Northwestern University Athletics
The 'Cats Are Going Back to Cali
2/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 27, 2003
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EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern continues its treacherous non-conference slate this weekend as it travels to Fullerton, Calif. to participate in the Worth Invitational hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The Wildcats will face off against four ranked opponents, including three that are in the top 10. The 'Cats take on No. 17 Oregon State at noon Pacific time, followed immediately by a meeting with sixth-ranked California. Saturday's action pits NU against No. 4 Washington at 10 a.m. before a 4 p.m. showdown against Cal State Fullerton. Northwestern wraps up tournament play at noon Sunday when it challenges Portland State.
NU has already faced Washington once this season. The Huskies defeated the 'Cats 2-1 on Feb. 15 in Tucson, Ariz. Washington holds a 5-1 series lead over Northwestern. NU is 6-5 all-time against Oregon State, 2-9 versus defending national champion California and is 3-10 in 13 meetings with Cal State Fullerton. The Wildcats have never faced Portland State. Live updated stats during NU's game with Cal State Fullerton can be viewed by accessing the Titans' website: www.titansports.org/softball/softball.html
Last Time Out
Northwestern posted a 2-1 record at the Pepsi Arizona Classic held Feb.14-16. The Wildcats opened tournament play with a six-inning 8-0 win over Arkansas. After scoring twice in the bottom of the first, NU scored six times in the sixth inning, including a two-run triple by Carri Leto, to end the game early due to the mercy rule. Lauren Schwendimann picked up the win, pitching all six innings, allowing four hits and striking out three. In the nightcap, NU nearly knocked off No. 5 Washington, but fell to the Huskies 2-1. The 'Cats held an 8-5 advantage in the hit column, but left eight runners stranded. Northwestern closed out the tourney with a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over Florida International. The Wildcats scored four times in the bottom of the sixth, including a game-winning two-run home run by Ashley Crane, to pick up the win. Courtnay Foster struck out six in 4.2 innings of relief to earn the victory on the mound.
Scouting Oregon State
The 13-5 Beavers went 2-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. last weekend. OSU fell to Massachusetts, but bounced back to defeat Florida State and Pacific. Shelly Prochaska sports a team-leading .404 batting average to go along with four home runs and 16 RBI. Monica Hoffman already has 11 wins this season, to go along with four losses and a 1.83 ERA.
Scouting California
Defending national champion California is 12-3 after posting a 2-1 record at the NFCA Leadoff Classic last weekend. Veronica Nelson leads the team with a .455 batting average with three home runs and 10 RBI. Jen Deering is 5-1 with a 0.45 ERA. The Golden Bears are hitting .312 as a team, while its opponents are batting just .130.
Scouting Washington
The fourth-ranked Huskies won three tight games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, winning two games by one run and one game by two. Kristen Rivera is batting .476 with six home runs and 15 RBI to lead the Huskies. Tia Bollinger is 6-0 with a 1.42 ERA. Ten of Washington's 13 games have been decided by two runs or less.
Scouting Cal State Fullerton
The host and seventh-ranked Titans went 2-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, defeating No. 10 Oklahoma and Villanova, while falling to No. 9 LSU. Jenny Topping is batting .432, while Amanda Hockett has connected for four home runs and 14 RBI. Gina Oaks has a 9-1 record with a 1.39 ERA.
Scouting Portland State
The Vikings have competed in just five games so far this season, going 1-4. Portland State played all of its contests at the UNLV Softball Classic. Megumi Hackett leads the Vikings with a .400 batting average (6-for-15). Michelle Hext leads PSU pitchers with a 1-1 record and a 1.64 ERA.
Head Coach Kate Drohan
Kate Drohan is in her second season as the head coach of the Wildcats. In her first season at the helm, Drohan led Northwestern to a 24-18-1 record and a 10-9 mark in the Big Ten. It was NU's fifth consecutive season with 20 or more victories. The team finished tied for fifth in the conference, and missed out on a berth in the Big Ten Tournament due to a lost tiebreaker. Prior to becoming head coach, Drohan served as an assistant under longtime coach Sharon Drysdale for four seasons. Assistant coaches Alicia Smith and Caryl Drohan, Kate's twin sister, are in their third and second seasons with NU, respectively.
Catch Me If You Can
With three stolen bases in three attempts at the Pepsi Arizona Classic, Jessie Wellnitz now has five thefts in as many attempts this season. The total ranks her in a tie for third in the Big Ten. Illinois' Rachelle Coriddi leads the conference with eight stolen bases in eight attempts and nine games played. Stormy Hanson of Indiana ranks second, going 7-for-7 in 10 games. Michigan State's Margaret Schick is tied with Wellnitz with five SBs, but has been caught stealing twice.
Double Your Pleasure...
Four of freshman Jamie Dotson's five hits this season have gone for doubles. As a team, Northwestern has recorded seven doubles. No one else on the Wildcat roster has more than one to her credit.
...Or Maybe Triple it
Junior second baseman Carri Leto entered the season with six career triples-three in each of her first two seasons-to rank 12th on the all-time list. With two already this season, Leto is up to eight triples, good for a ninth-place tie. The career record is 16 held by Lynna Hallick.
Bringing the Heat
Opposing batters have worn out a trail from the batter's box back to the dugout this season. Freshman Courtnay Foster and senior Lauren Schwendimann have each struck out 25 batters in 21 innings pitched this season. The duo has combined to average 1.2 strikeouts per inning and 8.3 per game.
Leader of the Pack
As if a career batting average of .285 entering the 2003 season wasn't good enough, Brett Nakabayashi continues to work her way up the Northwestern record book. With a remarkable .483 batting average so far this season (14-for-29), Nakabayashi leads all Big Ten regulars in the category and has raised her career average 13 points to .298. The jump has moved her from a No. 13 all-time ranking to No. 11.
Tough Road Ahead
The Wildcats face a stiff schedule in 2003. Northwestern will encounter at least 12 different opponents and 20 total games against teams that are ranked in the top 25 or are receiving votes in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. Included on the schedule are four of the top seven ranked teams in the current poll. NU will take on California, Arizona and Cal State Fullerton once and Washington three times.
Returning Honorees
Northwestern returns a number of players who have received either conference or national honors in past seasons. Carri Leto was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2002 and a first-team NCFA All-Mideast Region pick in 2001. Lauren Schwendimann received second-team NFCA All-Region honors last season and in 2000. She also picked up second-team Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades a year ago. Schwendimann and Alyson Schulz earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2000.
Team Captains
Seniors Lauren Schwendimann and Jessie Wellnitz and junior Carri Leto are the team captains for the 2003 season. Schwendimann, a pitcher, earned second-team NFCA All-Region honors in 2002 as a utility player. Wellnitz appeared in 37 games in the outfield last season without committing an error. Leto earned second-team All-Big Ten honors at shortstop for the Wildcats last season.
Next Time Out
Northwestern travels to Plant City, Fla. next weekend to participate in the Speedline Invitational. The 'Cats face off against Ball State and Hofstra Thursday, North Carolina and Washington Friday and Massachusetts Saturday. Quarterfinals and semifinals are slated for Saturday afternoon, with the championships set for Sunday.
