2019 Softball Roster
Morgan Nelson
- Height:
- 5-6
- Class:
- Senior
- High School:
- Scottsdale Prep Academy
- Hometown:
- Scottsdale, Ariz.
2019: Started all 60 games in the outfield for the Wildcats ... Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors ... Led the team with a .482 on base percentage, finished second in the Big Ten in walks (48), and finished fourth on the team in batting average (.280) ... Went 2-for-2 with an RBI-double, a walk and a stolen base in a season-opening win against Utah State (2/8) … Reached base three times and notched an RBI-single in a victory over Idaho State (2/10) ... Hit a solo homer in the top of the first inning, scored two runs and reached base in all five of her at-bats against North Carolina (2/16) ... Reached base twice and recorded a stolen base vs. Louisville (2/17) ... Recorded an RBI-single in 1-0 shutout against BYU (2/22) ... Went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored against Duke (2/22) ... Blasted a solo homer in the first inning against Long Beach State (2/23) ... Recorded two hits and three RBI, including a two-run triple, in a in win over Tulsa (3/9) ... Went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a RBI and a walk to help defeat Grand Canyon (3/9) ... Had two more hits against No. 3 Oklahoma (3/10) ... Reached base four times against Toledo and tallied a double, a triple, four RBI and two runs scored (3/16) ... Smashed a home run to further the Wildcats' lead over Indiana (3/16) ... Knocked in a run with a single against Rutgers (3/23), before driving in two more on a triple in the second half of the doubleheader ... Reached base six times and scored twice to help sweep Iowa (3/29-3/31) ... Scored both times she got on base in a win over Loyola (4/3) ... Recorded two hits, including a two-run single that scored the eventual game-winning runs, and also stole a base against Notre Dame (4/9) ... Went 2-2 with a homerun, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored against Wisconsin (4/13) ... Hit a three-run home run and scored twice in a win over Purdue (4/19) ... Went 3-4 with a solo home run, two RBIs and two runs scored against Purdue (4/20) ... Recorded four hits over the course of a doubleheader against Michigan State, including an RBI double and three runs scored (4/27).
2018: Started every game in left field after starting 48 games at three different infield positions in 2017 ... All-Big Ten and NFCA All-Region first-team selection ... Batted .459 and slugged .852 with 28 RBIs in NU's final 22 games of the season, a stretch that included seven postseason games ... Finished 2-for-3 with a double, two steals and a career-best three runs scored in a run-rule win over Boise State (2/10) ... Drove in two during a five-run sixth-inning rally that game Northwestern a win over Indiana (2/10) ... Walked twice, scored twice and smashed a solo home run in a run-rule victory against South Dakota (2/11) ... Was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against Louisville before stealing a career-high three bases in the nightcap (2/16) ... Went 2-for-4 with a double and a steal in a win against San Diego State (2/23) ... Doubled, scored and swiped two bags in a win against St. John’s (2/25) ... Doubled, recorded an RBI and walked twice against No. 1 Washington (3/2) ... Launched a pair of solo home runs in a run-rule victory against Penn State (3/9) ... Singled, scored a run, drove in a run and swiped two bases in a re-match victory over PSU (3/10) ... Later that day, went 2-for-4 with a double in a win at Houston ... Was 2-for-4 with two steals and a late game-tying RBI in an eventual win against UIC (3/17) ... Tripled and smashed a grand slam, finishing with four RBIs in a victory at Indiana (3/17) ... Had a solo home run and scored twice at Illinois (3/28) ... Fueled a comeback win over Nebraska, crushing a three-run home run and adding an RBI double (3/31) ... Ended up a perfect 1-for-1 with three walks, a double, an RBI and a run in another win against Nebraska (4/1) ... Had a solo home run as part of back-to-back jacks with Rachel Lewis at Purdue (4/6) ... Had a career game in the series finale at Purdue (4/8), finishing 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored ... Jacked two home runs in a 2-for-3 game against No. 22 Ohio State, driving in three and scoring three times (4/13) ... Drove in a pair in NU’s second win against No. 22 Ohio State (4/15) ... Finished a three-game sweep of Rutgers 3-for-5 (.600) at the plate with five walks and four HBPs ... Was 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs in the opener (4/20) ... Finished 1-for-1 with a home run and three walks in game two (4/21) ... Went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in both the series opener (4/27) and finale (4/29) against Iowa ... Torched DePaul with a three-hit, four-RBI performance including a home run (5/2) ... Singled twice in a win at Wisconsin (5/5) ... Drove in a pair of runs in the regular-season finale against the Badgers (5/6) ... Was 1-for-1 with two walks, two runs and an RBI in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal against Michigan State (5/12) ... Hit a team-best .417 with a .533 OBP at the NCAA Athens Regional ... Had monster NCAA Athens Regional opener, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI and two runs scored in a win versus California (5/18) ... Drove in a pair in the Athens Regional championship game versus No. 7 Georgia (5/20).
