When Northwestern softball coach Sharon Drysdale makes her final postgame walk from the Anderson Field dugout on Thursday night, an era will go with her.

But when her 23 years as the Wildcats’ head coach come to a close, Drysdale – who is retiring at the end of the year and will be replaced by associate head coach Kate Drohan – isn’t sure what her final moments on the field will be like.

“I don’t think it’s going to hit me until a couple of days later,” Drysdale said. “You get so involved in the season. Right now it still seems like it’s a long way away.”

For as long as anyone can remember, Drysdale’s name has been synonymous with NU softball. The names and faces have changed throughout the years, but seeing Drysdale survey the wind-swept diamond from her spot near third base has not.

She is always in the coaching box, watching and giving orders like a general commanding her troops. The analogy fits Drysdale well because she believes softball is about conflicts.

“What I remember the most are the battles,” Drysdale said, “the everyday confrontations between pitcher and hitter, defense and offense, starters and bench players. You get to see people at their best and you get to see people at their worst.”

Forever coaching, Drysdale is too busy preparing to play DePaul today to worry too much about leaving. The Blue Demons certainly give Drysdale a lot to be concerned about. They are ranked 13th in the nation and have won more than 40 games behind a team ERA of 0.90.

DePaul’s pitching prowess may make it difficult for the Cats to win Drysdale’s final home game. But the Cats’ coach isn’t the only one looking to depart Anderson Field victorious. Seniors Stacy Austin and Brooke Siebel will also try to leave the diamond on a winning note.

For Austin, just getting to this point has been an accomplishment. She wasn’t offered a scholarship by NU (19-22), but walked on her freshman year and has been part of the team ever since.

“I really did love the game and stuck with it,” Austin said. “It was definitely worth it, and I would do it again.”

Austin has been an important contributor over her four years on the team, but that fact doesn’t exactly jump off the statistics page – she is hitting just .111 on the season. Austin’s role is to produce runs not with her bat, but with her feet. If NU needs to get a runner home, they turn to Austin and her speed around the basepaths.

“The best part is knowing they need you to get to second base or be able to pull off a squeeze,” Austin said.

While Austin will be able to play in her final home game, Siebel can only cheer from the dugout.

Siebel, last season’s Big Ten player of the year, has had to sit out this season with a stress fracture in her hip.

“It was really hard at first, but I’ve kind of adjusted and set my sights to the future,” Siebel said.

Siebel, who suited up for Senior Day on April 22 against Purdue, may put on her uniform one more time on Thursday.

But both she and Austin agree that these games are for Drysdale. Senior Day was for them.

“It’s a pretty big deal for her,” Siebel said.

It’s been a long journey for Drysdale to get to this point in her career. She took over a fledgling program back in 1979 and taught it how to fly. Under Drysdale’s guidance, the Cats have won Big Ten titles in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987.

It hasn’t all been smooth for Drysdale. There have been 16-win seasons and poor finishes along the way. But through all the wins and losses, the ups and downs, the departures and arrivals, she said she has enjoyed the ride.

So when Drysdale takes that final look at the diamond and all those memories of plays and players past come flooding back, she can at least walk away knowing that the scenery has been great.

“It’s like climbing a mountain,” Drysdale said. “Someday you get to the top and you hope you have a pretty good view, and I think I do.”