If I’ve heard the question dozens of times this spring, you can probably guess the hours that Rhonda Revelle has spent trying to come up with answers.

What’s happened to the Nebraska softball team?

That the Huskers are 22-27 entering postseason play and likely to end a run of 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances hasn’t gone unnoticed by Big Red fans, many of whom have probably thought very little of the softball program over the years.

Nebraska is the bottom seed in the Big 12 Tournament beginning today in Oklahoma City. That’s OKC, where NU has celebrated three Big 12 titles and played in two Women’s College World Series, all in the last 10 years.

Oh, there have been recent postseason failures, but nothing like this. Nothing to prepare you for a year where you’re on the wrong side of the mercy rule too many times. Where opponents have made hitting home runs look easy.

“We all draw on our experience in dealing with tough times,” Revelle said this week. “But I really haven’t had a frame of reference. You never think about a season like this until you live it.”

There have been some dark days. Indeed, Revelle compares the confluence of events this spring to a tsunami.

But from behind her desk  Wednesday, Revelle can’t stop smiling. Even as she runs down the laundry lists of struggles this season.

If it weren’t bad enough that NU had no seniors, the Huskers were hit with injuries. Some ended seasons, and others — like the knee injury suffered by Molly Hill early in the year, disrupting things to an extent we’ll never know.

Even the weather was lousy. The worst spring ever, Revelle says. Nebraska’s first practice outside in Lincoln came on March 4.

“This team has responded, really when you stop and look at it, in a very impressive manner,” Revelle said. “Strip away all the numbers and I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a group than I have in this team over the last month.”

Yet Revelle knows she’s in the business of numbers. Numbers of home runs, numbers of strikeouts, and yes, numbers of wins. Four Big 12 victories won’t cut it.

“I’d walk away if I didn’t think I could turn it around,” she says.

Indeed, this season was validation for Revelle that she needed to step away from her duties as senior women’s administrator at NU.

“I didn’t miss practices, but I missed some of the other stuff,” Revelle said. “And sometimes it’s the other stuff that shows up out on the field.”

For years, Nebraska was a program reliant on great pitching. The constant was a great pitching coach in Lori Sippel.

But at the same time Revelle was juggling more responsibilities, Sippel was dividing time at NU with coaching the Canadian National Team. Revelle estimates that Sippel has been away from the program three months out of the last year.

“She’s doing a once in a lifetime thing,” Revelle said, noting that Canada has a better chance than ever to win a medal in this summer’s Olympics. “But our pitchers haven’t been getting a daily dose of Sippel. It shows.”

Revelle turns the pages of her calendar to August. She already has the day penciled in when Sippel will return from coaching in the Olympics. That’s when things will begin to return to normal.

Or maybe, just maybe, normalcy will return today.

After a week of final exams, Nebraska boarded the bus for Oklahoma City on Thursday. It’s a long ride, considering NU’s season could end in one game versus Kansas. But for Revelle, the trip sounded more like a joyride.

Just Wednesday, she had watched her young infielders get to balls and make plays they hadn’t made all season. They were still working. Her pieced-together lineup hit .345 in its last five games. They had fought back from deficits.

What’s happened to the softball team? More than you or I will ever know.

“They’re what keeps me energized,” Revelle said.

Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.