2018 Northwestern Softball Season Recap
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2018 NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL SEASON RECAP THE @NUSBCATS The Recap NCAA ATHENS REGIONAL RESULTS FRIDAY, MAY 18 17 • NCAA TOURNAMENT Appearances Northwestern took a huge step on its G1: Northwestern 3, California 2 (8) 7 • BIG TEN Championships road back to remarkable in 2018, riding G2: Georgia 6, Harvard 2 7 • NCAA Regional Championships the leadership of a seven-member senior 5 • WCWS Appearances class to a 38-19 record and a berth in SATURDAY, MAY 19 3 •WCWS Semifinals the NCAA Athens Regional championship G3: Georgia 12, Northwestern 0 (6) 1 • WCWS Championship Series round. The Wildcats’ 38 wins were the G4: California 10, Harvard 1 (5) program’s most since winning 40 during a G5: Northwestern 4, California 3 2018 SCHEDULE/RESULTS (38-19, 14-8 Big Ten) Super Regional season in 2008, and their Regional title appearance was the seventh SUNDAY, MAY 20 Date Opponent Time (CT)/Result G6: Georgia 9, Northwestern 7 FEBRUARY in the tenure of Kate and Caryl Drohan. 9-11 Kajikawa Classic—Tempe, Ariz. 9 vs. No. 7 Arizona L, 4-1 After winning 34 games during the 9 vs. San Diego State W, 7-6 (8) 10 vs. Boise State W, 11-3 (5) 10 vs. Indiana W, 5-1 11 vs. South Dakota W, 13-5 (5) regular season, Northwestern first made a 16-18 B1G/ACC Challenge—Raleigh, N.C. thatrun toincluded the Big aTen pair Tournament of nail-biting Championship victories over game the Pac-12’s for the first California time since Golden 2008. Bears. That NU’s taste 16 vs. Louisville L, 7-6 (8) of postseason fight carried over into a gritty team performance in the NCAA Tournament 16 vs. Louisville L, 3-2 17 at N.C. State W, 3-1 USA Softball of the year. 18 at N.C. State L, 4-2 performance in the postseason earned it a No. 24 national ranking in the final ESPN.com/ 23-25 Nutter Collegiate Classic—Cathedral City, Calif. 23 vs. San Diego State W, 3-0 (8) during the year in which it entered the seventh inning trailing by two-or-more runs, and 23 vs. Long Beach State L, 9-0 (6) went aNorthwestern stellar 5-1 in extra-inningcreated a team contests. identity Overall, that was the fiercely Wildcats no-quit. trailed NU at wonsome five point games in 24 vs. No. 11 Tennessee L, 6-1 25 vs. St. John’s W, 12-3 (5) a whopping 15 of their eventual victories, but outscored their opponents by a whopping MARCH 47-11 margin in the seventh inning and after. Most importantly, when Northwestern held 2-4 Husky Invitational—Seattle, Wash. 2 vs. Portland State W, 6-0 2 at No. 1 Washington L, 8-2 innings. Credit goes to seniors Renee Ariola, Nicole Bond, Abbey Boyd, Brooke Marquez, 3 vs. Portland State W, 7-4 Sammya lead, it Nettling,did not give Marissa it up: thePanko Wildcats and Sabrina were 21-1 Rabin on the for yearcreating when the leading will to after win. five 3 vs. BYU L, 8-0 (5) 4 vs. No. 11 Alabama W, 4-0 Nettling led the senior class and the entire team from behind the plate, putting 9-11 Houston Hilton Plaza Classic—Houston, Texas together by far the best offensive season of her career while deftly handling a pitching staff 9 vs. Iowa State W, 1-0 9 vs. Penn State W, 13-0 (6) 10 vs. Penn State W, 6-4 Kenna Wilkey stepping up in a 10 at Houston W, 5-4 that fought its way through adversity all season. What started a five-member group in the 11 vs. Lipscomb W, 11-3 Morgan Newport woncircle 14 was games quickly including whittled a shutout down to of three, No. 11 with Alabama first-year and a no-hitter over Michigan State 17 vs. UIC (Bloomington, Ind.) W, 5-3 major way to become NU’s first 20-game winner since 2009. Sophomore 17 at Indiana W, 9-2 through every batter and willed NU into the championship round. 23 MINNESOTA o W, 3-2 in the SabrinaBig Ten Tournament. Rabin concluded In the her NCAA career Regional, among those Northwestern two hurlers and GUTTED the Big Ten’stheir all-timeway 24 MINNESOTA o W, 11-10 (8) 25 MINNESOTA o L, 8-0 (5) 28 at Illinois (DH) o W, 8-7; L, 15-9 Rachel Lewis and Morgan Nelson, second-team selection 30 NEBRASKA o L, 6-2 Wilkeybest in runsand Defensive-Team scored and stolen honoree bases. LilyShe ledNovak. a five-member Rabin’s second-team All-Big Ten nod class made that heralso the 31 NEBRASKA o W, 8-3 included first-team choices APRIL 12th four-time All-Big Ten award winner in school history; she later picked up an NFCA All- 1 NEBRASKA o W, 9-5 6 at Purdue o L, 14-6 (6) 7 at Purdue o L, 6-3 8 at Purdue o W, 17-8 (6) Region accolade to become the fifth Wildcat to win that award four times. 