The North Platte Community College Softball team’s Tiffany Brasby and Lydia Lusk were both named to the Region IX Division II All-Region Softball Team and the Region IX Division II All-Region Tournament Team.

Tiffany Brasby is a sophomore from North Platte. Brasby hit .351 for the season and had an on base percentage of .370 with 13 doubles. Brasby was a utility player for the Knights who played short stop, first base, second base and pitched for the Knights. Brasby pitched in 12 games for the Knights. She also had a fielding percentage of .944.

Lydia Lusk is a sophomore from North Platte. Lusk hit .294 for the season and had an on base percentage of .318. Lusk was the Knights center fielder and had a fielding percentage of .924 for the season.

The use of video replay will be expanded at next month’s College World Series to give umpires the ability to take a second look at a ball hit down an outfield line to determine if it’s fair or foul.

Last year, instant replay was approved at the CWS for the first time and matched the major leagues’ rules for use. The only plays eligible involved apparent home runs. The situation never arose.

In cases where runners are on base and a foul call is changed to fair after a review, the umpire crew chief will place runners where he thinks they would have ended up had the call been correct initially. It’s a decision that could decide the national championship.

Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper has earned an invitation to compete at the 2013 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team Trials.

USA Basketball officially announced the 31 players invited to the trials on Wednesday, May 8, after the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee issued the invitations.

Hooper earned honorable-mention All-America honors for the second straight season in 2012-13 while helping Nebraska to the NCAA Sweet 16. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., led the Huskers in scoring and rebounding with 17.9 points and 8.8 boards per contest while powering Nebraska to a 25-9 overall record.

A three-year starter for the Huskers, Hooper was a candidate for the Wade, Naismith and Wooden National Player-of-the-Year awards as a junior. The two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection enters her senior season at Nebraska ranked 10th in career scoring with 1,685 points, while ranking fifth in career rebounding with 811. She also ranks second in career three-pointers made with 215.

Hooper will be in a talented player pool that includes 10 players who have won gold medals with USA Basketball in international competition. The team will be coached by Oklahoma’s Sherri Coale, along with assistants Brian Giorgis (Marist) and Coquese Washington (Penn State). Wisconsin’s Bobbie Kelsey and Tulsa’s Matilda Mossman will serve as court coaches during the trials.

Following the completion of the World University Games Trials on May 19, a 12-player roster will be announced. Those 12 players selected to represent USA Basketball will hold training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs June 25-July 1.

The 2013 World University Games women’s basketball competition will be held in Kazan, Russia, July 8-15. Organized by the International University Sports Federation and held every other year, the World University Games is a multi-sport competition open to men and women who are between the ages of 17 and 24. The USA Basketball women’s team will be made up of U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled in college and have eligibility remaining.

The Tri-City Storm made history with their first round selection in Phase 2 of the 2013 USHL Draft by selecting forward Chris Wilkie, an Omaha native who will be the first ever player from Nebraska on the club’s roster.

“We were going to take the best player available and that’s what we felt Chris was,” Storm head coach and general manager Josh Hauge said. But it’s an added bonus to say that he’s from our area. It makes our pick even more special. We were lucky enough to be in the number two spot to take him right away.”

Wilkie played with the United States National Team Development Program last season, appearing in 56 games and scoring 31 points with 13 goals and 18 assists. He also played six games for Team USA in the U17 World Challenge and amassed nine points on three goals and six assists.

At 16-years-old, Wilkie stands at 5-feet 10-inches and weighs 172 pounds.

“He’s going to be an extremely skilled hockey player,” Hauge said. “He’s got a dynamic skill set and what’s even more impressive is how hard and physical he plays. He’s going to be a leader for us and I’m really excited about him coming into our locker room.”

Before the NTDP, Wilkie played for the Omaha Lancers Midget Minor team. He was coached by his father David, a former NHL player with the Montreal Canadians, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers from 1994-2001.

“I think you can tell he’s been coached very well by his father growing up and he’s got a hockey pedigree,” Hauge said. “But I think that Chris has written his own chapter and he’s a guy that’s going to make his own mark on the game because he’s so talented. Chris has done all the work.”

The second overall pick is also committed to play collegiately at North Dakota.

“We think he’ll be ready to play college hockey after one season and hopefully, if we do our job, he’ll be a high-end NHL Draft pick,” Hauge said. “He’s ready to come in and be a marquee player for a franchise in our league and I think that’s what he’s going to do here.”

(AP) — Tennessee volleyball player Mary Pollmiller is transferring to Nebraska, alleviating the Cornhuskers’ need for an experienced setter.

