No. 19 Huskers Open 2025 Season at NFCA Leadoff Classic

The 2025 season marks the 15th time that Nebraska has participated in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Huskers most recently competed in the tournament in 2010 and went 2-3.

The Huskers were tabbed No. 19 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll.

The 2025 season marks the second straight year that NU plays its season opener against a ranked team, as it faced No. 7 Washington last year in the first game of the Puerto Vallerta Challenge.

In 2024, the Big Red finished with a 30-23 overall record despite fighting the injury bug all season. 

Two of the Huskers’ opponents for the NFCA Leadoff Classic qualified for the 

NU’s roster features 25 total athletes, including 14 returning letterwinners, six transfers and five freshmen.

Jordy Bahl is the lone All-American on NU’s roster, as she garnered first-team honors in 2022 and 2023 at Oklahoma.

Nebraska’s team captains for the 2025 season are Jordy Bahl, Mckinley Malecha and Abbie Squier.

The Huskers own a 37-27 all-time record at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. 

The Huskers own a 37-27 all-time record at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. 

Nebraska has achieved a record of 5-1 twice at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, in 2002 and 1998. The Big Red also went 3-0 in 2003. 

NU has played in various tournaments in Clearwater, Fla., including the 2011 Under Armour Showcase, when the Huskers downed No. 1 Florida, 1-0 to notch their first ever victory over a top-ranked team. 

Three of the Huskers’ opponents this week were ranked in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll - No. 6 Tennessee, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 24 Mississippi State.

The Huskers welcome back 14 letterwinners from last season – Bella Bacon, Jordy Bahl, Samantha Bland, Ava Bredwell, Katelyn Caneda, Dakota Carter, Emmerson Cope, Alina Felix, Mckinley Malecha, Caitlin Olensky, Abbie Squier, Malia Thoms, Talia Tokheim and Haidyn Warner.

NU returns half of its starting lineup from 2024 in outfielder Samantha Bland, catcher Ava Bredwell, first baseman Bella Bacon, second baseman Katelyn Caneda and designated player Emmerson Cope.

Nebraska returns three of its top five hitters from 2024 – Ava Bredwell (.329), Emmerson Cope (.304) and Alina Felix (.302). 

Returners Ava Bredwell, Samantha Bland, Bella Bacon and Katelyn Caneda each started in more than 95 percent of the Huskers’ games last season. 

Hannah Camenzind was a second-team All-SEC member in 2023. Over her two seasons with the Razorbacks, she posted a 14-3 record with 3.11 ERA over 119.1 total innings. At the plate, she batted .308.

Lauren Camenzind was a third-team NFCA All-South Region member in 2023. Over her two seasons at Arkansas, she played in 86 games (79 starts) at both catcher and shortstop.

DiNardo racked up numerous accolades during her two years at Arizona. She was a second-team NFCA All-West Region member in 2023 and a Third-Team member in 2024 and was named a Second-Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honoree in 2023. Over the course of two seasons with the Wildcats, DiNardo started 102 games and built up a batting average of .340, along with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 74 RBIs.

Hoffman played in 106 games with 96 starts during her time with Arkansas. She hit .244 and logged 16 doubles, 15 home runs and 47 RBIs. 

Kuszak earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region accolades in 2024. During her two seasons at Wisconsin, she played in 76 games with 65 starts and notched 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 33 RBIs on a .278 batting average.

Magee was named a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team at Arizona State in 2023. She suffered an injury early in the 2024 season. She pitched in 27 games with 24 starts and compiled a 3.51 ERA and two saves, along with striking out 79 batters in 89.2 innings.

For the second straight season, the Huskers were ranked in every preseason poll. NU earned its highest spot from D1 Softball, who tabbed it No. 14. Nebraska was ranked No. 16 by USA Softball/ESPN, No. 19 by the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll and No. 21 by Softball America.

Jordy Bahl received numerous preseason honors as an individual. She was a member of the USA Softball Top 53 Watchlist and was named the No. 2 Player to Watch and the No. 2 Pitcher to Watch by D1 Softball. She was also recognized as a preseason first team All-American by both D1 Softball and Softball America, along with being named the No. 9 Player to Watch by Softball America.

Nessa McMillen was tabbed a Freshman to Watch by Softball America. McMillen was a four-time all-state and all-conference selection at Blair High School. 

