News, Weather and Sports for Lincoln, NE; KLKNTV.comNU Softball faces tough competition at Cathedral Classic this weekend

The 22nd-ranked Nebraska softball team takes a five-game winning streak into a challenging five-game schedule at the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., this weekend. In one of the nation's most prestigious tournaments, the Huskers will face four top-20 teams at the Big League Dreams Complex, which features scaled-down replicas of famous ballparks.

Nebraska opens the schedule with a matchup with No. 19 Oregon on Friday. The Huskers then take on Cal Poly in the first of two games on Saturday, before a tough close to the weekend. Nebraska's second game on Saturday is against 11th-ranked Missouri, before the Huskers close the tournament with back-to-back games on Sunday against No. 8 Texas and fifth-ranked Washington. Both the Longhorns and Huskies are unbeaten this season, while Missouri has lost only once and Oregon has lost just twice.

Fans can follow all of the games from Cathedral City this weekend by listening to Nate Rohr call all of the action, but start times may be delayed if earlier games are running behind schedule.

The Husker offense faces a stiff challenge this week after lighting up the scoreboard through the first two weekends. Nebraska is batting .377 as a team and averaging nearly nine runs per game. The Huskers have scored at least 10 runs seven times through 11 games this season. While the bats have been hot, Nebraska will run into some strong pitching this weekend.

Oregon's ace Jessica Moore has earned first-team all-region honors in each of her first two seasons and the challenge only gets tougher from there. Missouri ace Chelsea Thomas is a returning All-American who led the country in ERA last season and is a member of the USA National Team. Texas boasts a two-time All-American in ace Blaire Luna, while Washington's Kaitlin Inglesby shut out the Huskers in the season opener to kickstart a superb start to her sophomore campaign.

The Huskers have a 1-7 overall record against Thomas, Luna and Inglesby. Thomas is 2-1 against Nebraska with a 1.40 ERA, and she has struck out 27 and allowed only six hits in 20.0 innings. Luna is 4-0 in her career against NU with a 0.28 ERA. In 24.2 career innings against the Huskers, Luna has allowed only one run and just seven hits, while striking out 36. Inglesby has only pitched against Nebraska once, but she threw a two-hit shutout against the Huskers in the season opener.

On the flip side, NU's pitching staff has allowed two earned runs or less in six of the last eight games.

Scouting Oregon (3-2)
Oregon was off last weekend after posting a 3-2 record at the Kajikawa Classic two weeks ago. The Ducks run-ruled Santa Barbara and San Jose State, but each of their other three games were one-run affairs. Oregon dropped two of those one-run decisions to New Mexico and BYU and defeated San Diego State.

The Ducks put up big offensive numbers two weeks ago, batting .373 as a team with seven home runs in five games. Oregon is averaging 6.2 runs per game and slugging .575. Allie Burger leads the way with a .571 average, as one of five Ducks hitting over .400. Kelsey Chambers is the top power threat, owning a .467 average, two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Courtney Ceo is 8-for-17 to open the season, while Kaylan Howard is batting .467 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

In the circle, Jessica Moore has started four of Oregon's five games. She is 2-2 with a 2.16 ERA and has walked 12 and struck out 19 in 22.2 innings. Karissa Hovinga, a freshman from Ralston, Neb., is the Ducks' No. 2 pitcher. She made three appearances at the Kajikawa Classic, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.50 ERA in 8.0 innings. She shut out San Jose State in her only start. Defensively, Oregon committed 11 errors in five games at the Kajikawa Classic and owns a .926 fielding percentage.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Oregon, 6-3. The Huskers have won four straight in the series and six of the last seven. The last meeting between the teams came at the 2009 Cathedral City Classic, when the Huskers defeated the Ducks, 3-1.

Scouting Cal Poly (1-3)
Cal Poly was also off last weekend after posting a 1-3 record at the Kajikawa Classic two weeks ago. The Mustangs faced a challenging schedule in their opening weekend, losing to nationally-ranked Georgia Tech and Arizona State, in addition to Portland State and San Jose State. Cal Poly's lone win came over a Texas Tech team that was receiving votes in the preseason polls. Overall, the Mustangs were outscored 32-11 in four games at the Kajikawa Classic.

