Huskers Open Season at UNI-Dome Classic

The Nebraska softball team opens its 2016 season this weekend, but the Huskers won’t be heading outside. Instead, NU will open its tournament inside the UNI-Dome on the Northern Iowa campus.

A regulation softball field will be set up in the middle of the Panther indoor football field, which features a FieldTurf surface. The Huskers also opened their 2009 season at the UNI-Dome Classic, posting a 4-0 record and outscoring their opponents, 34-4.

Nebraska opens its season on Friday at 2:45 p.m. against Northern Iowa. The Huskers’ season opener will count as a true road game for RPI purposes, as Northern Iowa claims the UNI-Dome as one if its home venues, occasionally playing Missouri Valley Conference games in the facility in case of inclement weather.

After playing only once on Friday, Nebraska will play back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8 a.m. each day. The Huskers face Western Illinois and defending MVC champion Drake on Saturday, before concluding play on Sunday against Green Bay and Saint Louis.

Fans unable to make the trip to Cedar Falls, can follow all of the action online. Veteran softball play-by-play announcer Nate Rohr returns for his 12th season calling Nebraska softball games for the IMG Husker Sports Network. Every game this season can be heard for free worldwide on Huskers.com.

Nebraska returns 10 players with extensive starting experience and its entire pitching staff from last season, when the Huskers finished 35-23 and went 1-2 in the NCAA Tournament.

This Week's Top 10

1. Nebraska returns 16 players from its 2015 roster, tying for the most returning players under Head Coach Rhonda Revelle (1993-present).
2. The Husker roster features one All-American, four first-team all-region selections and five all-conference performers.
3. Nebraska’s four returning all-region players tie for the most returning all-region players in program history.
4. The Huskers feature five pitchers on their roster for the first time since 1997.
5. Nebraska set school records last season in runs (400), average (.337), walks (217), on-base percentage (.431) and slugging percentage (.505).
6. Nebraska is receiving votes in both preseason top-25 polls.
7. All 11 Huskers who had at least 35 plate appearances in 2015 totaled more walks than strikeouts, including eight returners.
8. Alicia Armstrong, Mattie Fowler and Kiki Stokes are serving as Nebraska tri-captains for the second straight season.
9. Mattie Fowler is in her fourth season as a Husker captain, becoming the first four-year captain in school history.
10. Rhonda Revelle enters her 24th season with 878 wins at Nebraska, 22 shy of 900.

What Nebraska Returns: Offense
Nebraska set school records for batting average (.337), runs (400), RBIs (370), walks (217), on-base percentage (.431) and slugging percentage (.505) in 2015, ranking among the top 18 teams nationally in on-base percentage (14th), batting average (18th) and scoring (18th).

The Huskers hope to build off last year’s success, as Nebraska’s returning hitters combined for a .344 average, a .443 on-base percentage and .507 slugging percentage in 2015. The 2016 Nebraska lineup returns more than 70 percent of its 2015 production in every category except home runs (69 percent). Returning Huskers also combined to score 310 runs in 2015, a total that by itself would rank seventh in program history.

The offense is also boosted by the return of sophomore Austen Urness, who sat out the 2015 season while rehabbing a knee injury. As a freshman in 2014, Urness batted .274 with six doubles, four homers and 22 RBIs.

What Nebraska Returns: Pitching
Nebraska’s pitching staff aims to improve on its 2015 season, and the Huskers will rely on experience to reach that goal. Nebraska returns its entire staff from last season, when three of the Huskers’ four pitchers were in their first year at Nebraska. NU is hoping to build off a strong finish to last season.

Headlining the staff is senior Emily Lockman, a three-time All-Big Ten selection and one of only four pitchers nationally who is a two-time, first-team all-region honoree. Lockman finished last season strong, compiling a 7-3 record with a 2.11 ERA over her final 17 appearances.

Junior Cassie McClure earned her first career decisions last year, posting a 9-3 record and ranking 12th nationally with five saves, even though she arrived on campus only one month prior to the season. Sophomore Kaylan Jablonski posted an 8-6 record as a freshman and won seven of her final eight decisions, including a shutout in the NCAA Tournament. Classmate Caitlin Bartsch allowed two earned runs or less in three of her four relief outings.

What Nebraska Adds: Newcomers
Nebraska welcomes a pair of freshmen and one transfer to its 2016 roster. Sophomore Taylor Kadavy comes to Lincoln after spending her freshman season at Nebraska-Kearney, while Bri Cassidy and Alyvia Simmons are freshmen.

