Northwestern second baseman Carri Leto experienced the crowning moment of her collegiate career Tuesday — for the second time.
With its first pick in the National Professional Fastpitch supplemental draft, the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut drafted the Wildcats senior. Leto is the first female NU athlete to be drafted by a professional franchise.
The Juggernaut selected Leto second overall after the team that first picked her in December, the San Antonio Armadillos, was dropped from the league.
“It was definitely a roller coaster the past month or so,” Leto said. “Getting drafted, then having my team being dropped, and then not knowing what was going to happen, and then having the supplemental draft happen a couple days ago.”
After finishing her senior season with the Cats, Leto will move on and try to earn a roster spot with the Juggernaut.
“It’s definitely real exciting,” she said. “The Juggernaut is a really, really good team. They are kind of like the Yankees of softball.”
New York/New Jersey features six former NCAA All-Americans and seven NCAA National Champions on its roster. Leto said she will have to work hard to find a place on the team.
“I have a lot of work ahead of me, and it’s very competitive league,” Leto said. “(But) I am definitely staying focused on the present. With our goals of winning the Big Ten and a national championship, it is pretty easy to do that. This is my senior year, and I want to make the most of it.”
Leto is batting .243 with a .301 on base percentage and nine RBI. The smooth-fielding second baseman also carries a .941 fielding percentage, committing only five errors on the season.
Being a two-time All-Big Ten selection and ranking second in NU softball history with 13 triples are just a couple of her career accolades.
But Leto said she believes she may not be the only NU softball player in the professional leagues in a few years.
“If I can get drafted, there are definitely some younger players on this team I could see that are capable,” Leto said. “Erin Mobley is a junior now, and she is an amazing hitter and one of the toughest outs there is in the country. (And) there are some freshmen that are so young, but if I can do it, they can do it for sure.”
The Cats (15-8, 0-0 Big Ten) will need to play like professionals to exact some revenge at Iowa (18-15, 0-0) Friday and Saturday in their Big Ten opener.
The 6 p.m. and noon games will mark the Cats’ first return to Pearl Field since the Hawkeyes beat NU 2-0 in the Big Ten championship game there last year.
The Cats also will play a doubleheader starting at noon Sunday at Illinois (21-11-1, 0-0).
Leto’s enthusiasm, leadership and passion for the game will be needed this weekend and all season long for NU to reach its lofty goals, first-year Cats’ assistant coach Lauren Schwendimann said.
“Carri (Leto) is an example of what you can do as a softball player here at Northwestern,” Schwendimann said. “How vocal she is and the fire she brings are what stand out about her.”
