Nebraska Softball’s Depth-First Approach Designed for WCWS Push

After graduating nine seniors, Nebraska softball head coach Rhonda Revelle was tasked with reloading a roster that lost pitching, leadership, and run production.

Revelle also needed to acquire depth after her roster was decimated with injuries.

Instead of bringing in a freshman class of nine to fill in the pieces, Revelle only brought in four leaving room for transfers. It was all by design to create the depth needed to compete in the postseason without running out of gas.

“It was by design that we left roster spots to be filled in by more experienced players,” Revelle said during her preseason press conference on Saturday. “We couldn’t have almost scripted it better because of the ties and the relationships that were already established… We just felt like it was going to be really important to add to our roster.”

Nebraska pitcher Jordy Bahl delivers a pitch during a game in the Scarlet & Cream scrimmage series on Oct. 9, 2024. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska brought in six transfers all with ties to the program – five are juniors and one is a sophomore. It isn't a coincidence that there weren't senior transfers with Jordy Bahl having two years of eligibility remaining.

Bahl can't lead the Huskers to Oklahoma City alone and the coaching staff delivered with offseason reinforcements.

If anyone know what it takes to earn a Women's College World Series, it is Bahl who won back-to-back national championships with Oklahoma before transferring to Nebraska.

“Even if the skill isn’t what someone would’ve guessed at the beginning of the season was going to be a championship team, it’s the teams that are so tight and genuinely go out and play for each other as their biggest motivator,” Bahl said. “I think we have that.”

Added to the pitching staff are Arizona State transfer Kylee Magee and Arkansas transfer Hannah Camenzind. Sophomores Caitlin Olensky and Emmerson Cope both returned after having their freshman seasons cut short due to injuries.

“I don’t think we have four rise-ball pitchers or four drop-ball pitchers; they all work well off each other,” junior Olivia DiNardo said. “It’s nice having underclassmen learning from upperclassmen and transfers learning from other underclassmen or people learning from Jordy — I think they all balance well with each other.”

Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie, left, meets with Nebraska head coach Rhonda Revelle at home plate. — Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie, left, meets with Nebraska head coach Rhonda Revelle at home plate before 2023 game in Iowa City. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

DiNardo transferred in from Arizona. Other transfers into the program are Lauren Camenzind, Kacie Hoffmann, and Ava Kuszak.

Kuszak is projected to take over at shortstop after four-year starter Billie Andrews graduated. She also might be the leadoff hitter but Revelle doesn't want her to try and replicate Andrews.

“I don’t know that anybody’s going to compare her to Billie, and I don’t really want that; I want her to blaze her own trail,” Revelle said of Kuszak.

Samantha Bland has won the starting third base job, Katelyn Caneda will star second base and Bella Bacon will be at first, however, Bahl will also play first when she isn't pitching.

Ava Bredwell has been the backstop her entire career in Lincoln but because of the acquisition of DiNardo, will move to the outfield.

The outfield is quite a logjam for Revelle. Abbie Squier, Dakota Carter, and Talia Tokheim are back after dealing with injuries last season. Squier, a team captain, is expected to secure a starting spot, while Hoffmann, Malia Thoms, and Alina Felix compete for playing time.

Nebraska’s Billie Andrews (6) is greeted by her teammates after hitting a homerum in the Big Ten softball tournament Friday, — Nebraska’s Billie Andrews (6) is greeted by her teammates after hitting a home run in the 2024 Big Ten tournament. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Revelle has created three lineups, so far, but hoped the team's final scrimmage on Sunday would provide more clarity as to who the starting nine or 10 will be when the Huskers take the field against Tennessee on Thursday.

Nebraska has all the tools to make a postseason run and potentially host a regional, something the Huskers haven't done since 2013.

“I don’t think there’s a team that we’re going to play where we don’t have the tools to beat them,” Bahl said.

Lineup Projection:

P: Jordy Bahl
C: Olivia DiNarado
1B: Bella Bacon
2B: Katelyn Caneda
SS: Ava Kuszak
3B: Samantha Bland
LF: Abbie Squier
CF: Hannah Camenzind
RF: Kacie Hoffmann
DP: Emmerson Cope

Nebraska Softball’s Depth-First Approach Designed for WCWS Push

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