Friday, February 24
Cathedral City, Calif.
7:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. PT
Northwestern
vs
Georgia
Photo by: Cameron Good
College Softball's Best Descend on Mary Nutter Classic
2/22/2017 9:30:00 AM | Softball
| NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL: Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | STREAM | LIVE STATS | |
| Friday, Feb. 24 | #11 Georgia | 7:30 p.m. CT/ 5:30 p.m. PT |
Fenway | FloSoftball ($) | Live Stats | |
| Saturday, Feb. 25 | #8 Washington | Noon CT/ 10 a.m. PT |
Fenway | FloSoftball ($) | Live Stats | |
| Saturday, Feb. 25 | N.C. State | 4:30 p.m. CT/ 2:30 p.m. PT |
Des Moines | FloSoftball ($) | Live Stats | |
| Sunday, Feb. 26 | Houston | 11 a.m. CT/ 9 a.m. PT |
Fenway | FloSoftball ($) | Live Stats | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUSBCats and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (nusbcats) | Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern | Official Tournament Website |
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- It's everyone's favorite time of year: Northwestern's annual pilgrimage to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams in Cathedral City, Calif., is this weekend, February 24-26!
This year, 35 teams are descending on the five-field facility for four days of the best college softball has to offer. One of the tournament's original attractions, NU is making its 13th appearance at the event. While the action begins Thursday, the Wildcats first game is at 7:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. PT Friday, Feb. 24, against No. 11 Georgia. NU then faces No. 8 Washington and N.C. State Saturday before a getaway day contest with Houston on Sunday morning.
The Mary Nutter 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. Thirteen of the current NFCA Top 25 will be in attendance this weekend. For the second straight year, FloSoftball will live stream every game of the tournament.
Northwestern's strong schedule continues this weekend. With opening contests against No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 Washington, NU will have faced ranked opponents in eight of its first 11 games of 2017. Georgia enters the weekend with a 12-0 record, making six of Northwestern's first 10 games of the year against teams that remain undefeated through two weekends of play. No Division I program outside of Nebraska has faced a tougher schedule than NU so far.
The Wildcats made a strong leap in play from Week One to Week Two, taking the nation's newly minted No. 1 team, Florida State, into the bottom of the seventh before the Seminoles had to walk-off on the Wildcats, 3-2, in Tallahassee. One of the country's hottest teams to start, No. 19 Pittsburgh, needed extra innings one night and a massive sixth-inning comeback the next morning to defeat Northwestern in their two meetings last week.
Through it all, freshman Morgan Newport has stepped right into the crucibile of top-tier Division I competition both in the circle and at the plate. Four of her five appearances this season have come against ranked foes, the last of which featured a strong five innings of work in the circle and a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate with a triple against Pitt. Sophomore Kenzie Ellis has stepped up into the cleanup spot vacated by fellow pitcher/slugger Amy Letourneau last season; Ellis is leading NU with a .346 average through nine games.
NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL HOME TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Full season passes, single game tickets and group tickets to all 14 Northwestern home games are available NOW at NUsports.com. NU welcomes Big Ten foes Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland and Purdue to The J this year while also hosting nonconference games against UIC, Notre Dame and DePaul. Don't miss the FUN! Get yours today!
PROGRAMMING NOTE
In 2017, NU communications contact Doug Meffley will be on the road less, but the Wildcats will still be streamed multiple times at every tournament of the year. Below is a coverage schedule that should help in planning how you follow the 'Cats from here forward. All streams are free unless otherwise noted; subscription information for pay-per-view streams will be disseminated the week before those events. Also, EVERY GAME this year will have live stats and live tweets at NUsports.com and @NUSBCats.
A full home stream and television schedule will be finalized and available in the coming weeks.
MARY NUTTER CLASSIC: All games will be covered live by FloSoftball ($)
JUDI GARMAN CLASSIC: All games will be covered live by FloSoftball ($)
SANTA CLARA TOURNAMENT: Doug Meffley will return to the road to have an audio broadcast of all six games in Santa Clara ($)
PLAY BALL!
For a complete season preview and notes on this weekend's Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, download our Game Notes available here and in the chart at the top of this page.
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Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Players Mentioned
Softball - Lauren Boyd Tosses Complete Game Shutout, 'Cats Blank Kentucky in NCAA Regional (5/16/25)
Friday, May 16
Softball - 'Cats Storm Back, Secure Series Victory at No. 8 UCLA (5/4/25)
Sunday, May 04
Softball - 'Cats Earn 8-0 Run-Rule Win at No. 8 UCLA (5/2/25)
Saturday, May 03
Softball - Kaylie Avvisato Hits Walk-Off Home Run, 'Cats Take Series vs. Wisconsin (4/27/25)
Sunday, April 27