2017: Started 51 games, 37 times at third , six times at second, five times at shortstop, and three times as the designated player ... Smashed a two-run home run at No. 10 Arizona (2/11) ... Crushed a grand slam and added a sacrifice fly for a career-best five-RBI game against Cal State Northridge (2/12) ... Went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run against No. 3 Florida State (2/17) ... Drove in a pair against No. 8 Washington (2/25) ... Went 2-for-4 with two runs in a run-rule win over N.C. State (2/25) ... Doubled, stole a base and scored twice in a win over No. 23 California (3/3) ... Doubled, drove in a run and scored in a victory at Santa Clara (3/19) ... Finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, two steals and two runs scored at Saint Mary’s (3/21) ... Drove in a pair of runs on a win over No. 22 Wisconsin (3/25) ... Finished 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run against Maryland (4/9) ... Doubled, walked and scored twice in a run-rule win over DePaul (4/19) ... Hit .555 (5-for-9) in NU’s series at Nebraska (4/28-4/29), starting with a two-run double in the first game (4/28) ... Was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run in the first game of a doubleheader (4/29) ... Went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run in the second game ... Finished 3-for-5 in a doubleheader sweep of Illinois (5/3), going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs in the opener before doubling again and swiping a base in the nightcap ... Went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run and a steal at Iowa (5/6) ... Was a perfect 2-for-2 with two sacrifice flies, two RBIs and a steal in NU’s finale at Iowa (5/7).
2016: Appeared in 52 games with 46 starts at third base ... All-Big Ten second-team ... NFCA All-Region third team ... Had an 11-game hitting streak from April 16-May 6 ... Drove in a run in eight-straight games from April 17-May 1, collecting 14 RBIs over that span ... Batted .383 over the second half of the regular season, including a Northwestern-best .375 in Big Ten play ... Went 1-for-3 with a walk, a steal, two runs scored and an RBI in her collegiate debut against UC Riverside (2/12) ... Smashed a three-run home run and scored twice later on Opening Day against Virginia (2/12) ... Clubbed a walk-off grand slam to complete a come-from-behind victory at North Carolina (2/20) ... Finished 2-for-3 with an RBI against No. 8 Georgia (2/27) ... Crushed a two-run home run versus No. 20 Fresno State (2/27) ... Doubled home a run, stole a base and scored herself in a win against No. 11 UCLA (2/28) ... Clobbered a game-tying, seventh-inning home run at South Florida (3/22) ... Drove in four runs in a 13-12 win at No. 2 Michigan (3/25) including a bases-clearing, three-run triple that gave the Wildcats a 9-7 lead in the fifth inning ... Slugged 1.500 and batted .625 in a three-game series against No. 21 Minnesota to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on April 4 ... Did most of her damage in a doubleheader on April 3, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run in Game One before going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and another home run in a 10-2 (5) run-rule victory in Game Two ... Capped a series sweep of Iowa with a three-run home run as part of a two-hit game (4/10) ... Collected two hits and a walk in the first game of a doubleheader sweep at Illinois (4/13) ... Smashed a two-run home run, walked three times and scored twice in an 11-inning games against Nebraska (4/17) ... Drove in two runs in all three of NU’s wins over Michigan State (4/22-4/24), going 2-for-4 with two hits, two steals and two runs in the finale ... Collected two hits and two RBIs in a midweek win against Loyola (Chicago) (4/27) ... Had a two-run single in the opener of a series at Wisconsin (4/29) ... Finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double in the second contest with the Badgers (4/30), then had two hits and two steals in the finale (5/1) ... In the finale of a series sweep at Purdue, went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases (5/8) ... Collected two hits and a walk with a run scored in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over Ohio State (5/13).
High School: Prep start in track and field and sand volleyball because school had no softball program ... Arizona state champion in the 100-meter and bronze medalist in the long jump ... Team finished fourth in the 4x100 relay ... Sand volleyball program finished as runners-up at the Arizona state championship ... Played club softball with the Birmingham Thunderbolts ... Has been trained by her father, Wayne, since she was four ... Father played baseball at Long Beach City College.
Personal: Born Morgan Leilani Nelson ... Daughter of Wayne and Kelly Nelson ... Moved from Cerritos, Calif., to Scottsdale, Ariz., when she was 14-years-old ... Sister, Meaghen, plays softball at Arizona Christian University ... Major is Communication Studies.
