Huskers Ready for Baton Rouge Regional

Nebraska is currently ranked fifth nationally in run differential. The Big Red has scored 420 runs to its opponents’ 162, for a differential of +258. 

Nebraska has been prone to big innings, scoring four or more runs in an inning 40 times, including 16 innings with six or more runs and seven innings with eight or more runs.

Jordyn Bahl now has 37 extra-base hits on the season, which is a single-season school record. Her next home run would make her the fourth player in NCAA history to record 20 HR and 20 wins in the same season.

Nebraska now has 98 home runs, 202 extra-base hits and 420 runs scored on the season, all of which are program-record marks.

Jordyn Bahl was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Pitcher of the year and is the only player in the conference’s history to win both of those awards in the same season.

Bahl and Ava Kuszak were members of the All-Big Ten First Team, Samantha Bland and Hannah Camenzind were on the second team and Bland was a member of the All-Defensive team. Haidyn Warner was the Huskers’ sportsmanship honoree.

Bahl ranks in the top 15 nationally in numerous categories – hits allowed per seven innings (4th), opponent batting average (4th), strikeouts (5th), strikeouts per seven innings (5th), shutouts (6th), runs per game (8th), complete games (9th), slugging percentage (9th), total bases (9th), victories (9th), batting average (10th), ERA (10th), and WHIP (13th). 

The Papillion, Neb., native boasts a batting average of .458 on the season, which ranks 10th nationally. She has also contributed 61 runs, 71 hits, 59 RBIs, 16 doubles and 19 home runs so far this year. Bahl is the first Husker in school history to record 15 doubles and 15 home runs in the same season. 

Bahl owns the single-season extra-base hit record for NU, as she has 37 so far this season. She is also on pace for numerous school records. If the season ended today, she would rank first in batting average and slugging percentage, second in runs scored, third in total bases, fourth in doubles and home runs, fifth in RBIs and ninth in winning percentage.

The junior is trying to become the first player since 2017 to score more runs than she allows (min. 130 IP). Bahl currently has 61 runs scored and 61 runs allowed. 

Her next home run would make her the fourth player in NCAA history to record 20+ home runs at the plate and 20+ wins in the circle in the same season.

Nebraska is fifth in the nation with 98 home runs. NU broke the school record for single-season home runs against Creighton on April 9. If the Big Red gets to 100 home runs, it would be the fourth team in Big Ten history to do so.

A total of 14 Huskers have hit a home run this season, including 13 players with multiple home runs.

The Huskers have homered five times in a game on six occasions this season, including three consecutive games to open the Troy Cox Classic.

Nebraska has produced 15 innings this season with multiple home runs, including five innings with three or more home runs.

Nebraska has hit back-to-back home runs seven 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 (twice), Samantha Bland, Abbie Squier, Emmerson Cope (twice) and Hannah Camenzind have all had a multi-homer game this season, including three-home run games from Kuszak against Montana on Feb. 16 and Bland at Iowa on April 5, both of which tied the Nebraska and Big Ten records for home runs in a game.

Kuszak and Bahl have hit more home runs themselves (19) than 84 NCAA Division I teams. Together, Kuszak (19) and Bahl (19) have combined for 38 home runs. Their two-player combined total of 35 home runs would rank 101st among all NCAA Division I teams this spring and would be more than five Big Ten schools have hit as a team.

Eleven Huskers – Bahl, Kuszak, Squier, Cope, Bland, Bella Bacon, Alina Felix, Hannah Camenzind, Malia Thoms and Lauren Camenzind – have matched or exceeded their career season highs in home runs.

Bahl ranks in the top 25 nationally in runs per game (8th), total bases (9th), slugging percentage (9th), batting average (10th), extra-base hits (11th), runs (16th), home runs per game (18th) and home runs (19th). 

On the season, 37 of Bahl’s 71 hits have gone for extra bases. She averages an extra-base hit every 4.2 at bats.

Bahl has nearly as many hits herself as she has allowed as a pitcher. Bahl has 71 hits in 155 at bats at the plate and in the circle, she has allowed only 97 hits in 716 opponent at bats.

Bahl has also scored as many runs herself (61) as she has allowed (61) in 174.1 innings in the circle.

The 2025 Nebraska softball team is first in school history with 98 home runs, 202 extra-base hits and 420 runs on the season.

As it stands, the 2025 squad would rank first in batting average (.352), slugging percentage (.640) and on-base percentage (.432). 

NU has notched the most run rule victories in program history with 23 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. The Huskers scored 200 runs in their first 23 games of the season, which marked the quickest the team has hit the 200-run milestone.

