Northwestern University Athletics
No. 9 Northwestern Opens Season at Kajikawa Classic
2/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 4, 2009
Northwestern's Kajikawa Classic Notes 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the fourth-consecutive year, Northwestern will kick of its season at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. This year's event runs Feb. 6-8, with the Wildcats facing a pair of ranked opponents in an attempt to duplicate their tremendous start to the 2008 season when they were a perfect 4-0 at the Kajikawa.
Northwestern is ranked No. 9 in the preseason USA Today/NFCA coaches poll and No. 11 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The NFCA slot marks the third-straight time the Wildcats have begun the year in the nation's top 10.
The 'Cats boast a veteran squad with a ton of big moment experience entering the 2009 season. This year's senior class has played in 35 postseason games, winning three NCAA Regional titles, two NCAA Super Regionals, five Women's College World Series games and a pair of Big Ten regular season titles. In fact, NU has led the Big Ten in league victories in each of the last four years.
Northwestern is the reigning Big Ten regular season and tournament champion entering 2009 after winning the final playing of the Big Ten postseason event at its own Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
The 2008 Kajikawa Classic proved to be a boon for Northwestern, where it knocked off No. 1 Arizona and No. 3 Texas A&M en route to a perfect 4-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking. Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) batted .786 with eight runs in the four games to be named Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week.
This year, both Williams and junior pitcher Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) begin the season as members of the 50-person watch list for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award. Williams is a three-time NFCA All-American (a two-time first-teamer) entering her senior season while Delaney is the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.
Overall, the Wildcats return eight players who were All-Big Ten selections in 2008 and five who picked up NFCA All-Mideast Region accolades. Joining Williams and Delaney on the All-Region team were current sophomore Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North), senior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) and junior Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine). The team has nine returning starters and 14 returning letterwinners from a year ago.
For Northwestern's complete notes package for the Kajikawa Classic, download the .pdf located at the top of the page.
