The lead photo to this article on the home page took place at the 2023 Stillwater regional, but took place against Wichita State, not the Oklahoma State. I place it there to remind me of the stupid decision I made to watch it on my iPad instead of in person, because I had vowed not to return to Stillwater in ‘23, after covering the Huskers there at 2022 Stillwater Regional, if they were chosen to appear there again – which they were.
The decision was definitely influenced by the lingering odor of
horse and cow shit which is on a constant trickle in that area of town. I’m not judging. Hiking trips to Colorado often involve a stop for a meal in Ogallala and a drive across Nebraska is one not alien to these odors. I should’ve looked past it – I mean also found an amazing country breakfastplace. Should’ve been reason enough.
That vow cost me a chance to witness one of the greatest games in Husker softball history.
It was a 9-8 extra innings thriller in an elimination game against Wichita State; an elimination game in which the Huskers did not fully catch up until the bottom of the 7th. After a scoreless 8th, they topped the Shockers 2 runs with 3 of their own in the bottom of the 9th to pull off the…well..Shocker.
Their luck recently against Oklahoma State has not been as strong. On my first trip to Stillwater in 2022, they finished 1-2. After the Wichita State thriller, they ended 2-2 there in 2023 when the Cowgirls eliminated them for the second straight season. Add in last year when they faced the Cowgirls – in Wichita – with Omaha native Ruby Meylan out-dueling Jordy then-Bahl for a 1-0 victory, and the Huskers are 0-3 in their last three meetings with their former Big 12 foes.
Normally, that might be a bit of a mental roadblock, but when one has two wins in pocket against #1-ranked teams in the country, the team bus might just be ready to crash right through that barricade.
Read on for weekend info, weather and how to watch/listen:
Stillwater/Tulsa Weekend: THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
- Of course, the goal is always 5-0, but 4-1 and winning 2 of 3 against the Cowgirls would be acceptable.
- Do not chalk one up mentally against the Jackrabbits. They took the Huskers to extras in 2 contests last season with Emmerson Cope playing hero in Wichita with a 2-out home run in the top of the 7th to get them to extras and save their Bacon
- Against ranked teams, Okie State beat Georgia, the aTm and UCLA while dropping games against LSU and Duke in Clearwater after being swept by host Stanford in their invitational the previous weekend.
- A sweep of Oklahoma State would go a long way towards bringing the other three polls up toward the Huskers’ #4 ranking on ESPN/USA Softball’s
HUSKER GAME INFO
Schedule: (All times CST)
Feb. 26 at Oklahoma State 6 p.m.
Feb. 27 vs. South Dakota State 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 27 at Tulsa 5 p.m.
Feb. 28 at Oklahoma State 2 p.m.
March 1 at Oklahoma State 2:30 p.m.
Location: Cowgirl Field, Stillwater, OK
Surface: Dirt Infield, Astroturf Diamond series synthetic turf
TV/Streaming: The Oklahoma State games will be streamed on the ESPN+ app. Broadcast team TBD. The games in Tulsa on Friday will not be televised or streamed. (Note: If you purchased the FloSoftball monthly plan last weekend solely for the Mary Nutter Classic, remember you must go back & cancel it manually or it will continue to charge you monthly.)
Radio: Huskers Radio Network. You can listen for free at Husker Audio – University of Nebraska – Official Athletics Website huskers.com – Nate Rohr is on the call for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Note: this will be the sole option for the games in Tulsa on Friday)
Weather: Thursday evening’s game will begin in the low 70’s and finish in the low 60’s. Friday’s match-ups in Tulsa should bring temps in the high 70’s during the day dropping to the mid-60’s after sunset. Saturday afternoon’s contest back in Stillwater should be in the low 80’s throughout. All those games should be played under sunny and clear skies.
Sunday afternoon’s contest could be delayed or cancelled as the forecast calls for 50-60% chance of rain throughout the day. They may also consider moving it up to increase the chances of completing it throughout any delays.
