Huskers Face Wisconsin to Open Homestand

The Nebraska softball team begins an eight-game homestand this weekend when the Huskers welcome the Wisconsin Badgers to Bowlin Stadium for a four-game series. The series begins with a single game on Friday at 5:30 p.m. before the teams face off in a Saturday doubleheader at Noon. The series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday's doubleheader will be Cancer Awareness Day, when Husker softball players aim to raise awareness in the fight against cancer. Nebraska players will wear pink jerseys along with individual colorized accessories that represent forms of cancer that have personally impacted each player. Prior to the first pitch of game one both the Nebraska and Wisconsin teams will hold up personalized signs with the name of someone they know who has been affected by cancer. Fans are also encouraged to participate in this show of strength, and signs and markers will be available inside Bowlin Stadium to all fans wishing to participate.

Fans with a subscription to Big Ten Network+ can watch the first three games. Sunday's contest will be televised live on the Big Ten Network, with Kevin Kugler and Leigh Dakich on the call. Free radio coverage of every game will also be available on Huskers.com, courtesy of the Husker Sports Network and the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications. 

Nebraska has gone 4-4 the past two weeks in four-game series against two of the Big Ten's top teams, including a 6-4 win at No. 24 Minnesota on Sunday. Wisconsin has gone 7-1 the last two weeks, winning series over Iowa and Rutgers. The Badgers swept the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, N.J., last weekend to push their win streak to five games.

The Huskers have been tough at home this season, posting a 6-2 record. Nebraska is batting .315 in its eight home games with nine home runs while averaging nearly seven runs per game. Freshman Billie Andrews is 14-for-26 (.538) at home with two triples, three homers and nine RBIs. Senior Cam Ybarra has homered twice and driven in 11. In the circle, Nebraska boasts a 2.91 ERA at Bowlin Stadium, led by senior Olivia Ferrell (4-1, 1.88 ERA).

Quick Hitters

• The road team has won seven of the last nine matchups between Nebraska and Wisconsin.
• Nebraska is in fifth place in the Big Ten, and the Huskers have already played series against three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings.
• The Huskers' .973 fielding percentage is currently on pace to be the top fielding percentage in school history.
• Nebraska's 3.10 team ERA is on pace to be its lowest since the 2014 season.
• NU ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring (4.7 runs per game) and home runs (20).
• Billie Andrews leads all Big Ten freshmen in hits (27), RBIs (20) and stolen bases (9).
• Tristen Edwards needs four extra-base hits to become the second Husker with 100 career extra-base hits.
• Tristen Edwards is either walked or hit by a pitch an average of 1.5 times per game, the highest average in the nation.
• Rylie Unzicker has hit leadoff in 11 of the past 12 games and is hitting .333 in those 11 games with 11 runs scored.

Brooke Andrews Thriving at Third Base
After starting third baseman Sydney Gray suffered a season-ending injury on March 28, sophomore Brooke Andrews has started the past 12 games at third base for Nebraska. Andrews has been productive in her new starting role.

• In her streak of 12 straight starts at third, Andrews is batting .278 (10-for-36) after beginning the year just 1-for-8 in her first 10 games of the season, which included three starts.
• Andrews has two doubles, one triple and two homers over the past 12 games after having only one extra-base hit  - a double - in her first 28 career games. Over the past three weeks, Andrews is tied for the team lead in doubles and triples and ranks second in home runs.
• Andrews also ranks second on the team with nine RBIs over the last three weeks. She has nine RBIs in her past 12 games after totaling three RBIs in the first 28 games of her career.
• In her first start following Gray's injury, Andrews had a career day with a 2-for-3 performance with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs at Rutgers on April 2.
• Defensively, Andrews has committed only one error in 43 chances since becoming the full-time starter at third base, posting a .977 fielding percentage.

Raley Emerging in Bid to be the Everyday Catcher
Nebraska has split the catching duties this season, as senior Ally Riley has started 15 games behind the plate and junior Anni Raley has made 13 starts. But Raley is playing the best softball of her career recently in a bid to become Nebraska's everyday catcher.

• In her last seven starts dating back to March 26, Raley is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with an .800 slugging percentage and a .556 on-base percentage. She has hit one triple, one home run and driven in four runs in that span.
• Raley went 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored in two starts against Penn State the final week of March. She was limited to only six plate appearances over the next two weeks after being plunked by a pitch in the series opener at Rutgers on April 2.
• Raley started the final three games at No. 24 Minnesota last weekend and posted a .625 on-base percentage. She was hit by a pitch in both games Saturday and went 3-for-4 with her first career homer on Sunday, when she set or tied career highs in hits, runs (2) and RBIs (2).

