Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White met with members of the media Thursday to discuss the progress of the Husker defense with the Spring Game less than 10 days away. 

White noted the emphasis of getting defenders to understand not only their position, but the positions around them as well.

"You're always moving guys around, and the more they understand concepts at a different position, the more when they do go to their position, they understand what guys are doing around them. It's really cool in terms of the awakening around here," White said. 

"This is about seeing what they can do. When they're stopping the run, you're putting them one place. When you're defending the pass, you're putting them in another place. They're doing a great job of doing what's asked of them, showing different skill sets." 

With the Spring Game approaching, White said the defensive installation has slowed as the coaches focus more on execution.   

"We haven't installed anything new in the last couple of days just so that way guys can go out there and execute," he said. "Coaches like to think its them and all the X's and O's and stuff, but if those young men don't line up and they don't play fast, then we don't have a chance.

"At this point it's a matter of making sure they're at the right positions and they know what to do. I scale back so those guys can go play." 

White said the staff is also working at continuing to develop a physical approach from the defense.

"The first thing we do every day is tackle," he said. "Coach (Rhule), it's really cool because he's kind of an old school guy in terms of, hey, the game is won physically, so we practice physical. The very first things we do on defense is always getting off a block and knowing how to make tackles. That's learning the tackling form how we want to do things, how we want to tackle. But also putting them in situations where they've got to go tackle." 

White said going against the Husker offensive line has made his defensive unit better.  

"Those guys play together," he said of the offensive line. "It's really making us better. It's fun to go against those guys because you can see them working, you can see them always constantly getting better, challenging the defense. They're making us really know the game and really know what we've got to do." 

The Huskers will take the field on Saturday for the annual Red-White Spring Game presented by FNBO. The scrimmage is set for April 22, at 1 p.m. (CT). Tickets for the Spring Game can be purchased on Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG RED. 

Huskers Ink Rienk Mast

Nebraska Men's Basketball Coach Fred Hoiberg announced Thursday afternoon that two-time All-Missouri Valley performer Rienk Mast (pronounced RINK) will transfer to Nebraska for the 2023-24 season.

Mast, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward, spent the last four years at Bradley, helping the Braves to a 25-10 record, a Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and a NIT appearance last spring. Mast has totaled 1,001 points and 657 rebounds in his first three seasons.

He is ranked third among all power forward transfers by On3 and second by EvanMiya.com. Mast is listed among the top 50 transfers nationally by both The Athletic and EvanMiya.com.

"Rienk has a skillset which I think will flourish in our system," Hoiberg said. "Offensively, he is very crafty around the basket while he is also comfortable stepping out to the 3-point line. He has been one of the best rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference for the past two years and comes from a program that won its conference and played in the postseason last year. Rienk will provide an immediate impact in the frontcourt for us next season."

In 2022-23, Mast earned first-team All-MVC honors, leading Bradley in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg) while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range. He ranked second in the MVC in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage and 11th in scoring, as he finished third in voting for MVC Player of the Year.  Mast, who also averaged 2.4 assists per game, totaled nine double-doubles, including 14 points and 12 rebounds in Bradley's NIT loss to Wisconsin. He had a career-high 30-point effort against Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament, one of 26 double-figure scoring efforts last season.

Mast earned third-team All-MVC and second-team NABC All-District 16 honors in 2021-22, averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as he topped the conference and ranked in the top 50 nationally in rebounding. He totaled nine double-doubles and had 18 double-figure contests in 2021-22. Mast had five 20-point games, including a season-high 23 points and 13 rebounds against Evansville and 20 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Indiana State to garner MVC Player of the Week. He was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2020-21, as he played in 28 games and averaged 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His year was highlighted by a 24-point, 10-rebound effort against Southern Illinois in the MVC Tournament. In that game he was 10-of-16 from the floor, including four 3-pointers.

