Huskers Host Omaha Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium

The No. 23 Nebraska softball team hosts Omaha on Wednesday before embarking on its longest road trip of the season. The Huskers and Mavericks square off at 5 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium in the lone meeting between the in-state rivals.

Tickets are available online at Huskers.com/tickets, over the phone by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or on game day at the Bowlin Stadium ticket window.

Following Wednesday’s home game, Nebraska will leave on an 11-day road trip on Thursday. The Huskers wrap up tournament play with five games at the Easton Tournament in Fullerton, Calif., over the weekend. Nebraska will go from California to Iowa for a matchup at Iowa State on Wednesday, March 23, before beginning Big Ten Conference play with a three-game series at Illinois March 25-27.

Nebraska takes a 15-6 record into its final weekend of non-conference play. The Huskers have posted a .500 record or better in each of the first five weeks of the season. Nebraska has had a winning record in four of its first five weeks.

Last week, Nebraska went 3-2 while facing three ranked opponents and two top-10 teams at the Louisville Slugger Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. The Huskers opened the tournament with an 8-4 victory over No. 9 James Madison, marking Nebraska’s second win over a top-10 opponent this season. The Huskers also got their first taste of Big Ten competition, rallying for a 5-4 victory over Ohio State in a non-conference matchup.

Nebraska is 18-11 all-time against UNO, including 7-1 since the Mavs began the transition to Division I.

This Week's Top 10

1. Nebraska is 15-6 despite trailing in 14 of its 21 games, including 13 of the last 17 games.
2. The Huskers have used 21 different starting lineups and 21 different batting orders through 21 games this season, never duplicating a starting lineup or batting order.
3. Nebraska will face No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday, marking the Huskers’ seventh game against a top-20 opponent in the span of 17 games.
4. The Huskers are 2-4 against ranked teams this season with a pair of wins over top-10 opponents.
5. Eleven different Huskers have homered this season, the most players to hit a home run in a single season in school history. A total of 10 Huskers hit home runs in the 2009, 2013 and 2014 seasons.
6. MJ Knighten has 12 home runs through 21 games, more than any player hit in Nebraska’s 58-game schedule last season.
7. MJ Knighten ranks second nationally with 12 home runs. She has hit more home runs herself than six of the other 13 Big Ten teams.
8. Alicia Armstrong is expected to make her 200th career start against Omaha.
9. Last weekend, Alicia Armstrong became the 10th Husker to record 200 career hits.
10. Rhonda Revelle became the 15th active Division I coach and 25th coach in Division I history to record 900 career victories with Nebraska’s win over Ohio State last Saturday.

Huskers Off to Strong Start
Nebraska is 15-6 against a schedule that has included 11 games against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams, six contests against ranked opponents and five games against top-10 teams.

• Nebraska is 15-6 through 21 games this season. At this point last year, the Huskers were 10-11.
• Nebraska has finished with at least a .500 record every week. The only week the Huskers had a non-winning record was at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, when NU went 2-2 while facing three top-10 teams.
• The Huskers went 10-3 in February, becoming the fifth Nebraska team to post double-digit wins in February.
• The 10 wins were the fifth-most wins in the month of February in program history.
• NU matched the best 10-game start in school history (9-1).

Homering Huskers
With 30 home runs in only 21 games, Nebraska is hitting home runs at a record rate.

• Through 20 games, the Huskers had hit six more home runs than any other team in school history.
• The Huskers have already recorded a 30-home run season, the 17th in the 41-year history of NU softball.
• Nebraska is tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs, and the Huskers rank fourth nationally in home runs per game (1.4) and 11th in total home runs (30).
• Forty-eight percent of Nebraska’s total runs this season have scored on a home run (53 of 111).
• Nebraska is on pace to hit 76 home runs in its 53 scheduled regular-season games. The school record for home runs in a season is 73 in 2014 (62 games).

Pitching Much Improved From 2015
Nebraska’s pitching staff has shown much improvement from last year, a big reason for the Huskers’ strong start.

• Nebraska’s ERA is 2.50 lower through 21 games this season than it was at this point last season.
• Cassie McClure boasts an 8-2 record with a 2.51 ERA this spring after owning a 6-2 record with a 3.30 ERA at this point last season.
• McClure has allowed one earned run or less in 13 of her 16 appearances, including six scoreless outings.
• McClure has excelled as a starter and a reliever. She is 3-0 as a starter with a 3.26 ERA and is 5-2 as a reliever with three saves and a 2.00 ERA.
• Emily Lockman owns a 5-2 record with a 2.87 ERA after owning a 4-6 record with a 6.66 ERA at this point last year.
• Lockman has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of her 13 appearances this season and has allowed two earned runs or less eight times.
• As a reliever, Lockman boasts a 1-0 record with one save in 8.2 scoreless innings.
• Kaylan Jablonski is 2-2 with a 4.54 ERA this season. At this point last year, she was 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA.

