It’s been two and out for Northwestern in its last two Big Ten tournament appearances.
Both times the Wildcats won their first round contest only to lose to a lower-seeded opponent in the semifinals. NU came frustratingly close to reaching the finals on each occasion before it fell short.
In 2004, the Cats were shut out by the eighth-seeded Michigan State Spartans, 2-0. Last season, NU fell in eight innings to Iowa.
“The last two years, we kind of peaked too soon,” senior pitcher Courtnay Foster said. “We weren’t playing our best softball at the end of the year. But this year is different, and we’re gaining momentum heading into the postseason.”
Senior designated player Kristen Amegin shares Foster’s belief that this is the year the Cats will break through.
“This year we have the whole package,” Amegin said. “We’ve been getting progressively better each year. This year we’re 18 strong out there. Our team chemistry, work ethic and attitude on the field have brought us to the next level.”
NU has the top seed and will get to play at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, where it’s 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten this season.
But the Cats haven’t just won at home – they’ve destroyed the competition, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 84-9 and winning four games by mercy rule.
NU pitchers also surrender about a run less per game at home.
But the most profound difference is on the offensive side. The Cats score an average of 8.4 runs per game at home, more than twice as many as they score on the road.
“We feel comfortable on our field, and we have a lot of support and great fans,” Amegin said. “That really helps with our energy out on the field. We feed off the positive energy and support we get.”
NU will attempt to carry over its home field success to the postseason, which will begin when the Cats face eighth-seeded Illinois today at 4:30 p.m.
The Cats have to look no further back than the 2004 tournament for proof that an upset is far from impossible. That year, No. 8-seed Michigan State pulled a stunner on top-seed Michigan in the opening round. So even though the Cats easily dispatched the Illini twice just last weekend, they realize they can’t afford to take their opponent lightly.
“We definitely expect a challenge,” freshman shortstop Tammy Williams said. “I think they will come out hard. We’re going to approach them the same way we did last weekend because it worked well. But I think they’ll make some adjustments to us. They’re definitely a challenge we can’t look past.”
After all, the postseason is an entirely different situation, with additional pressure and everything that comes with it.
Some like Amegin and Foster have been through it three times before, while others like Williams will be testing the postseason waters for the first time.
“We’ve talked a lot about how to approach the game like it’s any other game,” Williams said of the advice her veteran teammates have shared with her.
“We’re not going to come out with a different outlook than we usually do.”
Reach Andrew Simon at [email protected].
