The Nebraska softball team strengthened its roster Tuesday with the addition of transfer Olivia DiNardo. A catcher and utility player, DiNardo spent the past two seasons at Arizona and will have two seasons of eligibility with the Huskers.

DiNardo played in 106 games with 102 starts at Arizona the past two seasons. She was a decorated player during her time as a Wildcat. As a freshman, DiNardo was a second-team All-Pac-12 and All-West Region selection in addition to being a Pac-12 All-Freshman team member and one of 25 candidates for national freshman of the year. As a sophomore, DiNardo was a third-team all-region selection.

A native of San Mateo, California, DiNardo hit .340 in her Arizona career with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 74 RBIs. She produced 103 hits and posted a .418 on-base percentage with a .587 slugging percentage. DiNardo started 74 games as the designated player at Arizona with 28 starts at catcher.

“Olivia DiNardo is an exceptional softball talent, and we are so excited that she is joining the Red Team,” Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said. “She is a fierce competitor who loves to compete and win. She has the ability to immediately step on the field for the Huskers and make a big impact on both sides of the ball.”

As a freshman in 2023, DiNardo hit .382 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 36 RBIs. She produced 60 hits with a .458 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging percentage. DiNardo nearly doubled her home run total as a sophomore in 2024, batting .295 with 13 home runs. She added five doubles while posting a .596 slugging percentage.

DiNardo was ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the country and the No. 2 catcher coming out of Aragon High School and the West Bay Warriors.

SEARS EARNS ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-REGION HONOR

Nebraska’s Brett Sears earned First-Team All-Central Region recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings, the organization announced Tuesday.

Sears is the third Husker to earn first-team all-region honors in the last two seasons after being named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) District 6 Player of the Year last week.

A semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and National Pitcher of the Year, Sears was the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-Big Ten honoree while posting a 9-1 record with a 2.16 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 104 innings.

Sears had a breakout 2024 campaign, ranking among the national leaders throughout the season. The Westphalia, Iowa, native is fifth nationally with a 2.16 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, 19th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.32), 20th in hits allowed/9 inn. (6.23) and 24th in walks allowed/9 inn. (1.64).

After Nebraska’s win over Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, the senior became the first NU pitcher since at least 1999 to reach a 9-0 record on the mound.

Sears is the first Husker hurler with 100-plus strikeouts in a season since 2008 after compiling 101 punchouts, which is ninth-most in program history. Sears also completed the season tied for eighth in program history with 104 innings pitched in 2024.