“There is a lot to learn from her.”
Grand Canyon softball coach Shannon Hays had some kind words for long-time Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle after the Cornhuskers ended the Antelopes season at the Lincoln Regional.
The Antelopes, while feeling deflated after their elimination, caught the attention of many as GCU battled with the hosting Huskers in two contests, losing 2-0 and 1-0 on ESPN.
Hays’ postgame message would consist of the finer details, how he has copied Revelle’s in-game decisions and managerial
styling.
But, it begs the question, could a Nebraska-esque blueprint be the right path for Grand Canyon to become a softball staple on the national stage, and better yet, lead them to their first College World Series appearance?
Revelle took over at the helm for Huskers softball in 1993, who, much like Hays, found themselves in a new conference situation with the birth of the Big 12, formerly the Big 8.
Nebraska would seize the opportunity in its new-look conference, earning a regional bid for 10 straight seasons, including two trips to the WCWS and a few conference championships.
Now, roughly 20 years later and 1,250 miles west, Grand Canyon University finds itself in a similar, but still different, situation.
It was only 12 years ago that the Antelopes began playing at the Division I level, a 2014 season where the Huskers were already taking names in the Big Ten Conference.
Battling through growing pains in the Western Athletic Conference, things would truly begin when Hays took the job ahead of the 2022 season.
“It’s always important to be successful. If it’s not, you don’t want to be in this business. It definitely puts some pressure on you, some good pressure.” Hays said in 2022.
Some good pressure, indeed. Hays and the Antelopes are 5-for-5 in regional bids during his tenure, including three conference championships.
This season, their debut in the Mountain West conference, the Lopes did not flinch en route to another conference title.
Capitalizing on a new conference? About the only overlap Lincoln, Nebraska and Phoenix, Arizona can have, but it may be the only similarity the Lopes are looking for.
“It’s exciting playing in such a good league,” Hays said in 2025. “I think it will be a high-RPI league, and it’s something we look forward to.”
They might not be putting Hays’ name on the GCU field quite yet, but the Lopes coach has joined Revelle in a few categories.
Hays has earned three Coach of the Year awards, two in the WAC and one in the Mountain West, in just five seasons.
He joined Revelle in earning COTY honors within their first three seasons in a new conference twice. She did so in 1998 with the Big 12 and 2014 with the Big Ten, with Hays doing so in 2022 for the WAC and 2026 for the MW.
“I have always admired what her (Revelle), Diane (Miller, Assistant Coach) and Lori (Sippel, Assistant Coach) have done,” Hays said.
Nebraska would find its way to the WCWS in its third season in the Big 12 and in just its second season in the Big Ten.
Can GCU punch its first ticket in its second Mountain West season? Time will tell next spring, but by the way they handled a competitive Lincoln Regional, it is not out of the question.
“Grand Canyon is a really good softball team, and they fought their tails off,” Revelle said. “I grabbed a couple of seniors at the end. They had tears in their eyes because you don’t win 50-plus games and not do a lot of things right. I think they were really a formidable opponent.”