Pollmiller is a native of Littleton, Colo., who comes to Nebraska as a junior in eligibility. She was the 2011 Southeastern Conference freshman of the year after setting school records for assists. Her 11.9 assists per set two years ago was best in the nation among freshmen.

Last year she averaged 10.6 assists per set and led the Lady Vols to the NCAA tournament, where they lost in five sets to Final Four qualifier Michigan.

Nebraska has been in need of a setter. Three-year starter Lauren Cook graduated, and Alexa Strange announced last week that she is transferring. The Huskers have an incoming freshman setter in Kelly Hunter of Papillion-La Vista South.

Junior right-hander Tatum Edwards fired a one-hit shutout to lead the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team past Penn State, 2-0, on Monday afternoon in the regular-season finale at Nittany Lion Softball Park.

Edwards allowed only a two-out sixth-inning single to Cassidy Bell, while tossing her ninth shutout of the year and improving to 25-8 on the season. Edwards faced the minimum over the first 5.0 innings, allowing only three total base runners on the single and a pair of walks, while striking out six.

With the win, Nebraska clinched the No. 2 seed for this week’s Big Ten Tournament at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers finished the regular season with a 39-12 record, including a 16-6 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The win was also Nebraska’s 15th road victory of the season, the most in school history.

Penn State fell to 16-32 overall and 5-17 in league play with the loss. Macy Jones (12-17) suffered her second loss of the weekend, allowing two runs on seven hits in a complete-game effort.

For the third straight game, Nebraska scored in the top of the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a two-out solo home run from junior Taylor Edwards.

The Huskers then grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Sophomore Jordan Bettiol reached on a one-out infield single before stealing second base. She then scored on a clutch two-out, RBI single from senior Gabby Banda.

Nebraska missed a chance to add to its lead in the top of the sixth. Taylor Edwards began the frame with a single, before senior Brooke Thomason followed with a bunt single. Senior Courtney Breault then moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before a pair of foul outs to first base ended the inning.

Penn State mounted its first threat in the bottom of the sixth. A one-out walk was followed by a two-out single. With runners on first and third and two outs, Lauren Yao lined a 1-2 pitch toward right field, but sophomore first baseman Mattie Fowler reached out and snagged the line drive to end the inning.

The Nittany Lions were then retired in order in the seventh, as Tatum Edwards wrapped up her ninth shutout of the year.

Behind Tatum Edwards’ dominance, Nebraska out-hit Penn State, 7-1. Taylor Edwards went 2-for-3 and hit her 12th home runs of the season, while Bettiol finished 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch to reach base safely in all three plate appearances.

With the regular season complete, Nebraska turns its attention to the Big Ten Tournament. The tournament begins on Thursday at Bowlin Stadium, with the Huskers opening play at 7 p.m. on Friday against the winner of Thursday’s game between Purdue and Michigan State.

Two Nebraska home games in 2013 will be played in primetime and televised nationally on BTN, the network announced on Monday.

The Huskers’ season opener against Wyoming on Aug. 31 will kick off at 7 p.m. CT, and NU’s home game against Southern Miss on Sept. 7 is set for a 5 p.m. CT start.

“Memorial Stadium always has a great atmosphere, and kicking off the season with two home night games should bring even more energy to the stadium,” Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini said.

BTN will televise a total of 12 primetime Big Ten games during the 2013 season.

The 2013 season will mark the seventh time since 2002 that Nebraska’s season opener has been played under the lights at Memorial Stadium, but the first time since 2010. Nebraska has won each of the six previous games, including victories in home night games in Pelini’s first three season openers as head coach in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

With each of the first two games of 2013 in the evening, this season will mark just the third time in school history Nebraska has opened with a pair of home night games. The two previous occurrences came in 2002 and 2005.

Nebraska is 37-5 all-time in night games at Memorial Stadium, including victories in each of its past 11 night games, dating back to 2008.

With sole possession of second place in the Big Ten Conference up for grabs, the Nebraska baseball team (21-25, 12-6 Big Ten) was unable to deliver a win on Monday afternoon at Hawks Field, as the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers (36-9, 13-5 Big Ten) took the three-game series with a 10-2 victory. After the teams split the first two games of the series, Indiana got a strong outing from starter Aaron Slegers and four RBIs from Dustin DeMuth in the win.

The Huskers now sit third in the Big Ten standing, behind Minnesota and Indiana, and could fall to fourth pending the outcome of this afternoon’s game between Ohio State and Northwestern.

