Nebraska Travels to Wisconsin for Big Ten Series

The Nebraska softball team continues Big Ten play this weekend when the Huskers travel to Wisconsin for a three-game series in Madison. NU hits the road following a 7-2 homestand that included a two-game sweep of Illinois last weekend to begin conference play.

In a change from the original schedule, the Huskers and Badgers are scheduled to open their series Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s games are both slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Fans can watch all three games with a subscription to Big Ten+, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month. A free radio broadcast of all three games this weekend - and every game this season - will be available on Huskers.com or the official Huskers app.

Nebraska opened conference play with a weather-shortened two-game sweep of Illinois last weekend. The Huskers came from behind in both the seventh and eighth innings to win 5-4 in the opener. The next day, Nebraska exploded for 16 runs in a five-inning victory, its most runs in a Big Ten game since 2016. Wisconsin opened its Big Ten schedule with a series loss at Iowa. The Badgers dropped the first two games before shutting out the Hawkeyes 2-0 in the series finale.

Nebraska and Wisconsin have split the past six meetings, with UW winning the series 2-1 in 2022 and NU winning 2-1 in 2023. Three times in the past six meetings the victorious team has scored the winning run in its final at bat (Wisconsin twice and Nebraska once). The past six games have all been decided by two runs or less, including three straight one-run games.

Leading Off

• Nebraska entered the week ranked in the top 10 nationally in doubles (6th, 58) and defensive double plays (7th, 18).
• The Huskers have used a different batting order in all 31 games this year.
• NU has won three games when trailing after six innings, matching its win total from the previous five seasons combined.
• Entering this week, two Huskers ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in extra-base hits: Billie Andrews (1st, 22) and Ava Bredwell (7th, 16).
• Billie Andrews and Sydney Gray are the only players to win multiple Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season.
• Entering the week, Billie Andrews ranked in the top 10 nationally in extra-base hits per game (6th), home runs per game (6th), runs per game (9th) and slugging percentage (10th).
• Billie Andrews entered the week as one of only 12 players nationally averaging 1.0 hit, 1.0 run and 1.0 RBI per game.
• Billie Andrews is Nebraska’s all-time home run leader and ranks eighth in Big Ten history with 55 career home runs.
• Ava Bredwell has had a hit, a run and an RBI in seven consecutive games.
• Sydney Gray (96) and Brooke Andrews (94) are both nearing 100 career RBIs.

Huskers Showing Comeback Ability in 2024
Nebraska has shown a knack for coming from behind this season. The Huskers have trailed in 12 of their 18 wins, including eight times where Nebraska came back from a multi-run deficit.

• The Huskers have won three times when trailing after six innings this season. Nebraska is 3-8 when trailing after six innings this season after a 3-74 record in the previous five seasons.
• Nebraska’s three wins this season when trailing after six innings of play are already its most in a season since 2017, when the Huskers were 3-18 when trailing after six innings.

A Sister Act at the Top of the Lineup
The Andrews sisters have hit first and second in the Nebraska batting order each of the past 15 games with younger sister Billie Andrews leading off and older sister Brooke Andrews hitting second. The sisters have proven to be a productive combination at the top of the order.

• During the last 15 games when Billie has led off and Brooke has hit second, Nebraska has averaged 6.8 runs per game. In the first 16 games, Nebraska averaged 4.7 runs per game.
• The duo has hit .343 collectively over the last 15 games while combining to average 2.7 hits per game, 2.4 runs per game and 2.0 RBIs per game.

Caneda Thriving as ‘Second’ Leadoff Hitter
With the Andrews sisters anchoring the top of the lineup, Nebraska has been searching for a strong No. 9 hitter who can act as a second leadoff hitter batting ahead of Billie Andrews. The Huskers appear to have found that hitter in Katelyn Caneda.

• Caneda, who posted the third-highest batting average (.366) by a freshman in program history last year, has bounced back from a slow start to the season. In the last three weeks, Caneda is batting .395 (15-for-38) with a .489 on-base percentage, 11 runs and 11 RBIs.
• As Caneda has gotten hot, Rhonda Revelle has chosen to move Caneda down in the order to the No. 9 spot in the hopes that Caneda will get on base in front of Billie Andrews. The move has proven effective as Nebraska has scored 44 runs in the five games Caneda has hit ninth (8.8 runs per game) with Caneda scoring eight runs and Billie Andrews totaling 11 RBIs.
• Since moving into the No. 9 spot in the lineup five games ago, Caneda is 8-for-12 with three walks, reaching base in 11 of her 15 plate appearances for a .733 on-base percentage.

