#5 HUSKERS SOFTBALL – A Cool, Cheesy Weekend: Wisconsin Preview, How To Watch/Listen & More

There’s nothing to do this weekend, but just win, baby.

And as fans, here’s all the info you need whether you’re on-site, in front of the big screen or taking it in on radio while making that long drive somewhere, such as last year as I listened to the Maryland game while driving through the majestic rock formations of northern Utah.

There’s a preview of Wisconsin and conference standings plus current team stats. And if you haven’t done so yet, check out yesterday’s TWIS Notes, the weekly Husker Softball rundown of headlines and storylines.

Did You Know We Have a HUSKERS SOFTBALL Podcast?

That’s right – every Tuesday night at 8PM.

It’s called Husker Heat and we started our 3rd season two weeks ago. With my lovely daughter Mylie as my co-host (of course I’m biased – daughter), we cover the previous weekend, preview the coming games, talk about current storylines and likely find a couple of non-softball topics to chatter about as well. We try to keep it around 45 minutes (try!) while still making sure you’re the best-informed softball fans in Nebraska.

There’s a section for comments, so please fire away with any thoughts or questions and if we don’t have answers on hand, we’ll try to have them for you by next week’s show. It broadcasts on Facebook Live, Twitter and YouTube Live.

And bonus? Mylie and her fiancé adopted a doggo, so we’ll have a guest puppy flopping around on broadcasts!

Husker Heat – click the link above to check out this week’s show and join us next Tuesday!

WISCONSIN WEEKEND – THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

• As of now, Wisconsin is highest ranked team in RPI (#36) and only current Quad 1 team left on the schedule. A sweep here should still have a positive effect on strength of schedule and not cause a drop in RPI
• And a 3-0 sweep should be the goal in this and every remaining series.
• Wisconsin does have an excellent hitting squad with a .328 BA, .410 OB% (good patience) and a .926 OPS. The line for the Huskers is .327/.409/1.002 (decided power advantage). However, pitching is where things separate quickly. The Badgers have a 4.69 ERA, 1.630 ratio and a K-BB of 159-93.
• The Huskers? 2.12/1.106/312-62.
• Alexis Jensen is the #2 starter the Huskers were missing last season – and she would be the #1 at most programs in D1. More importantly, she eases the workload on Jordy Frahm (remember when she threw all 21 innings of last year‘s Super Regional?) keeping her fresher and thus more effective both in the circle and at the plate.

HUSKER GAME INFO

Schedule: (All times CST)

April 10 – @Wisconsin 7 p.m.
April 11 – @Wisconsin 12 p.m.
April 12 – @Wisconsin 12 p.m.

Location: Goodman Softball Complex, Madison, WI

Surface: Hilltopper Infield Mix Infield, synthetic turf outfield

TV/Streaming: Friday’s game will be broadcast on the Big 10 Network. Saturday and Sunday’s games will stream on the B1G+ app.

Radio: Huskers Radio Network. You can listen for free at Husker Audio – University of Nebraska – Official Athletics Website huskers.com – Nate Rohr is on the call for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

**Weather:**Friday evening’s game will be clear and cool with temps around 51 to start, dropping a few degrees with he sunset, and minimal breezes. Saturday will be partly with temps in the low 50’s and winds of 10-15mph blowing up from the SSW. Sunday looks to be partly sunny and much warmer with temps around 70-72 as the southern winds pick up at 15-25mph.

THE OPPONENT

Wisconsin (22-12, 7-5 Big Ten 5th – 4-way tie)

Wisconsin sits at 21-12 on the season with a 7-5 mark in Big Ten competition. The Badgers are coming off of a series win against Purdue. NU and Wisconsin share common opponents in UCLA and Tulsa. The Huskers are 3-1 against those opponents, while the Badgers are 1-3.  Head Coach Yvette Healy is in her 16th season at Wisconsin. She is 464-321-1 with the Badgers and 595-493-2 in 22 career seasons.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hilary Blomberg leads the team with a .408 average, along with 42 hits and 40 RBIs. She has hit 12 homers and six doubles. Emily Bojan adds a team-high .516 on-base percentage with 37 hits and 25 walks.

Shelby Jacobson and Berritt Herr have split a majority of Wisconsin’s innings, as Jacobson has thrown 81.0 and Herr has tossed 71.1. Jacobson is 9-4 with a 3.63 ERA and 59 strikeouts, while Herr is 9-5 with a 4.61 ERA and 54 Ks.

HUSKERS LINEUPS (Best Guess)

P/1B #98 JORDY FRAHM

CF #23 HANNAH COOR

LF/DP #9 HANNAH CAMENZIND

SS #7 AVA KUSZAK

RF #14 KACIE HOFFMANN

3B #29 SAMANTHA BLAND

P/DP #99 ALEXIS JENSEN/POSSIBLY OTHERS AT DP

C #25 JESSE FARRELL/CARLIE MUHLBACH

1B #3 BELLA BACON (When Jordy pitches)

2B #2 LAURA CAMENZIND

LF #27 NATALIA HILL

STARTERS:
G1: JORDY FRAHM
G2: ALEXIS JENSEN
G3: JORDY FRAHM

Farrell’s ankle should be in better shape with some rest, but I’m listing Muhlbach in case there is still some tenderness and moving her down a few spots since it affected her hitting against Rutgers. Jensen is 3-17 over the last two weekends so Coach Revelle may try others at DP in Madison – Cope, Thoms and Muhlbach are possibilities depending on the match-up. (Katelyn Caneda, maybe? She has torched the ball when given a chance this season.)

Barring blowouts, there shouldn’t be any surprises in the circle – I’m expecting a full dose of Frahm and Jensen.