Lewis, Williams, Drohan Headline Eight Wildcats Earning All-Big Ten Honors
5/11/2022 9:29:00 AM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern tied a program record with five first team All-Big Ten honorees, the conference announced on Wednesday. The Big Ten Champion Wildcats were headlined by Rachel Lewis being named Big Ten Player of the Year, Kate Drohan earning Big Ten Coach of the Year and Danielle Williams being named the unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year
Lewis and Williams were the only two players in the conference to earn unanimous first team honors. Joining the two 'Cats on the First Team All-Big Ten list are Jordyn Rudd (catcher), Nikki Cuchran (first base) and Hannah Cady (third base). In addition, Maeve Nelson (shortstop) and Skyler Shellmyer (center field) each earned second team All-Big Ten accolades, while first-year Grace Nieto was named to the conference's All-Freshman team.
Lewis is the fifth Wildcat to win Big Ten Player of the Year, joining Lisa Ishikawa (1985), Brooke Siebel (2000), Garland Cooper (2005-07), and Tammy Williams (2008-09).
Williams is the third Wildcat to be crowned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, alongside Eileen Canney (2006-07) and Lauren Delaney (2008). She is the first unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in program history. The Pleasanton, Calif. native won the pitching triple crown in the Big Ten, leading the conference in ERA (1.49), strikeouts (270), and wins (25), in 187.2 innings pitched.
Lewis led the conference with 20 home runs, second-most in a season in Northwestern history, 50 RBI, 58 runs scored, an .855 slugging percentage, and 1.355 OPS, while placing second with 36 walks and 22 stolen bases. The Liberty Township, Ohio native dominated Big Ten opponents in her final season, tying the Big Ten record with 12 home runs in conference play (excluding the extended 2021 conference season), while leading the conference with an incredible 1.000 slugging percentage, 1.540 OPS, 33 RBI, and 30 runs scored.
Lewis, Rudd, and Williams join Lisa Ishikawa (1984-87), Brooke Siebel (1998-00), Erin Mobley (2003-05), Garland Cooper (2004-07), and Tammy Williams (2006, 2008-09) as the only three-time First Team All-Big Ten honorees in program history.
Jordyn Rudd and Danielle Williams are the first battery (pitcher and catcher) to earn three-straight First Team All-Big Ten awards together in conference history. Rudd and Williams are also the second pair of teammates from the same recruiting class to each earn First Team All-Big Ten honors in their first three full seasons together in Big Ten history, joining Angela Findlay and Nikki Nemitz of Michigan (2007, 2008, 2009). The duo are the first Wildcats to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors in their first three full seasons since Garland Cooper (2005-07).
Rudd is the fourth catcher in Big Ten history to earn three First Team honors, joining Diane Pohl (Iowa, 1990-91-92), Monica Schock (Michigan, 2003-04-05), and Samantha Marder (Ohio State, 2007-08-10). She is the first catcher to be named First Team All-Big Ten in her first three full seasons.
Rudd, a native of Greenwood, Ind., led all Big Ten catchers with 41 RBI this season while hitting .345 (48-for-149) with a .993 OPS. She also threw out 13 base stealers this season, most in the Big Ten, on her way to landing on the All-Big Ten defensive team for a second-straight season.
Northwestern's five First Team All-Big Ten awards this season lead the Big Ten and are tied for the most in program history alongside the 2006 Wildcat team which ultimately finished as national runners up in the Women's College World Series.
Sophomore Hannah Cady enjoyed a breakout season en route to her first All-Big Ten accolades. After a slow start to the season, Cady caught fire in the final 33 games, hitting .378 (37-for-98). The third baseman led all Big Ten infielders with seven home runs in conference play and ranked third with a 1.162 OPS, while posting a .382 batting average (26-for-68).
Nikki Cuchran earned her first All-Big Ten honors after posting career-highs with a .368 average (53-for-144), .425 on-base percentage, .590 slugging percentage, seven home runs, and 48 RBI. Cuchran led the 'Cats with 17 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games.
Senior shortstop Maeve Nelson earns her second conference award after being named Second Team All-Big Ten as a first-year in 2019. Nelson's six home runs in conference play trailed only Cady among Big Ten infielders, while her 1.126 OPS against conference opponents was fifth best among infielders. The River Forest, Ill. native's 28 walks and 10 home runs trailed only Lewis for the team lead.
Skyler Shellmyer collects her second-consecutive All-Big Ten award, hitting .337 with 17 stolen bases and her first-career home run. The senior from Urbandale, Iowa led the Wildcats in hits for a second straight season, notching 56 in 166 at-bats while scoring 48 runs which ranked second-most on the team behind Lewis.
Grace Nieto started every game at second base during her rookie season on her way to being named as one of 11 conference newcomers on the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Nieto finished the season red hot to elevate her batting average to .310, making her the first NU first-year to hit over .300 in a single season since Rudd and Cuchran did so in 2019.
Senior Lauren Caldrone rounded out the awards haul for the Wildcats, being named the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award recipient.
This marks the fourth time Drohan has won Big Ten Coach of the Year during her 21-year career at Northwestern, having also won the award in 2005, 2006 and 2019. Alongside her twin sister, Caryl, Drohan's Wildcats captured the program's eighth Big Ten championship and first since 2008. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 39-9 record, including an impressive 8-4 record against ranked opponents. Drohan's four Big Ten Coach of the Year awards rank as the second-most ever in conference history behind Michigan's Carol Hutchins.