History Repeating Itself?
Nebraska’s senior class knows what it takes to make it to Oklahoma City, as the group helped the Huskers to the 2013 Women’s College World Series. The 2016 Huskers have a similar makeup as the 2013 squad and in some ways, Nebraska’s season is mirroring the 2013 campaign.

• Nebraska featured nine underclassmen in 2013 and the Huskers have 10 underclassmen this season.
• The 2013 squad was 16-5 through 21 games and had faced six ranked teams (2-4) and five top-10 teams (1-4).
• The 2016 squad is 15-6 through 21 games and has faced six ranked teams (2-4) and five top-10 teams (2-3).
• The 2013 Huskers scored 110 runs in their first 21 games, while Nebraska has scored 111 runs in 21 games this season.
• The biggest difference between the teams has been in the circle, as the 2013 team had allowed only 48 runs through 21 games (2.3 runs per game) while this year’s team has surrendered 83 runs (4.3 runs per game).
• On the bright side, Nebraska’s 2016 pitching staff features one of its two primary pitchers from the 2013 squad (Emily Lockman). The Huskers returned every pitcher from the 2015 season and the group has continued to improve since the start of last season.

Scouting Omaha (11-15)
Omaha brings an 11-15 record into Wednesday’s matchup, and the Mavericks have won five of their last seven games. Nebraska and UNO share two common opponents in No. 1 Florida and Northern Iowa, with the Huskers going 1-1 against that duo and Omaha posting an 0-2 record.

Offensively, Omaha hits .261 as a team and averages 4.8 runs per game. Sydney Hames is one of four Mavs hitting above .300, as she leads the team with a .381 average and seven doubles. Kourtney Pock is hitting .310 and she is the reigning Summit League Player of the Week after posting five multi-hit games while going 10-for-20 last with her first career home run and six RBIs. Nicole Warren leads UNO with eight homers and 26 RBIs.

In the circle, Omaha owns a 5.60 ERA while allowing 6.2 runs per game. Laura Roecker is 6-6 with a 5.16 ERA and is the reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 with three complete games and a 1.12 ERA last week. Abbie Clanton (4-6, 6.02 ERA in 54.2 IP) and Lizzie Noble (1-3, 6.39 ERA in 30.2 IP) round out the Mavs’ staff.

Omaha is coached by Jean Scarpello, who owns a 665-247-1 record in her 17th season at UNO.

Scouting UNLV (14-10)
UNLV is 14-10 this season following a perfect 4-0 record at the Rebel Classic last weekend, when UNLV outscored its opponents 42-12. The Rebels have faced Wisconsin three times this season and are 2-1 vs. the Badgers.

Offensively, UNLV averages 5.6 runs per game and bats .315 as a team. Janine Petmecky leads the team with a .417 average and seven doubles, and she is tied for the team lead with four home runs. Seven other Rebel regulars are hitting above .300. Kwyn Cooper owns a .373 average with a pair of home runs, while Jamie DePippo is batting .329 and leads UNLV with four homers and 18 RBIs.

In the circle, UNLV’s four-pitcher staff has combined for a 3.16 ERA. Opponents are hitting .287 against the Rebels and average 4.0 runs per game. Cooper has seen the most action, compiling a 6-4 record and a 1.93 ERA in a team-high 58.0 innings. Alyssa Batastini has appeared in a team-high 16 games and is 4-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 47.1 innings. Morgan Ettinger (3-1, 3.96 ERA in 23.0 IP) and Petmecky (1-3, 4.52 ERA in 31.0 IP) round out the staff.

UNLV is led by Lisa Dodd, who owns an 86-99 record in her fourth season at UNLV.

Scouting New Mexico (11-8)
New Mexico is 11-8 heading into a Tuesday doubleheader at UTEP. The Lobos have not played since having a four-game win streak snapped at New Mexico State on March 8.

