This week,Nebraska softballwill aim to advance to the Women's College World Series for the first time in 12 years when it takes on Tennessee in thesuper regional roundof the2025 NCAA softball tournament. Regardless of whether they're able to topple the Lady Vols, the No. 7 national seed in the tournament, theCornhuskershave had a stellar run getting as far as they have. Heading into its best-of-three series withTennessee, Nebraska is 42-13, a 12-win improvement over the previous season and the program's most wins in a season since 2014, which marked the last time before this year that it made it to the super regionals. REQUIRED READING:Knoxville Super Regional schedule in NCAA Softball Tournament: Bracket, TV schedule for Tennessee vs Nebraska A number of factors have gone into the Cornhuskers' accomplishments over the past three months, but one stands out more than the others: Jordy Bahlhas been one of the best players this season not only in the Big Ten, but the entire country. A star both in the pitchers' circle and at the plate, Bahl was a consensus first-team All-American in 2022 and 2023 for a pair of national championship teams at Oklahoma before the Nebraska native transferred after the 2023 season to the Cornhuskers, whose campus is located only about 50 miles from Bahl's hometown of Papillon, Nebraska. After suffering a season-ending ACL tear just 2 1/3 innings into her 2024 season, which prompted her to redshirt, Bahl has come back strong in 2025, earning Big Ten player of the year honors and being named one of three finalists for the USA Softball player of the year award. As her team prepares to square off against Tennessee with a spot in the WCWS on the line, here's a closer look at Bahl: While notable for herself and her team, Bahl having the kind of season that she has as a pitcher hasn't been surprising given her track record. What has been more eyebrow-raising is how she has excelled at the plate. Bahl was almost exclusively a pitcher in her two seasons at Oklahoma, logging just 40 at-bats in that time. In her first full season at Nebraska, though, she has quadrupled that mark, with 160 at-bats. She's made the most of those plate appearances, as well, with a .475 batting average, 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 16 doubles and 165 total bases, all of which are team highs. Here's a look at Bahl's year-by-year batting numbers: 2022 (Oklahoma): 8 at-bats, .125 average, 1 RBI 2023 (Oklahoma): 32 at-bats, .406 average, 8 RBIs, 2 doubles, 15 total bases, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts 2025 (Nebraska): 160 at-bats, .475 average, 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 165 total bases, 26 walks, 14 strikeouts REQUIRED READING:Who's in Super Regionals? Updated bracket, schedule for NCAA softball tournament Since the moment she first stepped foot on a college softball field as a freshman in 2022, Bahl has been one of the best pitchers in the country. At Oklahoma, she was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and was named the conference's pitcher of the year in 2023. She twice pitched in the championship series of the WCWS, including throwing 10 scoreless innings and striking out 13 batters across two appearances in a sweep of Florida State in 2023. This season at Nebraska, she has continued her dominance, winning Big Ten pitcher of the year honors while recording a 25-6 record, a 1.50 ERA, 21 complete games and 270 strikeouts against 72 walks. Here's a look at Bahl's year-by-year pitching production: 2022 (Oklahoma): 22-1 record, 1.09 ERA, 205 strikeouts, 34 walks, 14 complete games 2023 (Oklahoma): 22-1 record, 0.90 ERA, 192 strikeouts, 37 walks, 12 complete games 2025 (Nebraska): 25-6 record, 1.50 ERA, 270 strikeouts, 72 walks, 21 complete games For all of her triumphs on the diamond at Oklahoma, Bahl reached those achievements while nursing an overbearing case of homesickness. In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Bahl wrote in June 2023 that her decision to leave theSoonerswas "bittersweet" and that she had "decided to return home and play the game I love, closer to the things that have made me who I am and that have always been more important to me than this game." "The most important thing in my life after my faith, is my family,"Bahl wrote. "Through the constant battles that the outsiders do not see, my teammates and coaches were always understanding, love, and nothing but supportive. ... I am excited to return home and be Jordy Bahl the softball player, but more importantly the person." She later added that "I am excited thinking about growing the game that has provided me so many opportunities for growth, in the home state, a current overlooked state for girls in softball at all ages, and I am excited to finish the softball journey right where it began." ❤️❤️❤️pic.twitter.com/6OBFmG5VEE — Jordyn Bahl (@jordybahl)June 12, 2023 Bahl is a redshirt junior, having been in college four years, but only competing in three of those. She was granted a medical redshirt for the 2024 season, which was cut short by an ACL tear in her first outing of the year. Though she still has a year of eligibility remaining after this season, Bahl earned her bachelor's degree in May in child, youth and family studies. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jordy Bahl batting stats: How Nebraska softball star has fared
