Huskers Set for Home DebutHuskers Set for Home Debut
Hudson Carrico
Softball

Huskers Set for Home Debut

The No. 20 Nebraska softball team will make its home debut this weekend, as it hosts the Big Red Spring Fling. NU will play four games over the course of three days, including two rematches -- Northern Colorado and South Dakota State -- from earlier this season. 

In a change from the original schedule, the Huskers will open the tournament against Northern Colorado at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, March 6. The Big Red will play two games on Saturday -- one against Northern Iowa at 11 a.m. (CT) and one against South Dakota State at 1:30 p.m. (CT). Nebraska closes the tournament against Northern Iowa at 4 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, March 9.

Last weekend, the Huskers competed at the Shocker Invitational and grabbed wins over South Dakota State (8-5, 8 inn.), Wichita State (15-0, 5 inn.) and Missouri (10-9). NU fell to Oklahoma State (0-1) and Missouri (1-7). 

The Big Red was tabbed No. 20 by the NFCA this week, along with No. 18 by Softball America, No. 19 by ESPN and No. 20 by D1 Softball.

All four games this week will be streamed on B1G+. Every game this season will have a free radio broadcast with Nate Rohr on the call. The radio broadcast is available at Huskers.com/listen and on the official Huskers app. All concessions at Bowlin Stadium are cashless and re-entry to the stadium will not be allowed. Game day information can be found at huskers.com/softball-game-day-information. 

Leading Off

  • The Big Red is 25-13 all time at its home tournaments, including a 5-1 record at the 2007 Big Red Tournament.
  • Nebraska has posted winning records at every tournament so far this season --  3-2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, 5-0 at the Troy Cox Classic, 4-2 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and 3-2 at the Shocker Invitational.
  • Nebraska has posted winning records at every tournament so far this season --  3-2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, 5-0 at the Troy Cox Classic, 4-2 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and 3-2 at the Shocker Invitational.
  • Lauren Camenzind is expected to make her 100th career start on Thursday, while Katelyn Caneda’s next hit will be the 100th of her career.
  • Jordyn Bahl notched her 50th career victory against Wichita State. She is 20 strikeouts away from 500 in her career.
  • Nebraska now has 11 run-rule victories on the season, which is believed to be tied for third in the NCAA.
  • The Huskers have hit at least one home run in each of their 15 victories this year. 
  • NU has scored at least 10 runs in 11 of its 21 games so far this season. 
  • Nebraska has had the most home runs in the NCAA for four straight weeks going into the Big Red Spring Fling.

Back at Bowlin Stadium
The Nebraska softball team is set for its home opener on Thursday, March 6, against Northern Colorado, and is spending its 24th season at Bowlin Stadium.

  • The Huskers lost last year’s home opener against Wichita State by a score of 7-1. However, NU won its three previous home openers, dating back to 2021. 
  • The Huskers own a 274-120 all-time record at Bowlin Stadium. Nebraska has posted a winning record at Bowlin Stadium every season except 2019 (7-9) and 2020, when the season was canceled prior to NU playing a home game.
  • Overall, NU owns a 17-5 record in its first home game of the season since Bowlin Stadium opened in 2002.
  • Bowlin Stadium underwent numerous renovations this offseason, most notably in the form of 456 new seats for fans. The stadium also added a new ticketing office and more sites for concessions. Nebraska has sold almost 1,300 season tickets for the 2025 season.

Husker Home Run Quick Hitters
The Nebraska softball team has enjoyed a solid start to the season from the plate, most notably with its home run numbers. 

  • Nebraska leads the nation with 45 home runs in only 21 games.
  • NU is on pace to hit 107 home runs in a 50-game regular season. The school record for home runs in a season is 76 in 2022, and the Big Ten record is 118 by Michigan in 2015 (68 games).
  • A total of 13 Huskers have hit a home run this season, including 12 players with multiple home runs.
  • The Huskers have homered five times in a game on four occasions this season, including three consecutive games to open the Troy Cox Classic.
  • Nebraska has produced 10 innings this season with multiple home runs, including five innings with three or more home runs.
  • Nebraska has hit back-to-back home runs five times this season, including three times with three consecutive home runs that includes a school-record four straight home runs against San Jose State on Feb. 22.
  • Ava Kuszak (twice), Jordyn Bahl, Abbie Squier and Emmerson Cope have all had a multi-homer game this season, including a three-home run game from Kuszak against Montana on Feb. 16 which tied the Nebraska and Big Ten records for home runs in a game.
  • Kuszak has hit more home runs herself (12) than 167 NCAA Division I teams and more than six Big Ten schools.
  • Together, Kuszak (12) and Jordyn Bahl (7) have combined for 19 home runs. Their two-player combined total of 19 home runs would rank 47th among all NCAA Division I teams this spring and would be more than 10 Big Ten schools have hit as a team.
  • Eleven Huskers – Bahl, Kuszak, Squier, , Bella Bacon, Alina Felix, Malia Thoms, Olivia DiNardo, Hannah Camenzind, Ava Bredwell, Alina Felix and Samantha Bland, – have already matched or exceeded their career highs in home runs.

