Northwestern University Athletics
Lewis, Williams, and Rudd Earn Prestigious NFCA Yearly Awards
6/1/2022 1:02:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rachel Lewis and Danielle Williams were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-Americans, while catcher Jordyn Rudd won the first ever NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove award at her position, the organization announced on Wednesday.
It is the second time in program history two Wildcats have been named First Team All-American in the same season, joining Tammy Williams and Adrienne Monka in 2009.
Lewis and Williams each earn their second-career NFCA All-American honors and first First Team awards. Lewis was named Third Team All-American as a first-year in 2018, while Williams earned Third Team honors in 2019 alongside her NFCA National Freshman of the Year award. It is the 22nd and 23rd time a Northwestern player has been named an All-American, including the 17th and 18th awards in the 21-year tenure of Kate and Caryl Drohan. Lewis and Williams are two of 12 Wildcats to ever be named All-Americans.
Lewis, the Big Ten Player of the Year, posted a dominant final season at Northwestern. She hit .356 (58-for-163) while leading the Big Ten with 22 home runs, 61 RBI, 43 walks, 66 runs scored, 135 total bases, .828 slugging percentage, and a 1.323 OPS. This season, Lewis became Northwestern's all-time home run leader with 64 career long balls, passing Tammy Williams's record of 57. She is also the second Wildcat to ever hit 20+ home runs in a season and is one home run from tying Garland Cooper's NU single-season record of 23 home runs (2007). The Liberty Township, Ohio native has launched two homers and driven in nine runs in the NCAA Tournament to help the 'Cats reach the Women's College World Series.
Williams adds another accolade to her impressive season, which includes the first unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year award in program history. The senior ace has been dominant all season, winning the pitching triple crown in the Big Ten after leading the conference in ERA (1.49), strikeouts (270), and wins (25), in 187.2 innings pitched in the regular season. She has carried the Wildcat pitching staff through the postseason, starting all eight games across the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments and posting a 3.16 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 53.1 postseason innings. Her 241.0 innings pitched are the eighth most in a season in program history, while her 323 strikeouts is a career-high and the fifth highest total in Northwestern history.
Rudd has been a staple for the Wildcats at the plate and in the field this season, with the latter recognized with the first ever Rawlings Gold Glove presented by the NFCA. The three-time First Team All-Big Ten catcher led the conference with 14 runners caught stealing and was one of four B1G fielders to not commit an error this season. Rudd's ability to control the running game has given Northwestern an incredible advantage this season, with her 30.4% caught stealing rate the ranking second highest in the conference. Her 14 runners caught stealing and 1.000 fielding percentage are both career-highs.
The Greenwood, Ind. native has been equally impressive at the plate, leading the team with a .375 batting average (63-for-168) and leading all Big Ten catchers with 52 RBI, both career-highs. Her .375 batting average is on pace to be the fourth-highest single season mark in program history. Rudd has posted an incredible .609 (14-for-23) batting average in the NCAA Tournament and her 14 hits are the most of any player to reach the WCWS this year.
Lewis, Rudd, Williams, and the 'Cats will be back in action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. CT as they take on Oklahoma in the first round of the Women's College World Series from Oklahoma City on ESPN. It is the 'Cats sixth trip to the WCWS in program history and first since 2007.
It is the second time in program history two Wildcats have been named First Team All-American in the same season, joining Tammy Williams and Adrienne Monka in 2009.
Lewis and Williams each earn their second-career NFCA All-American honors and first First Team awards. Lewis was named Third Team All-American as a first-year in 2018, while Williams earned Third Team honors in 2019 alongside her NFCA National Freshman of the Year award. It is the 22nd and 23rd time a Northwestern player has been named an All-American, including the 17th and 18th awards in the 21-year tenure of Kate and Caryl Drohan. Lewis and Williams are two of 12 Wildcats to ever be named All-Americans.
Lewis, the Big Ten Player of the Year, posted a dominant final season at Northwestern. She hit .356 (58-for-163) while leading the Big Ten with 22 home runs, 61 RBI, 43 walks, 66 runs scored, 135 total bases, .828 slugging percentage, and a 1.323 OPS. This season, Lewis became Northwestern's all-time home run leader with 64 career long balls, passing Tammy Williams's record of 57. She is also the second Wildcat to ever hit 20+ home runs in a season and is one home run from tying Garland Cooper's NU single-season record of 23 home runs (2007). The Liberty Township, Ohio native has launched two homers and driven in nine runs in the NCAA Tournament to help the 'Cats reach the Women's College World Series.
Williams adds another accolade to her impressive season, which includes the first unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year award in program history. The senior ace has been dominant all season, winning the pitching triple crown in the Big Ten after leading the conference in ERA (1.49), strikeouts (270), and wins (25), in 187.2 innings pitched in the regular season. She has carried the Wildcat pitching staff through the postseason, starting all eight games across the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments and posting a 3.16 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 53.1 postseason innings. Her 241.0 innings pitched are the eighth most in a season in program history, while her 323 strikeouts is a career-high and the fifth highest total in Northwestern history.
Rudd has been a staple for the Wildcats at the plate and in the field this season, with the latter recognized with the first ever Rawlings Gold Glove presented by the NFCA. The three-time First Team All-Big Ten catcher led the conference with 14 runners caught stealing and was one of four B1G fielders to not commit an error this season. Rudd's ability to control the running game has given Northwestern an incredible advantage this season, with her 30.4% caught stealing rate the ranking second highest in the conference. Her 14 runners caught stealing and 1.000 fielding percentage are both career-highs.
The Greenwood, Ind. native has been equally impressive at the plate, leading the team with a .375 batting average (63-for-168) and leading all Big Ten catchers with 52 RBI, both career-highs. Her .375 batting average is on pace to be the fourth-highest single season mark in program history. Rudd has posted an incredible .609 (14-for-23) batting average in the NCAA Tournament and her 14 hits are the most of any player to reach the WCWS this year.
Lewis, Rudd, Williams, and the 'Cats will be back in action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. CT as they take on Oklahoma in the first round of the Women's College World Series from Oklahoma City on ESPN. It is the 'Cats sixth trip to the WCWS in program history and first since 2007.
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