Jayhawks Travel To #16 Nebraska Wednesday

April 25, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

FIRST PITCH
After enjoying a seven-game home stretch, Kansas softball begins a three-game road stint Wednesday with a Big 12 contest at #16 Nebraska. First pitch at Bowlin Stadium is set for 6 p.m. The Jayhawks (27-21, 6-7) went 6-1 in their home stand, defeating Texas Tech, Missouri and Creighton, and splitting a conference series with #2 Texas over the weekend. The Huskers (35-8, 9-4) have won their last three and will host Creighton in a non-conference game Tuesday night before the Jayhawks come to Lincoln.

The Jayhawks play their last road games of the season over the weekend at #23 Oklahoma. KU and OU will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon in Norman, Okla. Live Gametracker is available for all KU games on www.kuathletics.com, the official web site of Kansas Athletics.

KANSAS QUICK HITS
-Senior pitcher/designated player Serena Settlemier was named Co-National Collegiate Player of the Week by USA Softball and Big 12 Player of the Week. The national award is Settlemier’s first of her career while the Big 12 recognition is the fourth weekly accolade of her career and second of the year.
-With the Jayhawks’ wins over Creighton on April 20, KU head coach Tracy Bunge earned her 400th career coaching victory. Bunge also celebrated a milestone victory on April 1, when KU’s win over Oklahoma State marked her 300th victory at the helm of the Kansas program.
-Settlemier holds the KU all-time home runs record with 42. Destiny Frankenstein is next with 30 for her career, while Jessica Moppin (28) and Nettie Fierros (15) also rank in KU’s career Top 10.
-KU has made nine trips to the NCAA Regionals in the last 25 years and gone three times under Bunge in the past nine seasons (most recently in 2005).
-The Jayhawks broke two program records last season when they hit 54 home runs and boasted a .973 fielding percentage. KU has 44 homers and is fielding .960 through 48 games this season.

SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
Nebraska returns home this week to begin a six-game homestand to end the regular season. The #16 Huskers open the week with a game against in-state rival Creighton Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium before hosting Kansas Wednesday night. NU (35-8, 9-4 Big 12) takes a three-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game after sweeping a Texas Tech series and taking a game from Iowa State last week.

NEBRASKA LEADERS
Seniors Lizzy Aumua and Jessica Yoachim – the 1-2 hitters in the Husker order – are both chasing a .400 season batting average. Aumua (.403) and Yoachim (.398) lead a Husker offense currently hitting .311 on the season. Junior Ashley DeBuhr (17-6) and freshman Molly Hill (18-2) have started 21 and 22 games in the circle for the Huskers, respectively. DeBuhr has a team-leading 200 strikeouts, good for second in the Big 12, to go with her 1.65 ERA through 148.2 innings. Hill has fanned 154 batters and holds a 1.82 ERA in 131.0 innings of work.

THE KU-NU SERIES
Nebraska and Kansas have already met twice this season. The Jayhawks earned a 4-0 non-conference win over the Huskers at the Best Western Airport Festival in Tulsa, Okla., on March 4 and NU defeated the KU, 2-0, in league play on April 4 in Lawrence. KU leads the all-time series with NU, 45-42.

UP NEXT: JAYHAWKS TRAVEL TO OKLAHOMA
Kansas will wrap up the three-game road stint at #23 Oklahoma over the weekend. The Jayhawks and Sooners will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday and at noon on Sunday in Norman, Okla.

BUNGE EARNS 400TH CAREER COACHING VICTORY
With the Jayhawks’ wins over Creighton on April 20, KU head coach Tracy Bunge earned her 400th career coaching victory. Bunge also celebrated a milestone victory on April 1, when KU’s win over Oklahoma State marked her 300th victory at the helm of the Kansas program.

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