Nebraska softball continues to garner preseason attention, earning top-20 rankings in two major national polls released Tuesday. D1 Softball ranked the Huskers at No. 14, their highest placement, while ESPN.com/USA Softball placed them at No. 16. These rankings add to last week’s No. 21 spot from Softball America, marking three polls that have included Nebraska in the preseason top 25.
Despite narrowly missing an NCAA regional bid last season with a 30-23 record, Nebraska enters the 2025 campaign with high expectations. The team is bolstered by the return of pitcher Jordy Bahl, now recovered from an ACL injury, and several key transfers, although they will be without graduated star shortstop Billie Andrews.
UCLA stands as the top Big Ten team in all three rankings, landing at No. 4 in D1 Softball, No. 5 in Softball America, and No. 6 in USA Softball. Nebraska follows as the second-highest-ranked Big Ten program in the D1 Softball and USA Softball polls, though Softball America places Northwestern slightly ahead of the Huskers. Other Big Ten teams, including Michigan and Penn State, also appear in multiple rankings, with D1 Softball featuring six conference programs.
Nebraska’s season kicks off on February 6 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, where they’ll face stiff competition, including USA Softball’s No. 5 Tennessee and No. 10 Texas Tech. Later in the month, the Huskers will square off against UCLA on February 20 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in California, though the two teams won’t meet in Big Ten regular-season play. Nebraska’s conference schedule is highlighted by an April series at Northwestern.
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