• Kadavy will figure into NU’s pitching rotation and could also see action as a pinch runner. Nebraska’s first left-handed pitcher since 2001, Kadavy has yet to make her collegiate debut in the circle, as a back injury limited her to pinch-running-only duties last season at UNK.
• A first-team high school All-American, Cassidy is expected to split time with sophomore Madi Unzicker at catcher. Cassidy was one of the nation’s top defensive catching recruits, and offensively she boasted a .423 career batting average for Cajon High School.
• Simmons will figure into the mix in a competitive Husker outfield. Simmons, who tried out for the 2015 USA Junior National Team, played only two seasons of high school softball due to a family move, but she was honored both of those years, earning all-state accolades in the state’s largest class in both Kansas and Nebraska.

Huskers Feature Veteran Infield
Nebraska returns every starting infielder (not including catcher) from the 2015 season. Collectively, the returning Husker infielders have combined for 539 career starts on the infield.

Current Huskers have combined for 230 consecutive starts at shortstop (all but the first six games of 2012), 181 straight starts at first (every game since 2013), 120 consecutive starts at third (every game since 2014) and 58 straight starts at second (every game since 2015).

• Senior Alicia Armstrong has started 179 of a possible 181 games the past three seasons at shortstop, including 119 straight starts. Junior Rachel Arthur has started the two games Armstrong was unable to start.
• Junior MJ Knighten has started all 120 games at third base the last two years.
• Sophomore Laura Barrow started all 58 games at second base as a freshman last spring.
• The senior tandem of Mattie Fowler (99 starts) and Dawna Tyson (82) have combined to start every game at first base the past three seasons.
• Fowler has earned 99 career starts at first base and also has starting experience at shortstop (49 starts) and third base (5). Tyson has made 82 career starts at first.

Urness Returns After Missing 2015
In addition to returning the majority of its lineup, Nebraska is also expected to get a boost from the return of sophomore Austen Urness, who sat out the 2015 season as a redshirt following offseason knee surgery. Urness earned 38 starts as a freshman on the Huskers’ 2014 Big Ten and NCAA Regional championship team, despite missing nearly a month of the season due to a concussion.

Urness will compete for playing time in the outfield or at catcher in 2016. Urness batted cleanup in 19 of her 38 starts as a freshman in 2014, hitting .274 with six doubles, four homers and 22 RBIs, while batting .356 with runners in scoring position. Urness had two homers and seven RBIs in Nebraska’s six NCAA Tournament games, becoming the first Husker freshman to hit multiple home runs in the postseason.

Husker History in Season Openers
Nebraska owns a 24-15 all-time record in season openers. The Huskers have won three straight season openers and four of their last five, improving Head Coach Rhonda Revelle to 15-8 in her 23 season openers, including a 12-3 mark against unranked opponents.

Huskers Seek to be Tough Out in 2016
Nebraska showed great plate discipline in 2015, while also having a knack for putting the ball in play.

• Nebraska struck out 162 times in 58 games last season, the third-fewest strikeouts nationally (min. 55 games).
• NU finished with 55 more walks than strikeouts in 2015, marking only the third time in program history that a Husker team had posted more walks than strikeouts.
• When including hit-by-pitches, Nebraska finished with 107 more free passes than strikeouts in 2015. The Huskers were one of only eight teams nationally to finish with 100 more free passes than strikeouts last season.

NU Offense Strong at the Top
The top four hitters in Nebraska’s expected opening day lineup will provide a potent punch at the top of the order.

• Senior Kiki Stokes, a 2015 third-team All-American, has hit leadoff 120 times in her career, including every game last season. Stokes hit .407 in 2015 and set school records with 66 runs and a .532 on-base percentage.
• Laura Barrow moves up to the No. 2 spot after batting .331 with a team-high 13 doubles as a freshman.
• Hitting third is junior MJ Knighten, a first-team all-region and unanimous All-Big Ten pick last season. Knighten led Nebraska with a .412 average and 60 RBIs in 2015, totals that ranked in the top five in school history.
• Junior Cassie McClure will bat cleanup after hitting .346 with 11 doubles and 39 RBIs last spring.
• Senior Alicia Armstrong could also bat at the top of the order if healthy. A two-time All-Big Ten pick, Armstrong ranks eighth in NU history with a .340 career average.
• The top four Husker hitters have combined to post a .345 career average, including a .379 mark in 2015.

Knighten, Stokes a Top Tandem
Senior Kiki Stokes and junior MJ Knighten return after posting two of the best individual offensive seasons in school history last season.