Nebraska starter Aaron Bummer was never able to find a groove on the mound, as the lefty lasted just 4.0 innings, giving up three runs on just three hits, but was his own worst enemy with five walks. Slegers went 8.1 innings for the Hoosiers, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and no walks, while striking out three.

The bottom of Indiana’s lineup did the most damage, as its 6-7-8 hitters each had two hits, going a combined 6-for-11 with seven RBIs. DeMuth, Indiana’s six hitter, hit IU’s fifth home run of the weekend in the fifth innings with a three-run blast and added a RBI double in the ninth.

For the Huskers, Chad Christensen led the way with a 2-for-4 day at the plate and a run scored. The senior outfielder feasted on Indiana pitching, as he was 7-for-11 (.636) during the three-game series with a pair of doubles.

With no mid-week game this week, the Huskers continue Big Ten play next weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., for a three-game set with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who sit atop the Big Ten standings. The series opens at Siebert Field on Friday, May 10 at 3:05 p.m., continues on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1:05 p.m

The 2013 Nebraska School Activities Association State Soccer Championships will be hosted at Morrison Stadium on the campus of Creighton University, May 8-14.

First round action for the Class A boys begins May 8 at 9 a.m. as Grand Island faces Papillion-La Vista South. Creighton Preparatory School, the defending state champion, will face Lincoln Pius X at 11 a.m. Top-seeded Omaha South plays Lincoln Southeast at 1 p.m., while Millard West meets Kearney in a 3 p.m. match.

The Class B boys also open play on May 8. Defending Class B state champion Omaha Skutt Catholic will play Norris at 6 p.m. Schuyler will then face Columbus Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Thursday morning at 9 a.m., the Class A girls will begin first round action as Omaha Marian faces Lincoln Southwest. Millard West will play Omaha Westside at 11 a.m., while Millard North squares off against Lincoln East at 1 p.m. Bellevue West and Lincoln Pius X have a 3 p.m. match before the Class B boys resume their first round matches Thursday night. In Class B boys, Gretna will play Hastings at 6 p.m. before South Sioux City faces Lexington at 8 p.m.

The Class B girls will play opening round matches Friday morning as Elkhorn South plays Lincoln Lutheran/Raymond Central at 9 a.m. Gretna and Gering are scheduled for an 11 a.m. match. Omaha Skutt Catholic, the top seed, will play Holdrege at 1 p.m. The Class B girls first round matches conclude with Columbus Scotus playing Hastings at 3 p.m.

Semifinal matches for the Class A boys will be Friday evening at 6 and 8 p.m. The Class B boys will play their semifinal matches Saturday morning at 9 and 11 a.m. followed by the Class A girls semifinals at 1 and 3 p.m. The 6 and 8 p.m. matches will feature the Class B girls semifinals.

The NSAA State Soccer Finals are scheduled for May 13 and 14. The boys championship finals will be Monday at Morrison Stadium. The Class B final begins at 5 p.m. The Class A championship final will kick off at 7:45 p.m. The girls champions will be crowned Tuesday. The Class B girls title match shall begin at 5 p.m. The Class A final is set for 7:45 p.m.

Session tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students (age 5-grade 12). Tickets may be purchased on site and online at https://nsaahome.ticketleap.com/.

The NSAA is partnering with Play On Sports to provide live webcasting of semifinal and championship final matches on a pay-per-view basis. A link to the webcasts will be available on https://nsaahome.org/so.php.

The North Platte Community College Knights (4-39) softball team lost twice on Sunday ending their season at the Division II Region IX Tournament. The Knights lost their opening game of the tournament to Southeast Community College 0-12. The Knights followed that up by dropping their second game of the day to Central Community College 4-3 to end their season.

In the opening game the Knights fell to Southeast Community College 0-12. Head Coach Janelle Higgins said, “they came out strong and were timid but fought through the to the end. We just couldn’t wake our bats up.”

In the losers bracket for their second game the Knights dropped a tightly contested game to Central Community College 4-3. The Knights were down 3-1 going into the top of the seventh inning before knotting the game at three runs a piece but were unable to take a lead as they left two runners in scoring position. In the bottom of the seventh Southeast scored a run to win the game. Tiffany Brasby led the Knights from the plate going 4-4 with a home run and an RBI. Lydia Lusk also went 2-2.

“It was not the ending we were fighting for but the girls never gave up and fought with everything they had until the end,” said Coach Higgins. “I am very proud of these nine incredible young ladies and their dedication to North Platte Community College and the softball program. They continued to strive to be the best they could be, work hard and showed heart! We will miss Lydia Lusk and Tiffany Brasby next year.”