With three Big Ten series left to play, the Northwestern baseball team is sitting on the fence. And they’re not sitting alone.
The Wildcats (17-20, 8-10 Big Ten) are tied with Illinois for sixth place in the conference standings. And while NU took two of three from the Fighting Illini last weekend, the Cats are still battling for the sixth and final spot in the Big Ten tournament.
Facing most of the best teams in the league early in the season, the Cats lost eight of their first 11. But starting with their series against Penn State on April 19, the Cats have catapulted themselves back into postseason contention by winning five of their last seven Big Ten contests.
“Before Big Tens – and at the beginning of the year in general – well, we struggled from the get-go,” senior Matt Thompson said. “We’ve really turned things around, and we’re looking pretty good right now.”
And NU controls its own destiny. The next two weekends, the Cats face the two teams directly below them in the standings, Iowa and Michigan. Then, in its final Big Ten weekend, NU takes on Indiana, the squad currently in the Big Ten’s fifth slot.
Slumping Seniors: During the 2001 season, there were two guys NU wanted at the plate in high-pressure situations. A year later, it’s unlikely that either one of them is in the game.
It’s been a frustrating season for seniors Thompson and Todd Morgan. Morgan, who was the Cats’ primary designated hitter in 2001, led the team with a .339 average and was the only player on the NU squad to garner all-conference honors. But the senior is currently hitting .222 and hasn’t started a Big Ten game since April 12.
Thompson was another go-to guy for NU last season. He was NU coach Paul Stevens’ best option off the bench, going 5-for-15 with four RBIs in pinch-hitting situations. This season he’s hitting a meager .167 in 36 at-bats.
“It’s been a disappointing senior year,” Thompson said. “Early in the season I got my shots, but I didn’t come through. Right now I definitely don’t deserve to be in the lineup.”
Thompson and Morgan – who are roommates and good friends – are trying to help each other stay positive.
“We’re both frustrated with how we’ve played this year,” Thompson said. “We’re definitely trying to get through this together.”
Doing some yard work: A month ago NU’s batting order wasn’t exactly a home run waiting to happen. But in the last three weeks NU’s bats have come alive, combining for 15 homers in its last 11 games.
“It’s fun competition to see who’s going to hit the next one,” said Travis Tharp, who has four round-trippers this season, including a game-winning, two-run shot April 28 at Illinois. Tharp attributed the increase in home runs to more conducive weather conditions and increased confidence at the plate.
Brandon Ackley and Jason Krynski lead the Cats’ squad with five apiece, followed by Tharp and Ken Padgett, who each have four.
As a team, NU’s total of 31 long balls has moved them into fourth in the Big Ten. Though they are still a ways behind conference leader Michigan State – which has 66 on the year – the Cats are enjoying their newly found home-run swing.
“It’s been a nice ride the last couple of weeks,” Tharp said. “It’s been fun to see some hits go out of the park.”