Before coming to the United States, Mast earned all-star team honors at the 2017 FIBA European Under-16 Championship after leading the Netherlands to a second-place finish in Division B. He also served as captain a year later at the 2018 European Under-18 Championship, helping Holland to the Division B title. Mast played for Donar in the top division of the Dutch Basketball League and was named the league's Youth Player of the Year and Most Improved Player following the 2018-19 season. While at Donar, he was teammates with former Huskers Lance Jeter and Jason Dourisseau.  In the classroom, Mast is a two-time MVC scholar-athlete and majors in physics.

Huskers Host Northwestern on Military Appreciation Weekend

NEBRASKA vs. NORTHWESTERN
April 14-16, 2023
Hawks Field at Haymarket Park | Lincoln, Neb.
 
Friday, April 14 – 3:05 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Emmett Olson (5-1, 3.04 ERA) vs. RHP Matt McClure (1-4, 6.53 ERA)
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Saturday, April 15 – 2:02 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Jackson Brockett (1-0, 3.27 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Farinelli (1-5, 6.98 ERA)
TV/Streaming: Nebraska Public Media/B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Sunday, April 16 – 12:05 p.m. CT
Pitching: TBD vs. RHP Luke Benneche (0-3, 9.28 ERA)
TV/Streaming: B1G+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska continues Big Ten play this weekend, hosting Northwestern for a three-game series at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
 
Friday's series opener has been moved up to 3:05 p.m., while Saturday's first pitch is set for 2:02 p.m. The series finale between the Huskers and Wildcats is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Nebraska Public Media, with Larry Punteney and Jeff Leise on the call, while the other two games on Friday and Sunday can be seen on B1G+. Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network, which can be heard on KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln and KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha. Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.
 
Nebraska vs. Northwestern
• Through 26 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds a slim 14-12 advantage in the all-time series against Northwestern.
• The Huskers and Wildcats meet for the first time since 2021, where the Big Red swept the two games against Northwestern in Lincoln with wins of 12-2 and 11-5.
• Since joining the Big Ten, Nebraska holds an 8-3 record in 11 home games against Northwestern.
 
Anderson, Matthews Reach 10-HR Mark
• A little over halfway through the season, Max Anderson and Brice Matthews have reached double-digit home-run totals with 11 and 10 homers, respectively.
• With the 21 combined home runs from Anderson and Matthews, the Huskers have reached nine seasons with multiple players reaching 10-plus homers since 2000.
• NU's leader in home runs has finished with 10 in each of the last two seasons, while Scott Schreiber's 18 homers in the 2018 campaign is the last time a Husker surpassed the 10-homer mark for the whole season.

Shutting 'em Down From the Pen
•  Over the course of the last eight games, the Nebraska bullpen has pitched 37.2 strong innings and picked up a pair of saves.
• In the eight-game stretch, the NU relievers have posted an 0.96 ERA and allowed just four earned runs, while stifling opponents to a .169 batting average.
• The Husker bullpen has allowed just two extra-base hits (two doubles) while striking out 40 batters and walking 11 in the last eight games.
 
Big Red Blasts
• Nebraska has been leaving the yard at an impressive rate this season with 51 long balls through 30 games, which ranks 34th nationally heading into this weekend against Northwestern.
• So far this season, 12 different players have gone deep for the Big Red. 11 of those 12 players have hit multiple homers, led by Max Anderson (11), Brice Matthews (10) and Gabe Swansen (7).
• NU has homered in 13 of its last 14 games, including 11 in a row, and has gone deep multiple times in 13 games this season.
 
Numbers to Know
11 – The Huskers have homered in 11 consecutive games for the second time this season after reaching a streak of 12 games earlier this season.
46 – Brice Matthews sits 15th nationally with 46 runs driven in this season, which are the most by a Huskers in a single-season since Jesse Wilkening (56), Scott Schreiber (48) and Luke Roskam (46) in 2018.
13 – Through eight starts, Emmett Olson is 13th nationally and leads the Big Ten with a WHIP of 0.87.
4 – NU is searching for its fourth straight conference series win this weekend, as the Huskers have won the last three against Michigan, Illinois and Michigan State (2022).
21 – With 179 career hits, Max Anderson is 21 hits shy of becoming the 27th Husker in program history to reach the 200-hit mark in his career at Nebraska.

