Northwestern University Athletics
Tuesday, April 16
Evanston, Ill.
3 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Illinois
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Wrap Up Homestand with Midweek Showdown vs. Illinois
4/15/2024 3:51:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – After sweeping its third Big Ten series of the season at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, Northwestern carries its seven-game winning streak into a midweek showdown against in-state foe Illinois.
The Wildcats and Fighting Illini will face off for the second time in two weeks, with first pitch from The J slated for 3 pm CT. Action will be televised live on Big Ten Network.
Most recently, Northwestern claimed a three-game series sweep against Maryland to improve to 12-1 in Big Ten play, a two-game lead atop the conference standings. Seven different players in the Northwestern lineup hit a home run this past weekend vs. the Terrapins (Robinson, Nader, Cady, Raye, Donahey, Cunnea, Muno) as Northwestern extended its Big Ten series winning streak to 12-consecutive conference series wins dating back to the start of the 2023 season, the longest streak in program history.
Northwestern is 51-8 (.864 win%) in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022 season, the highest mark in the conference, with the next two closest teams sitting at .679% (Nebraska) amd .603% (Minnesota).
Ashley Miller went 3-0 and posted a 1.84 ERA in 19.0 innings pitched in three starts, including a pair of complete games against Maryland, on her way to winning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season. It marks the most by any pitcher in the conference this year, and the most by a Big Ten pitcher since 2022, when Danielle Williams won the award four times.
Miller allowed just three hits and struck out five in 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win at Illinois on Tuesday. On Friday against Maryland, she carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning and struck out four in a 5-4 win. She followed that performance up by allowing just four hits and one run while striking out six in a 2-1 win over the Terrapins in Sunday's series finale, during which Miller did not surrender a hit over her final 3.2 innings of action.
Kelsey Nader led the Wildcats at the plate this past week, reaching base in 9-of-14 plate appearances (.643 on-base percentage) and leading NU with a .545 batting average in four games to help the Wildcats go 4-0 on the week. Nader totaled three multi-hit games and reached base multiple times in each of Northwestern's four games, including going 2-for-3 with a go-ahead three-run home run in Saturday's 12-1 run-rule win. Nader's .500 batting average in conference play ranks fourth among Big Ten players, while her 22 hits rank second and her 1.401 OPS ranks ninth.
Kansas Robinson's currently ranks ninth in the nation with a .558 on-base percentage and 11th nationally with a .455 batting average. She has reached base in all 34 of the Wildcats' games to open the season, tying her with Morgan Nelson (2019) for the fifth-longest streak in Big Ten history and the fourth longest streak in Northwestern history.
Turning heads at the bottom of the Wildcats' batting order are Ainsley Muno and Ayana Lindsey. Muno is hitting .333 with .412 on-base percentage over the last three weeks (11 games) and most recently recorded a career high five RBI, headlined by a fourth inning grand slam, in Saturday's run-rule win over Maryland. Lindsey is hitting .321 (9-of-28) with five RBI and 11 runs scored in conference play, currently boasting a .487 on-base percentage and .951 OPS through 13 conference games. Her 15 multi-hit games this season lead the team.
Northwestern is 12-0 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field this season and has won 36-consecutive games dating back to April 3, 2022 in what marks the longest active home winning streak in Division I Softball. During that streak, 12 of the NU's 36 wins have come by run-rule, and the Wildcats have outscored opponents by a 299-98 margin (including 78-25 in 2024).
Following their matchup on Tuesday, the Wildcats hit the road for back-to-back Big Ten series, taking on Purdue in West Lafayette (April 19-21) and Nebraska in Lincoln (April 26-28) before returning home to close out the regular season against Indiana from May 3-5.
The Wildcats and Fighting Illini will face off for the second time in two weeks, with first pitch from The J slated for 3 pm CT. Action will be televised live on Big Ten Network.
Most recently, Northwestern claimed a three-game series sweep against Maryland to improve to 12-1 in Big Ten play, a two-game lead atop the conference standings. Seven different players in the Northwestern lineup hit a home run this past weekend vs. the Terrapins (Robinson, Nader, Cady, Raye, Donahey, Cunnea, Muno) as Northwestern extended its Big Ten series winning streak to 12-consecutive conference series wins dating back to the start of the 2023 season, the longest streak in program history.
When facing Illinois last week, the Wildcats cruised to an 8-0 run-rule win in six innings. Angela Zedak was the star of the show, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored, five RBI and hitting a program record three home runs (tying the Big Ten record) while recording 13 total bases, also a single-game program record.
Northwestern is 51-8 (.864 win%) in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022 season, the highest mark in the conference, with the next two closest teams sitting at .679% (Nebraska) amd .603% (Minnesota).
Ashley Miller went 3-0 and posted a 1.84 ERA in 19.0 innings pitched in three starts, including a pair of complete games against Maryland, on her way to winning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for the third time this season. It marks the most by any pitcher in the conference this year, and the most by a Big Ten pitcher since 2022, when Danielle Williams won the award four times.
Miller allowed just three hits and struck out five in 5.0 scoreless innings to earn the win at Illinois on Tuesday. On Friday against Maryland, she carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning and struck out four in a 5-4 win. She followed that performance up by allowing just four hits and one run while striking out six in a 2-1 win over the Terrapins in Sunday's series finale, during which Miller did not surrender a hit over her final 3.2 innings of action.
Kelsey Nader led the Wildcats at the plate this past week, reaching base in 9-of-14 plate appearances (.643 on-base percentage) and leading NU with a .545 batting average in four games to help the Wildcats go 4-0 on the week. Nader totaled three multi-hit games and reached base multiple times in each of Northwestern's four games, including going 2-for-3 with a go-ahead three-run home run in Saturday's 12-1 run-rule win. Nader's .500 batting average in conference play ranks fourth among Big Ten players, while her 22 hits rank second and her 1.401 OPS ranks ninth.
Kansas Robinson's currently ranks ninth in the nation with a .558 on-base percentage and 11th nationally with a .455 batting average. She has reached base in all 34 of the Wildcats' games to open the season, tying her with Morgan Nelson (2019) for the fifth-longest streak in Big Ten history and the fourth longest streak in Northwestern history.
Turning heads at the bottom of the Wildcats' batting order are Ainsley Muno and Ayana Lindsey. Muno is hitting .333 with .412 on-base percentage over the last three weeks (11 games) and most recently recorded a career high five RBI, headlined by a fourth inning grand slam, in Saturday's run-rule win over Maryland. Lindsey is hitting .321 (9-of-28) with five RBI and 11 runs scored in conference play, currently boasting a .487 on-base percentage and .951 OPS through 13 conference games. Her 15 multi-hit games this season lead the team.
Northwestern is 12-0 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field this season and has won 36-consecutive games dating back to April 3, 2022 in what marks the longest active home winning streak in Division I Softball. During that streak, 12 of the NU's 36 wins have come by run-rule, and the Wildcats have outscored opponents by a 299-98 margin (including 78-25 in 2024).
Following their matchup on Tuesday, the Wildcats hit the road for back-to-back Big Ten series, taking on Purdue in West Lafayette (April 19-21) and Nebraska in Lincoln (April 26-28) before returning home to close out the regular season against Indiana from May 3-5.
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Friday, May 16
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Sunday, May 04
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Saturday, May 03
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Sunday, April 27
