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Five Nebraska softball players were honored by the Big Ten on Friday, highlighted by Jordyn Bahl being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. Bahl and Ava Kuszak were recognized as first-team All-Big Ten selections and Samantha Bland and Hannah Camenzind were named to the All-Big Ten second team. Bland was also a member of the All-Defensive Team at third base and Haidyn Warner was the Huskers’ Sportsmanship honoree.
Bahl became the first Big Ten player to be named the Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in the same season. Only three before her won both awards in their careers – Sara Griffin (Michigan), Nikki Nemitz (Michigan) and Sara Groenewegen (Minnesota) - but none in the same season. Bahl is Nebraska’s first conference player of the year since Peaches James was the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2004 and is the Huskers’ first conference pitcher of the year since Tatum Edwards was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2013.
Bahl is now a three-time conference pitcher of the year, as she was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2022 and 2023 while at Oklahoma. Bahl is the sixth pitcher ever at a Power Conference school to be a three-time conference pitcher of the year.
Offensively, Bahl is batting .467 with 16 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 59 RBIs, 61 runs scored, 71 hits, a .549 on-base percentage and a .974 slugging percentage. She ranks second in the conference in hits and runs, third in slugging, fourth in on-base percentage, fifth in doubles, sixth in homers and RBIs. In Big Ten play, Bahl tied for the conference lead with 32 RBIs in 22 games while ranking second in batting average (.470) and home runs (10), third in hits (31), slugging percentage (1.000) and on-base percentage (.571) and fifth in runs (25).
In the circle, the junior is 23-5 on the season with a 1.46 ERA, two saves and 243 strikeouts in 168.1 innings. Bahl has the lowest ERA in the Big Ten and also leads the league and ranks in the top 10 nationally in shutouts (7), strikeouts (243) and opponent batting average (.149). During Big Ten play, Bahl led the Big Ten in ERA (1.83), strikeouts (118), shutouts (5) and opponent average (.157) while ranking second in saves (2) and third in wins (10).
In 51 games this season, Bahl has scored more runs (61) as a batter than she has allowed (57) in the circle. Bahl is on pace for numerous school records. If the season ended today, she would rank first in batting average and slugging percentage, third in total bases, fourth in doubles, home runs and runs scored, fifth in RBIs and sixth in winning percentage.
The Papillion, Neb., native became the first player in program history to notch 15+ doubles and 15+ home runs in a season this spring. She owns the school record for single-season extra-base hits with 37 this year. Bahl also became the sixth player in Nebraska history to record 50+ hits, runs and RBIs in a season.
One week later, fellow first-team All-Big Ten member Kuszak became the seventh Husker to have 50 hits, runs and RBIs in a season. Kuszak has been a strong force for the Huskers, both offensively and defensively. She has 19 home runs on the season, which ranks fourth in school history, and her batting average of .423 would rank second in program history if the season ended today, as would her .899 slugging percentage.
Bland, a second-team All-Big Ten honoree and All-Defensive Team member, is the only player to have started every game this season for the Big Red. The sophomore bats .301 on the season and adds 47 runs, 47 hits, 40 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple, and 10 homers on a .558 slugging percentage and .333 on-base percentage. Defensively, she has 33 putouts and 91 assists on a .947 fielding percentage. In her first season playing third base, Bland was perfect on 60 chances during Big Ten play to post a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Hannah Camenzind was also on the All-Big Ten second team. The outfielder bats .362 on the season and has 36 hits, 50 runs, 36 RBIs, 14 doubles and eight homers with a .638 slugging percentage and .461 on-base percentage. She has notched 27 putouts and 15 assists. Camenzind has also appeared in the circle in 11 games for the Big Red, she has an ERA of 3.21 with a record of 5-2 across 61.0 innings pitched.
Haidyn Warner rounds out Nebraska’s award winners, as she was named the Huskers’ Sportsmanship honoree. Warner was a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team and was NU’s Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award recipient.