Huskers Battle B1G Field at Lady Buckeye

The Nebraska women's golf team closes its regular-season tournament schedule by taking on a 14-team field loaded with 13 Big Ten teams at the Lady Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, April 15-16.

The tournament on the 6,319-yard, par-72 layout at the Scarlet Course features every Big Ten  team except No. 14 Northwestern, as the field prepares for the upcoming Big Ten Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa. (April 21-23). The hosts from Ohio State enter the Lady Buckeye as the highest ranked team in the Golfweek rankings, coming in at No. 31. No. 33 Maryland, No. 37 Michigan State, No. 40 Michigan, No. 42 Kent State, No. 44 Purdue and No. 46 Nebraska join the Buckeyes among seven teams in the field ranked in the top 50. No. 53 Illinois, No. 61 Minnesota and No. 68 Penn State are eager to climb in the national rankings, while No. 85 Wisconsin, No. 101 Rutgers, No. 109 Iowa and No. 125 Indiana round out the tournament field.

The Huskers will participate in Friday's practice round in Columbus before tournament play begins with a shotgun start for 36 holes on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 a.m. (CT). The Lady Buckeye concludes with Sunday's final round beginning with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. (CT). Live scoring for the six-count-four tournament will be available through GolfStat.com.

True freshman Kelli Ann Strand (Challis, Idaho) continues to lead Nebraska with a team-best 71.69 stroke average, which is on pace for a school record. She owns six top-10 finishes and 17 rounds better than par this season. She heads to Ohio ranked No. 123 nationally by GolfStat and No. 114 by Golfweek. 

Graduate student Megan Whittaker continues to be the model of consistency in the Husker lineup with top-35 finishes in all 10 tournaments this year, including a career-best sixth-place finish to help the Huskers to a team title at the season-opening Green Wave Classic. Whittaker owns a career-best 72.71 stroke average, which has helped her to a No. 192 ranking by GolfStat and No. 213 from Golfweek. She owns five top-20 showings on the year. 

Miu Takahashi won the Dale McNamara individual title and owns four top-10 finishes on the year. The sophomore from Nasu-Machi, Japan has trimmed her stroke average to 72.81, trailing only Strand and Whittaker among the Huskers. Takahashi ranks just outside the top 200 players in Division I according to GolfStat (219) and Golfweek (221). 

Juniors Lindsey Thiele (74.20), Michaela Vavrova (75.13) and Andrea Velez (76.88) round out Nebraska's six-count-four lineup at the Lady Buckeye.

Lady Buckeye Invitational
April 15-16, 2023
Host: Ohio State
Scarlet Course (Par 72, 6,319 Yards)

Schedule
Saturday, April 15 (Rounds 1 & 2): 7:30 a.m. (shotgun)
Sunday, April 16 (Round 3): 7:30 a.m. (shotgun)

Goehle Eager to Pursue Next Mission

Nebraska women's basketball assistant coach Tom Goehle is retiring from his position with the Huskers to pursue full-time mission work - a passion he has had off the court for many years.

Goehle (pronounced GAY-lee), who just completed his seventh season with the Nebraska women's basketball program in 2022-23, and his eighth season working with Head Coach Amy Williams, helped the Huskers to a pair of NCAA Tournament bids (2018, 2022) and two WNIT appearances (2021, 2023) while helping NU navigate through two seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In his first season working alongside Williams, Goehle helped South Dakota to a Summit League regular-season championship and the 2016 Postseason WNIT title. The Coyotes finished with a 32-6 record.

