Heading into a pair of weekend games against No. 22 Nebraska, Indiana softball is topping the charts as it leads the nation in batting average, doubles per game and on-base percentage.
In their last outing, the Hoosiers scored a combined 24 runs and outhit their opponent 35-21 across three games played in their weekend series with Wisconsin. Despite the hot offensive performance, the Hoosiers were only able to secure one win in the series.
Indiana will look to keep their offense rolling and bounce back against a tough conference opponent this weekend at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Hoosiers have a tall task on their hands in defeating the Cornhuskers. Nebraska has only one home loss all season and sits in third place in the Big Ten with a conference record of 11-3 and overall record of 32-10.
Nebraska has played multiple ranked teams throughout the year, with a notable win against then-No. 6 University of Tennessee as well as a close 6-5 loss to then-No.13 Texas Tech University, a team that defeated Indiana twice this season.
Team captain and junior Cornhusker pitcher and utility player Jordyn Bahl is the top pitcher in the Big Ten conference as she leads the conference in ERA at 1.26 and most thrown strikeouts with 189.
Nebraska’s pitching statistics are surpassing the Hoosiers when compared to the top performers on Indiana. Freshman pitcher Jenae Berry leads the Indiana team in ERA with a 3.41, while senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland leads the Hoosiers in total strikeouts thrown with a total of 117.
While Indiana does lead the conference in numerous offensive categories, the Cornhuskers are not far behind the Hoosiers in any of the respective statistics. In fact, Nebraska is top five in the conference in batting average, doubles per game and on-base percentage.
The Hoosiers have four players hitting above .400, including senior outfielder Taylor Minnick, freshman infielder Madalyn Strader, junior catcher Avery Parker and senior outfielder Kinsey Mitchell. Minnick leads this statistic for the Hoosiers as well as the conference with a .513.
However, Nebraska matches up very similarly with three players hitting above .400 including Bahl, junior catcher and utility player Olivia DiNardo and junior infielder Ava Kuszak. Bahl leads the Cornhuskers in this statistic with a .457, close behind Minnick.
The Hoosiers and Cornhuskers matchup very close in terms of offense statistics, which should lead to a battle on the field. The Cornhuskers will have to find a way to stop the Hoosiers’ at-times explosive offense, while Indiana will have to be able to fight through the tough pitching of Nebraska.
Nebraska leads in all time matchups against Indiana 14-10; however, the Hoosiers won the last matchup 9-5, played in 2024.
The Hoosiers will look to snap their one game losing streak and pick up their eighth conference win this season. Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers will look to extend their four-game win streak and pick up their 12th conference win of the season.
The first matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, with a second game to follow at 2 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be played at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, and will be streamed on Big Ten+.
