Friday, February 7
Clearwater, Fla.
12 pm CT
Northwestern
vs
Kennesaw State
Wildcats Head to Clearwater to Open Season at NFCA Classic
2/6/2025 12:04:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – On the heels of a strong 2024 campaign that saw the Wildcats capture their third straight Big Ten title, Northwestern Softball will open the season with five games at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, including three matchups against Top-15 opponents.
Northwestern opens the season on Friday with a doubleheader against Kennesaw State and No. 15 Missouri, followed by a marquee Saturday doubleheader against No. 8 Duke and No. 5 Tennessee before rounding out the weekend against Southern Miss on Sunday.
Fans can stream the games for free on their phones from the GameChanger app . Saturday evening's matchup with Tennessee will be televised on MLB Network with first pitch at 6 p.m. CT.
Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan returns for her 24th season after capturing her sixth Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2024, her fourth in the last five years. This year, Drohan will surpass her predecessor, Sharon Drysdale, as the longest-tenured head coach in program history. Drohan and her twin sister, associate head coach Caryl Drohan, are Northwestern's all-time wins leaders with 780 victories, the fourth-most in Big Ten history. Under the Drohans, the Wildcats have appeared in 17 NCAA tournaments, seven NCAA Super Regionals, and three Women's College World Series, most recently in 2022.
The Wildcats return seven of nine batters in the starting lineup, who accounted for 78% of their hitting in 2024. The offense is led by returning All-American juniors Kansas Robinson and Kelsey Nader. Robinson led Northwestern with 11 homers and 36 RBI last season and finished with a 1.191 OPS, a mark good for fourth in the Big Ten. Nader finished with a .375 average, eight home runs and 32 RBI, while her 41 runs scored and nine stolen bases led the team.
Northwestern also welcomes back sophomore catcher Emma Raye, who received All-Big Ten Freshman Team and Defensive Team honors in 2024. Raye started all but one game behind the plate, finishing second on the team in home runs (10), and RBI (32). Her ten homers were the most by a Wildcat rookie since Maeve Nelson belted 11 in 2019. Behind the plate, Raye caught 13 runners stealing, a mark good for third in the Big Ten and 25th in the country.
The lineup stays deep with a number of other returners, including junior Bridget Donahey, who posted a .995 OPS in 2024. Donahey blasted eight homers, drove in 23 runs, and drew a team-high 32 walks, the sixth-best mark in the Big Ten. The 'Cats also bring back starters Ayana Lindsey, Isabel Cunnea, and Ainsley Muno, who combined for 47 RBI and 113 total bases in 2024.
Also returning is senior Grace Nieto, who missed the 2024 season with an injury. As a first-year in 2022, Nieto hit .324, and had 18 RBI on her way to All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors and was a mainstay at second base during the Wildcats' Big Ten Championships in 2022 and 2023.
The 'Cats boast a strong returning staff of pitchers, led by graduate student Lauren Boyd who returns after missing the 2024 season with an injury. In 2023, Boyd went 8-4 with a 2.24 ERA, including a 1.67 ERA in Big Ten play that ranked third in the conference. Boyd leads all Wildcat pitchers with 219.1 career innings pitched to go along with an impressive 2.46 ERA and 195 career strikeouts.
READ MORE: Lauren Boyd's Long Road Back
Sophomore pitchers Renae Cunningham and Riley Grudzielanek also return to the circle for the 'Cats, looking to build on strong rookie campaigns. Cunningham finished with a 3.39 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched, and her 1.10 WHIP ranked third in the Big Ten. Grudzielanek posted an 8-2 record in 18 appearances, and finished with a 3.46 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.
This year's first-year class includes infielder Kaylie Avvisato (Leesburg, Va.), right-handed pitcher Emma Blea (Fresno, Calif.), outfielder Kate Dowden (Indianapolis, Ind.), and utility player Avery Garden (Allen Park, Mich.). The group ranked as the No. 21 overall signing class by ExtraInnings Softball in 2024; with Avvisato ranked ninth overall, Blea ranked 21st and Garden ranked 47th in the outlet's Top-100 rankings.
Three of the Wildcats' five opponents this weekend (Missouri, Duke, Tennessee) made it to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2024, with Duke advancing to the Women's College World Series. This will mark NU's second-ever meeting with the Blue Devils, the first coming in 2019 that ended in an extra-innings walk-off hit by Danielle Williams. Northwestern last faced Missouri and Tennessee in the 2023 NFCA Leadoff Classic, the 'Cats lead the all-time series against Missouri, 5-2, and are 6-8 all-time against the Lady Vols. NU leads the all-time series against Southern Miss, 3-1, while its matchup against Kennesaw State on Friday marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Gamechanger App Streaming Instructions
Northwestern opens the season on Friday with a doubleheader against Kennesaw State and No. 15 Missouri, followed by a marquee Saturday doubleheader against No. 8 Duke and No. 5 Tennessee before rounding out the weekend against Southern Miss on Sunday.