Jordy Bahl suffered a knee injury in the Huskers’ 2024 season opener that required season-ending surgery. Bahl was a First-Team All-American, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and one of 10 national finalists for player of the year in 2022 and 2023. 

Abbie Squier, a returning All-Big Ten and all-region selection, returns after being out for the 2024 season due to surgery. In 2022 and 2023, she was the Big Red’s starting left fielder. 

Dakota Carter, the Huskers’ designated player, was deemed out for the 2024 season before it even began. In 2023, she scored 13 runs as a pinch runner and appeared in 39 games. 

Caitlin Olensky suffered a season-ending injury in the Huskers’ conference opener against Illinois last year. Before her injury, she compiled a record of 3-2 with a team-best 3.30 ERA.

Emmerson Cope was out for almost a month of the 2024 season after battling a back injury. When she was in the lineup, the Topeka, Kan., native amassed an ERA of 4.76 in the circle. She racked up 21 hits, 10 runs, six homers and 19 RBIs. 

Talia Tokheim missed the first 23 games of the season while rehabbing an injury from 2023. She returned for nine games before suffering another season-ending injury in game three of the Penn State series. In her limited time on the field, she notched 46 total bases and seven home runs.

Kylee Magee suffered a season-ending injury after racking up six appearances with four starts in her sophomore year with the Sun Devils. In her first two years at Arizona State, she struck out 79 batters in 89.2 innings.

Olivia DiNardo earned the highest batting average, posting a .647 over 17 at bats, including a team-high 11 hits and three home runs.

Sophomore Emmerson Cope notched two home runs and six RBIs on a .250 batting average.

Pitcher Jordy Bahl compiled a 3-0 record and a 1.65 ERA across 17.0 innings pitched. She also registered 13 strikeouts.

As a team, the Big Red hit .333 and notched 79 hits, 53 RBIs and 10 home runs.

Natalia Hill, a Norwalk, Calif., native, was a two-time first-team All-California infield selection and a first-team All-California outfield selection. As a senior, Hill helped her high school team to a state championship, notching 46 hits, 33 RBIs and seven homers on a .549 batting average.

Blair, Neb., native Nessa McMillen was a four-time All-State selection and a four-time all-conference honoree. McMillen batted .538 as a senior and registered 14 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs.

Macie Vickers, another California product, was a three-time all-league selection and two-time Escalon Offensive Player of the Year. Vickers was limited by an injury as a senior, but batted .604 as a junior with seven doubles, three triples and four home runs.

Lincoln native Kennadi Williams was a First-Team All-Nebraska and Super-State selection as a senior and helped her team to four state tournaments, including winning a state title as a sophomore. As a senior, Williams hit .450 and racked up 17 stolen bases, while leading Class A in runs scored.

Tennessee was ranked No. 5 in the USA Softball preseason poll and was No. 6 for both D1 Softball and Softball America. 

The Vols had three players in Softball America’s Top 100 Players to Watch – pitcher Karlyn Pickens (fourth), outfielder Taylor Pannell (58th) and pitcher and South Carolina transfer Sage Mardjetko (68th). 

Karlyn Pickens was named a Softball America and D1 Softball preseason first-team All-American and was a member of the USA Softball Top 53 Watchlist.

Pickens was a consensus first-team All-American in 2024, earning the honor from the NFCA, D1 Softball and Softball America. She was the 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year and an All-SEC first-team member, along with being named to the NFCA Southeast All-Region team. She was also a Top 10 Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Taylor Pannell returns for the Vols after being named to the All-SEC First Team in 2024. She started in 52 games last season and batted .294 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs.  

Sage Mardjetko made 34 appearances in the circle in 2024 for South Carolina and pitched 118 innings. She posted a team-high 119 strikeouts and threw three complete games. 

Pickens and Charli Orsini return from last year’s pitching lineup for Tennessee. Pickens posted an ERA of 1.12 and compiled a record of 22-7, while Orsini was 2-0 with an ERA of 2.92. 

Tennessee returns three players that started all 55 games last season in infielder Laura Mealer, catcher Sophia Nugent, who had intentions to transfer to Nebraska with Jordy Bahl, and infielder McKenna Gibson.

