Nebraska Earns Top 10 Preseason Ranking by D1Softball

The Nebraska softball team has earned a top 10 preseason ranking from D1 Softball, according to Tuesday morning's announcement by the publication.

Coming in at No. 9, the Huskers are the second-highest ranked Big Ten team, behind Oregon at No. 6.

Only one other Top 25 has been released, and that was from Softball America, which had the Huskers just outside the top 10 at No. 11.

𝐃𝟏𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟐𝟓

Reigning national champion Texas tops the D1Softball Preseason Top 25 poll, while Texas Tech and Oklahoma round out the top three.

Presented by @NettingPros pic.twitter.com/RKvBdATd1U
— D1Softball (@D1Softball) January 20, 2026

While the two polls have their differences, one message is clear: the Big Ten has some work to do.

With four teams in the Top 25, the Big Ten has more teams represented than the Big 12 but fewer than the SEC and the ACC. The SEC leads the way with 11 in each poll, and the ACC has six.

Big Ten Teams in the Top 25

6: Oregon
9: Nebraska
10: UCLA
22: Washington

Two Huskers Named to Preseason D100

Seniors Jordy Frahm and Ava Kuszak earned spots in the Preseason D100, with Frahm coming in at No. 2 and Kuszak at No. 24.

Freshman Alexis Jensen was also recognized by the publication as a freshman to watch.

Frahm, who married former Husker baseball player Trey Frahm this offseason, is coming off a season that earned her several accolades, including the 2025 NFCA Player of the Year. She also became the first player in the Big Ten to be named the conference's Player and Pitcher of the Year in the same season.

The right-handed pitcher and utility player was also a top-three finalist for USA Softball's Player of the Year, an award that went to former Arkansas slugger Bri Ellis.

Frahm set several Nebraska single-season records last season, including home runs with 23, total bases with 167, runs scored with 72, extra base hits with 41, batting average at .462, and slugging percentage at .988.

Kuszak also had a stellar season as a junior in 2025, earning first-team All-Big Ten and NFCA All-Mountain Region first-team honors. The shortstop led the team in walks with 30, had the second-highest batting average on the team with .412, had the second-most hits with 70, the second-most runs scored with 59, the second-most RBIs with 64, and the second-most home runs with 21. She also had an on-base percentage of .507.

Nebraska opens its season in San Antonio on Feb. 6 against Washington, the first of 50 regular-season games scheduled this spring

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