Cal Poly hit just .216 as a team in the opening weekend, while averaging only 2.8 runs per game and being shut out twice. Four Mustangs are hitting .333 or better, while the rest of the roster is hitting .231 or below. Nora Sobczak leads Cal Poly with a .444 batting average and three walks. Kim Westlund has opened the season 4-for-11 (.364) with a double, a home run and five RBIs. Whitley Gerhart rounds out the top hitters with a .333 batting average.

In the circle, Cal Poly allowed an average of 8.0 runs per game while posting a staff ERA of 9.55. Rebecca Patton threw the majority of the innings at the Kajikawa Classic and posted a 1-1 record with a 4.50 ERA in 14.0 innings. She threw two complete games, including a shutout of Texas Tech. Chloe Wurst earned two starts at the Kajikawa Classic, but was 0-2 with a 15.75 ERA in 6.2 innings. She allowed 16 total runs and opponents hit .379 against her. Jordan Yates (0-0, 26.25 ERA in 1.1 IP) and Trista Thomas (0-0, 99.99 ERA in 0.0 IP) round out the Mustang staff.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Cal Pol, 7-2. All nine all-time meetings have come during the 20-year tenure of Husker Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, although the teams have not met since an 8-2 Husker victory in 2003. Nebraska has won five straight in the series dating back to 1998, with Cal Poly managing only three total runs during that streak.

Scouting Missouri (3-1)
Missouri opened its season last weekend, posting a 3-1 record in Alabama. The Tigers' lone loss came in a 6-5, 10-inning setback to Eastern Kentucky. Missouri averaged 8.3 runs per game last weekend and allowed only 2.8 runs per contest.

Offensively, four Tigers are batting .400 or better after four games. Jenna Marston leads the way with a .583 average (7-for-12) with three RBIs. Lindsey Muller is hitting .571 (4-for-7) with a pair of solo home runs, while Ashtin Stephens is batting .429 (3-for-7). Ashley Fleming rounds out the .400 hitters with a .400 average, two home runs and four RBIs.

In the circle, Missouri is led by All-American Chelsea Thomas, the 2011 NCAA ERA champion and a member of the USA National Team. Thomas is 1-1 this season, although she has not allowed an earned run. She boasts a 0.00 ERA in 9.2 innings and has struck out 10 while allowing only three hits. Kristin Nottelmann has thrown a team-high 14.0 innings this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.00 ERA. Bailey Erwin (0-0, 2.86 ERA in 7.1 IP) rounds out the Tiger staff.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Missouri, 52-35. The Huskers and Tigers split a two-game series at Bowlin Stadium last season, with Nebraska winning 3-2 in game one and Missouri earning a 4-1 win in game to. No team has won more than one straight game in the series since Nebraska won two straight in 2007 and 2008.

Scouting Texas (8-0)
Texas has climbed into the top 10 of the national rankings thanks to an 8-0 start to its season. The Longhorns were dominant while hosting a season-opening tournament, outscoring their opponents 60-0 in a 5-0 weekend. Rain limited Texas to three games last weekend, when the Longhorns capped a second straight undefeated weekend with a 3-2, nine-inning victory over No. 10 Tennessee.

The Longhorns are batting .423 as a team, while averaging 9.5 runs per game. The Longhorn pitching staff has thrown five shutouts in eight games, while posting a 0.88 ERA.

Offensively, only one starter is hitting below .300, and that is Taylor Hoagland, a member of the USA National Team. Seven Longhorns are hitting .400 or better and four are hitting .500 or above. Lexy Bennett leads the way with a .609 average, as she is 14-for-23 to open the season with two home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.087 slugging percentage and a .621 on-base percentage. Taylor Thom and Mandy Ogle are both batting .550 (11-for-20) with nine RBIs.

