Softball coach Kate Drohan said opposing teams should prepare for a surprise from Northwestern’s pitcher’s mound this season: a two-headed monster.
The monster — pitching duo Courtnay Foster and Eileen Canney — will be scaring five teams this weekend at the Speedline tournament in Clearwater, Fla., where No. 29 NU (6-3) will compete in its first tournament-style series of the year.
“Eileen and Courtnay have very different personalities, but they complement each other,” said Drohan, who is in her third year as NU’s coach. “Courtnay has given Eileen the message that just because you’re a freshman doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact, because Foster did it last year.”
The Wildcats will face No. 17 Oregon, Coastal Carolina, Temple, Rutgers and Jacksonville in the pool-play round. The outcomes of those games will determine whether or not the Cats move on to Sunday’s single-elimination round.
“We’re excited to get on the dirt again,” Drohan said. “We’re playing a very competitive schedule, but I guess to be the best we have to play the best.”
Drohan said she thinks a strong showing at the Speedline tournament could help carry out the team’s vision of winning the national championship this season.
“We have some strong leadership this year,” Drohan said. “We really dug it into the girls to understanding our style and standards. The intensity to win certainly has heightened this year.”
The Cats began their season by posting a 4-1 record at the Arizona State Triangular in Tempe, Ariz., on Feb 6-8. They defeated Kansas, 5-0, but the Jayhawks rebounded the next afternoon, defeating NU, 11-1, in five innings. Leadoff hitter Sheila McCorkle hit her first career home run during the game.
Although McCorkle’s homer didn’t make much difference, her next run did: McCorkle sealed the Cats’ 1-0 victory in their third showdown against the Jayhawks. The Cats defeated Arizona State twice in the tournament.
Two weeks later, NU finished 2-2 at the Palm Springs Classic on Feb. 20-22 in Palm Springs, Calif. The Cats lost to No. 7 Alabama, 5-1, after committing five costly errors, but snagged a 4-2 win against No. 8 Stanford. NU fell to top-ranked UCLA, 5-1, in the third game of the Classic, but later beat Boston College, 8-0, in six innings.
Aside from the two-headed monster, Drohan said, NU has a couple more tricks up its sleeve.
She said starting shortstop Eryn Manahan, a transfer student from California, plays solid defense and has come up with some key RBIs. But Manahan has only one year of eligibility at NU.
Drohan also cited freshman first baseman Garland Cooper as a key hitter. Junior outfielder Erin Mobley leads the team in batting average.
“I expect more for this year,” Drohan said. “The girls are here to play hard. They will take the field and work to expect to win every game.”