"I have been so blessed to work alongside Tom for the past eight years," Williams said. "He has made an incredible impact on me personally, as well as on the young women we have been blessed to coach. I'm so grateful for all he has poured into Nebraska Women's Basketball, helping us raise the bar for this program. We wish him the best in his future endeavors as we know he will be a blessing to all he meets."

An experienced coach at all levels, Goehle has spent 30 seasons in coaching, beginning with 15 at the high school level. He then worked at Coastal Carolina, North Dakota State and Sioux Falls before joining Williams at South Dakota. He worked specifically with the development of post players at each school. In addition, Goehle's duties included recruiting, scouting, coordination of summer camps and game management.

Goehle also has been heavily involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since 1993. He began serving as the Director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Sports Ambassadors International Sports Ministry in 1996. He coached summer basketball teams in Guatemala, El Salvador and Singapore. Goehle also has led mission trips to Africa on several occasions.

"I want to thank Coach Williams for the joy it has been to be a part of such a special program and university over the past seven years," Goehle said. "I also would like to thank all of the players for allowing me to share in their journey both on and off the court. It has been a privilege to see the loyalty and passion of Husker Nation on display day after day and year after year. I am excited for the opportunity God has set before me to use sports to share his love and the Gospel around the world."

Prior to arriving at the collegiate level, Goehle spent 15 years working for his alma mater, Hills Beaver Creek school district, in Hills, Minn. He held several positions, including physical education instructor, health science teacher, girls basketball coach, track and field and cross country coach. Goehle graduated from Augustana (S.D.) with a bachelor's degree in education in 1993.

Huskers Set for Three-Game Series at Indiana

• The Huskers are second in the Big Ten in shutouts with 11 and are ranked 19th in the NCAA. 
• Nebraska is second in the conference in batting average (.316) and is 19th in the nation.
• NU ranks second in the Big Ten and 23rd in the NCAA with a .514 slugging percentage.  
• Katelyn Caneda is fourth in the Big Ten with a .405 batting average, a mark that leads the Big Red. 
• Billie Andrews is third in the conference with 11 home runs and Brooke Andrews is fifth with 10 home runs this season. 
• Billie Andrews and Katelyn Caneda are both tied for fifth-most hits in the Big Ten with 45. They both lead the Big Red in hits. 
• Brooke Andrews has recorded six homers in the last 12 games. 
• Courtney Wallace has recorded the most wins in the Big Ten with 17. She is also seventh in the NCAA.

Indiana By the Numbers

• Indiana leads the Big Ten with a .329 batting average, a number that ranks 10th in the NCAA.
• The Hoosiers lead the conference in doubles (74), home runs per game (1.36), on-base percentage (.433), slugging percentage (.572) and stolen bases per game (1.98).
• Indiana held a historic 23-game win streak from March 5-April 8. 
• Freshman Taryn Kern has led the Hoosiers on offense with a .434 batting average, 1.009 slugging percentage and 0.596 on-base percentage. 
• Kern leads the conference in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBI (50), home runs (17), hit by pitch (14) and walks (30). 
• Briana Copeland leads the Hoosiers with a 15-0 record in the circle. Her 15 wins are the third-most in the Big Ten. 
• Heather Johnson has added three saves, the third-most in the conference this season. 

Husker Quick Hits

• Sarah Harness recorded her 500th career strikeout this year. The junior has  tallied 77 strikeouts this season and has combined for over 500 including her three seasons at Southern Illinois. 
• Billie Andrews and Brooke Andrews have recorded a home run in the same game five times during their careers at Nebraska. 
• Billie Andrews has tallied 11 home runs this season, she is now seventh all-time in Nebraska history in career homers with 38. 
• Andrews is one of 12 returning players in the NCAA who hit 20 or more home runs last season. 
• Sarah Harness recorded a no-hitter against New Mexico on Feb. 24, 2023. It marked the first no-hitter by a Nebraska pitcher since 2016. 
• Mya Felder is the only returning Big Ten player who received All-Big Ten, All-Defensive and All-Tournament honors in 2022. 
• Courtney Wallace is one of six returning Rawlings/NFCA Gold Glove recipients from last season.