New Mexico is hitting .306 as a team while averaging 5.0 runs per game. Mariah Rimmer and Cheyenne Smith are both batting .400 with Rimmer leading the way with a .406 average and Smith hitting .400. Jasmine Casados paces the Lobos with 19 RBIs to complement her .356 average and Michala Erickson leads New Mexico with three home runs to complement her .351 average.

In the circle, New Mexico owns a 4.60 ERA. Opponents are hitting .331 against the Lobos, who have also committed 31 errors and allowed 31 stolen bases in 19 games.

Colette Robert has thrown nearly half of the Lobos’ innings, compiling a 6-3 record with a 4.41 ERA in 54.0 innings. Lauren Soles is the only other pitcher with more than 18.0 innings pitched, as she has posted a 2-3 record with a 2.93 ERA in 28.2 innings.

New Mexico is coached by Erica Beach, who owns a 123-155 record in her sixth season with the Lobos.

Scouting Arkansas (11-12)
Arkansas brings an 11-12 record into a Wednesday home game with Tulsa. The Razorbacks are 11-9 in non-conference play after Arkansas opened its SEC season with three losses at No. 16 Tennessee last weekend.

Arkansas boasts a .307 team average and 30 home runs while averaging 5.5 runs per game. Freshman Ashley Diaz ranks ninth nationally in home runs (9), 25th in RBIs (29) and 33rd in average (.470). Stephanie Canfield is hitting .471 but has missed eight straight games. Shelby Hiers owns a .352 average and five homers, while Nicole Schroeder is batting .265 with six homers and 19 RBIs.

In the circle, Arkansas owns a 5.41 ERA while allowing 6.0 runs per game. The staff has struggled with control, issuing 121 walks in only 146.1 innings. Grace Moll has thrown 65 percent of the team’s innings, starting 17 of 23 games while posting a 7-10 record with a 4.46 ERA in 95.2 innings. She has struck out 62 but walked 78. Claire Clark is 4-1 with a 5.87 ERA in 31.0 innings, while Peyton Carter is 0-1 with an 8.69 ERA in 19.2 innings.

Courtney Deifel is in her first year at Arkansas after going 27-27 at Maryland as a first-year head coach in 2015.

Scouting No. 13 Oklahoma (17-4)
Oklahoma is 17-4 heading into a Wednesday home game with No. 22 Minnesota. The Sooners take a nine-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game, and OU is 2-3 vs. ranked teams this season.

Oklahoma boasts a potent offense that ranks third nationally with a .381 batting average and fifth with a .615 slugging percentage. Kelsey Arnold (.472) is one of four Sooners batting above .400. Lea Wodach is hitting .467 with six homers and 20 RBIs while Shay Knighten, the younger sister of Nebraska junior MJ Knighten, is hitting .432 with five homers. Sydney Romero, the younger sister of reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Sierra Romero of Michigan, owns a .412 average with 10 doubles.

Defensively, OU ranks second nationally with a .985 fielding percentage. The Sooners own a 2.89 ERA. Paige Parker is 7-2 with a 1.50 ERA and opponents are hitting only .175 against her with 62 strikeouts in 51.1 innings. Kelsey Stevens is 6-2 with a 3.72 ERA in 43.1 innings and Jayden Chestnut is 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 28.0 innings.

Oklahoma is coached by Patty Gasso, who owns a 1,045-309-2 record at OU and a 1,206-368-3 career record.

Scouting DePaul (6-14)
DePaul is 6-14 on the season, but the Blue Demons posted their first winning week with a 3-2 showing at the Rebel Classic last weekend. Four of DePaul’s losses have come to ranked teams, including three to top-10 opponents.

Offensively, DePaul bats .253 and averages 3.4 runs per game. Naomi Tellez leads the way with a .389 average, five home runs, 13 RBIs and four stolen bases. Micah Fitzgerald is batting .349 and Morgan Maize is hitting .344 with four doubles, four homers and 13 RBIs. Dylan Christensen (.314) rounds out DePaul’s five .300 hitters.

In the circle, DePaul owns a 7.00 ERA and opponents are hitting .365 against the Blue Demons with 37 home runs in 20 games, averaging one home run every 14.6 at bats. DePaul has only utilized two pitchers this season, Maize and Megan Leyva. Maize is 5-8 with a 5.42 ERA in 71.0 innings, while Leyva is 1-6 with a 9.20 ERA in 51.0 innings.

DePaul is coached by NFCA Hall of Famer Eugene Lenti, who owns a 1,242-619-6 record in his 35th season at DePaul. Lenti ranks fifth among all active coaches in career wins and third in wins at a coaches’ current school.