Northwestern University Athletics
Danielle Williams Named NFCA National Freshman of the Year
5/28/2019 4:30:00 PM | Softball
Williams is the first Big Ten player to ever win the award.
OKLAHOMA CITY – First-year Danielle Williams has been named the 2019 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, announced at the NCAA Women's College World Series banquet, Tuesday evening in Oklahoma City.
Williams is the first Big Ten player to win the award in its sixth year of existence. The first-year from Pleasanton, Calif. put together one of the most dominant campaigns in Northwestern history this season as she led the Big Ten with 31 wins and 13 shutouts to go along with a 1.55 ERA (51 ER/230.0 IP) and 317 strikeouts.
Natalie DenHartog (Minnesota) and Montana Fouts (Alabama) joined Williams as top-three finalists for the award.
Earlier this month, Williams was named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the 10th Wildcat in program history to win the award and the first pitcher to do so since 2004. She also earned unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors, along with first team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region recognition.
The rookie left-hander has already made her mark on the Northwestern single-season record books as her 31 wins rank fourth in program history, her 317 strikeouts rank fifth and her 13 shutouts rank sixth; all of which are the most by a Wildcat rookie since Lisa Ishikawa during her All-American season in 1984. Williams joins a select list of Wildcats as one of just four pitchers in program history to win at least 30 games in a season while posting over 300 strikeouts, the others being Ishikawa (1984), Eileen Canney (2007) and Lauren Delaney (2008).
Williams set the tone from her very first collegiate start against Pacific on February 8, when she finished just one out short of a no-hitter in a one-hit complete game shutout. Other highlights from her season include hitting a walk-off single in the eighth inning against Duke on February 22, a 15-strikeout spectacle at Iowa on March 29, tossing a 10.0 inning complete game against Wisconsin on April 13, and facing just 21 batters in a 7.0-inning one-hit shutout at Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament on May 10.
During Big Ten play, Williams went 14-2 with a 1.53 ERA while limiting batters to a .152 combined average, the lowest mark in the conference. She also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 conference games. At one point, Williams accumulated a 34.0-consecutive scoreless inning streak in conference matchups from March 23-April 12.
During the NCAA Evanston Regionals, Williams 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 May 19, she pitched 13 of the 14 total innings in one day and earned two victories while striking out 16 on the way to Northwestern's first NCAA Regional title since 2008.
As a team, Northwestern finished the season with a 47-13 record, including a 21-2 record in the Big Ten, the most conference wins in program history. The Wildcats were selected as a Top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made their fifth NCAA Super Regional appearance under head coach Kate Drohan.
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Williams is the first Big Ten player to win the award in its sixth year of existence. The first-year from Pleasanton, Calif. put together one of the most dominant campaigns in Northwestern history this season as she led the Big Ten with 31 wins and 13 shutouts to go along with a 1.55 ERA (51 ER/230.0 IP) and 317 strikeouts.
Natalie DenHartog (Minnesota) and Montana Fouts (Alabama) joined Williams as top-three finalists for the award.
Earlier this month, Williams was named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the 10th Wildcat in program history to win the award and the first pitcher to do so since 2004. She also earned unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors, along with first team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region recognition.
The rookie left-hander has already made her mark on the Northwestern single-season record books as her 31 wins rank fourth in program history, her 317 strikeouts rank fifth and her 13 shutouts rank sixth; all of which are the most by a Wildcat rookie since Lisa Ishikawa during her All-American season in 1984. Williams joins a select list of Wildcats as one of just four pitchers in program history to win at least 30 games in a season while posting over 300 strikeouts, the others being Ishikawa (1984), Eileen Canney (2007) and Lauren Delaney (2008).
Williams set the tone from her very first collegiate start against Pacific on February 8, when she finished just one out short of a no-hitter in a one-hit complete game shutout. Other highlights from her season include hitting a walk-off single in the eighth inning against Duke on February 22, a 15-strikeout spectacle at Iowa on March 29, tossing a 10.0 inning complete game against Wisconsin on April 13, and facing just 21 batters in a 7.0-inning one-hit shutout at Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament on May 10.
During Big Ten play, Williams went 14-2 with a 1.53 ERA while limiting batters to a .152 combined average, the lowest mark in the conference. She also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 conference games. At one point, Williams accumulated a 34.0-consecutive scoreless inning streak in conference matchups from March 23-April 12.
During the NCAA Evanston Regionals, Williams 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 May 19, she pitched 13 of the 14 total innings in one day and earned two victories while striking out 16 on the way to Northwestern's first NCAA Regional title since 2008.
As a team, Northwestern finished the season with a 47-13 record, including a 21-2 record in the Big Ten, the most conference wins in program history. The Wildcats were selected as a Top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made their fifth NCAA Super Regional appearance under head coach Kate Drohan.
••••••
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!
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