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• Team Breakdown: Jon Nyatawa takes a look at the Husker softball roster
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LINCOLN — One of the nation's best pitchers is tired of facing her teammates in practice. That might be the most encouraging story line out of the Nebraska softball team's preseason sessions.
One day, the pitchers have the edge. The next, it's the hitters. Dead even, said pitcher Ashley Hagemann.
That's a big reason why the confidence in Nebraska's clubhouse is so high. The 20th-ranked Huskers return eight position players from an NCAA tournament team a year ago, each improving at the plate just enough to occasionally frustrate their talented ace.
Hagemann — top 10 nationally among returning pitchers in wins and strikeouts in 2011 — can see the difference.
"I'm just ready to pitch against someone else besides my teammates," Hagemann said. "I don't like pitching against them. I'm glad they're on my team."
Hagemann's certainly the key for Nebraska. Dominant pitching is always the first criteria for success in softball. The senior from Elkhorn went 31-13 last season, recording a 1.75 ERA, appearing in 76 percent of NU's innings and striking out nearly nine a game.
But the improvement of the Huskers' offense could provide the boost that NU needs to accomplish the season's primary goal: make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
"Maybe the most potent offense that we've ever had," 20-year coach Rhonda Revelle said.
Sophomore twins Taylor and Tatum Edwards combined for 31 home runs last year, the second-highest two-player total in school history. Junior Brooke Thomason hit eight.
Senior Nikki Haget scored 51 runs, Nebraska's seventh-best single-season total. Senior Ashley Guile's sixth on NU's career chart in walks and third in hit by pitches.
Nebraska returns at least two-thirds of its production in every major statistical category. And the players have continued to work to improve since last season ended, Revelle said.
"When they come to the cages, it's not just to count numbers and get swings, it's with the intention of getting better," she said. "They come with their own game plan. There's a quiet, very intentional work ethic about this group."
Revelle and the Huskers hopes it pays off.
After a hot start last season — a program-best 21-2 through mid-March — they plateaued a bit as the competition level rose in the demanding Big 12, which produced four teams that reached the Women's College World Series.
The NU offense was lethal at times, but inconsistent. In Nebraska's 13 wins in April and May (including the NCAA tournament), it averaged 6.3 runs per outing. But it lost 10 times during that stretch and managed 10 total runs in those defeats.
The Huskers will get tested right away this year. Fifteen of their first 24 opponents made the 2011 NCAA tournament. Nebraska faces No. 12 Washington Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. No. 8 Arizona is its first opponent Friday.
Hagemann's set to start both games, and she's curious to see what kind of impact two new pitches — change-up and drop ball — will have after she spent the offseason expanding her arsenal.
A more stable scoring threat would help relieve some of the pressure, though. And after what she's seen in practice, Hagemann's holding high expectations for herself and her teammates.
"Our goal is to be at the College World Series, competing with the top teams in the nation," Hagemann said.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com, twitter.com/JonNyatawa
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Nebraska roster
• 2B Nikki Haget: Nebraska's leadoff hitter for the last two years has a .343 career batting average. The senior from Elkhorn struck out 18 times in 182 at-bats last season, leading the team in runs (51) and stolen bases (16).
• 3B/RHP Mattie Fowler: She didn't pitch in the fall, but she's been working in the circle recently and will start Friday against Idaho State. Fowler was Arizona's Gatorade player of the year in 2011.
• C/3B Taylor Edwards: The sophomore, who hit .356 last year, is Nebraska's biggest offensive threat, leading the nation's freshmen in 2011 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs. She's a USA Softball player of the year candidate.
• 1B Ashley Guile: The senior's 79 career walks rank sixth in school history. Nebraska will need Guile, who hit .283 last season, to provide some consistent protection behind Edwards.
• DP/RHP Tatum Edwards: An elbow injury is keeping the second-team All-Big 12 player from pitching at this point in the year. But the sophomore hit 14 homers last season, so she's expected to continue to contribute at the plate.
• RF Brooke Thomason: She ranked third on the team in home runs (8) and RBIs (34), batting .319 last season. The junior is vying to be the sixth player in school history to record at least a .300 batting average in her first three seasons.
• SS Gabby Banda: No returning Husker had more sacrifices (8) than Banda in 2011. The junior's started 110 career games, but last season was her first full-time campaign at shortstop.
• LF Madison Drake: Emerged as Nebraska's starting left fielder midway through the season last year. The senior from Lincoln Southwest hit .258 in 33 games in 2011.
• CF Jordan Bettiol: One of the fastest players on the team, Bettiol might be the Huskers' leadoff hitter in the future. For now, the freshman — an NFA high school All-American last year — will start in center.
• RHP Ashley Hagemann: Nebraska's ace went 31-13 last season, with a 1.75 ERA while striking out 344 (8.7 per game). The senior from Elkhorn needs 278 strikeouts to become the school's all-time leader.
• C Kirby Wright: The senior will enter the starting lineup on days that Fowler pitches, with Taylor Edwards replacing Fowler at third base. Wright hit .154 in 12 games last season.
• INF Kylee Muir: The sophomore redshirted in 2010 and played seven games last year, going 2 for 14 with two RBI.
• INF Courtney Breault: She was a two-year starter at Arkansas before transferring to NU. Offseason shoulder surgery is keeping her sidelined, but the junior should be a contributor when she's healthy.
• OF Megan Southworth: The junior from Papillion started 29 games in left field last year, recording 21 hits in 76 at-bats (.276), scoring nine times and driving in six.
• RHP Haley Workman: The senior started seven games and threw one complete game, recording a 2.95 ERA in 13 appearances in 2011. She's a two-time junior college All-American.
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