Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Begins Final Homestand Wednesday Against Minnesota
5/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 2, 2011
Northwestern's Minnesota Series Game Notes (PDF Format) 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern begins its final homestand of the season with a 2 p.m. CT Wednesday, May 4, doubleheader against Minnesota at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Both games will be streamed live in high-definition on a pay-per-view basis on BigTenNetwork.com.
Following the Minnesota series, NU closes out the 2011 home slate with Senior Weekend against Indiana. First pitch on Saturday, May 7, is set for 1 p.m. with the fifth-annual PURPLE AUCTION to immediately follow in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Saturday also is Evanston Youth Baseball and Softball Day, and Scout Day at the park, with special activites and opportunities planned. For more info, email wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu.
Sunday, May 8, is Senior Day at Drysdale Field with a special 3 p.m. CT first pitch time to accommodate a live Big Ten Network broadcast.
In Northwestern's last two home games, it swept a series against Ohio State by a combined score of 26-2 in 10 total innings. The Wildcats hope to continue that home momentum Wednesday against the Gophers.
Junior Adrienne Monka enters this week on a herculean stretch at the plate, having reached first in each of her last 22 plate appearnaces dating back five games to April 16 at Iowa. She is 7-for-7 during that stretch with 14 walks, raising her nation-leading on-base percentage to .718. Monka has 53 walks on the season, which breaks her own school single-season record of 48 set last year. Her 1.43 walks per game rate ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history at this moment.
Senior Jordan Wheeler missed NU's Saturday game at Illinois with an injury, but came back Sunday to make a great diving catch in the outfield and extend her current career-best hitting streak to 13 games with a booming double.
Sophomore USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist Emily Allard continues to hum along atop the NU lineup, currently batting .486 entering this week with 19 multi-hit games in NU's 37 played this year -- a 51 percent multiple hit rate.
(For Northwestern's complete Minnesota series game notes package, download the .pdf at the top of this page.
THE FIFTH-ANNUAL PURPLE AUCTION
Saturday, May 7, is the fifth-annual PURPLE AUCTION! Join the Wildcats following their home game against Indiana for great food, drinks and auction items as we celebrate the 2011 Senior Class. The event brings together current players, alumni, stakeholders, friends and family of the program -- and YOU are invited! Click here for more information, to register or to donate an item for the auction.
THE BROADCASTS
Both of Wednesday's games will be streamed live in high-definition at BigTenNetwork.com. The broadcasts are available on a pay-per-view basis.
SCHARK BYTES BLOG
Don't miss out on the best student-athlete blog on the internet today! Be sure to read sophomore Kristin Scharkey's Schark Bytes blog!
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