Huskers Ready for NCAA Championships

The No. 5 Nebraska men's gymnastics team is headed to University Park, Pa., to compete in the 2023 NCAA Championships. The Huskers will compete in the qualifying round on Friday, April 14, at Noon (CT) in hopes to advance to the NCAA Finals which are set for Saturday, April 15.

Last Time Out
NU is coming off a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, earning a 410.550, their third-highest score of the season. Ten Huskers qualified for the Big Ten Individual Finals.

Among the finalists, Taylor Christopulos highlights the squad after taking the event title on vault (14.90), notably NU's first event champion since Anton Stephenson claimed the vault title in 2019. This also marks 11 all-time vault individual titles for the captain, passing assistant coach and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist, Jim Hartung's record of 10 vault titles at Nebraska. Christopulos was also named First-Team All-Big Ten and earned Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honors.

Senior Donte McKinney and freshman Nathan York earned Second- Team All-Big Ten accolades following third-place finishes. McKinney earned the bronze on high bar (14.475), while York finished third on floor (14.45).

Scouting the Competition
NU will compete during Session I of the NCAA Qualifiers on Friday, April 14 at Noon (CT). The Huskers will look to be among the top- three teams in the first session to advance to the NCAA Finals. Session I consists of No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 Illinois, No. 8 Air Force, No. 9 Navy and No. 12 Army. Session II is set for 6 p.m. (CT) and consists of No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 California and No. 11 Springfield.

Stanford looks to earn its fourth-consecutive national championship. The Cardinal are coming off their MPSF conference title win, finishing with a team score of 417.300.

The top three teams and the top three individuals on each event, including the all-around, not on advancing teams, will advance from each qualifying session to the championship finals.

Three Huskers Named NTCA All-Americans

Las Vegas, Nev. - Three members of the University of Nebraska bowling team were selected to the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) All-American team announced Thursday evening.  

Senior Crystal Elliott and freshman Jillian Martin were both first-team honorees, while senior Kendyl Hofmeister earned honorable-mention honors.  It is the first time since 2018-19 that Nebraska had multiple first-team All-Americans in the same season (Raquel Orozco and Meghan Straub). Martin was also honored as the NTCA Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Husker freshman to win the award in more than a decade.  

This is Elliott's second All-America award in her career (2021, 2023). She currently ranks fourth nationally in scoring average (211.6) heading into tomorrow's NCAA Championship. Elliott has posted three top-five finishes this season, including an individual title at the Stormin' Blue and White Vegas Classic.  

Martin caps an outstanding freshman year as a first-team All-American.  She competed in all nine regular-season tournaments and posted three top-five finishes and five top-10 performances.  She is currently ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring average with a 215.7. Martin was the MVP of the Motiv Penguin Classic and placed second at the Bearcat Roto Grip Open earlier this season. In addition, Martin won the National Amateur Championship and was also named to the 2023 Team USA in January. 

Martin's selection of NTCA Rookie of the Year marks the first Husker freshman to win the award since Cassandra Leuthold in 2007. She is the fourth Husker to win since the program became a varsity sport in 1998, joining Husker legends Lindsay Baker (2005) and Shannon Pluhowsky (2001).  

Hofmeister collects her second straight All-America award. She is the team's leadoff bowler and has posted two top-10 finishes and placed in the top 25 six times in nine regular-season tournaments. Hofmeister averages a 208.66 this season and is ranked in the top 15 players of the country in overall scoring average with 20.449 Avg/Frame. 

The Huskers will face McKendree in the first round of the National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship Friday morning at 11 a.m. (central) at the South Point Bowling Plaza. Fans can follow along on Husker bowling social media channels and watch live on NCAA.com.