Fans can stream the games for free on their phones from the GameChanger app . Saturday evening's matchup with Tennessee will be televised on MLB Network with first pitch at 6 p.m. CT.
Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan returns for her 24th season after capturing her sixth Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2024, her fourth in the last five years. This year, Drohan will surpass her predecessor, Sharon Drysdale, as the longest-tenured head coach in program history. Drohan and her twin sister, associate head coach Caryl Drohan, are Northwestern's all-time wins leaders with 780 victories, the fourth-most in Big Ten history. Under the Drohans, the Wildcats have appeared in 17 NCAA tournaments, seven NCAA Super Regionals, and three Women's College World Series, most recently in 2022.
The Wildcats return seven of nine batters in the starting lineup, who accounted for 78% of their hitting in 2024. The offense is led by returning All-American juniors Kansas Robinson and Kelsey Nader. Robinson led Northwestern with 11 homers and 36 RBI last season and finished with a 1.191 OPS, a mark good for fourth in the Big Ten. Nader finished with a .375 average, eight home runs and 32 RBI, while her 41 runs scored and nine stolen bases led the team.
Northwestern also welcomes back sophomore catcher Emma Raye, who received All-Big Ten Freshman Team and Defensive Team honors in 2024. Raye started all but one game behind the plate, finishing second on the team in home runs (10), and RBI (32). Her ten homers were the most by a Wildcat rookie since Maeve Nelson belted 11 in 2019. Behind the plate, Raye caught 13 runners stealing, a mark good for third in the Big Ten and 25th in the country.
The lineup stays deep with a number of other returners, including junior Bridget Donahey, who posted a .995 OPS in 2024. Donahey blasted eight homers, drove in 23 runs, and drew a team-high 32 walks, the sixth-best mark in the Big Ten. The 'Cats also bring back starters Ayana Lindsey, Isabel Cunnea, and Ainsley Muno, who combined for 47 RBI and 113 total bases in 2024.
Also returning is senior Grace Nieto, who missed the 2024 season with an injury. As a first-year in 2022, Nieto hit .324, and had 18 RBI on her way to All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors and was a mainstay at second base during the Wildcats' Big Ten Championships in 2022 and 2023.
The 'Cats boast a strong returning staff of pitchers, led by graduate student Lauren Boyd who returns after missing the 2024 season with an injury. In 2023, Boyd went 8-4 with a 2.24 ERA, including a 1.67 ERA in Big Ten play that ranked third in the conference. Boyd leads all Wildcat pitchers with 219.1 career innings pitched to go along with an impressive 2.46 ERA and 195 career strikeouts.
READ MORE: Lauren Boyd's Long Road Back
Sophomore pitchers Renae Cunningham and Riley Grudzielanek also return to the circle for the 'Cats, looking to build on strong rookie campaigns. Cunningham finished with a 3.39 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched, and her 1.10 WHIP ranked third in the Big Ten. Grudzielanek posted an 8-2 record in 18 appearances, and finished with a 3.46 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 60.2 innings.
This year's first-year class includes infielder Kaylie Avvisato (Leesburg, Va.), right-handed pitcher Emma Blea (Fresno, Calif.), outfielder Kate Dowden (Indianapolis, Ind.), and utility player Avery Garden (Allen Park, Mich.). The group ranked as the No. 21 overall signing class by ExtraInnings Softball in 2024; with Avvisato ranked ninth overall, Blea ranked 21st and Garden ranked 47th in the outlet's Top-100 rankings.
Three of the Wildcats' five opponents this weekend (Missouri, Duke, Tennessee) made it to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2024, with Duke advancing to the Women's College World Series. This will mark NU's second-ever meeting with the Blue Devils, the first coming in 2019 that ended in an extra-innings walk-off hit by Danielle Williams. Northwestern last faced Missouri and Tennessee in the 2023 NFCA Leadoff Classic, the 'Cats lead the all-time series against Missouri, 5-2, and are 6-8 all-time against the Lady Vols. NU leads the all-time series against Southern Miss, 3-1, while its matchup against Kennesaw State on Friday marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Gamechanger App Streaming Instructions
- Download the GameChanger App for free on the App Store
- Create a free account
- Type in "Northwestern Wildcats NFCA" in the search bar up top.
- Click "Join Team", select the game you want to watch on the schedule, and click video to access the live stream
Players Mentioned
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P/U
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