By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
Northwestern had revenge on its mind traveling into Chicago to face DePaul last season. The Blue Demons knocked the Wildcats out of the 2005 NCAA tournament with a 4-3 win in the Super Regional round. The Cats were looking for a momentum-building win heading into the Big Ten tournament.
NU swept the midweek doubleheader and rode the momentum into its first Women’s College World Series appearance in 20 years.
The No. 14 Blue Demons (35-7) hope to return the favor as they visit the No. 7 Cats (41-10) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field today. The battle could determine which team gets to host a regional site in the NCAA tournament later this month.
The two teams have established a rivalry and both will be looking for wins to impress the selection committee and gain confidence and momentum heading into the teams’ respective conference tournaments.
“We’re going to have to be ready to play our best game,” senior center fielder Katie Logan said. “These games against DePaul mean so much. There is a lot riding on them – the rivalry and the fact that we could host (a regional) if we beat them. Winning these games definitely will get us really excited to go out in next weekend’s games and win the Big Ten title as well.”
NU holds a 31-14 all-time advantage over its crosstown rivals. Under coach Kate Drohan, the Cats are 5-4 against the Blue Demons. Two of the teams’ last seven games have gone into extra innings.
Like last year, the teams are playing at the end of the season while both try to position themselves for the postseason.
NU has finished conference play, but needs one Ohio State loss to win its second-consecutive Big Ten championship and to host the conference tournament. But the Cats have not faced a ranked team since defeating No. 8 Michigan 4-3 at the beginning of their conference schedule.
The game against DePaul will have a playoff atmosphere not just because it is a clash of two ranked teams, but also because it is NU’s last tune-up before the postseason begins.
“I think that each game that we play now has more and more meaning or importance,” senior pitcher Eileen Canney said. “If we keep it simple, then we can play our best in that moment and it will take it as far as we want to go.”
Canney said the team has had a playoff mentality since its 11-4 loss to the Wolverines in its Big Ten opener. She said the team knew then it would have to win every game in order to accomplish all its goals.
The team has answered the call. The Cats have begun to play their best softball as the postseason approaches. NU has won eight straight games – including its first four-game series sweep in the Big Ten – averaging 6.4 runs per game during the streak.
Drohan said she is happy to see the team finishing strong after struggling a couple weeks ago.
“It’s really important for us to position ourselves for the postseason,” Drohan said. “No matter what happens next weekend, we need to finish with momentum. That’s what the committee really looks at. So I really like how the way our team is playing right now. We hit some rough spots so it’s good to get our hitters going again and get those pitchers going again.”
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