It may seem as though playing a huge event like the Big Ten tournament at little Sharon J. Drysdale Field is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
But when eight teams descend on Evanston on Thursday for the three-day affair, they will find a much different setting than the one they might have visited during the regular season.
The field’s meager 500-person capacity will be doubled to accommodate the expected crowds. Portable bleachers are being added down the third-base line, while the wind screens behind the outfield fences were taken down to accomodate more seats.
“I think it will be a first-class tournament,” Athletic Director Mark Murphy said. “It’s going to be an intimate setting, but I think people will enjoy it.”
Northwestern didn’t know it would be hosting the tournament until the No. 13 Wildcats defeated Illinois 3-0 on Saturday to clinch the conference title. That hasn’t given the athletic department’s staff much time to prepare the facilities or advertise the event. Still, Murphy said he expects a good crowd.
“It’s been a quick turnaround,” Murphy said. “One of the keys is getting good student turnout … We want this to be a real home field for our team.”
Another issue is Sharon J. Drysdale Field’s lack of lights, which has forced the games to be scheduled in time to be over before dark. This presents the biggest challenge on Friday, with four games on the docket for that day. The first contest will begin 9 a.m., but Murphy expects decent crowds anyways because parents and other supporters of visiting teams would likely take the day off regardless.
The top-seeded Cats will play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday against the eighth-seeded Illini and at 4:30 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday if they keep winning. This should give the student body an opportunity to come out and support a team that is 9-0 at home this season.
NU is clearly glad to have an opportunity to be the first school other than Michigan or Iowa to host a Big Ten Tournament.
“It gives us an advantage because of our comfort level,” coach Kate Drohan said, adding that staying in Evanston allows the players to go to class. “And I love how we’re really aggressive at the plate at home.”
The experience of hosting the tournament figures to be all the more special because NU had to turn down an offer to host last year’s NCAA Regional. Anderson Hall, located right next to the field, was being built, creating logistical problems that made hosting the event impossible, Murphy said.
This time, Northwestern has made sure its facilities meet all specifications and has even received help from other universities with experience handling such affairs, according to Director of Sports Camps Tara Scheidegger, who has been working on the project.
“It’s a great opportunity for us and will really showcase the university,” Murphy said. “It gives us the best chance we’ve had to win the tournament and puts us in position to get a high seed (in the NCAA tournament) and get to the College World Series. I’m really excited about it.”
Reach Andrew Simon at [email protected].
