Northwestern University Athletics
Danielle Williams Named One of Three Finalists for NFCA National Freshman Of The Year
5/21/2019 3:27:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – First-year pitcher Danielle Williams was named one of three finalists for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced on Tuesday.
Williams is the first player in Northwestern history to ever finish in the top three for the award. Montana Fouts (Alabama) and Natalie DenHartog (Minnesota) are the other two finalists for the award. The winner will be presented prior to the start of the 2019 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The first-year from Pleasanton, Calif. has already been named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and received unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors, All-Freshman Team honors, and was selected to the 2019 All-Great Lakes Region First Team in the midst of one of the best first-year campaigns in program history. In the regular season, she led the Big Ten in wins, shutouts and opposing batting average, while ranking top 10 in the nation in strikeouts.
Entering this weekend's Super Regional, Williams is 31-6 with a 1.38 ERA (44 ER/222.2 IP), 13 shutouts and 310 strikeouts. Her 31 wins lead the Big Ten and already rank fourth-most in program history, while her 310 strikeouts rank sixth– both are the most in their respective categories by an NU first-year since Lisa Ishikawa earned All-American honors in 1984.
Williams has also contributed at the plate, hitting .264 (24-for-91) with three homers and 21 RBI. In seven appearances from March 23 through April 12, Williams accumulated a 34.0-consecutive scoreless inning streak in conference matchups, which included a 15-strikeout spectacle at Iowa on March 29, the most by a Wildcat arm since 2013.
Last weekend in the NCAA Evanston Regionals, the rookie left-hander went 3-1 with a 1.22 ERA (4 ER/23.0 IP) and 32 strikeouts. With the Wildcats facing two elimination games vs. Louisville on Sunday, Williams pitched 13 of the 14 total innings and earned two victories and striking out 16.
Williams and Northwestern will be back in action in the Norman Super Regionals on Friday, May 24 when they'll face off against No. 1 Oklahoma for a spot in the College World Series.
Williams is the first player in Northwestern history to ever finish in the top three for the award. Montana Fouts (Alabama) and Natalie DenHartog (Minnesota) are the other two finalists for the award. The winner will be presented prior to the start of the 2019 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The first-year from Pleasanton, Calif. has already been named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and received unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors, All-Freshman Team honors, and was selected to the 2019 All-Great Lakes Region First Team in the midst of one of the best first-year campaigns in program history. In the regular season, she led the Big Ten in wins, shutouts and opposing batting average, while ranking top 10 in the nation in strikeouts.
Entering this weekend's Super Regional, Williams is 31-6 with a 1.38 ERA (44 ER/222.2 IP), 13 shutouts and 310 strikeouts. Her 31 wins lead the Big Ten and already rank fourth-most in program history, while her 310 strikeouts rank sixth– both are the most in their respective categories by an NU first-year since Lisa Ishikawa earned All-American honors in 1984.
Williams has also contributed at the plate, hitting .264 (24-for-91) with three homers and 21 RBI. In seven appearances from March 23 through April 12, Williams accumulated a 34.0-consecutive scoreless inning streak in conference matchups, which included a 15-strikeout spectacle at Iowa on March 29, the most by a Wildcat arm since 2013.
Last weekend in the NCAA Evanston Regionals, the rookie left-hander went 3-1 with a 1.22 ERA (4 ER/23.0 IP) and 32 strikeouts. With the Wildcats facing two elimination games vs. Louisville on Sunday, Williams pitched 13 of the 14 total innings and earned two victories and striking out 16.
Williams and Northwestern will be back in action in the Norman Super Regionals on Friday, May 24 when they'll face off against No. 1 Oklahoma for a spot in the College World Series.
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