road trip. Nebraska began the road trip with a 2-1 series victory at Ohio State last weekend.

After going 0-6 on the road in non-conference play, the Huskers have posted a 4-1 road record in Big Ten Conference play. Nebraska hopes to keep that road momentum going, as it eyes a top-four league finish and a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

A big reason for Nebraska’s road success in conference play has been the Husker offense. NU has totaled 50 runs in its five Big Ten road games.

The Husker offense will be challenged this weekend, going against one of the Big Ten’s top pitching staffs. Purdue boasts the league’s second-lowest team ERA (2.09) and left-hander Lilly Fecho owns the second-lowest ERA (1.65) of any Big Ten pitcher.

While Nebraska is averaging 10.0 runs per game in its road Big Ten games, Purdue has allowed a total of only 16 runs in its six conference home games, including a pair of shutouts. Purdue could have extra motivation to win this weekend as prior to Saturday’s game, a ceremony will be held to officially dedicate Boilermaker Softball Stadium, which hosted its first game on March 20.

This Week's Top 10

1. The Huskers have won 23 of their last 27 Big Ten regular-season games dating back to 2014.
2. NU has posted 20 road wins in conference play since 2013, the second-most of any Big Ten team.
3. Nebraska is 4-1 on the road in Big Ten play this season, and two wins this weekend would clinch a winning road record in conference play.
4. The Huskers are averaging 10.0 runs per game through their first five Big Ten road games. NU is batting .390 in Big Ten road games with an average of 12 hits and 5.4 extra-base hits per game.
5. Nebraska has scored double-digit runs a school-record 15 times this season.
6. Nebraska is averaging 7.2 runs per game this season. The school record is 5.7 runs per game in 2014.
7. The Huskers lead the Big Ten with a .350 team batting average. The NU record is .315 in 1995.
8. Sophomore MJ Knighten leads the Big Ten with 56 hits. She is just the seventh Husker to produce 50 hits as both a freshman and sophomore.
9. Knighten carries an 18-game hitting streak into play this weekend, totaling 35 hits in the streak.
10. Junior right-hander Emily Lockman has won 13 of her last 15 Big Ten Conference decisions. She owns a 18-5 career record in conference play.

Knighten a Hitting Machine
Sophomore MJ Knighten leads the Big Ten with 56 hits this season, and she ranks in 18th nationally in hits and in the top 10 in the country in hits per game. Knighten has been a hit machine for the Huskers, producing 112 hits in 99 career games.

• Knighten recorded her 100th hit against No. 12 Minnesota on March 27.
• Knighten recorded her 100th hit in her 92nd career game, becoming the third-fastest Husker to reach the milestone.
• Knighten is just the 10th Husker to produce 100 career hits prior to her junior season
• Knighten had five hits in a March 31 doubleheader with North Dakota State to become the seventh Husker to produce 50-hit seasons as a freshman and sophomore.

Knighten & Stokes on Record Pace
Sophomore MJ Knighten and junior Kiki Stokes are on pace to post some of the most impressive offensive totals in school history.

• Knighten’s 56 hits lead the Big Ten and are the fourth-most by a Husker through a season’s first 37 games. In a 56-game season, Knighten is on pace to finish with 85 hits, which would tie for the second-highest total in school history, two shy of the school record.
• Knighten’s 36 runs scored tie for the fifth-highest total by a Husker through a season’s first 37 games. She is on pace to score 55 runs in a 56-game season, a total that would tie for fourth in school history.
• Knighten’s 40 RBIs rank as the third-most a Husker has ever produced in a season’s first 37 games. She is on pace to finish with 61 RBIs, a total that would rank third in school history.
• Stokes’ 42 runs scored are tied for the most runs a Husker has ever scored through a season’s first 37 games. Stokes is on pace to score 64 runs in a 56-game season, which would eclipse Tobin Echo-Hawk’s school-record total of 61 runs in 1996.
• Stokes’ 38 RBIs rank as the fourth-highest total by a Husker through a season’s first 37 games. She is on pace to finish with 58 RBIs in a 56-game season, a total that would tie for fourth in school history.

McClure Piling Up Saves
Sophomore Cassie McClure leads the Big Ten Conference and ranks seventh nationally with four saves.

• McClure’s four saves currently rank in a tie for seventh on Nebraska’s all-time single-season chart.
• Her four saves are one shy of NU’s sophomore record.
• The last Husker to total more than five saves in a season was Lori Sippel (6) in 1987.
• McClure’s individual total of four saves is greater than Nebraska’s team total in nine of the past 12 seasons.

Scouting Purdue (24-14) Purdue is 24-14 on the season and sits in eighth place in the Big Ten standings after being swept in a three-game series at Northwestern last weekend.

Nebraska and Purdue share five common opponents this season in Cal State Fullerton, North Dakota State, San Diego State, Tennessee and UCLA. The Huskers went 2-4 against that group, while Purdue was 0-6.

Offensively, Purdue owns a .296 batting average, and the Boilermakers average 4.5 runs per game. Purdue ranks third in the Big Ten with 65 stolen bases. In conference play, Purdue is hitting .252 - the lowest mark in the league - while averaging the fewest runs per game (4.0).

In the circle, Purdue ranks 18th nationally and second in the league with a 2.09 ERA. The Boilermakers rely heavily on junior Lilly Fecho, who ranks fourth nationally in strikeouts, 29th in wins and 35th in ERA. Fecho leads the Big Ten in strikeouts and is second in ERA.