Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open Home, Big Ten Slate Against Wolverines
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 25, 2011
Northwestern (14-7) vs. #4/3 Michigan (29-2)
Saturday, March 26, 2011; 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 27, 2011; 1 p.m.
Sharon J. Drysdale Field (1,000)
Evanston, Ill.
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- A pair of traditional Big Ten powers open the conference season at Sharon J. Drysdale Field this weekend as Northwestern hosts No. 4/3 Michigan. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
After having all five of their games at the Louisville Slugger Classic in Palo Alto, Calif., wiped out due to rain last weekend, the Wildcats split four mid-week contests. NU dropped a pair of tight 6-5 decisions to No. 13 Stanford on Monday before bouncing back to earn two 8-0 five-inning victories at Saint Mary's on Tuesday.
Freshman Sammy Albanese fired her first collegiate no-hitter in the nightcap against the Gaels, recording six strikeouts. Senior Michelle Batts socked three-run homers in both games against Saint Mary's, while junior Adrienne Monka went a combined 4-for-4 with five RBI in the doubleheader.
This weekend's series marks the second time in the last three seasons that the Wildcats have opened the Big Ten schedule at home against the Wolverines. In 2009, Northwestern swept a pair of one-run ball games, first topping Michigan, 6-5, on March 21 behind a third-inning grand slam off the bat of Kelly Dyer. NU then again defeated U-M, 2-1, on March 22 when Tammy Williams and then-freshman Adrienne Monka hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning.
The Northwestern versus Michigan series has been the most important in the Big Ten in recent seasons, with the Wildcats and the Wolverines both finishing in the top three in the conference in every year from 2005-09. Michigan won solo conference championships in 2005 and 2009 while Northwestern won in 2006 and 2008, sharing that '08 crown with the Wolverines. In 2007, NU was second behind Ohio State while Michigan came in third.
Either Northwestern or Michigan has boasted the Big Ten's Player of the Year in each of the last eight seasons dating to 2003, with the Wildcats capturing the honor five times and the Wolverines winning it in three seasons. The league's Pitcher of the Year has been won by NU or Michigan in each of the last seven seasons dating to 2004, with NU winning it three times and Michigan earning it four times. In addition, six of the last seven conference Rookie of the Year honors have gone to Evanston or Ann Arbor (with NU winning four and U-M two), giving the two programs 21 of the last 24 Big Ten superlative awards in the last eight seasons.
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