Sports
Northwestern Softball Rolling, Coach Drohan Nears 600
The NU Wildcats are in 1st place in the Big Ten and have won 7 straight. Coach Kate Drohan is one win away from 600 victories at NU.
Something special is happening at Sharon J. Drysdale Field on the Northwestern campus. The Northwestern Wildcats are quietly putting together a great season. It's not quiet in the stands or on campus and the buzz is beginning to spread outside of Evanston.
The Cats currently stand in 1st place with a record of 29-7 (9-0 in the Big Ten conference). Michigan is in 2nd at 27-10 (9-0). Their 3 game sweep of the Cornhuskers in Nebraska brought their winning streak to 7, their longest such streak this season. They have not lost two consecutive games yet.
Pitching has been the strength of the team. They are ranked #1 in several categories and in the top 3 in most others. Danielle Williams leads the staff with a record of 19-3 and an ERA of 1.07, with 178 strikeouts and only 16 walks. She was just named the Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the week.
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Kenna Wilkey is also having an excellent season. She is 7-2, with a 2.62 ERA. Next on the staff is Kaley Winegarner who is 3-1 in 4 starts. Rounding out the starters is Morgan Newport, who is 0-1, despite an ERA of 1,5 with 16 strikeouts and 4 walks.
The offense hasn't been as dominant as the pitching, but it has been solid. Generally ranking in the #4-#7 area in most categories, the offense has done enough to support the pitching.
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Nikki Cuchran leads the Cats with a .350 average. Jordyn Rudd (.339), Morgan Newport (.327) and Maeve Nelson (.311) are the others hitting above .300.
Today, the Wildcats host Notre Dame and although she will eschew the attention, the focus is as much on Coach Kate Drohan as on the team. A win would give coach Drohan her 600th win at Northwestern. I will be there cheering on the Cats and hopefully seeing that historic victory. Drohan is carving out a Hall of Fame career.
On Wednesday, the Cats “travel” to UIC, before returning to Evanston for an 8 game homestand to end their home schedule. They host Wisconsin for 3 games, Purdue for 3 games and end hosting a doubleheader against Illinois. They end their season at Michigan State for 3 games and at Minnesota for 3 games. That's still plenty of softball action to see.
A lot can happen in the remaining 18 games, especially with Michigan right behind the Cats. If the pitching stays consistently excellent and the offense picks up a bit, this team can go a long way.
