A glance through the Northwestern record book is hardly like a trip down memory lane.
That’s because current and recent NU players can be found at or near the top of just about every significant statistical category.
The situation is most apparent among the offensive records. Every player who holds a major single-season or career batting record was with the team for the 2005 season.
“Softball is a much more offensive game now,” coach Kate Drohan said. “The development of new bat technology has really increased offensive productivity. We also have some really good hitters, but I think a lot of credit goes to Caryl (Drohan), my assistant, who understands the concept of hitting and articulates it well to our hitters.”
The No. 17 Wildcats (30-10) will look to add to their legacy tomorrow afternoon when they take on Loyola-Chicago (11-33) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. After the game, NU will return to Big Ten play when it travels to Minnesota for a doubleheader Sunday.
Current NU players own the home run record book, as the top eight single-season longball totals in school history have all occurred in 2004 or later. Senior designated player Kristen Amegin occupies three of those spots including the top one for her 14 jacks in 2005. Junior first baseman Garland Cooper is also on the list three times, and freshman shortstop Tammy Williams has already made an appearance.
“A lot of it has to do with the kind of hitters we are,” Cooper said. “We also have really great coaching, and we work hard. And we have a lot of hitters who can hit the long ball.”
But what has occurred with the home run in the last few seasons has also happened, perhaps to a slightly lesser extent, in many other categories. And Cooper is right in the middle of it.
Despite the fact that she’s only in the middle of her junior season, Cooper already holds single-season records for batting average (.436), doubles (18 and counting), slugging percentage (.756) and on-base percentage (.533). Even more impressive, she currently holds six career batting records, and has a legitimate shot to hold all ten of significance by the time she’s through.
“Garland’s one of the best,” Drohan said. “She works really hard, but she has a lot of good hitters around her in the lineup who add to that success.”
However, the climb to the top has not been quite so easy for recent NU pitchers. This can be expected when you take the circle for the same school that was home to a hurler considered to be one of the best ever.
This is the situation facing current pitchers Courtnay Foster and Eileen Canney, who have a tall order trying to match former star Lisa Ishikawa. The three-time All-American holds five single-season and five career records.
Nowhere is her presence felt more than in the strikeout categories. Her mark of 469 K’s in 1984 is 177 more than Foster’s second-place total. Foster is also second on the career list, but is more than 250 behind Ishikawa.
Despite the major roadblock to the top of the record book, Foster is still third on the career lists in wins, games, games started, complete games and innings pitched.
“Courtnay has really lifted the program with some of her performances,” Drohan said. “It’s tough to look at the record book because Lisa Ishikawa was a really special pitcher. But Courtnay’s top notch. She’s done some really remarkable things here.”
Reach Andrew Simon at [email protected].