Natalie Herrington joins Southern Mississippi from Pearl River CC, where she made 25 starts and pitched 169 innings with 184 strikeouts. She was a first-team All-MACCC honoree and the MACCC Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and was an NFCA NJCAA Division II All-American.

Madison Moak, a transfer from Copiah-Lincoln CC, was a 2024 NFCA NJCAA Division II All-American. She was on the All-MACCC first team and led the conference in batting average with a mark of .503. The catcher received the NJCAA Rawlings Golden Glove Award last season.

A transfer from Gulf Coast State College, Makayla Peters was a first-team All-Panhandle Conference honoree after notching 56 hits, 34 RBIs and 51 runs on a .335 batting average.

Southern Mississippi returns four of its pitchers from last year’s staff in Jana Lee, Loganne Stepp, Marissa Fredrick and BrookLynn White. 

Jana Lee had the second-highest batting average on the team last year t .312. She also notched 39 hits and 69 total bases on 125 total at bats. 

The Golden Eagles also return Natalie Taylor (.269), Shelby Allen (.258) and Kinsley Gordon (.243), all of whom were in the top five in batting average on last year’s squad and played in 49 or more games.

Bethune-Cookman returns six athletes that played in 45 or more games last season – Briana Velazquez, Brooklyn Scott, Thais Uyema, Jessica Alaan, Joslynn Davis and Joyce Bloome.

Jessica Alaan notched a batting average of .287 last year, along with 43 hits (second on the team) and 27 RBIs (first on the team). 

Halyne Gonzalez carried the majority of the Wildcats’ pitching load last season, racking up 201.2 innings. She struck out 156 batters en route to a 3.16 ERA. Her accomplishments earned her 2024 All-SWAC second-team honors. 

Bethune-Cookman was relatively error-free compared to its opponents in 2024, as the Wildcats had only 75 errors, while their opponents had 90. 

BCU will look to take advantage of its speed again, as it racked up 99 stolen bases on 111 attempts last season. 

Pitcher and Stanford transfer NiJaree Canady topped Softball America’s Top 100 Players to Watch list and was named a preseason first-team All-American by the organization. She was also a D1 Softball Preseason All-American and was a member of USA Softball’s Top 53 Watchlist.

Canady garnered numerous awards following the 2024 season, including NFCA First-Team All American  accolades and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honors. She earned the prestigious Honda Sport Award for Softball and was an NFCA All-Region first-team honoree.

Outfielder Mihyia Davis, a transfer from Louisiana, was No. 66 on Softball America’s Players to Watch list. She was also a part of USA Softball’s Top 53 Watchlist.

Davis was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2024, along with being named to the All-Sun Belt first team. She was also a NFCA All-Central Region second-team honoree after batting .416 and leading the team with 106 total bases over the course of the year. She was a 2023 NFCA third-team All-American.

The Red Raiders return three athletes from 2024 that started 40 or more games and notched a batting average over .300 – Logan Halleman, Raegan Jennings and Demi Elder. 

Logan Halleman, a member of the 2024 Big 12 All-Freshman team, had the second-highest batting average on the team with a .345 mark. She totaled 30 hits and a team-high 18 stolen bases, which ranked third in the Big 12. 

Reagan Jennings was also a 2024 Big 12 All-Freshman honoree. She hit .327 on the season and notched 37 hits, along with 21 RBIs. She also had 10 multi-hit games.

As a team, Texas Tech was tabbed No. 9 on Softball America’s preseason poll, No. 10 on USA Softball and No. 13 on D1 Softball. 

Outfielder Sierra Sacco was No. 76 on Softball America’s Top 100 Players to Watch list. In 2024, Sacco was a second-team All-SEC member and NFCA Second Team All-South Region member. She started every game for the Bulldogs and led the team with a .347 batting average. 

Mississippi State returns 179.4 innings from last year’s pitching staff, including Josey Marron, who accounts for 114.0 of those innings. Marron posted 88 strikeouts and amassed a 3.68 ERA.

The Bulldogs welcome back six players who played in over 50 games last season, including Sacco, Ella Wesolowski, Jessi Blaine, Nadia Barbary, Kylee Edwards and Riley Hull. 

Mississippi State was ranked No. 25 in the USA Softball preseason poll and No. 24 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

The Bulldogs will hope to build on last season’s success, as they qualified for the NCAA Tournament but fell to Cal State Fullerton, 7-0, in the regional semifinal.