In the circle, two-time All-American Blaire Luna has thrown half of Texas' innings this season. Luna is 4-0 with a pair of shutouts, 43 strikeouts and a 0.29 ERA in 24.0 innings. Kim Bruins is 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA and one shutout in 10.0 innings, while Rachel Fox is 1-0 with a 2.42 ERA and one shutout in 8.2 innings. Gabby Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA in 5.1 IP) rounds out the staff.

Texas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 19-18. The Longhorns have won five straight in the series and seven of the last nine. Last year, Texas swept Nebraska in Lincoln, winning a pair of one-run decisions, including erasing a two-run, seventh-inning deficit in game two.

Scouting Washington (10-0)
Washington is off to a 10-0 start to the season, and the fast start has propelled the Huskies into the top five. UW has won all but one of its games by at least three runs, including a 4-0 victory over Nebraska in the season opener. The Huskies' closest game this season was a 1-0, 10-inning victory over Central Florida.

Offensively, Washington is hitting .335 as a team and averaging nearly eight runs per game. Kimi Pohlman leads the Huskies' regulars with a .500 batting average that includes seven stolen bases, 10 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Kaitlin Inglesby is batting .444 with team-high totals of four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs. Three other Huskies are hitting .333 or better.

Inglesby has also led the way in the circle, throwing half of Washington's total innings. She is 5-0 with a 1.27 ERA, two shutouts and one save. Opponents are hitting just .171 against her. Bryana Walker has appeared in six games and is 2-0 with two saves and a 2.33 ERA in 18.0 innings. Kasey Stancheck has started three games and is 3-0 with a 2.80 ERA in 15.0 innings.

Washington leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 7-3. The Huskies have won seven of the last eight meetings including this season. Nebraska's last victory in the series was a 4-1 win in 2005.

Quick Hitters

The information below provides a quick glimpse of a few statistics and brief notes of interest as the Huskers face four ranked teams in a difficult five-game schedule at the Cathedral City Classic:

• The Huskers are 150-80 (.652) all-time in the month of February, including a program-best 14-2 record last season. NU is 8-3 in February this season, and only three Husker teams have ever recorded 10 wins in February.
• Nebraska has posted a winning month of February in nine of the last 10 seasons (3-6 in 2008).
• Under Revelle, Nebraska is 141-65 (.684) in February. She has posted a winning month of February 14 times in 18 seasons (the Huskers did not play a game in February of 1993, Revelle's first season).
• The Huskers have committed 18 errors and allowed 17 unearned runs in 11 games this season, an average of 1.6 errors per game and 1.5 unearned runs per contest.
• Twenty of the 47 runs Nebraska has allowed this season have scored on home runs (43 percent).
• Nebraska is 1-2 against ranked teams this season, defeating then-No. 8 Arizona and losing to then-No. 12 Washington and then-No. 23 Georgia Tech.
• The Huskers' 11-10 win over Arizona and 6-5 loss to Georgia Tech are their only two games decided by less than four runs this season.
• In its eight wins, Nebraska's average margin of victory is 7.9 runs.
• Ashley Guile owns 99 career RBIs and looks to become the 15th player in NU history to produce 100 career RBIs.

Huskers Scoring Runs at Record Rate
Through only 11 games, Nebraska has put up 97 runs, averaging 8.8 runs per game and scoring at least 10 runs seven times. The Huskers lead the Big Ten with 97 runs scored, 33 more than second-place Iowa. Nebraska's impressive early-season scoring barrage also ranks at the top of the school's all-time charts. The 97 runs after 11 games are the most in school history, easily eclipsing the 78 runs scored in 1996. The 2012 Huskers are bidding to become the first team in school history to reach 100 runs scored in fewer than 17 games. To reach that mark, Nebraska must score only three runs in its five games this weekend.

To put Nebraska's quick ascension to 100 runs in perspective, the Huskers could reach the mark in only 12 games. In the first 30 years that softball was an NCAA sport, Nebraska needed at least 30 games to score 100 runs in 10 of those seasons. More recently, the Huskers' total of 97 runs through 11 games is more than halfway to Nebraska's 2008 season total of 193 runs in 53 games.

