Experienced coach and players lead No. 4 overall seed Nebraska softball into Lincoln Regional

Off-the-field bonds are driving on-the-field success for Nebraska softball heading into the NCAA Tournament starting Friday.

The No. 1 ranked and No. 4 overall seed Huskers enter their first home regional in 13 years with a 46-6 record. NU also won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.

The journey started about three years ago, following the end of the 2023 season. That’s when Papillion La Vista High alum — then named Jordy Bahl — announced she would transfer back home to Nebraska, after winning back-to-back national titles at Oklahoma.

A season-ending knee injury in her first game of the spring 2024 season delayed the hype. But last year, she pitched and hit well, to lead NU just one win shy of the Women’s College World Series.

Now with the married name Jordy Frahm this year, her senior campaign has been dominant. She leads the Big Ten in earned run average, at 1.24. ERA is one of the most telling marks of a consistent pitcher. Second place is not even close, with no other pitcher lower than 2.30. Frahm also leads the league in strikeouts with 201, heading into the weekend.

Also sixth in the conference in batting average (.426) and tied for seventh in home runs (19), it’s been a banner year at the plate for Frahm. That’s why she’s a finalist for national player of the year.

Frahm has also been laser-focused on the season, not delving into recent rumors that she might hold off on going professional.

“I am all Nebraska softball until I can't be anymore, and we're running out of time, and that's sad,” Frahm said at a press conference in late April. “But until I'm done with this team and this program, I don't really want to talk or even think about what comes after that.”

Frahm is the leader among an experienced team with 12 total seniors. It's a group that can also say they’ve been close to the big stage before — just missing the world series with a loss to Tennessee in 2025.

Coach Rhonda Revelle, who’s led the program for 34 years, spoke with the media days before senior day and tried to put into words what this group has meant to the program.

“I really don't have the right words, but I'll try to give them to you. They — the way they have represented this program, this community, this university, this athletic department, has been impeccable,” Revelle said.

“It's been impeccable for the way they talk with you all, for the way they thank the bus driver when he drops us off — he or she drops us off at all hours of the day and night,” she said, “to the way they smile at little girls or little boys that want autographs or pictures.”

While recognizing the emotions that come with playing your final season of college sports, the senior class seems dialed in on their goals this season, not over-celebrating big accomplishments like winning the Big Ten Conference crown.

Senior utility player Hannah Camenzind, who’s from Valley, felt the weight of these final moments in a Nebraska uniform speaking right after her coach addressed the seniors, highlighting the special bond between player and coach.

“She's so special to all of us, and I started crying when I was sitting back there,” Camenzind said. “But, her and all the coaches have just meant a lot to this senior class and this whole team, and I'll never be able to thank them enough for everything they've done for me. And not just them, but this entire university, I feel so lucky to have been a part of something so special.”

Camenzind has smashed seven homers while hitting a robust .355.

But it’s not just the senior class.

A huge reason this team has exceeded last year’s is because of freshman Gretna High graduate Alexis Jensen. She’s second in the Big Ten in strikeouts with 197, trailing none other than Jordy Frahm. Jensen has given Frahm a break from having to pitch as much as she did last season, allowing the senior to focus on hitting more.

Also, many of the standout players grew up in Nebraska, so they know how much the season means to the school and state as a whole.

With the postseason starting Friday, many “firsts” could be on the horizon for the Big Red.

Only the top 16 teams host the four-team regionals, while only eight teams host the best two-out-of-three super regional round. The NCAA moved to this format in 2005, and the Huskers have never hosted a super regional. Being the No. 4 overall seed is a big deal for the university and its spring sports. Track and baseball are also doing well.

Revelle talked with the media ahead of the final weekend of the regular season about how the school went through similar levels of success in the 1990s. That’s when she took over the softball program.

“What I learned then, and as I've reflected on it throughout my career, is that momentum begets momentum, and so it doesn't really matter what sport it is,” Revelle said. “If one team's having success, you feel it.

“We all dine together. We have players that are friends with a lot of players on other teams. So, it's not even like a pressure to succeed. It's exciting,” Revelle said. “They say you become who you spend time around. If you spend time around successful teams, successful coaches, successful programs, it's a lot easier to understand the formula.”

The Huskers hope to continue that winning formula. You can stream or watch the regional round on ESPN’s networks, starting with a matchup against the University at South Dakota at 5:30 p.m. Central time on ESPN Plus. The tournament continues through Sunday.