Northwestern University Athletics
Danielle Williams One Of 10 Finalists for NFCA National Freshman Of The Year
5/9/2019 9:40:00 AM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – First-year pitcher Danielle Williams is one of 10 finalists for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced on Thursday.
Williams was initially named a top-25 candidate for the award on April 18. She now joins a list of 10 finalists that will be narrowed down to three on May 21. The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy will be presented during a live ceremony at the Women's College World Series banquet on May 28.
View the complete list of top-10 finalists on NFCA.org.
Williams led the Big Ten this season with 27 wins and 12 shutouts, the most by any #B1GCats pitcher in her rookie season since 1984. She also ranked among top 10 in the nation with 266 strikeouts, and posted a 1.46 ERA (40 ER/191.1 IP).
During Big Ten play, Williams went 14-2 with a 1.53 ERA while limiting Big Ten batters to a .152 combined average, the lowest mark in the conference. The rookie southpaw also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 games. 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.
On Wednesday, Williams was named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Wildcat pitcher to take home the award since Eileen Canney in 2004. The Pleasanton, Calif. Native also earned unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten First-Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team, headlining a group of four Wildcats who won all-conference honors. Williams was honored with a Big Ten weekly award seven times this season, winning the league's Pitcher of the Week nod three times while picking up Freshman of the Week honors on four occasions.
The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes.
Northwestern is back in action on Friday, May 10 in a quarterfinal matchup at the Big Ten Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. The No. 2 seed Wildcats will face either the No. 7 seed hosts Indiana or the No. 10 seed Penn State at 3:30 p.m. CT.
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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!
Williams was initially named a top-25 candidate for the award on April 18. She now joins a list of 10 finalists that will be narrowed down to three on May 21. The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy will be presented during a live ceremony at the Women's College World Series banquet on May 28.
View the complete list of top-10 finalists on NFCA.org.
Williams led the Big Ten this season with 27 wins and 12 shutouts, the most by any #B1GCats pitcher in her rookie season since 1984. She also ranked among top 10 in the nation with 266 strikeouts, and posted a 1.46 ERA (40 ER/191.1 IP).
During Big Ten play, Williams went 14-2 with a 1.53 ERA while limiting Big Ten batters to a .152 combined average, the lowest mark in the conference. The rookie southpaw also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 games. 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.
On Wednesday, Williams was named the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Wildcat pitcher to take home the award since Eileen Canney in 2004. The Pleasanton, Calif. Native also earned unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten First-Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team, headlining a group of four Wildcats who won all-conference honors. Williams was honored with a Big Ten weekly award seven times this season, winning the league's Pitcher of the Week nod three times while picking up Freshman of the Week honors on four occasions.
The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes.
Northwestern is back in action on Friday, May 10 in a quarterfinal matchup at the Big Ten Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. The No. 2 seed Wildcats will face either the No. 7 seed hosts Indiana or the No. 10 seed Penn State at 3:30 p.m. CT.
••••••
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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