Husker Offense Gets Tougher as Game Progresses
Nebraska has put up tremendous offensive numbers early this season, averaging nearly nine runs per game while batting .377 as a team, slugging .556 and reaching base at a .492 clip. The offense has been good throughout the game, scoring in the first inning six times in 11 games. But Nebraska has really excelled in the middle and late innings in its second and third time through the lineup.

Although the Huskers are batting .377 as a team, Nebraska is batting .345 over the first four innings. But  over the final three innings, Nebraska is batting .440, hitting .383 in the fifth, .529 in the sixth and .421 in the seventh. The Huskers have been outscored 21-19 over the first two innings this season, but Nebraska has outscored its opponents 78-26 over the final five innings, including a 44-10 margin in the third and fourth frames.

Tatum Edwards Ties Husker RBI Record
Sophomore Tatum Edwards tied a school record last Friday against New Mexico State. As the designated player against the Aggies, Edwards tied the school record with seven RBIs in a game of seven innings or fewer. She tied the mark set by Jenny Smith against Kansas in 1996. Edwards finished 3-for-4 against NMSU, with a pair of home runs and a walk in Nebraska's 15-2 victory. She launched a two-run homer in the first inning, a three-run shot in the sixth and produced a two-run single in the seventh.

Edwards is tied with senior Ashley Guile for the Nebraska and Big Ten Conference lead with 16 RBIs this season.

Guile Carrying Impressive Streaks, Including One School Record
Senior Ashley Guile is off to an outstanding start in her final season, leading Nebraska with a .500 batting average, 17 hits, four doubles and 16 RBIs. She has been on a tear after going 0-for-2 with a walk in a season-opening loss to No. 12 Washington. Guile has produced an RBI in each of the 10 games since that loss, setting a school record for most consecutive games with an RBI. The previous record was seven consecutive games set twice last season by Taylor Edwards, once by Lisa Wangler in 2003 and once by Ali Viola in 1995.

In addition to the 10-game RBI streak, Guile owns a career-best nine-game hitting streak and she has reached base safely in all 11 games this season. A native of Olathe, Kan., Guile has produced six multi-RBI games and five multi-hit efforts, leading the team in multi-RBI games and ranking second in multi-hit games. Extending her RBI streak to 11 straight games against Oregon would also put Guile in elite company in Husker history, as she would become the 14th member of Nebraska's 100-RBI club.

Banda Driving in Runs
Junior Gabby Banda has moved up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup this season and with that switch, she has seen a dramatic rise in her RBI production. Through only 11 games, Banda ranks third on the team with 13 RBIs. She is only three RBIs shy of tying her career high, and Banda's 13 RBIs are already three more than she had in 55 starts a season ago.

Entering this season, Banda had produced a total of seven multi-RBI games in 111 career games played, but only one game with more than two RBIs. Through 11 games this season, Banda has produced four multi-RBI contests, including three games with at least three RBIs. A native of Angleton, Texas, Banda set a career high with four RBIs while fueling Nebraska's come-from-behind victory over No. 8 Arizona on Feb. 10 with a fourth-inning grand slam. She then notched three RBIs that same day against Idaho State.

Heading into this weekend, Banda has produced an RBI in three straight games, totaling six driven in during that span. She produced five RBIs last Saturday, including two against Stephen F. Austin and three against Weber State. Banda's 13 RBIs on the season are tied for fourth among all Big Ten players. Currently, Banda's season batting average is .144 better than her career average, her slugging percentage is .183 higher and her on-base percentage is .142 better. Banda also tied a school record with four walks against No. 23 Georgia Tech in the fifth game of the season.

Fowler Posts Breakout Weekend
Freshman Mattie Fowler, the 2011 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, produced a breakout weekend at the plate at the Troy Cox Classic. Fowler batted .500 in five games at the tournament (7-for-14) with three doubles, one home runs, two walks, four runs scored and eight RBIs. She set career highs in hits, runs, doubles, walks, RBIs and home runs at the tournament.

