Huskers Host In-State Rival Creighton Wednesday

The Nebraska softball team (20-9) hosts in-state rival Creighton (11-9) on Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium.

Last Time Out
The Huskers are coming off a 3-2 weekend and the Easton Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. The Huskers defeated Grand Canyon, host team Cal State Fullerton and DePaul and fell to CSUN and No. 5 Oklahoma. In the 7-1 win over Cal State Fullerton, senior Kaylan Jablonski hit three home runs to tie the Nebraska and Big Ten record for most homers in a single game. She also became the first pitcher in NCAA history to hit three home runs and pick up with win in the same game. Jablonski pitched a complete seven-inning game against the Titans, giving up one run and recording four strikeouts.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton enters Wednesday’s game with a 11-9 record. Most recently, the Bluejays went 1-2 at the Creighton Tournament March 17-18. The Jays lost to Iowa on Saturday, 4-3, but beat Wichita State 12-11 in eight innings later that day. On Sunday, the Jays fell to the Shockers, 9-1.

Creighton is led on offense by starters Hope Moreno and Ashley Cantu. Moreno and Cantu are the only Jays to start every game so far this season and are batting .364 and .339, respectively. Moreno has 20 hits, with three doubles and one homer. She also has a team-high 18 RBIs.

Kelli Finan is also helping out at the plate. She’s played in 19 games and is averaging .340. She has a team-high .660 slugging percentage and also leads the team with four home runs and 18 RBIs.

In the circle, the Jays are led by Bryana Clark who has an overall record of 3-3. She’s appeared in 14 games, which includes eight starts. She’s pitched a team-high 53.2 innings and has an ERA of 1.96. She has also pitched three complete games and one solo shutout. She also has one save and 37 strikeouts.

Follow the Huskers
Wednesday’s game will be available on Huskers.com (radio), courtesy of the IMG Husker Sports Network, as well as FloSoftball/BTNPlus (subscription required). Fans can also follow the action on Twitter (@HuskerSoftball).

Jablonski - A Double Threat

Senior Kaylan Jablonski has been a huge factor for the team both on defense and on offense, starting every game this season for the Huskers.  She entered the 2018 season as the only Husker pitcher to have significant experience in the circle and was expected to be  a leader for the pitching staff. The Omaha, Neb., native has embraced the role. Jablonski has the save or win in 16 of the Huskers’ 20 wins this season. Additionally, her four saves lead the Big Ten. She has 13 wins this season, which is a new season best. Her first two seasons she recorded eight wins and last season she had 11. Her five losses also are tied for lowest in the Big Ten. At the plate, Jablonski ranks second with a batting average of .368 and leads the team with a slugging percentage of .663. She also is tied for first on the team with one triple. She ranks first in  homers (seven), doubles (five) and RBIs (17).  Her 35 hits rank fifth in the Big Ten and her seven homers are tied for third.  Additionally, on March 17, Jablonski hit three home runs against Cal State Fullerton to tie a Nebraska record, as well as a Big Ten record. Jablonski also pitched a complete seven-inning game against Fullerton, becoming the first player in NCAA history to hit three home runs and pick up the win in the circle in the same game. Jablonski is also the only pitcher in the country to rank in the top 10 in wins and saves.

Hot Hitting Edwards

Sophomore infielder Tristen Edwards has been a terror at the plate for opposing teams this season. She ranks third with a .355 batting average and ranks second with a .634 slugging percentage. She also ranks second on the team with home runs (six), and leads the team in doubles (eight) and RBIs (22).  She’s had at least one hit in all but nine games this season and she’s had 11 multi-hit games this season. She also ranks second in the conference in multi-base hits.

Minimizing Errors

The Huskers’ fielding percentage is at an all-time high so far this season at .980. If Nebraska continues this pace, it would set the school record for fielding percentage, as the current record is .973. Despite having almost a completely different infield from last year, that at times includes five first-years at respective positions, the Huskers have just 16 errors through 29 games. Addtionally, the Huskers rank second in the conference in fielding percentage, and ninth nationally.

Ally Riley Making Noise on Offense

Freshman Ally Riley started the season as the backup catcher behind Bri Cassidy, but when the Husker bats went quiet, Riley moved into the batting order and has made several appearances since. Riley has played in 15 games, which includes .12 starts. Her .436 batting average leads the team and her .538 slugging percentage ranks third.  Riley has eight hits, with one double, one run and five RBIs. In the Wichita State series, Riley, along with fellow freshman, Olivia Ferrell, led the offensive efforts on the team. Riley went  3-for-8 with three RBIs. Together, her and Ferrell, went 5-for-12 (.417) over the weekend, while the rest of the team was 10-for-58 (.172). At the Jayhawk Invitational, Riley also led the team at the plate. going 4-for-8, with two RBIs.  In the South Dakota State doubleheader Riley went for a combined 5-for-6, with three RBIs. At the Easton Invitational, she batted .364, with one double and two RBIs.

I Don't Know is at Third

While most of Nebraska’s defensive starters have been set since the beginning of the season,  the situation at third is a bit different.  Three Huskers have made starts at third this season, including sophomores Lexey Kneib and Alexis Perry, and freshman Sarah Yocom.  Yocom was thrown into the mix last weekend, as she made two starts at the position at the Easton Invitational. Kneib has seen the most starts, with 19, while Perry has made eight. The deciding factor could have more to do with offense than defense though, as all three have played well at third when they’ve had the opportunity.  The Huskers could use another consistent hitter in the lineup. If one of the three third baseman can step it up at the plate, it’s possible they will get more starts in the lineup. 

Wednesday Luck

Nebraska will play its third game on Wednesday of the season this year and is 2-0 on the day. Last season, NU went 4-3 on Wednesdays, marking the only mid-week day that the Huskers had a winning record.