13 No. 22 OHIO STATE o W, 10-2 (6) Nobody made a bigger splash on the year than the first-year Lewis, who became the 14 No. 22 OHIO STATE o Canceled 15 No. 22 OHIO STATE o W, 14-6 (6) Nationalfifth Wildcats Freshman in program of the historyYear after to beanchoring named anNU’s NFCA resurgent All-American offense. in She her and debut Nelson season 17 GREEN BAY Canceled formedwhen she an was incredible elected tandem to the second in the lineup;team. Lewis also was one of 10 finalists for the NFCA 18 at Notre Dame W, 8-3 20 at Rutgers o W, 15-1 (5) they smashed back-to-back homers four IN THESE NOTES 21 at Rutgers o W, 10-5 times on the year, and Nelson ended the • Roster/Quick Facts Information (PAGE 2) 22 at Rutgers o W, 8-7 season batting .459 and slugging .852 over 25 LOYOLA (CHICAGO) W, 4-1 • Head Coach Kate Drohan (PAGE 3) 27 IOWA o W, 4-1 • Big Ten Standings (PAGE 3) 28 IOWA o L, 3-0 Though the 2018 team had a • NCAA Tournament Notes (PAGE 4) 29 IOWA o W, 6-2 NU’s final 22 games of the year. MAY • Team Statistical Rankings (PAGE 5) 2 at DePaul W. 7-3 broke through as everyday starters • The Northwestern Roof Club (PAGE 6) 4 at Wisconsin o L, 7-1 sizeable senior class, three first-years, a 5 at Wisconsin o W, 4-2 Mac Dunlap • NU and the Big Ten Tournament (PAGE 6) 6 at Wisconsin o L, 4-3 defensive stalwart at third base. Overall, • National Polls (PAGE 7) 10-13 Big Ten Tournament—Madison, Wis. sixin Lewis, regular Wilkey starters and will return for 2019, • NU Single-Game Records (PAGE 7) 12 vs. No. 12 seed Iowa W, 2-1 (8) 12 vs. No. 8 seed Michigan State W, 11-0 (5) and they will be joined by the nation’s • Season/Career Records (PAGES 8-9) 13 vs. No. 2 seed Minnesota L, 9-6 ninth-ranked recruiting class according to • Student-Athlete Bios/Stats (PAGES 10-28) 18-20 NCAA Athens Regional—Athens, Ga. 18 vs. California W, 3-2 (8) FloSoftball. 19 at No. 7 Georgia L, 12-0 (6) 19 vs. California W, 4-3 SOFTBALL ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS INFORMATION 20 at No. 7 Georgia L, 9-7 Softball Contact: All times Central • Home games in BOLD CAPS • o Big Ten games Office Phone: Office Fax: Twitter: Cell Phone: Doug MeffleyE-mail: (15th season) (847) 491-3688 • (847) 491-8818 • @VoiceOfMeffley (847) 833-2471 • [email protected] 2018 QUICK FACTS 2018 NUMERICAL ROSTER NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY No. Name Pos. B/T Ht. Cl. Hometown/High School Location ........................................................ Evanston, Ill. 00 Mac Dunlap IF R/R 5-6 Fy. Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point Founded .........................................................................1851 2 Brooke Marquez IF/OF R/R 5-0 Sr. Brea, Calif./Pacifica Enrollment ................................................................8,688 4 Marissa Panko IF/OF L/R 5-6 Sr. Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy President ...............................................Morton Schapiro 5 Sabrina Rabin OF L/R 5-4 Sr. St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North Nickname ..............................................................Wildcats 7 Morgan Nelson IF/OF R/R 5-6 Jr. Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Prep Academy Official Color ............................................................Purple 9 Lily Novak IF R/R 5-6 Jr. Winnetka, Ill./New Trier Conference .......................................Big Ten Conference 10 Summer Hargett C R/R 5-9 Fy. San Diego, Calif./Point Loma Director of Athletics ...................................Jim Phillips 11 Rachel Lewis IF/OF R/R 5-6 Fy. Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota East Sport Administrator ..............................Julie Hammer 15 Sammy Nettling C R/R 5-9 Sr. Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro Senior Woman Administrator ...............Janna Blais 16 Eva Stees C/IF R/R 5-5 So. Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech 17 Abbey Boyd OF L/L 5-9 Sr. Wilmette, Ill./New Trier SOFTBALL FACTS 18 Morgan Newport P/U L/L 5-8 So. DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb Head Coach .................................................. Kate Drohan 20 Nicole Bond P R/R 5-10 Sr. Clayton, N.C./Clayton Alma Mater ..................................... Providence, 1995 21 Renee Ariola OF R/R 5-4 Sr. Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community Record at NU ..................... 570-345-1 (17th season) Career Record ...................................................... Same 22 Emma Bartz OF R/R 5-4 So. Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic Associate Head Coach ............................Caryl Drohan 25 Maegan Hollins IF/OF L/R 5-6 Fy. Houston, Texas/Bellaire Alma Mater ....................................