Jordyn Bahl, Ava Kuszak take home Big Ten weekly awards

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska softball players Jordyn Bahl and Ava Kuszak were both honored Monday, each taking home a Big Ten weekly award.

Kuszak was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, while Bahl was honored as Co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.

The duo led Nebraska to a 5-0 finish at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruses, New Mexico, with all five victories coming in run-rule fashion.

SEE ALSO: No. 18 Nebraska softball run-rules its way through Troy Cox Classic

NU outscored its opponents 69-9 while blasting 20 home runs and hitting .446 from the plate. The Huskers also scored 10-plus runs in five straight games for the first time in program history.

Throughout the weekend, Bahl was dominant in the circle and at the plate.

She went 2-0 in both her starts, tossing 10 shutout innings and fanning 13 batters, while only allowing two singles. Bahl also threw a no-hitter in her start against Northern Colorado.

SEE ALSO: Jordyn Bahl throws no-hitter in Huskers’ win over Northern Colorado

From the plate, Bahl produced nine extra-base hits — four doubles, four home runs and a triple — with a .625 batting average and nine RBIs.

Throughout the weekend, Bahl averaged 2.0 hits, 1.8 extra-base hits, 1.8 runs and 1.8 RBIs per game.

Kuszak also had an outstanding weekend, going 9-for-14 (.643) from the plate with six home runs.

She averaged 1.8 hits, 1.2 home runs, 2.0 runs and 2.6 RBIs per game in only 19 plate appearances.

Kuszak homered in four of Nebraska’s five games, including tying the Nebraska and Big Ten record with three home runs as part of a 4-for-4 day against Montana in the final game of the tournament.

She set career highs against the Griz with four hits, three home runs, four runs and six RBIs.

The last time that a Nebraska softball player won a Big Ten weekly award was last season, when Billie Andrews was named the Player of the Week on March 2024.

The last time that NU had a Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week in the same week was in 2016, when MJ Knighten won Player of the Week and Cassie McClure won Pitcher of the Week.

Bahl, Kuszak and the rest of the Nebraska softball team will resume action against No. 24 Baylor at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.