A Tucson, Ariz., native, Fowler went 0-for-2 in the first game of the tournament to make her 1-for-17 to open her career. But the talented player had several quality at bats during that stretch and began to see positive results in the second game of the tournament against a New Mexico State team that was receiving votes in the top-25 polls. Fowler went 2-for-3 with two RBIs against the Aggies to post her first career multi-hit game, while adding her second career multi-RBI performance and drawing a career-high two walks. In two games the next day, Fowler went 2-for-6 with two more RBIs. She then stretched her hitting streak to four games with a career performance in a rematch with New Mexico State.

In the second game against the Aggies, Fowler posted a career-high three hits, with all three hits going for extra bases. She finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, a career-high four RBIs and two runs scored. Her first career home run was a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning that gave Nebraska the necessary runs to end the game in run-rule fashion. Over the final four games last weekend, Fowler went 7-for-12 with three doubles, one home run, two walks, four runs scored and eight RBIs.

Tatum Edwards Also Excelling in Pitching Role
Sophomore Tatum Edwards is one of Nebraska's top hitters, as she leads the team with three home runs and 16 RBIs to complement a .429 batting average. But as good as she's been at the plate, Edwards has perhaps been more impressive in the circle. Despite concerns with her pitching elbow, Edwards is 4-1 this season with a 1.07 ERA in 19.2 innings. She is tied for the team lead in wins and has tossed Nebraska's lone shutout this season, while holding opposing hitters to a team-low .189 batting average.

Edwards has appeared in six of Nebraska's 11 games, including four starts. She has allowed only three earned run in those six appearances, including four games where she did not allow an earned run. Edwards' strong start to this season came after she posted a 7-0 record with a pair of shutouts and a 2.40 ERA in a solid freshman season.

One of Edwards' biggest improvements from her freshman to sophomore season has been her ability to throw strikes. She has only walked three batters in 19.2 innings this season, never walking more than one batter in any of her six appearances. Last season, Edwards walked 20 batters in 16 appearances. Edwards averaged one walk every 10.8 batters she faced last season, but in the early part of this season, she is averaging one walk every 28.0 batters she faces.

Limiting the free passes has been a big boost for Edwards, who has proven hard to hit. Opponents are hitting just .198 against her in her career with only eight extra-base hits in 257 at bats, an average of one extra-base hit every 32 at bats. The decreased walks have also helped Edwards posted a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Hagemann Bounces Back, Joins 700-Strikeout Club
Senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann bounced back from a disappointing opening weekend with a solid performance at the Troy Cox Classic last weekend. In the opening weekend, Hagemann posted a 1-2 record with a 4.87 ERA, striking out 21 in 23.0 innings and allowing opponents to hit .260 against her. Last weekend, Hagemann rebounded to post a 3-0 record with a 2.06 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 17.0 innings.

Hagemann was at her best last weekend against a hot-hitting New Mexico State squad that entered the weekend undefeated on the strength of averaging nearly 11 runs per game. After being challenged by the Aggies' strong offense in three appearances against New Mexico State last season, Hagemann controlled NMSU's potent offense while earning a pair of victories. In 10.0 innings, Hagemann allowed only one earned run and struck out 17, including 13 in a complete-game victory in the first meeting. Overall last weekend, Hagemann averaged 13.2 strikeouts per seven innings. She moved up to fifth in the NU record book with 721 career strikeouts.

Nebraska Offense Putting up Big Numbers
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle commented before the season that Nebraska had a chance to have the most productive offense in school history this season. Through the first 11 games, Revelle has not been disappointed. Nebraska is averaging 8.8 runs and 10.2 hits per game, while batting .377 as a team with a .556 slugging percentage and a .492 slugging percentage.

