This is the second annual iteration of a 4-part review of the just-completed season of Huskers softball. And obviously there’s quite a bit to talk about after a loaded roster met and exceeded expectations which were high with a 2026 roster featuring 12 seniors following the 2025 team’s coming up one run short against Tennessee in the 2025 Knoxville Super Regional.
It will follow much the same format as last year starting with a look at the records and numbers. But we will lead off with the answer
to a burning question following a season for the ages.
First, a Word of Thanks
Many thanks to Head Coach Rhonda Revelle for speaking with me last week for what ended up going about twice as long as I requested. She opened up on a variety of topics and her thoughts were invaluable in adding perspective to all areas covered.
To give you an idea of how valuable her time is, she basically returned to Lincoln to immediately be dealing with multiple pieces of huge news to release over a few days (oh, yes, we’ll chat about that) and then hit the recruiting trail for a couple of weeks while simultaneously shoring up the roster with key pieces through the transfer portal.
As she put it with a smile, she remembered thinking, “Can I just have a day to breathe?”
Thanks again for taking the time to chat on one of those breathing days. It was and is very much appreciated.
And as always, thanks to Director of Athletic Communications Matt Smith and Nebraska’s Softball SID Paige Trutna. Matt has been a huge help since the first time dipped my toe into the softball coverage pool in 2022 at the Big 10 Tournament in East Lansing, where the Huskers were victorious. He continues to be generous with his knowledge. Paige made the jump straight from intern to the SID position, but one would never know she wasn’t several years into the job without being told. They both make life easier every season.
And, finally, thanks to Nate Rohr, the voice of Huskers softball. At home or on the road, I always perk up when I see Nate’s smiling face. We traded a high five or three during the post-season, and nothing beats getting seated next to or at least in shouting distance of him calling a game. If you’re looking for an unbiased call, he is not your guy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for reading all that – if you didn’t, just lie to me – and onto Part 1.
Is 2026 Husker Softball’s Best Season? (Spoiler Alert – Yes, It Is)
By all the numbers, the short answer is yes.
Records
With a record of 52-8, they tied program records for most wins and fewest losses. However, their ties were with two different teams – the 1985 squad (33-8) and the 2000 team (52-21). Neither come close to 2026’s .867 winning percentage which is the clear #1.
If we go to ‘26’s post-season play, they hold the #1 spot for both wins (6) and winning pct. (6-2 .750) in a season.
The Era of Competition
And it should be pointed out they accomplished all of these records in an era in which the levels of competition have gone, well, next-level. (Sorry) The 1985 team advanced the farthest losing two straight to UCLA after advancing to the winner bracket final in the WCWS. They later had to relinquish their runner-up finish (as well as be suspended from the ‘86 post-season) after Coach Wayne Daigle was found guilty of NCAA crimes such as buying meals for a pair of players and their families. Nice work, NCAA.
In ‘85, there were less than a third as many teams as now and the south had not yet risen – only La Tech and the aTm qualified from the region for the then-16-team NCAA field.
The Quality of the Individuals
In addition, the ‘26 Huskers were an extremely complete squad. Their hitting took up all-time spots right behind the record breaking 2025 group (more on that below), and a year after my saying how difficult it would be to crack all-time season pitching records list, both Jordy Frahm and Alexis Jensen did just that. Frahm cracked the single-season top 10 in strikeouts (251), K/BB ratio (5.7/1) and saves (12). Jensen, with her 25-2 won-loss mark did so in wins and winning% (.926) as well as breaking the freshman mark for strikeouts (223). It could likely be successfully argued that no other Husker staff could match the 1-2 punch of the 1st and 3rd Team All-American pair.
Four seniors on this year’s team also ranked the career top 10 for Nebraska in batting average – Frahm (1st), Hannah Camenzind (6th), Kacie Hoffman (8th) and Ava Kuszak (9th).
As Frahm said at the team’s final press conference following the Texas game, it took a team effort to make the 2026 season happen, but none of it happens without her decision to return to her home state. One doesn’t need to look at the record books to acknowledge the 2026 team had the best player in the program’s history on the roster.
And taking the Huskers back to the WCWS after sitting out almost an entire season due to injury probably moved the legend needle more than winning two titles at loaded Oklahoma.
Coach Revelle’s Thoughts
I did put the question to Coach Revelle realizing it’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child and she did not commit to calling any one team the best.
She did comment on the the different eras under her when, after two losing seasons beginning with her inaugural season, they were “off and rolling” in Year 3 with 43 wins in 1995. The run “from 1993 to 2016 was pretty special,” said Revelle and she mentioned looking back later and taking it for granted occasionally. The Huskers “hit a rough a patch in 2016” and posted four .500 or lower seasons in the next five, before making the leap in 2022 to a Big 10 Tourney title, a 41-23 record and their first return to the NCAA tourney since 2015.
That 2022 team can fairly be viewed as the one who started the momentum which carried to 2026.
Final Notes & Numbers
Nebraska finished the regular season #1 in two polls and #2 in the two others. 2026 was the first time in team history they had been ranked #1. Post-WCWS, they were ranked #5 in all four final polls, the highest ranking among the teams which didn’t reach the semi-finals. One factor there might have been that Nebraska’s 3-1 elimination loss to Texas was the Longhorn’s closest game in the tourney after they were beaten by Tennessee in their opener.