Lewis and Williams were the only two players in the conference to earn unanimous first team honors. Joining the two 'Cats on the First Team All-Big Ten list are Jordyn Rudd (catcher), Nikki Cuchran (first base) and Hannah Cady (third base). In addition, Maeve Nelson (shortstop) and Skyler Shellmyer (center field) each earned second team All-Big Ten accolades, while first-year Grace Nieto was named to the conference's All-Freshman team.
Lewis is the fifth Wildcat to win Big Ten Player of the Year, joining Lisa Ishikawa (1985), Brooke Siebel (2000), Garland Cooper (2005-07), and Tammy Williams (2008-09).
Williams is the third Wildcat to be crowned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, alongside Eileen Canney (2006-07) and Lauren Delaney (2008). She is the first unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in program history. The Pleasanton, Calif. native won the pitching triple crown in the Big Ten, leading the conference in ERA (1.49), strikeouts (270), and wins (25), in 187.2 innings pitched.
Lewis led the conference with 20 home runs, second-most in a season in Northwestern history, 50 RBI, 58 runs scored, an .855 slugging percentage, and 1.355 OPS, while placing second with 36 walks and 22 stolen bases. The Liberty Township, Ohio native dominated Big Ten opponents in her final season, tying the Big Ten record with 12 home runs in conference play (excluding the extended 2021 conference season), while leading the conference with an incredible 1.000 slugging percentage, 1.540 OPS, 33 RBI, and 30 runs scored.
Lewis, Rudd, and Williams join Lisa Ishikawa (1984-87), Brooke Siebel (1998-00), Erin Mobley (2003-05), Garland Cooper (2004-07), and Tammy Williams (2006, 2008-09) as the only three-time First Team All-Big Ten honorees in program history.
Jordyn Rudd and Danielle Williams are the first battery (pitcher and catcher) to earn three-straight First Team All-Big Ten awards together in conference history. Rudd and Williams are also the second pair of teammates from the same recruiting class to each earn First Team All-Big Ten honors in their first three full seasons together in Big Ten history, joining Angela Findlay and Nikki Nemitz of Michigan (2007, 2008, 2009). The duo are the first Wildcats to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors in their first three full seasons since Garland Cooper (2005-07).
Rudd is the fourth catcher in Big Ten history to earn three First Team honors, joining Diane Pohl (Iowa, 1990-91-92), Monica Schock (Michigan, 2003-04-05), and Samantha Marder (Ohio State, 2007-08-10). She is the first catcher to be named First Team All-Big Ten in her first three full seasons.
Rudd, a native of Greenwood, Ind., led all Big Ten catchers with 41 RBI this season while hitting .345 (48-for-149) with a .993 OPS. She also threw out 13 base stealers this season, most in the Big Ten, on her way to landing on the All-Big Ten defensive team for a second-straight season.
Northwestern's five First Team All-Big Ten awards this season lead the Big Ten and are tied for the most in program history alongside the 2006 Wildcat team which ultimately finished as national runners up in the Women's College World Series.
Sophomore Hannah Cady enjoyed a breakout season en route to her first All-Big Ten accolades. After a slow start to the season, Cady caught fire in the final 33 games, hitting .378 (37-for-98). The third baseman led all Big Ten infielders with seven home runs in conference play and ranked third with a 1.162 OPS, while posting a .382 batting average (26-for-68).
Nikki Cuchran earned her first All-Big Ten honors after posting career-highs with a .368 average (53-for-144), .425 on-base percentage, .590 slugging percentage, seven home runs, and 48 RBI. Cuchran led the 'Cats with 17 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games.
Senior shortstop Maeve Nelson earns her second conference award after being named Second Team All-Big Ten as a first-year in 2019. Nelson's six home runs in conference play trailed only Cady among Big Ten infielders, while her 1.126 OPS against conference opponents was fifth best among infielders. The River Forest, Ill. native's 28 walks and 10 home runs trailed only Lewis for the team lead.
Skyler Shellmyer collects her second-consecutive All-Big Ten award, hitting .337 with 17 stolen bases and her first-career home run. The senior from Urbandale, Iowa led the Wildcats in hits for a second straight season, notching 56 in 166 at-bats while scoring 48 runs which ranked second-most on the team behind Lewis.
Grace Nieto started every game at second base during her rookie season on her way to being named as one of 11 conference newcomers on the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Nieto finished the season red hot to elevate her batting average to .310, making her the first NU first-year to hit over .300 in a single season since Rudd and Cuchran did so in 2019.
Senior Lauren Caldrone rounded out the awards haul for the Wildcats, being named the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award recipient.
This marks the fourth time Drohan has won Big Ten Coach of the Year during her 21-year career at Northwestern, having also won the award in 2005, 2006 and 2019. Alongside her twin sister, Caryl, Drohan's Wildcats captured the program's eighth Big Ten championship and first since 2008. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 39-9 record, including an impressive 8-4 record against ranked opponents. Drohan's four Big Ten Coach of the Year awards rank as the second-most ever in conference history behind Michigan's Carol Hutchins.
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