2025 Softball Roster

riley grudzielanek no-hitter vs uic
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
riley grudzielanek vs. loyola
riley grudzielanek win at minnesota
Photo by: Jazmin Bender/Northwestern Athletics
riley grudzielanek vs. michigan state 2025
riley grudzielanek career high 5 K's vs. longwood 2025
Photo by: Connor Cunningham/Northwestern Athletics
Photo by: Cami Henry/Northwestern Athletics
riley grudzielanek
January 9, 2025, Evanston, IL: Members of the Northwestern Softball team pose for photos as part of Internal Media Days at Walter Athletics Center in Evanston, IL on Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Jersey Number 11

Riley Grudzielanek

  • Height:
    5-10
  • Class:
    Sophomore
  • High School:
    Oak Creek HS
  • Hometown:
    Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Pronunciation: grud-zuh-LAH-nick

2025: Appeared in 25 games and made 19 starts as a sophomore … Finished with seven complete games, including a no-hitter … Posted a 2.94 ERA (14 ER/33.1 IP) in nine conference games this season, second on the team only to Lauren Boyd and seventh among all Big Ten pitchers … Scattered six hits and two earned runs over 6.0 innings against No. 15 Missouri (2/7) … Fired a complete-game against Southern Miss, allowing only two hits and one run in the longest appearance of her career (2/9) … Recorded two hits at the plate against LSU (2/14) …  Allowed only one earned run in 5.0 innings and struck out two while picking up a win over UT Arlington (2/16) … Allowed just one run in 4.1 innings of work while striking out a career-high five batters in a win over Longwood (3/1) … Drove in a run at the plate in a win over Penn State (3/13) … Threw 5.1 innings in a win over Penn State, allowing only two runs and striking out five (3/15) … Fired a combined 7.2 innings in back-to-back wins over Michigan State, allowing just three hits and one run, while striking out seven (3/15-16) … Tossed a complete game to pick up a win over Minnesota, racking up four strikeouts and just three hits (3/28) … Allowed no earned runs in her sixth complete game of the season against Illinois (4/6) … Tossed 4.0 scoreless innings and allowed only one hit to beat Loyola Chicago (4/16) … Completed a no-hitter in a run-rule victory over UIC, racking up five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work (4/22).

2024: Pitched in 18 games as a first-year … Finished with 31 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched … Finished with eight RBI and two homers on offense.

Career Highs
Innings Pitched............................................. 7.0 (3x), last vs. Illinois (4/6/25)
Strikeouts..................................................................... 11, vs. Illinois (4/6/25)
Fewest Hits Allowed (min. 5 IP)........................................ 0, at UIC (4/22/25)
Fewest Runs Allowed (min. 5 IP).......................................0, at UIC (4/22/25)

At-Bats............................................................................ 4, vs. LSU (2/16/24)
Hits.................................................................... 2 (2x), last vs. LSU (2/14/25)
Runs....................................................... 1 (6x), last vs. Penn State (3/15/25)
RBI.................................................................... 2 (2x), last vs. LSU (2/16/24)
Doubles..............................................................1 (2x), last vs. Duke (2/8/25)
Home Runs........................................................1 (2x), last vs. LSU (2/16/24)
Total Bases.................................................. 4 (2x), vs. last vs. LSU (2/16/24)
Walks...................................................... 2 (2x), last vs. Penn State (3/15/25)

High School: Three time First Team All-State Selection (2021, 2022, 2023) … 2021 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Player of the Year … 2021 and 2022 All-Conference Pitcher of the Year … 2021 and 2022 First Team All-District and First-Team All-Conference … Set the Wisconsin state record with 22 strikeouts in a seven-inning game against Kenosha Bradford/Reuther on April 4, 2022 … Has thrown four no-hitters in two seasons of high school play … Holds Oak Creek High School's single-season home run record (9) and strikeout record (332) … Lettered three seasons in basketball and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention and team Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21 … As a sophomore, hit .464 (49-for-84) with a .561 OBP and .881 slugging percentage, along with nine home runs, and 36 RBI in 27 games at the plate … Went 10-1 in the circle, compiling a 0.52 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and 175 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched … In her junior season, tallied a.429 batting average (36-for-84), .500 OBP, .655 slugging percentage, five home runs, 23 RBI. And 13 runs scored, along with a 20-4 record in the circle, 0.51 ERA, and 332 strikeouts in 165 innings pitched … Played club softball for Velocity 18U National (2022), BATS Academy (2020-21) and Wisconsin Bandits (2019) … Uncle, Mark Grudzielanek, played 15 years in MLB for six teams, including the Chicago Cubs … Parents are Tom and Nikki Grudzielanek … Tom Played basketball for Carthage College, where he graduated as the all-time steals leader in program history … National Honors Society member.

Drohan on Grudzielanek: "Riley is a hard-throwing, athletic pitcher who is a true competitor. We love how she attacks the zone and challenges hitters. We can't wait for our team to play behind her."
Baseball - 'Cats Take Down No. 14 UCLA, 9-4 (5/15/25)
Friday, May 16
Baseball - Wildcats Top Beacons, 12-4 (5/13/25)
Wednesday, May 14
Baseball - Northwestern Run-Rules Ohio State to Secure Series (5/11/25)
Sunday, May 11
Baseball - Wildcats Run-Rule Buckeyes at Wrigley Field (5/9/25)
Saturday, May 10