Digging in on Defense
Nebraska's defense has been impressive this season, as the Huskers boast a .973 fielding percentage that is on pace to be the top mark in program history. Entering this weekend's series, Nebraska's .973 mark is percentage points ahead of the top fielding percentage in school history (2006). NU ranks 30th nationally in fielding percentage and fourth in the Big Ten, one spot behind Wisconsin (.975).

Edwards Walking to First with Frequency
Tristen Edwards has been able to walk to first base 41 times this season as teams have elected to frequently pitch around the senior slugger. 

• With 41 combined walks and hit-by-pitches - in only 28 games - Edwards leads the nation with an average of 1.46 "free passes" per game this season.
• Edwards is the only player from a "Power Five" conference (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) who reaches base at least 1.0 time per game due to walks and/or hit-by-pitches.
• Edwards has walked 28 times in 28 games this season. She ranks second nationally in walks per game and 15th nationally in total walks. Edwards is one of only three players nationally averaging 1.0 walk per game.
• Edwards has been hit by 13 pitches in 28 games. She ranks sixth nationally in hit-by-pitches per game and 12th nationally in total hit-by-pitches.

Edwards On Pace for Nebraska's Top On-Base Percentage
Senior outfielder Tristen Edwards is getting on base at a record-breaking clip this season, reaching base more than 60 percent of the time she steps up to the plate. Edwards ranks sixth nationally with a .606 on-base percentage. Nebraska has played 64 percent of its scheduled regular-season games, and Edwards' on-base percentage is on pace to shatter the current Nebraska season record (.532).

Edwards Ties Nebraska's All-Time Doubles Record
Tristen Edwards hit her 48th career double in game one at No. 24 Minnesota last Friday, tying the Nebraska all-time record. Edwards now shares the record with three-time All-American Ali Viola (1995-98), two-time All-American Tobin Echo-Hawk (1993-96) and All-American Kim Ogee (2000-03).

Billie Andrews Among Big Ten's Top Freshmen Hitters
Freshman shortstop Billie Andrews has been making her case this season as arguably the Big Ten's top freshman hitter. Andrews enters the Wisconsin series leading all Big Ten freshmen in hits (27), RBIs (20) and stolen bases (9), ranking second in runs (21) and triples (2), third in home runs (4) and slugging percentage and seventh in batting average (.297). Before an 0-for-12 series at No. 24 Minnesota last weekend, Andrews led all Big Ten freshmen in average, hits, runs, homers, RBIs, steals and slugging percentage.

Husker Offense at the Top of the Big Ten
Despite a slow start, Nebraska ranks near the top of the Big Ten Conference in several offensive categories.

• The Huskers rank second in the league in doubles (48) and are third in scoring (4.7 runs per game) and home runs (20).
• Individually, senior Tristen Edwards leads the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.606), walks (28) and hit-by-pitches (13) and ranks third in slugging percentage (.705), fifth in home runs (5), eighth in batting average (.361) and ninth in runs scored (20). Senior Cam Ybarra ranks sixth in the league in doubles (8) and seventh in RBIs (20), while freshman Billie Andrews ranks fifth in triples (2), sixth in runs (21) and stolen bases (9), seventh in RBIs (20) and 10th in home runs (4). Senior Rylie Unzicker ranks seventh in the Big Ten in walks (15) and 10th in on-base percentage (.443).

Husker Pitching Staff Showing Improvement
Nebraska's pitching staff has been much improved this season. Through 28 games, the Huskers boast a 3.10 ERA and are allowing only 3.7 runs per game. Both of those averages are on pace to be the lowest for a Nebraska team since the 2014 season, when the Huskers were co-Big Ten champions and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional.

• NU has allowed two or fewer runs 13 times in 28 games this year (46 percent). In the previous two seasons, Nebraska allowed two or fewer runs only 19 times in 75 games (25 percent).
• Nebraska has allowed fewer than two runs six times in 28 games this season. In the previous two seasons, the Huskers allowed fewer than two runs only seven times in 75 games.
• Senior Olivia Ferrell is 8-7 with one save and a 2.70 ERA after entering the year with a 15-21 career record, one save and a 4.47 ERA. Ferrell has pitched in 19 of Nebraska's 28 games this spring with 14 starts. She ranks seventh in the Big Ten in wins, saves and innings (85.2), ninth in strikeouts (76) and 10th in opponent average (.227).
• Junior Courtney Wallace has appeared in 18 games with 11 starts. Wallace is 7-5 with a 2.91 ERA and one save in 79.1 innings this season after entering the year with a 6-9 career record and 5.50 ERA. Wallace ranks seventh in the Big Ten in saves and ninth in wins.
• Freshman Kaylin Kinney has appeared in 10 games with three starts. She has excelled in relief, posting a 2.40 ERA with two saves in seven relief outings. Kinney ranks third in the Big Ten in saves.