Nebraska

Nebraska Softball Heads to Minnesota for Final Big Ten Series

Published

2 years ago

May 3, 2024

Nebraska Softball Heads to Minnesota for Final Big Ten Series

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics Press Release) – The Nebraska softball team travels to Minneapolis this weekend for a three-game series against Minnesota to close out the regular season. Friday’s opener will start at 6 p.m. with Saturday’s game slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch and Sunday’s finale set for Noon.

Nebraska (27-21) and Minnesota (26-22) are both battling to be one of the four teams that receives a bye for next week’s Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers enter the final weekend in fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 12-8 conference record. The Huskers are just a half game behind in fifth place with a 10-8 Big Ten record.

It should be a close series as Nebraska and Minnesota are similar on paper. Both teams boast one of the top offenses in the Big Ten. The Huskers are hitting .290 as a team and average 5.7 runs per game while the Gophers are batting .292 and score an average of 6.1 runs per game. Nebraska has hit 86 doubles and 52 home runs while Minnesota has totaled 83 doubles and hit 51 home runs.

In the circle, Minnesota’s team ERA of 4.22 is nearly identical to Nebraska’s 4.26 ERA, and the Gophers allowed 4.8 runs per game compared to 4.9 runs per game by the Huskers. The teams are also the top two fielding teams in the Big Ten as Minnesota leads the league with a .972 fielding percentage and Nebraska ranks second, fielding at a .971 clip.

The first two games of the series will air on the Big Ten Network while Sunday’s final game can be seen with a subscription to Big Ten+, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 a month.

Scouting Minnesota (26-22, 12-8 Big Ten)

Minnesota is 26-22 on the season and enters the weekend in fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 12-8 conference record. The Gophers are coming off a three-game sweep at Iowa last weekend.

Nebraska and Minnesota share six common opponents this season in Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, San Diego State, Washington and Wisconsin. The Huskers posted a 7-4 record against that group while the Gophers also went 7-4.

Minnesota is batting .292 as a team while averaging 6.1 runs per game, a total that ranks 27th nationally. The Golden Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 12th nationally in walks. Defensively, Minnesota owns a 4.22 ERA and a .972 fielding percentage while allowing 4.8 runs per game. The Gophers lead the Big Ten and rank 30th nationally in fielding percentage.

Jess Oakland is Minnesota’s top hitter and is among the best hitters in the country. Oakland is hitting more than .100 higher than any other Gopher, as she leads the team with a .455 average, 71 hits, 16 doubles, 19 homers, 64 runs and 54 RBI.
Oakland has put up remarkable statistics in Big Ten play. She is batting .523 in the conference season with 34 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 34 runs.
With three conference games still remaining, Oakland already ranks second in Big Ten history for home runs in a conference season (11, one shy of tying the record) and runs in a conference season (34, four shy of tying the record). Oakland’s 11 doubles currently rank as the fourth-most in conference season in Big Ten history.
On the season, Oakland leads the Big Ten in batting average, hits, home runs, runs, on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.923) while ranking second in the conference in RBI.
Nationally, Oakland ranks third in runs per game and slugging percentage, sixth in batting average, home runs and on-base percentage and 19th in RBI.
Morgan DeBord is batting .354 this season and has produced eight doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI.
Taylor Krapf owns a .306 average and has 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 45 RBI.
Sydney Strelow is hitting .299 and has tied Oakland for the team lead with 35 walks.
Breezy Burnett has started every game and is a perfect 13-of-13 on stolen bases.
In the circle, Bri Enter has seen the most action but she has not pitched since April 17. Enter is 12-7 on the year with a 3.16 ERA in 110.2 innings. She leads the Gophers in wins, ERA, innings, starts (19), complete games (4) and strikeouts (67) while tying for the team lead with one save.
Jacie Hambrick is 6-8 on the year with one save and a 4.80 ERA in 89.0 innings. She leads Minnesota with 30 appearances and ranks second in starts (16) and innings.
Macy Richardson and Sydney Schwartz have also seen significant time in the circle. Richardson is 5-4 with a 5.30 ERA over 27 appearances, 10 starts and 67.1 innings. Schwartz is 3-2 with one save and a 3.21 ERA in 28.1 innings over 10 appearances.
Jessa Snippes (0-1, 6.66 ERA in 13.2 IP) and Cameron Grayson (0-0, 3.50 ERA in 8.0 IP) round out the Gopher staff.
Piper Ritter is in her fourth season as Minnesota’s head coach. She has guided the Gophers to a 122-80-1 record. Prior to becoming the head coach, Ritter spent the previous 13 seasons as Minnesota’s pitching coach.

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Nebraska

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Shelter in place issued after suspicious object found in mailbox

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — UPDATE: Grand Island Police said around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter in place order has been lifted .

GIPD said the item was retrieved by the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad, who is investigating.

The area has also now been reopened.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Grand Island Police Department has cordoned off a local block and is urging residents to shelter in place.

According to GIPD, officers responded to the 4300 block of Sherwood Road just before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A resident reported finding a suspicious cylindrical object wrapped in duct tape inside a home.

The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad has been called to the scene to investigate the device.

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Nebraska

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

Published

24 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

68 students chosen as Nebraska Young Artist Award winners

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 29th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards.

The awards recognize 11th-grade students from Nebraska for their talents in visual art, dance, music, theatre, and film and emerging media arts.