THE OPPONENTS
#13 OKLAHOMA STATE (11-4)
Oklahoma State is 11-4 on the season with all four losses coming to ranked teams. Nebraska and OSU share common opponents in Texas A&M, LSU, Georgia and Cal. The Huskers are 3-1 against those teams, while the Cowgirls are 4-1. OSU is tabbed as high as No. 13 in this week’s polls. Oklahoma State went 35-20 last year and reached the regional round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kenny Gajewski has spent all 11 seasons of his career at Oklahoma State andhas compiled a record of 411-173.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nebraska native Ruby Meylan is on the 2026 USA Softball Player of the Year Watchlist. Meylan leads the pitching staff with 44.2 innings pitched this year. She has compiled a record of 4-3 with a 4.23 ERA. Meylan has struck out 46 batters and walked 12 while allowing 41 hits and 29 runs.
Claire Timm has the highest batting average on the team at .485. She adds 15 RBIs on 16 hits, including two home runs, two triples and a double. Amanda Hasler has a team-high 23 RBIs that have come from seven extra-base hits and a .711 slugging percentage. Rosie Davis adds a .366 average with 15 hits, 14 runs and 13 RBIs.
SOUTH DAKOTA ST (13-4)
South Dakota State is 12-4 on the season with losses to Stephen F. Austin, Baylor, Tarleton State and Murray State. NU and SDSU do not have any common opponents yet this year. Last year, the Jackrabbits were 29-26 with a 13-5 mark in conference play. Head coach Kristina McSweeney is in her fourth season at SDSU and is 113-71 with the Jackrabbits. In her 14-season career, she has compiled a record of 473-258-1.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Summit League Performer of the Week Amanda Vacanti leads South Dakota State with a .485 batting average, along with five home runs and three doubles. Emma Vike has posted a team-high 21 RBIs on 25 hits. She has also scored 17 runs. .
TULSA (5-9)
The Aggies have a record of 7-3. All of their losses are to all ranked teams, including No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 24 Oklahoma State, and No. 20 Duke. Last season, Texas A&M went 48-11 and 16-7 in the SEC. The Aggies were the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament before being upset in the regional round. Head coach Trisha Ford is in her fourth season at Texas A&M and is 134-50 with the Aggies. She is 533-276-1 in 16 career seasons.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Maura Moore is the Hurricane’s ace, as she has thrown 43.0 innings with a 2.28 ERA. She is 3-3 on the season and has posted 45 strikeouts to 12 walks.
HUSKERS LINEUPS (Best Guess)
P/1B #98 JORDY FRAHM (BAHL)
LF #9 HANNAH CAMENZIND
C #25 JESSE FARRELL
SS #7 AVA KUSZAK
DP #73 CARLIE MUHLBACH
CF #23 HANNAH COOR
RF #14 KACIE HOFFMANN
1B #3 BELLA BACON (When Jordy pitches)
2B #2 LAURA CAMENZIND
3B #29 SAMANTHA BLAND
STARTERS:
G1: JORDY FRAHM – Okie St.
G2: ALEXIS JENSEN – South Dakota St.
G3: HANNAH CAMENZIND – Tulsa
G4: ALEXIS JENSEN – Okie State
G5: JORDY FRAHM – Okie State
The lineup should remain mostly intact from last weekend. Hannah Coor should move up a little after breaking out of her slump – Ava Kuszak also managed to do so but remains in the cleanup spot. If doctor’s orders remain in place, Sammie Bland will again play 3rd but not bat in order to let the lead shoulder heal fully. If she does bat, it will be interesting to see who is DP’d for as Carlie Muhlbach remains hot with an OB% of .615.
The rotation shouldn’t be fiddled with too much and Alexis & Jordy splitting their games should be expected by now. I would start Alexis against South Dakota St. hopefully to prevent another nail-biter against the gals from Brookings.
