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Nebraska Cracks Top 25 in Softball America Preseason Rankings

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Nebraska Cracks Top 25 in Softball America Preseason Rankings


Softball America dropped its preseason top 25 on Monday morning and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are ranked No. 21.

The respect shown by Softball America weeks before first pitch is deserved as the Huskers have reloaded a roster full of homegrown talent. Unlike in years before, the NU roster features 10 Nebraska natives along with Wisconsin transfer Ava Kuszak who played travel ball for Nebraska Gold alongside Jordy Bahl and Bella Bacon.

Jordy Bahl ends an inning during a Nebraska softball falls scrimmage.

Jordy Bahl ends an inning during a Nebraska softball falls scrimmage. / Nebraska Athletics

The SEC dominated with 10 teams in the top 25, including five in the top 10. With strong showings from Duke and Florida State, the ACC boasts five teams in the rankings.

UCLA, now part of the Big Ten Conference, is ranked fifth and is joined by four other Big Ten schools. Oklahoma State ranks fourth, while Texas Tech, Arizona, and Baylor from the Big 12 also make the top 25.

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The only mid-major in the top 25 is Liberty from Conference USA.

Softball America Preseason Top 25

  1. Florida
  2. Texas
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Oklahoma State
  5. UCLA
  6. Tennessee
  7. Texas A&M
  8. Duke
  9. Texas Tech
  10. Florida State
  11. Alabama
  12. LSU
  13. Arkansas
  14. Arizona
  15. Missouri
  16. Baylor
  17. Georgia
  18. Northwestern
  19. California
  20. Liberty
  21. Nebraska
  22. Virginia Tech
  23. Michigan
  24. Virginia
  25. Penn State

Nebraska is scheduled to face eight teams ranked in Softball America’s preseason top 25, including No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 8 Duke, No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 15 Missouri, No. 16 Baylor, and No. 18 Northwestern.

The Huskers kick off their season on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, taking on No. 6 Tennessee at 6 p.m. CST in Clearwater, Fla.

MORE: Way Too Early 2025 Nebraska Football Schedule Predictions

MORE: Nebraska Women’s Basketball 7th In Big Ten

MORE: Former Nebraska Pitcher Discusses First Season in Major League Baseball

MORE: Nebraska Football Alum Adrian Martinez Signs Futures Contract with New York Jets

MORE: Are Nebrasketball’s Current Struggles For Real?

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls

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Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Parts of a temporary historical exhibit inside the Nebraska State Capitol were torn down by a state senator, Gov. Pillen alleges.

Gov. Pillen said Wednesday on social media that several displays of historical figures, key events in the American Revolution and portraits of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were “ripped off the walls” by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha.

A 40-second video shared by Pillen appears to show Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.

A 40-second video shared by Gov. Jim Pillen shows Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.(Governor Jim Pillen’s office)

The displays featuring material made by the controversial conservative group PragerU were put up in the state Capitol as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

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“Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship. I am disappointed in this shameful and selfish bad example,” Pillen wrote.

Cavanaugh told 10/11 that senators are prohibited from putting items on the walls in the hallway outside their offices. She said the posters line the entire hallway around the first floor, but she only took down the ones outside her office.

“When I walked in this morning and saw these poster boards lining the hallway of my office, I thought well I’m not allowed to have things lining the hall of my office… I tried to take them down as gently as I could and not damage any of them, and I stacked them inside of my office and I let the state patrol know that they were there,” Cavanaugh said.

PragerU has previously faced criticism for making content that historians, researchers and scholars have considered inaccurate or misleading. Some parents and educators have also spoken out against the nonprofit, saying its content spreads misinformation and is being used for “indoctrinating children.”

The Founders Museum exhibit in particular has been criticized by The American Historical Association for blurring the line between reality and fiction, according to NPR.

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The exhibit is supposed to remain on display during public building hours through the summer.

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Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska

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Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska


Nebraska has picked up a third linebacker commitment from Oregon State transfer Dexter Foster, a sophomore with three seasons of eligibility remaining, including a redshirt year. 

The 6-foot-3, 236lb linebacker started in seven games this fall for the Beavers, totaling 52 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. As a true freshman in 2024, he appeared in 12 games, totaling 43 tackles with two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries. 

Foster held just two offers coming out of high school prior to committing to Oregon State, but was at one point a target for new Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, when Aurich was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Idaho in 2022-2023. 

The sophomore joins a linebacker room that has seen a bit of a facelift through transfer portal additions. San Diego State linebacker Owen Chambliss led the Aztecs in tackles this season and has now signed with the Huskers, following Rob Aurich to Lincoln. Iowa State freshman linebacker Will Hawthorne committed to the Huskers on Tuesday. Nebraska fell just short of Iowa State when Hawthorne was coming out of Gilbert (Ia.) in the 2025 cycle. 

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Foster is the seventh transfer portal addition for the Huskers this cycle and the fourth defensive addition. The Huskers are expected to be done with linebacker portal recruiting at this point and will turn attention to needs up front, both at defensive tackle and edge rusher. 

Quick look at what Nebraska is getting in Foster

Standing 6-foot-3, and north of 235lbs, Foster is rangy and athletic in space. Has the versatility to play true strong-side or weak-side linebacker and could even spin down to edge rusher if needed. Possesses the athletic and physical range to track down ball-carriers in space, arm length to keep would-be-blockers at bay. Shows good eye discipline working through traffic, quick to react and trigger downhill, with the fluidity to change directions quickly. Still more read-and-react than anticipatory at this point in his development, but gets to his spots quickly. Has the athleticism to stick in coverage against running backs, tight ends and even slot receivers. 

Has the experience, size and play-style to factor into Nebraska’s linebacker rotation immediately, and could even push to start alongside San Diego State linebacker transfer Owen Chambliss. Has the versatility to be a chess piece of sorts for Aurich and stick on the field regardless of personnel.



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Nebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek

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Nebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek


QUEEN CREEK, AZ — A slice of the Midwest is coming to the East Valley! Godfather’s Pizza from Omaha, Nebraska, is set to open a new location this month in Queen Creek.

Bruce Cannon, who owns and operates two Godfather’s Pizza locations in Lincoln and Norfolk, Nebraska, will also own and operate the new Queen Creek restaurant.

“This marks the brand’s first traditional Godfather’s Pizza restaurant in Arizona since 2009, signaling an exciting return to the Phoenix metro area,” read the news release sent to ABC15.

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The restaurant will open near Queen Creek Rd and Signal Butte Rd.

The restaurant will provide dine-in, carryout, and third-party delivery options, featuring its classic pizza lineup alongside favorites like breadsticks, streusels, and specialty pies.

IF YOU GO

  • Opening date: January 19, 2026.
  • Address: 22485 Queen Creek Road, Suite 101

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