LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Wesleyan softball will host No. 21 Central in an American Rivers Conference doubleheader Wednesday, April 8, with first pitch moved to 4 p.m. due to potential inclement weather in the forecast. Game two of the twin bill is set for 6 p.m. at Sandhills Global Youth Complex.
DATE, LOCATION, LIVE STREAM & LIVE STATS
Nebraska Wesleyan and Central will play Wednesday, April 8, beginning at 4 p.m., with game two to follow at 6 p.m. Both games will be played at Sandhills Global in Lincoln, Nebraska. NWU will carry live stats for both contests.
ABOUT NEBRASKA WESLEYAN
Nebraska Wesleyan enters Wednesday at 9-13 overall and 1-1 in A-R-C play, coming off a split with (RV) Wartburg last weekend in Lincoln. The Prairie Wolves took game one in convincing fashion, 14-9, behind a dominant offensive effort. Jenna Kimberling was the story of the afternoon, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs to pace the NWU attack.
Game two did not go the Prairie Wolves' way, as Wartburg's offense tallied 11 hits in an 11-3 Knights victory. Hannah Allen, Eva Fahrnbruch and Jaedyn Ratzlaff combined for a solid outing on the mound but were unable to contain a potent Wartburg lineup. Allen has now punched out 22 batters on the season.
SCOUTING CENTRAL
Central comes to Lincoln as one of the hotter teams in the region, carrying a 16-2 overall record into Wednesday's series opener and entering A-R-C play without a conference game played. The Dutch made a statement early in the year, going 10-0 at the Space Coast Games in Florida to headline a strong nonconference run.
Offensively, the Dutch are dangerous at the plate and on the bases. Rylee Dunkin is hitting .404 on the season and has swiped 16 bases, a figure that ranks fifth in the A-R-C and 73rd nationally. JUCO transfer Sarah Stufflebeam has made an immediate impact, batting .367 with five stolen bases and 10 runs scored. Hannah Higgins leads Central with 15 RBIs.
In the circle, the Dutch rank second in the conference with a 2.68 team ERA, which is 35th in the country. Jadyn Huisman has been Central's ace, posting a 1.95 ERA that is third in the A-R-C and ranks 116th nationally. Ella Morse has been equally reliable, putting up a 2.16 ERA that ranks 145th in the country.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST CENTRAL
Central leads the all-time series 12-11 over Nebraska Wesleyan. Wednesday's two-game set in Lincoln is the only regular-season meeting between the two programs in 2026. The Prairie Wolves took the 2025 series 2-1, splitting a pair of games in Pella, Iowa before NWU eliminated the Dutch in the American Rivers Conference Tournament. Taylor Korecky and Jenna Kimberling each drove in a run in that tournament victory.
