Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, March 22
Evanston, Ill.
4 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Rutgers
Wildcats Open Big Ten/Home Schedule This Weekend
3/21/2019 12:13:00 PM | Softball
| NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL: Big Ten/Home Opener | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | VIDEO STREAM | LIVE STATS | |
| Friday, Mar. 22 | Rutgers | 4 p.m. CT | Sharon J. Drysdale Field | BTN Plus | Sidearm | |
| Saturday, Mar. 23 | Rutgers | 1 p.m. CT | Sharon J. Drysdale Field | BTN Plus | Sidearm | |
| Saturday, Mar. 23 | Rutgers | 3:15 p.m. CT | Sharon J. Drysdale Field | BTN Plus | Sidearm | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUSBCats and @NU_Sports) | Instagram (nusbcats) | Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern |
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EVANSTON, Ill. – Fresh off a two-game sweep at the Hoosier Classic and a ranked win at No. 19 Indiana on Saturday, Northwestern returns to Evanston this weekend to open its Big Ten schedule at Sharon J. Drysdale Field for a three-game series against Rutgers.
At 19-6 on the season, the Wildcats are off to their best start since 2014 and are one of six Big Ten teams to be receiving votes in the most recent USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. This past week, Northwestern clocked in at No. 16 in the first NCAA Women's Softball RPI rankings, the second-highest mark in the conference.
The Wildcats and the Scarlet Knights begin the conference season at 4 p.m. CT on Friday, March 22, followed by a 1 p.m. CT game on Saturday and a noon CT first pitch on Sunday. Following this weekend's games, the #B1GCats will stay home for a weekday matinee against DePaul beginning at 4 p.m. CT. All games will be streamed live via BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
Tickets for the weekend's home series can be bought HERE.
Season passes can be bought HERE for $49 for adults and $29 for youth.
Northwestern is 6-0 all-time against Rutgers. This will be just the second series between the teams since Rutgers joined the Big Ten, the other coming last year when the 'Cats swept a three-game series in Piscataway.
The #B1GCats put on a clinic both offensively and defensively last weekend in Bloomington. Against Toledo, they notched a season-high 13 hits, while Kaley Wingegarner struck out a career-high tying eight batters in a 5.0 innings to earn a win in an 11-2 triumph. Later that afternoon, Danielle Williams tossed her Big Ten-leading fifth shutout of the season as she allowed just two hits and struck out 10 batters, while NU belted a season-high four homers in a 5-0 win over No. 19 Indiana. The 'Cats four homers against IU, all by different players, are their most in a game since an 8-7 win at Rutgers last season on April 22.
As a team, Northwestern ranks 15th in the nation with a 1.76 ERA. The Wildcat pitchers also lead the Big Ten with a 4.66 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the sixth-best mark in the nation.
At the plate, the 'Cats currently have four everyday starters with a batting average over .300. Jordyn Rudd leads the team with a .342 average along with a team-high 26 RBI, the second-most by a first-year in the Big Ten. Two-way star Morgan Newport is hitting .338 with 12 RBI while also boasting a 1.38 ERA (4 ER/20.1 IP) in her seven pitching appearances. Nikki Cuchran is hitting .333, while Morgan Nelson has recorded a hit in five-straight games and is now hitting .310 on the season.
The Wildcats have both started and finished games strong so far this year. Northwestern has outscored its opponents 33-9 in the first inning and 23-2 in the seventh inning. The Wildcats have scored in the opening frame in 12 of their 25 games thus far and are 12-0 in those games. Furthermore, they are 11-0 on the year when leading after five innings.
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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
IF
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IF/C
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