Noting Nebraska's Team Offense

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in runs scored (97), hits (112), at bats (297), doubles (23), walks (62) and RBIs (91). The Huskers rank second in batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.556) and on-base percentage (.492), but are first in those categories among teams with at least 100 at bats this season.
• The Huskers have scored 33 more runs than any other Big Ten team, produced 42 more RBIs, 30 more hits, 37 more total bases and 27 more walks.
• Nebraska has drawn 62 walks and struck out only 48 times this season.
• Through only 11 games and 65 innings at bat, Nebraska has scored two or more runs in an inning 23 times, three or more runs 14 times, five or more runs six times and seven or more runs four times.
• Eight Huskers are hitting .333 or better, while nine players have produced an extra-base hit, six have homered, 11 have driven in a run and 12 have scored a run.
• The Huskers have had plenty of chances to bat with runners on base this season, as 68 percent of Nebraska's at bats have come with runners on base and 48 percent of the at bats have been with runners in scoring position.
• Taking out the leadoff batter of an inning who cannot have an at bat with a runner on base or in scoring position and those figures climb to 79 and 56 percent, respectively.
• Nebraska is batting .408 with a .587 slugging percentage and 88 RBIs in 201 at bats with runners on base.
• NU is batting .405, slugging .633 and has produced 38 RBIs in 79 at bats with runners on base and two outs.
• The Huskers are batting .415 with a .599 slugging percentage and 81 RBIs in 142 at bats with runners in scoring position.
• Nebraska is batting .400 with a .617 slugging percentage and 34 RBIs in 60 at bats with runners in scoring position and two outs.
• Entering this season, Nebraska returned the most home run production from one season to the next in school history (47), while bring back the second-most RBIs (209) and runs scored (213), the third-most total bases (531) and the fourth-most hits (341).

Noting Nebraska's Individual Hitters

• A total of eight Big Ten players have scored at least 10 runs this season, and five of those are Huskers.
• A total of 10 Big Ten players have produced at least 10 RBIs this season, and six of those are Huskers.
• A total of 12 Big Ten players have drawn at least six walks this season, and seven of those are Huskers.
• Senior Ashley Guile has reached base safely in every game this year and has produced an RBI in a school-record 10 straight games and hit safely in nine consecutive contests
• .Junior Brooke Thomason and sophomore twins Tatum and Taylor Edwards all own more than 15 career home runs, with Thomason leading the way with 21 career home runs, Taylor adding 20 and Tatum slugging 17. Nebraska's lineup boasts three players with at least 15 career home runs for only the fourth time in school history and for the first time since the 2003 season (also in 1997 and 1998).
• Thomason and both Edwards sisters have each produced a 10-homer season in their careers. Only two players in school history (three-time All-Americans Jennifer Lizama and Ali Viola) have posted more than one 10-home run season in a career. Tatum Edwards has three home runs this season, while Taylor and Thomason have two each.
• Thomason has two home runs this season after hitting 19 home runs in her first two seasons. Thomason and three-time All-American Ali Viola are the only two players in school history to homer at least eight times in each of their first two seasons. No Husker has ever opened her career with three consecutive seasons with eight home runs or more and Thomason needs six more home runs to accomplish that feat.
• Thomason owns 114 career hits, 83 RBIs and 71 runs scored. Only eight players in school history have produced career totals of 100 hits, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored, and just two (Crystal Carwile and three-time All-American Ali Viola) have reached each milestone prior to their senior season.
• Despite their sophomore status, Tatum and Taylor Edwards have each homered in the same game five times in their career, including four times last season and at New Mexico State on Feb. 17 this season.
• Senior Nikki Haget has scored 13 runs in 11 games this season. She has scored 114 runs in her career, just seven shy of claiming the 10th spot on Nebraska's all-time list. Haget is also looking for a second straight 50-run season, a feat accomplished only by two-time All-American Tobin Echo-Hawk and three-time All-American Jennifer Lizama.
• Entering this season, Nebraska boasted three players who had earned all-region honors in their career (Taylor Edwards, Ashley Guile and Brooke Thomason), which tied for the highest total to begin a season in school history.