Bredwell & Bland Swinging Hot Bats
While the top and bottom of the Husker lineup have been strong of late, two big bats in the middle of the order have been productive as well. Ava Bredwell and Samantha Bland have both been enjoying hot stretches over the past three weeks.

• Bredwell has been on fire the last three weeks. During that stretch, she is 17-for-39 (.436) with four doubles, two triples, four homers and 14 RBIs.
• Bredwell has at least one hit, one run and one RBI in each of her last seven games. During her seven-game hitting streak, Bredwell is 13-for-24 (.542) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs and nine RBIs with a 1.125 slugging percentage and a .607 on-base percentage.
• Bland is hitting .385 (15-for-39) over the last three weeks with four doubles, a homer and 11 RBIs. She has produced multiple hits in five of her last seven games and had a walk-off homer against North Dakota on March 15 and a walk-off single vs. Illinois on March 22.

Billie Andrews Breaks Husker Home Run Record
Billie Andrews entered the week ranked sixth nationally in home runs per game with 12 homers in 27 games. She is Nebraska’s all-time home run leader with 55 career homers.

• Andrews homered in Nebraska’s first at bat of the game against Illinois on March 22. That home run was the 55th of her career and made her Nebraska’s all-time home run leader. She broke the previous Husker career home run record of 54 set by two-time All-American Taylor Edwards, who played from 2011 to 2014.
• Andrews has also tied another home run record. She has seven games with multiple homers in her career, tying Tristen Edwards (2017-21) for the most multi-homer games in NU history.
• Andrews entered the week ranked 14th among all active Division I players with 55 career home runs. She has played at least 10 fewer games than each of the 13 players ranked ahead of her on the active home run chart, with the exception of Wichita State’s Addison Barnard.

Scouting Wisconsin (12-17, 1-2 Big Ten)
Wisconsin brings a 12-17 record into its first home games of the season this weekend against Nebraska. The Badgers are 1-2 in Big Ten play after losing two of three games at Iowa last weekend. Nebraska and Wisconsin share five common opponents this season in Long Beach State, Maine, Missouri, Utah and Washington. The Huskers posted a 2-4 record against that group while the Badgers went 3-5.

Wisconsin is hitting .269 as a team and averaging 4.3 runs per game. Defensively, the Badgers own a 4.19 ERA and are allowing 4.7 runs per game. Wisconsin entered the week leading the Big Ten and ranking 16th nationally with nine shutouts this season.

• Hilary Blomberg leads Wisconsin with a .355 average as one of four starters batting above .300. Blomberg has added six doubles and eight RBIs.
• Emily Bojan is second on the team with a .333 average with three doubles and one homer.
• Ava Kuszak is batting .325 and leads the Badgers with 26 hits and seven doubles.
• Fiona Girardot is hitting .305 in 22 starts and Skylar Sirdashney owns a .304 average in 14 starts.
• Emmy Wells is the top power hitter as she leads Wisconsin with eight home runs, 19 RBIs and a .575 slugging percentage.
• Peyton Bannon and Danielle Lucey add speed to the team with 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts between them.
• In the circle, Tessa Magnanimo has seen the most action. Magnanimo is 5-7 with a 3.53 ERA. She leads the Badgers with 19 appearances, 13 starts and 75.1 innings. Magnanimo has struck out 54 batters and opponents are hitting .301 against her. She ranks second in the Big Ten - behind teammate Gabi Salo - in shutouts (3).
• Shelby Jacobson is 2-8 with a 5.42 ERA in 60.2 innings. She ranks second on the team in appearances (16), starts (9) and innings pitched.
• Gabi Salo boasts the Badgers’ lowest ERA, as she is 5-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 45.0 innings. Salo has struck out 50 batters in her 45.0 innings, and opponents are hitting just .246 against her. Salo leads the Big Ten and entered the week ranked 13th nationally with four shutouts.
• Hilary Blomberg (0-0, 21.00 ERA in 2.2 IP) rounds out the Badger staff.
• Yvette Healy is in her 14th season at Wisconsin, where she owns a 401-274-1 record. Healy has led the Badgers to one Big Ten tournament title and six NCAA Tournament appearances. She has taken Wisconsin to six of its nine all-time trips to the NCAA Tournament.
• Healy was previously the head coach at Loyola Chicago, where she went 131-172-1 in six seasons. In her career, Healy owns a 532-446-2 record in 20 seasons.