By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
Northwestern has accomplished a lot in one calendar year.
Sophomore shortstop Tammy Williams set a school record with a 24-game hitting streak.
Senior Garland Cooper set a school record and tied the Big Ten mark for career home runs (51) and set the school record for single-season home runs (19) and RBIs (58).
Senior pitcher Eileen Canney sits one strikeout away from becoming the third player in Wildcats history to notch 1,000 career strikeouts.
Many of this year’s players participated in last season’s run to the finals of the Women’s College World Series – NU’s first trip to the series in nearly 20 years. The team also won its first regular-season conference title in 18 years.
But one accomplishment has eluded the group: a Big Ten tournament championship.
“It’s critical we win every Big Ten game here on out because we want to host the tournament and be the Big Ten champs,” senior center fielder Katie Logan said.
The regular season champion earns the right to host the conference tournament. It is one big step on the way to capturing the Big Ten title.
Since the Big Ten began playing an annual conference tournament in 1995, the host team has won the tournament five times. But the host has reached the championship game in all but one tournament.
Last season the tournament took place at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, but NU fell to Michigan 6-0 in the championship game.
In order for the No. 8 Cats (37-10, 11-3 Big Ten) to host this year’s tournament – and win their second straight regular-season crown – they will need a strong showing against Iowa on Friday and Saturday, and in their conference finale doubleheader versus Illinois on Sunday.
Even then they will need some help.
“We definitely need to win the rest of our games in the Big Ten,” Cooper said. “I think last weekend and this game (against Notre Dame) got us momentum for the weekend. If we play Northwestern softball, we should be fine.”
With weather cancelling 15 games in the second weekend of the conference schedule, the teams in the Big Ten will not be playing the same number of conference games. Winning percentage will determine who hosts the top eight teams for a shot at the conference crown.
NU trails No. 9 Michigan (37-8, 8-2) and Ohio State (27-15, 8-2) for first place. While the Cats have four games remaining in the conference, both the Wolverines and the Buckeyes play six more.
If the Cats sweep their weekend series, they would need the Wolverines and Buckeyes to both lose one of their last six games to clinch the conference crown. If NU loses a game, they would need Michigan and Ohio State to lose twice.
Sophomore Erin Hampshire said playing at home is an advantage, but the team is tough enough to play games on the road.
NU has not lost a road game in the Big Ten this season. Its three losses came in two-game splits with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State at home.
After struggling last week, the Cats seem to be hitting their offensive stride. NU outscored its opponents 27-4 in the past four games – including Tuesday’s 12-0 win at Notre Dame.
“These wins (last) weekend (were) huge for us,” Canney said. “It puts us in a really good position to win the Big Ten and be at our best for the postseason.”
Reach Philip Rossman-Reich at [email protected].
