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Nebraska's women's basketball team unveiled its non-conference schedule Thursday, and we could make a joke about frequent flyer miles.

But we won't. We'll merely add that, as usual, head coach Connie Yori has pieced together a grueling slate to help prepare for always-tough Big 12.

The highlight of the schedule is a Dec. 20 home game vs. LSU, which, with five returning starters, figures to be one of the favorites for the national title in 2010 - along with Connecticut, of course. Over the last five years, the Tigers have been just as consistently good as SEC rival Tennessee, really, heading to four Final Fours in that time despite having to switch coaches in the middle of a season.

Last year, NU lost 64-50 in Baton Rouge.

But the toughest part of the non-conference schedule might be the travel. While it's spaced out nicely, NU will travel to Miami (Fla.), San Francisco for a two-day tournament, Las Vegas to play UNLV and Burlington, Vt. to play Vermont on Jan. 4. Any bets on whether they'll get snowed in?

Also on the home slate: Games vs. Creighton, Washington State, Davidson, South Dakota, Albany, Northern Illinois and Idaho State.

“The last two years our schedule has been among the top 25 in the nation, and the Big 12 Conference has been the nation’s No. 1 RPI league,” Yori said. “We believe our non-conference schedule is going to challenge us this year, while also giving us an opportunity to build confidence and momentum heading into the Big 12 regular season. LSU will certainly present us with a great challenge late in December, but when you look at our schedule and see postseason teams like Creighton and Vermont and teams from major conferences on the rise like Miami, Washington State and UNLV, you realize we are going to be tested each time we step on the court.”

Except this year, Nebraska will have All-Big 12 player Kelsey Griffin back in the lineup. Griffin missed all of last season with a foot injury.

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The Nebraska baseball team welcomes Cal State Northridge to town for a four-game set, beginning Friday. Twin bill on Saturday. NU is coming off an easy/breezy/beautiful 11-2 win over South Dakota State on Wednesday. Sophomore Mike Nesseth takes the traditional Friday starter role now after two sterling performances in 2009; Michael Mariot moves to Sunday.

The Matadors are 5-4, swept Texas Tech at their joint last weekend, and have a team earned run average under 3.00. Out of the Big West Conference, CSN is no stranger to good competition and even better pitching, so low-scoring affairs should be the order for this weekend.

Husker DH/P Adam Bailey certainly has settled into the power role so far this, hitting five homers in the first ten games as part of a .846 slugging percentage. Jeff Tezak, Kyle Bubak and Tyler Farst have also been hot of late, Bubak doing so after starting the year 0-for-10.

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The NU softball will play two against North Dakota and Wichita State this weekend in the Shocker Invitational, hoping to get in a few more games than it did in the NFCA Leadoff Classic last week in Georgia. The Huskers have already beaten UND this year 11-1, while Wichita State should provide a slightly stiffer challenge.

Nebraska will face that challenge without Olympic pitcher Robin Mackin, who will miss the rest of the season to have shoulder surgery. Mackin, who transferred from Fresno State and pitched Canada to a victory in the Olympics, will spend this year and the offseason in rehabilitation.

That means the Huskers will have to primarily rely on Molly Hill and true freshman Ashley Hagemann for the pitching duties.

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The NU men's basketball team finishes its regular season with a game at Baylor Saturday. The Huskers are hoping to go .500 in the Big 12 for the first time since 1998, which, incidentally, was the last time NU went to the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska will then face the Bears right away next Wednesday in the Big 12 Tournament. The Huskers will be the No. 8 seed, while Baylor is No. 9. A win there will give NU the privilege of facing the No. 1 seed in the next round, which is likely to be Kansas.

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The women's basketball bunch closes its regular season on the road, as well, playing at Oklahoma State on Saturday. After a tough season of injuries and close losses, the 14-14 Huskers have won four of their last six - including an upset over ranked Kansas State - and could actually secure a No. 7 seed in the Big 12 Tournament if the chips fall right this weekend. Doing so would allow NU to avoid playing No. 2 Oklahoma, whose giant twin Paris sisters have wreaked havoc on the Huskers for four years.

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