Huskers in the Record Books
The Nebraska softball team has set numerous program bests, both team and individual, so far this season.

  • The Big Red scored 10+ runs in five straight games from Feb. 14-16 for the first time in program history.
  • NU notched five home runs in three straight games for what is believed to be the first time in school history.
  • In the Huskers’ game against San Jose State at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, they hit four straight home runs for the first time in program history.
  • Nebraska scored 102 runs in its first 10 games of the season, which marked the quickest the team has hit the 100-run milestone.
  • Ava Kuszak posted three home runs in the second game against Montana and is now tied with Kaylan Jablonski and Christie McCoy for the school record.

Bahl Solid at the Plate
Nebraska softball pitcher and utility player Jordyn Bahl has not only had an impact in the circle, but her offense is a force to be reckoned with.

  • Jordyn Bahl leads the country in extra-base hits this week and ranks in the top 20 nationally in doubles (8th), total bases (4th), slugging percentage (9th) and hits (14th).
  • Bahl is tied for first in the country with 18 extra-base hits on the season. She is tied with Taylor Shumaker of Florida and Julia Knowler of Clemson.
  • On the season, 18 of Bahl’s 31 hits have gone for extra bases. She averages an extra-base hit every 3.4 at bats and almost one extra-base hit per game.
  • Bahl has nearly as many hits herself as she has allowed as a pitcher. Bahl has 31 hits in 61 at bats at the plate and in the circle, she has allowed only 34 hits in 247 opponent at bats.
  • Bahl has also scored more runs herself (24) than she has allowed (23) in 63.2 innings in the circle.

What Nebraska Returns in 2025
Nebraska’s 2025 roster consists of 25 total athletes. Fourteen of those are returners.

Huskers Hit the Portal
Nebraska utilized the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in six new players -- Hannah and Lauren Camenzind and Kacie Hoffmann from Arkansas, Olivia DiNardo from Arizona, Kylee Magee from Arizona State and Ava Kuszak from Wisconsin.

  • Hannah Camenzind was a second-team All-SEC member in 2023. Over her two seasons with the Razorbacks, she posted a 14-3 record with 3.11 ERA over 119.1 total innings. At the plate, she batted .308.
  • Lauren Camenzind was a third-team NFCA All-South Region member in 2023. Over her two seasons at Arkansas, she played in 86 games (79 starts) at both catcher and shortstop.
  • DiNardo racked up numerous accolades during her two years at Arizona. She was a second-team NFCA All-West Region member in 2023 and a Third-Team member in 2024 and was named a Second-Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honoree in 2023. Over the course of two seasons with the Wildcats, DiNardo started 102 games and built up a batting average of .340, along with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 74 RBIs.
  • Hoffmann played in 106 games with 96 starts during her time with Arkansas. She hit .244 and logged 16 doubles, 15 home runs and 47 RBIs. 
  • Kuszak earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region accolades in 2024. During her two seasons at Wisconsin, she played in 76 games with 65 starts and notched 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 33 RBIs on a .278 batting average.
  • Magee was named a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team at Arizona State in 2023. She suffered an injury early in the 2024 season. She pitched in 27 games with 24 starts and compiled a 3.51 ERA and two saves, along with striking out 79 batters in 89.2 innings.

Huskers Returning From Injuries
Nebraska faced significant adversity in 2024, as a total of six players suffered season-ending injuries, including four that are returning for the 2025 season. Additionally, Arizona State transfer Kylee Magee had to use the offseason for rehab. 