More importantly, though, they finished #2 nationally in the final RPI rankings – a formula-based score instead of a vote total. And their final strength of schedule was #7 nationally and their non-conference strength of schedule was #1.
The Intangibles
Per Revelle on the 2026 squad, “What made this team so special was its consistency – they were so consistent in their approach.”
She also added that they (the players) were her most drama-free team “and that’s a gift.”
As a former coach myself, I can stress enough how important both are, especially the latter. And it was likely no coincidence that these qualities were found on an incredibly senior-loaded squad (12).
The Verdict
Throwing in all factors, this isn’t too difficult.
The 2026 Huskers Softball team wears the crown as the program’s best ever.
Well, at least until a future squad knocks it off for themselves and hoists the WCWS trophy.
2026’s Entry Into the Record Books
You’ll see a goodly number of “2nd’s” here and most if not all are behind the 2025 team. More on that below.
TEAM SEASON RECORDS – 2026
Hitting
Batting Avg – .325 – 3rd
Hits – 539 – 3rd
Runs – 407 – 2nd
Doubles – 99 – 2nd
Home Runs – 97 – 2nd
Extra Base Hits – 210 – 2nd
Runs Batted In – 383 – 2nd
Slugging % – .577 – 2nd
Total Bases – 957 – 2nd
On-Base % – .405 – 2nd
Pitching
Strikeouts – 509 – 1st (Previous #1 if 1st – 500 – 2001)
Saves – 13 – 2nd
INDIVIDUAL SEASON RECORDS – 2026
When you’re cannonballing into the team record books, there’s bound to be a few individual ones. And look at Jordy and Lex cracking the top ten on the pitching side.
Hitting
Hits – Jordy Frahm – 79 – 7th
Runs – Frahm – 60 – 5th
Doubles – Hannah Camenzind – 17 – 4th
Triples – Frahm – 4 – T10th
Home Runs – Frahm – 20 – T5th
– Jesse Farrell – 17 – T10th
Extra Base Hits – Frahm – 35 – T2nd
Runs Batted In – H. Camenzind – 57 – T9th
Slugging % – Frahm – .806 – 4th
Pitching
Wins – Alexis Jensen – 25 – T8th (Also the Freshman record)
Win % – Jensen – .926 – 1st (Molly Hill – 2000 – .900) (Also the Freshman record)
Strikeouts – Frahm – 251 – 10th
Strikeouts (Freshman) – Jensen – 251 (Lori Sippel – 1985 – 210)
K/BB Ratio – Frahm – 5.7/1 – 9th
Saves – Frahm – 12 – 1st
INDIVIDUAL GAME RECORDS
Triples – Frahm – 2 (4/5/26) – T1st
CAREER RECORDS – Departing Players
2023 through ‘26 is easily the best 4-year hitting era in program history. The only reason there aren’t more players from the 2026 class listed here is because the best hitters of the strongest two years (‘25-’26) were transfers and only played two. Notice that four of them occupy the top 10 in batting average.
As far as pitching, I mentioned in last year’s review that it is tough to crack top 10’s on the pitching side due to the circle being at 40 feet until being moved back to 43 feet in 1988. Well, see above and below where Frahm and Jensen manage to crack a few lists including Lex breaking her pitching coach Lori Sippel’s freshman strikeout record as well as a few others.
Hitting
Batting Avg. – Frahm – .430 – 1st
– H. Camenzind – .373 – 6th
– Kacie Hoffman – .356 – 8th
– Ava Kuszak – .352 – 9th
Home Runs – Frahm – 43 – 7th
– Kuszak – 36 – 9th
Slugging % – Frahm – .890 – 1st (Ali Viola – .760 – 1995-98)
Pitching
Win % – Frahm – .758 – 4th
ERA – Frahm – 1.51 – 9th
Strikeouts – Frahm – 540 – 9th
Saves – Frahm – 9th
Final Thought: 2025 vs. 2026 – Who was The Better Hitting Team?
Said Revelle when I put it to her, “I think ‘26 was actually better.”
I wholeheartedly agree. But why? The 2025 team holds all the records, don’t they?
When we spoke, Coach Revelle was not yet aware of the Huskers final position in RPI (a strength of opponent and opponent’s opponents based formula) and strength of schedule, which I informed her were 2nd and 7th respectively.
She was, however, very aware that there was a huge uptick in competition from 2025 to 2026. She asked me what the strength of schedule was in 2025. I guessed the 30’s or 40’s. (It was actually 34th and the RPI was 25th.)
I didn’t scribble down her exact answer, but it was something along the lines, “Well, there you go.” The non-conference schedule, while never weak, was turned into a gauntlet. Instead of what was the equivalent of batting practice in a weak New Mexico tourney in 2025, the Huskers found themselves facing arms like those of Teagan Kavan, Karlyn Pickens, NiJaree Canady, Katelyn Terry, Sophia Ramuno, Addisen Fisher and Ruby Meylan.
The battings averages don’t soar against hurlers like that. However, they did find success in many of those games and, more importantly, got in the habit of facing top competition early. 2026’s numbers may not have been as gaudy, but they got in the habit of facing top competition and finding ways to win early on.
