Defending Big Ten Champion Northwestern Opens Fall Schedule

Portions of the following release information was issued by Northwestern and information and photo courtesy of Northwestern…

EVANSTON, Ill. – Defending back-to-back Big Ten champion Northwestern opened its fall schedule on Sunday with games against UIC and Bryant & Stratton College at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

The Wildcats will play four other games during the fall season.

Northwestern will face Spoon River College for a doubleheader on Oct. 8 before wrapping up the fall schedule with two games against DePaul on Oct. 14.

The Wildcats finished the 2023 season with a 42-13 record and dropped a 3-2 decision to Alabama in the decisive game of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional. Head coach Kate Drohan, and her staff, were named the 2023 ATEC/NFCA Division I Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Northwestern will feature a new look in the 2024 season as the Wildcats lost Danielle Williams, Jordyn Rudd, Maeve Nelson, Skyler Shellmyer and Nikki Cuchran to graduation. In their four full seasons in Evanston, the group led Northwestern to a 175-68 record, four NCAA Tournaments, three Super Regionals, and the 2022 Women’s College World Series.

Williams finished her career as the Wildcats all-time wins leader with 106 career victories and appearances (174) and ranked fourth in strikeouts (1,123). Williams became the 11th player in Big Ten history, and third Wildcat, to earn four First Team All-Big Ten awards.

Cami Henry and Lauren Boyd will anchor the Wildcats pitching staff. Henry was 10-2 with a 3.45 earned run average in 2023, while Boyd finished the year 8-4 with a 2.24 ERA.

Ashley Miller, a transfer from Michigan State, will also provide the Wildcats with another strong arm in the circle. In three seasons with the Spartans, Miller racked up 472 strikeouts in 420.1 innings pitched, the third most all-time in Spartan history. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021.

Hannah Cady, Kelsey Nader and Kansas Robinson will lead the Northwestern offense.

Cady earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors last season after hitting .285 to go along with six home runs and 28 RBIs.

Nader and Robinson each were named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen team a season ago. Nader hit .312 and drove in 25 runs, while Robinson .294 and belted nine home runs.

2023 Fall Schedule
Sunday, October 1 – UIC, 11 a.m.
Sunday, October 1 – Bryant & Stratton College, 3 p.m.
Sunday, October 8 – Spoon River College, 11 a.m.
Sunday, October 8 – Spoon River College, 3 p.m.
Saturday, October 14 – DePaul, 11 a.m.
Saturday, October 14 – DePaul, 3 p.m.

All games will be played at Sharon J. Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill.

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