  • Jordyn Bahl suffered a knee injury in the Huskers’ 2024 season opener that required season-ending surgery. Bahl was a First-Team All-American, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and one of 10 national finalists for player of the year in 2022 and 2023. 
  • Abbie Squier, a returning All-Big Ten and all-region selection, returns after being out for the 2024 season due to surgery. In 2022 and 2023, she was the Big Red’s starting left fielder. 
  • Dakota Carter, the Huskers’ designated player, was deemed out for the 2024 season before it even began. In 2023, she scored 13 runs as a pinch runner and appeared in 39 games. 
  • Caitlin Olensky suffered a season-ending injury in the Huskers’ conference opener against Illinois last year. Before her injury, she compiled a record of 3-2 with a team-best 3.30 ERA.
  • Emmerson Cope was out for almost a month of the 2024 season after battling a back injury. When she was in the lineup, the Topeka, Kan., native amassed an ERA of 4.76 in the circle. She racked up 21 hits, 10 runs, six homers and 19 RBIs. 
  • Talia Tokheim missed the first 23 games of the season while rehabbing an injury from 2023. She returned for nine games before suffering another season-ending injury in game three of the Penn State series. In her limited time on the field, she notched 46 total bases and seven home runs.
  • Kylee Magee suffered a season-ending injury after racking up six appearances with four starts in her sophomore year with the Sun Devils. In her first two years at Arizona State, she struck out 79 batters in 89.2 innings.

Scouting Northern Colorado (7-10)
The Bears are 7-10 on the year and are coming off a 3-0 record at the Colorado Classic D1 Tournament. NU has faced off against Northern Colorado once already this year, and Jordyn Bahl threw the 41st no-hitter in school history en route to a 10-0, five-inning Husker win. As a team, the Bears hit .289 and own an ERA of 6.36.

  • Katie Walling leads the Northern Colorado offense with a .393 batting average. She has notched 22 hits, five doubles, a homer and five RBIs.
  • Amailee Morales is 19-for-50 (.380) on the season with four homers, six doubles and 10 RBIs. She has the highest slugging percentage on the team at .740.
  • Sabrina Javorsky has 11 RBIs on 14 hits for the Bears. She owns a batting average of .292. Ella Gonzalez adds 12 RBIs on 15 hits, and Jazzy Longo has 13 RBIs with four home runs.
  • Isabel DiNapoli has the best ERA on the team at 4.37 and owns a 5-2 record across 49.2 innings pitched. She has struck out 27 batters and walked 23.
  • Northern Colorado is led by Dedeann Pendleton-Helm, who joined the team in June of 2022 and has a record of 60-59.

Scouting Northern Iowa (10-5)
The Panthers have compiled a record of 10-5 this season across three tournaments. As a team, they are hitting .277 and have an ERA of 2.96. 

  • Kylee Sanders has an impressive average of .457, grabbing 21 hits in 46 at bats. She has posted 29 total bases and added a home run.
  • Kate Lappe owns a batting average of .370 and has started all 15 games for Northern Iowa. She adds four home runs, two doubles and 12 RBIs.
  • Addison McElrath is 15-for-45 on the season and has knocked five homers and totaled 32 bases. 
  • In Lappe, McElrath, Drew Hinrichs and Skylar Benesh, the Panthers have four players who have started in every game.
  • Anna Wischnowski has pitched 50.1 innings, compiled a record of 6-2 and has an ERA of 1.39. She has struck out 36 batters and allowed 10 earned runs.
  • Ryan Jacobs is in his 18th season as head of the UNI softball program this year. He is the second-winningest coach in Panther history.

Scouting South Dakota State (6-12)
The Jackrabbits are 6-12 on the year and bat .277 as a team while posting an ERA of 5.34. The Huskers faced off against South Dakota State last weekend at the Shocker Invitational and came out with an 8-5, eight-inning victory.

  • Brooke Dumont has a team-high batting average of .438 and has started in every game for the Jackrabbits. She has hit six doubles, knocked six home runs and has a slugging percentage of .938.
  • Alli Boyle and Akayla Barnard have each started all 18 games for South Dakota State. Boyle is 13-for-50 on the season and has six RBIs, while Barnard bats .226 and has hit three home runs.
  • Abby Gentry bats .348 with 11 RBIs, while Amanda Vacanti has an average of .317 with eight RBIs.
  • Amanda Vacanti has pitched 26.1 innings and owns a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 3.99. Tayler Baker is 1-3 across 27.0 innings and has struck out 26 batters. Madi Mangulis has an ERA of 6.51 across 23.2 innings and is also 1-3.
  • Kristina McSweeney is in her third year with South Dakota State and led the Jackrabbits to a regular-season Summit League championship last year.