NU scored 300 runs through 37 games, which marked the quickest the team has hit the 300-run milestone. Before this year, the fastest pace was games 43 in 2015.

The Big Red hit the 400-run milestone through 49 games, which is the fastest it got to that mark as well.

Ava Kuszak and Samantha Bland have both posted three-homer games and are now tied with Kaylan Jablonski and Christie McCoy for the school record for home runs in a game. 

Jordyn Bahl is first in school history with 37 extra-base hits this season, and her and Ava Kuszak are tied for fourth with 19 home runs apiece.

If the season ended today, Bahl would be first in school history in batting average (.458), Kuszak would be fifth (.421) and Olivia DiNardo would be ninth (.391). Bahl would also rank first in slugging percentage (.955), while Kuszak would rank second (.888).

The Huskers set a school record for attendance with 3,021 fans at the May 3 game against Maryland. NU averages 2,306 fans per game, which is fourth nationally and the highest in school history.

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.

The Huskers welcomed back 14 letterwinners from last season – Bella Bacon, Jordyn Bahl, Samantha Bland, Ava Bredwell, Katelyn Caneda, Dakota Carter, Emmerson Cope, Alina Felix, Mckinley Malecha, Caitlin Olensky, Abbie Squier, Malia Thoms, Talia Tokheim and Haidyn Warner.

NU returned half of its starting lineup from 2024 in outfielder Samantha Bland, catcher Ava Bredwell, first baseman Bella Bacon, second baseman Katelyn Caneda and designated player Emmerson Cope.

Nebraska returned three of its top five hitters from 2024 – Ava Bredwell (.329), Emmerson Cope (.304) and Alina Felix (.302). 

Returners Ava Bredwell, Samantha Bland, Bella Bacon and Katelyn Caneda each started in more than 95 percent of the Huskers’ games last season.

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. 

Grace Jenkins, the Big East Player of the Year, leads UConn with a .425 average, 65 runs, 19 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBIs. Jenkins ranks fourth nationally in runs per game and extra-base hits, seventh in RBIs per game, ninth in doubles and 10th in homers. Jenkins is the only player in the country to rank in the top 10 in both doubles and home runs, and she is one of two players to rank in the top 10 nationally in both runs and RBIs per game.

Cat Petteys is hitting .409 and was the Big East Freshman of the Year. Rosie Garcia and Kaitlyn Breslin joined Jenkins and Petteys as first-team All-Big East selections. Lexi Hastings was a second-team All-Big East pick who ranks fourth nationally in runs per game and 10th in stolen base percentage.

In the circle, Payton Kinney is 15-5 with a team-low 2.37 ERA in a team-high 133.0 innings. The first-team All-Big East pick has added two saves and opponents hit just .205 against her.

Hope Jenkins has posted an 11-3 record with a 3.92 ERA in 101.2 innings.

Laura Valentino is in her sixth season as UConn’s head coach. She owns a 176-99 record and has led the Huskies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.

Tori Edwards, the SEC Freshman of the Year, is one of five Tigers who have started every game and are hitting above .325. Edwards leads the team with a .403 average, 14 doubles, 18 home runs and 71 RBIs. She ranks ninth nationally in RBIs.

Danieca Coffey is batting .386 and she leads the team with 64 hits, 46 walks and a .512 on-base percentage, ranking 10th nationally in walks.

In the circle, LSU boasts one of the top pitching duos in the country in Sydney Berzon (17-7, 2.56 ERA in 13.10 IP) and Jayden Heavener (13-4, 2.79 ERA in 113.0 IP). Berzon was a second-team All-American last season while Heavener ranks fifth nationally in hits allowed per seven innings this season and is 12th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings.

Beth Torina owns a 577-251 record in 14 seasons at LSU and a 706-362 career record. Torina has led LSU to eight regional titles and four trips to the Women’s College World Series.

Shenita Tucker leads six Lady Lion starters hitting above .330 with a .396 average. Tucker was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection, as were Chloe Magee and Maria Detillier. Magee is batting .371 and leads the team with 34 stolen bases, while Detillier owns a .382 average with team-high totals of 15 doubles, six triples, four homers and 54 RBIs.

In the circle, Macie LaRue was the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year after posting a 19-2 record with a 2.10 ERA in 143.2 innings. Behind LaRue are Britney Lewinski (9-5, 2.18 ERA in 99.1 IP), who ranks 13th nationally with five saves, and Hallie Burns (12-5, 2.53 ERA in 96.2 IP).

Rick Fremin is in his ninth season at Southeastern Louisiana, where he owns a 323-163 record. Fremin has a career record of 650-391 over 20 seasons.