Nebraska pitcher and two-time National Champion Jordy Bahl suffers season-ending ACL injury
Nebraska pitcher and Oklahoma transfer Jordy Bahl suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Huskers’ first game of the season. She announced on Tuesday on Instagram that she injured the ACL in her left knee.
Bahl will redshirt for the 2024 season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“In game one of opening weekend in Puerto Vallarta, I experienced an injury to my ACL that is going to cause me to support the Red Team in a different way than anticipated for the 2024 season,” Bahl said on Instagram.
“With a heart thankful for God’s plan and timing, I will be redshirting this year and looking forward to a season of growth and learning from a different point of view. I’m thankful for the support of my family, friends, coaches and staff. I’m truly blessed to have so many wonderful and loving people in my life.”
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The right-handed pitcher suffered the injury during the third inning against Washington on Feb. 8. She planted with her left leg as always, but this time, it gave out. Bahl collapsed just outside the circle and an athletic trainer helped her to the dugout.
Because the Huskers were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for its annual tournament challenge, NU didn’t know the extent of her injury until returning to Lincoln, Nebraska. Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said on the Huskers Radio Network that the coaches would be “very conservative” with Bahl for the remainder of the challenge. Bahl did not play in the final three games, but she did warm up.
They received very difficult news after medical tests in Lincoln.
“Obviously, we are all disappointed to hear the news of Jordy’s season-ending knee injury,” Revelle said in a statement. “We are grateful that Jordy is in excellent care with our medical team and are confident in a full recovery. We fully expect that Jordy will be granted a hardship for this season and be back in the jersey for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
“The 2024 season is young, and we are a veteran team with strong leadership that is coming off back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances. We all remain committed to playing an exciting and competitive brand of softball. We look forward to seeing Husker Nation at Bowlin Stadium this season.”
Before her injury, Bahl allowed three runs and two hits in 2.1 innings against No. 7 Washington’s explosive offense. She recorded three strikeouts and four walks in her debut. The junior had a rocky start against the Huskies, just like Nebraska’s entire team.
Bahl is the third Husker to suffer an injury this season. Outfielder Dakota Carter had her right arm in a sling during NU’s first four games. Her status is day-to-day. Outfielder Caitlynn Neal‘s right hand was hit by a foul ball while she was standing on third base. Her hand swelled up and she didn’t play in Nebraska’s final game of the challenge.
Both Carter and Neal are expected to return this season.
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Bahl’s hyped homecoming delayed
The return of Bahl to play for her home state of Nebraska was one of the biggest transfers in sports history.
At Oklahoma, Bahl went 44-2 while in the circle. The Sooners won back-to-back national championships with the Nebraska native as their ace. She was a two-time NFCA First Team All-American and the Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 Women’s College World Series.
Bahl, from Papillion, Nebraska, desperately missed home despite her success as a Sooner. She has had a relationship with Revelle since she was 14 years old, committing to Nebraska as an eighth-grader. However, when Revelle’s program was under investigation, Bahl flipped to Oklahoma.
Her return sparked a new passion and interest in Husker softball. Nebraska added more seats to Bowlin Stadium and had a waitlist of 4,000 fans to claim the 3,000 season tickets available.
Bahl made appearances around the state of Nebraska, signing autographs and taking pictures. She and Nebraska legendary pitcher Peaches James-Keaton even had two streets named after them by the Papillion Landing Sports Complex.
The poll reflected the hype as well. Nebraska ranked as high as No. 13 in the preseason polls. The Huskers’ ace pitcher is the No. 2 preseason player in the country by SoftballAmerica and D1Softball. The Huskers were predicted to win the 2024 Big Ten championship.
Unfortunately, Bahl’s much-anticipated first game at Bowlin Stadium has been delayed. However, she is bound to still receive a very warm welcome on March 1 when Nebraska hosts Wichita State.
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Nebraska’s bullpen without Bahl
Nebraska’s bullpen obviously suffered a huge blow with the loss of Bahl. However, the Huskers have two very experienced pitchers and a few freshmen that Revelle and her staff are excited for.
After Bahl went down in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, senior Kaylin Kinney became Nebraska’s ace. The right-handed pitcher threw 12.1 innings and finished with a 2.27 ERA. She didn’t allow a run against Long Beach State or Utah Valley.
Kinney proved she has fully recovered from her season-ending hand injury in February of 2023. In her 25 innings pitched last season, Kinney had a 0.84 ERA and allowed three runs.
Senior Sarah Harness was Nebraska’s second pitcher in 2023 behind Courtney Wallace. The right-handed player pitched 115.1 innings and finished the season was a 3.40 ERA.
In the Huskers’ first tournament of 2024, Harness threw 8.1 innings and had a 5.04 ERA. She allowed six runs.
Freshman Caitlin Olensky showed promise in her first two innings as a Husker. After Bahl went down, Olensky came in with no heads-up. She faced two batters and gave up a three-run home run in the second. Kinney took over afterward.
However, Olensky asked Revelle to get back in the circle and pitched two innings against Duke. She had two strikeouts, two walks and allowed one run. Nerves and inexperience were a factor for the left-hander but she will continue to grow with more innings pitched.
Freshman right-handed pitcher and utility player Emmerson Cope will also likely see the circle this season.
Nebraska’s pitching lineup will look very different without Bahl. However, the Huskers still have a solid group who could bring them to their projected Big Ten championship.