Sixty-eight students from more than 40 high schools across the state have been selected as award winners and will be invited to a day of activities on campus March 25.

“Our faculty always look forward to this event,” said Chris Watson, director of recruitment for the college and coordinator of the awards. “They love meeting enthusiastic young artists, working with them and celebrating their talent.”

Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 92 students. Hixson-Lied College faculty chose the winners.

Award winners were also asked to nominate the teacher who provided them with the greatest amount of mentoring and support in the development of their special talents.

Each student will receive a certificate and an original piece of artwork commissioned for the event and created by a School of Art, Art History and Design student.

Following is a list of award winners by hometown, with their high school and specialty area(s).

Aurora:

Calvin Miller, Aurora, music

Beaver City:

Johnathan Eakin, Southern Valley, visual arts

Bellevue:

Mami Lloyd, Bellevue West, music

Bennington:

Liliana Martic, Bennington, music

Eagle:

Jorie Goings, Waverly, dance

Firth:

Petra Van Cleave, home school, music

Fremont:

Xavier Herre, Bergan Catholic, theatre

Fullerton:

Lylla Sabata, Fullerton, music

Gretna:

Lillian Bock, Gretna, music

Harvard:

Allee Jarzynka, Harvard, music

Hendley:

Lily Jordan, Southern Valley, visual arts

Hooper:

Leo Arellano, Logan View, visual arts
Ellsie Meier, Logan View, visual arts

Kearney:

Kruz Flamig, Kearney, visual arts
Isaac Hooton, Kearney, visual arts
Mariah Kaslon, Kearney, visual arts
Landen Tilley, Kearney, visual arts

Lincoln:

Alissa Brenning, Norris, dance
Kali Brewer, Lincoln Southeast, visual arts
Ava Engel, Lincoln Northeast, dance
Emalie Fischer, Lincoln North Star, dance
Adelyn Haden, Lincoln Standing Bear, dance and music
Audrey Haugen, Lincoln Southwest, theatre
Andrea Hu, Lincoln East, music
Logan Lambrecht, Lincoln Southwest, music and theatre
Mckinzey Lile, Lincoln North Star, dance
Hayley Marshall, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Riley Minster, Lincoln East, music
Joslyn Morgan, Lincoln Southeast, music
Ariadne Ottoson, home school, music
Megan Plander, Lincoln Lutheran, theatre
Lauren Ramey, LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program, visual arts
Blake Semrad, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Emma Shaeffer, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Taylor Sharpe, Lincoln Southwest, dance
Hugh Skretta, Lincoln High, music
Samuel Sulzle, Lincoln Northwest, music
Brooks Xia, Lincoln East, music

Martell:

Reese Thomas, home school, music

Norfolk:

Noah Asbury, Norfolk, music
Emily Henkel, Norfolk, music; Nathan Kaiser, Norfolk, music
North Platte: Brett Pfeifer, North Platte, theatre

Omaha:

Asher Abuhl, Trinity Classical Academy, music
Adam Campagna, Omaha South, film and emerging media arts
Liam Cowherd Richardson, Creighton Preparatory, music
Regina Ho, Millard South, film and emerging media arts
Connor Holmstedt, Fort Calhoun, music
Kara Leininger, Duchesne Academy, music
Jayden Li, Millard North, music; Violet Little, Omaha Central, dance
Mrethi Magesh, Millard North, dance
Venkatesan Marichamy, Millard North, dance
Moyra Matthews, Duchesne Academy, dance and music
Jackson Mu, Millard North, music
Gauri Nair, Millard North, dance
Angela Qi, Millard North, music
Jackson Ramsey, Gretna East, music
Tara Richardson, Creighton Prep, music
Vandana Santhanam, Marian, music
Caroline Soderlin, Millard North, music
Akshara Venkatesan, Millard North, dance
Caleigh Walkenhorst, Millard West, music

Osmond:

Donovan Heiman, Osmond, theatre

Papillion:

Emelia Weaver, Papillion-La Vista, music

Pierce:

Spencer Sindt, Pierce, music

Randolph:

Brecken Shearer, Randolph, visual arts

York:

Allison Holmes, York, visual arts

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Nebraska

Nebraska completes sweep over Michigan State in 12-2 seven-inning win

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska completes sweep over Michigan State in 12-2 seven-inning win

Nebraska baseball (10-5, 3-0) closed out its three-game series with Michigan State (3-11, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon. The Huskers completed the sweep over the Spartans, earning a 12-2 run-rule win in seven.

Nebraska shut down Michigan State early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first after the Spartans took a 1-0 lead. The Huskers scored 11 straight before surrendering another run. The team totaled 11 hits and held Michigan State to three. The Spartans also suffered five errors.

Nebraska struck three home runs on the day, two off the bat of Dylan Carey. He hit 3-for-4 for four RBIs after hitting multiple two-run home runs. Preston Freeman also blasted a two-run shot over the wall to finish 1-for-3.

Case Sanderson brought in three RBIs after batting 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Grego also finished 2-for-4, earning one RBI. Mac Moyer grabbed one RBI off a double. Jett Buck and Joshua Overbeek each delivered one hit.

Gavin Blachowicz (2-1) won at the mound and pitched all seven innings for the Huskers. He struck out a career-high 11 batters and allowed three hits for two runs.

Nebraska remains at home for its next matchup, hosting North Dakota State on Wednesday night. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.

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