• Knighten (.412) and Stokes (.407) both hit .400 in 2015, becoming the second Husker teammates to bat .400 in the same season (Ali Viola and Tobin Echo-Hawk in 1995).
• Knighten and Stokes became just the third and fourth Huskers overall to post a .400 batting average. The duo also became only the third and fourth Huskers to total 50 hits, 50 runs and 50 RBIs in the same season.
• Knighten and Stokes combined to score 119 runs in 2015. That was just one shy of the top teammate total in school history, which was set in 1996 when Nebraska played seven more games than the 2015 Huskers.
• The duo combined for 154 hits and 111 RBIs, the third-highest teammate totals in school history.

Stokes Seeks Second All-America Honor
Kiki Stokes returns for her senior season after garnering third-team All-America accolades in 2015.

• Stokes was one of 50 players nationally named to the 2015 USA Softball Player-of-the-Year watch list.
• Stokes joined 2002 All-American Kim Ogee as the only Husker outfielders to be named an All-American.
• Stokes looks to become the ninth Husker to earn multiple All-America accolades and the third in four years.
• Stokes set Nebraska records for runs (66), on-base percentage (.532) and hit-by-pitches (17) in 2015.
• Stokes ranked 15th nationally in runs per game in 2015, 26th in triples (5) and 35th in on-base percentage.
• Stokes was one of only six players nationally to total 10 home runs and five triples in 2015.

Knighten Coming Off Big Season
Junior MJ Knighten put up big numbers as a sophomore in 2015, when she just missed All-America honors.

• After being the lone freshman position player to earn All-Big Ten honors in 2014, Knighten was one of only six unanimous All-Big Ten selections in 2015, and she was also a first-team NFCA All-Midwest Region honoree.
• Knighten posted the fifth-highest batting average in Nebraska history last season (.412), while ranking fourth in hits (82) and RBIs (60) and eighth in runs (53).
• Knighten was one of only 17 players nationally to post a .400 batting average and total 60 RBIs in 2015.
• Knighten has produced 138 hits in only 120 games, the third-highest total by a Husker entering her junior year.
• Knighten was the third-fastest Husker to total 100 hits, reaching the milestone in her 92nd career game.
• Knighten is one of seven Huskers to produce 50 hits as both a freshman and sophomore.

Lockman Looks to Add to Legacy
Senior Emily Lockman has made her mark at Nebraska. As a freshman, Lockman recorded her first no-hitter faster than any pitcher in NU history. Three months later she earned the complete-game win at No. 3 Oregon that sent the Huskers to the 2013 Women’s College World Series.

In her second season, Lockman became the only Nebraska pitcher to earn first-team all-region accolades as both a freshman and sophomore. Last year, Lockman became just the fourth Husker pitcher to be recognized as an all-conference performer in each of her first three seasons. This season, Lockman looks to add to her legacy.

• Lockman looks to become the first Husker pitcher to be a three-time, first-team all-region selection. Lockman has already joined All-Americans Peaches James (2001-04) and Tatum Edwards (2011-14) as the only Nebraska pitchers to twice earn first-team all-region accolades.
• Lockman is also a three-time All-Big Ten selection. She looks to become just the fifth Husker pitcher to be a four-time all-conference honoree, joining Lori Sippel (1985-88), Jenny Voss (1997-2000), Peaches James (2001-04) and Tatum Edwards (2011-14).
• Lockman is one of only four pitchers nationally who has earned a pair of first-team all-region accolades.

Armstrong Continues .300 Pace
Alicia Armstrong ranks eighth in NU history with a .340 career average. She has hit better than .300 in each of her first three seasons and looks to become only the seventh Husker to post a .300 batting average all four years.

Armstrong Producing Hits
Alicia Armstrong has been a hit machine in her career, totaling 180 hits in only 179 games.

• Armstrong has produced 49 career multi-hit games.
• Armstrong is 1 of 4 players in school history to total 50 hits as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

McClure Ready for Any Role
After arriving in Lincoln just one month before the 2015 season began, junior Cassie McClure hopes a full year of development with the NU staff will pay dividends in 2016. McClure is arguably NU’s most versatile player, as she can contribute offensively or as a starting or relief pitcher.

• McClure went 5-3 as a starter last season. She was 4-0 as a reliever with a 2.68 ERA and five saves, which ranked 12th nationally and fifth in Husker history.
• At the plate, McClure hit .346 with four homers and 39 RBIs.
• McClure earned first-team all-region accolades in 2015. Previously, McClure was a third-team all-region pick as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2014, when she also earned second-team All-Big 12 accolades.