Northwestern University Athletics
NU, 34 Other Teams Converge at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
2/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| 2015 Northwestern Softball -- Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic |
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| Game Notes | Northwestern's Weekly Release |
| Game One: Northwestern (3-6) vs. No. 13 Arizona (9-0) |
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| Date | Friday, Feb. 20 | 8 p.m. CT/6 p.m. PT |
| Location | Big League Dreams Yankee Field | Cathedral City, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | @NU_SportsLIVE  |
| Game Two: Northwestern (3-6) vs. Syracuse (4-6) |
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| Date | Friday, Feb. 20 | 10:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. PT |
| Location | Big League Dreams Yankee Field | Cathedral City, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Stats | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Game Three: Northwestern (3-6) vs. No. 14 LSU (11-0) |
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| Date | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT |
| Location | Big League Dreams Yankee Field | Cathedral City, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Stats | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Game Four: Northwestern (3-6) vs. South Carolina (8-2) |
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| Date | Sunday, Feb. 22 | 11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT |
| Location | Big League Dreams Fenway Field | Cathedral City, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live USC Audio | | @NU_SportsLIVE |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern is making its 11th trip to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in the last 12 seasons this Friday through Sunday, Feb. 20-22, where it will face four tough opponents with combined early-season records of 32-8.
The MNCC (formerly the Cathedral City Classic and the Palm Springs Classic) is hosted over four days and five fields at the Big League Dreams Park in Cathedral City, and annually attracts ESPN crews, vendors of all shapes and sizes, alumni of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and the nation's top collegiate programs. The 2015 edition is no different, with 35 schools--including 13 of the current USA Today/NFCA Top 25--from across the country converging for one of softball's biggest parties.
This year, NU will play four games including two against ranked foes and one more against a South Carolina team sitting one spot out of the top-25. Northwestern opens its schedule with an 8 p.m. CT/6 p.m. PT doubleheader against No. 13 Arizona and Syracuse. The two Wildcats' squads met in the national championship series at the 2006 Women's College World Series and have played nearly every year since, usually at the season-opening Kajikawa Classic.
On Saturday, Northwestern will play a lone contest at 7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT against No. 14 LSU. Last year the Wildcats traveled to the LSU Tiger Invitational where they fell to the Tigers, 4-0, in the only loss of an otherwise 4-1 weekend. Getaway Day at the Mary Nutter features NU and South Carolina. In 2013 at the Under Armour Showcase hosted by South Florida, Marisa Bast hit a ninth-inning home run to give the Wildcats a 3-1 win over the Gamecocks.
Northwestern enters this weekend with a 3-6 overall record, having played a delightfully tough schedule to this point. In its last contest Sunday at the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic, NU defeated an explosive Long Beach State team, 5-2. Senior Julia Kuhn leads Northwestern in batting early on with a .417 average while Andrea DiPrima and Andrea Filler each are batting .348 while combining for four doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs through NU's first nine games.
Programming Note
Northwestern softball live streaming audio will not be available for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic before returning Feb. 27-March 1 at the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational. However, for Sunday's game, South Carolina SID Koby Padgett will have live USC audio from the Gamecocks' perspective.
Northwestern Softball Tickets Are On Sale Now!
Tickets to see Northwestern softball in action at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, are on sale now. Tickets to individual games and new flex plans went on sale Monday, Feb. 16.
NU returns to the Chicagoland area March 14 to host a doubleheader against IUPUI at The Ballpark at Rosemont, home of the Chicago Bandits. IUPUI is coached by former Wildcats volunteer assistant Amanda Rivera and NU All-American Adrienne Monka.
The Wildcats open at Sharon J. Drysdale Field March 27-29 against Big Ten foe Wisconsin. More information on ticket pricing and availability will be released next week.
PLAY BALL!
For a complete preview and notes on this weekend's Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, download the Northwestern Weekly Release available in the chart at the top of this page.
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