Sunday, April 30
Evanston, Ill.
1 pm CT
Northwestern
33-10, 0
10
vs
9
Nebraska
32-17, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Nebraska
2
3
1
0
3
0
0
9
7
1
Northwestern
4
0
0
0
6
0
X
10
10
0
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Clinches Second-Straight Big Ten Title
4/30/2023 7:06:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern has clinched a share of the Big Ten title for the second consecutive season. It is the ninth title in program history and fourth under Kate and Caryl Drohan.
It is the first time since the 1986-87 seasons that the Wildcats have repeated as Big Ten champions. Northwestern also claimed the Big Ten title in 1982, 1984, 1985, 2006, and 2008.
Needing a victory to clinch the title on Senior Day against Nebraska, the 'Cats rallied for six runs in the fifth inning to erase a five-run deficit. Following a nearly two-hour rain delay in the bottom of the fifth, senior ace Danielle Williams shut down Nebraska for the remainder of the game to earn the victory and become Northwestern's all-time wins leader with 98 career victories, passing Lisa Ishikawa (1984-87) and Eileen Canney (2004-07).
Northwestern dominated Big Ten opponents en route to a 18-2 conference record. The 'Cats were the conference's highest scoring offense with 154 runs (7.7 runs per game), while leading the Big Ten with a .320 team batting average, 29 stolen bases, and 186 hits in conference play.
Wildcat pitchers posted a 3.32 ERA against Big Ten opponents and led the conference with a .226 opponent batting average, while trailing only Minnesota for the conference lead with 139 strikeouts.
The 'Cats went 10-0 at home in conference play, averaging 10.6 runs per game at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Nikki Cuchran ranked third in the Big Ten with a .441 average against conference opponents and posted a sixth-best 1.225 OPS.
First-year Kansas Robinson exploded onto the scene in Big Ten play, hitting .296 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and a 1.118 OPS. It is the highest OPS by a NU first-year in conference play since Rachel Lewis in 2018.
Hannah Cady tallied elite numbers in conference play for the second-straight year. Cady hit .296 with a 1.073 OPS, after hitting .371 with a 1.137 OPS last season. She joins Rachel Lewis as the only Wildcats to post a 1.000+ OPS in back-to-back Big Ten seasons in the past decade.
Graduate students Skyler Shellmyer (.380) and Jordyn Rudd (.300), along with first-year Kelsey Nader (.327) all hit over .300 in the Big Ten season. Senior Angela Zedak blasted four home runs and drove in 14 runs during conference play.
Lauren Boyd led the Big Ten with a 1.19 ERA in conference play. She is on pace to become the sixth Northwestern pitcher to win the Big Ten ERA title and first since Tatum Edwards in 2013.
Danielle Williams recorded a 2.64 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 61.0 innings against Big Ten opponents, leading the conference with 9.64 strikeouts per seven innings.
The 'Cats head to Piscataway, N.J. on Friday to finish the regular season at Rutgers, needing just one win or an Indiana loss to clinch the outright Big Ten title.
It is the first time since the 1986-87 seasons that the Wildcats have repeated as Big Ten champions. Northwestern also claimed the Big Ten title in 1982, 1984, 1985, 2006, and 2008.
Needing a victory to clinch the title on Senior Day against Nebraska, the 'Cats rallied for six runs in the fifth inning to erase a five-run deficit. Following a nearly two-hour rain delay in the bottom of the fifth, senior ace Danielle Williams shut down Nebraska for the remainder of the game to earn the victory and become Northwestern's all-time wins leader with 98 career victories, passing Lisa Ishikawa (1984-87) and Eileen Canney (2004-07).
Northwestern dominated Big Ten opponents en route to a 18-2 conference record. The 'Cats were the conference's highest scoring offense with 154 runs (7.7 runs per game), while leading the Big Ten with a .320 team batting average, 29 stolen bases, and 186 hits in conference play.
Wildcat pitchers posted a 3.32 ERA against Big Ten opponents and led the conference with a .226 opponent batting average, while trailing only Minnesota for the conference lead with 139 strikeouts.
The 'Cats went 10-0 at home in conference play, averaging 10.6 runs per game at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Nikki Cuchran ranked third in the Big Ten with a .441 average against conference opponents and posted a sixth-best 1.225 OPS.
First-year Kansas Robinson exploded onto the scene in Big Ten play, hitting .296 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and a 1.118 OPS. It is the highest OPS by a NU first-year in conference play since Rachel Lewis in 2018.
Hannah Cady tallied elite numbers in conference play for the second-straight year. Cady hit .296 with a 1.073 OPS, after hitting .371 with a 1.137 OPS last season. She joins Rachel Lewis as the only Wildcats to post a 1.000+ OPS in back-to-back Big Ten seasons in the past decade.
Graduate students Skyler Shellmyer (.380) and Jordyn Rudd (.300), along with first-year Kelsey Nader (.327) all hit over .300 in the Big Ten season. Senior Angela Zedak blasted four home runs and drove in 14 runs during conference play.
Lauren Boyd led the Big Ten with a 1.19 ERA in conference play. She is on pace to become the sixth Northwestern pitcher to win the Big Ten ERA title and first since Tatum Edwards in 2013.
Danielle Williams recorded a 2.64 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 61.0 innings against Big Ten opponents, leading the conference with 9.64 strikeouts per seven innings.
The 'Cats head to Piscataway, N.J. on Friday to finish the regular season at Rutgers, needing just one win or an Indiana loss to clinch the outright Big Ten title.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Williams, Danielle (15-1)
L: Wallace, Courtney (21-11)
Batting:
2B: Caneda, Katelyn 1
HR: Andrews, Billie 2 ; Felder, Mya 2 ; Squier, Abbie 1
RBI: Andrews, Billie 3 ; Felder, Mya 3 ; Squier, Abbie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Andrews, Billie 2 ; Caneda, Katelyn 2 ; Gray, Sydney 1 ; Felder, Mya 2 ; Squier, Abbie 1 ; Felix, Alina 1
HBP: Gray, Sydney 1 ; Squier, Abbie 1
Batting:
2B: Nelson, Maeve 1
HR: Cady, Hannah 1
RBI: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Cady, Hannah 3 ; Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Peterson, Kendall 2
SH: Nieto, Grace 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shellmyer, Skyler 2 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Cady, Hannah 1 ; Cuchran, Nikki 1 ; Zedak, Angela 1 ; Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Nieto, Grace 1
SB: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 1
HBP: Cady, Hannah 1 ; Cuchran, Nikki 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
P/IF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSoftball - Lauren Boyd Tosses Complete Game Shutout, 'Cats Blank Kentucky in NCAA Regional (5/16/25)
Friday, May 16
Softball - 'Cats Storm Back, Secure Series Victory at No. 8 UCLA (5/4/25)
Sunday, May 04
Softball - 'Cats Earn 8-0 Run-Rule Win at No. 8 UCLA (5/2/25)
Saturday, May 03
Softball - Kaylie Avvisato Hits Walk-Off Home Run, 'Cats Take Series vs. Wisconsin (4/27/25)
Sunday, April 27
