No. 14 Northwestern finished last weekend as the Big Ten’s only undefeated team. To keep the streak alive, the Wildcats will have to win on the road – again.
Five days after sweeping its doubleheader against Ohio State, NU travels to Illinois and Iowa this weekend for a pair of two-game sets.
The Cats kick things off on Friday with an evening game against the Fighting Illini, and they meet again on Saturday at noon. The Illini have a 22-20 record on the season and have two wins in six Big Ten contests.
NU (20-9, 6-0 Big Ten) defeated Illinois both times they played last season, when the Illini finished five games above .500. This year Illinois is led by senior shortstop Angelena Mexicano, who enters the series with 13 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .364 average on the year. Last year the Cats managed to hold Mexicano to just one hit and one RBI in six at-bats.
NU’s answer to Mexicano at shortstop is junior Tammy Williams. Williams leads the nation with a .539 batting average, and was named a finalist this week for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.
Williams isn’t the only Cats player to be honored this week. Freshman Michelle Batts was named Big Ten Player of the Week after accumulating three home runs, nine RBIs, and a .583 batting average over three games.
After wrapping things up with Illinois on Saturday, the Cats travel to Iowa for a Sunday doubleheader against the Hawkeyes. Iowa (26-12, 4-2) is led by junior Colleen McGlaughlin, who plays both corner infielder spots while hitting .365 on the season with four home runs and 21 RBIs.
Last year NU swept its two games against Iowa, winning 5-1 and 2-1. The Cats pitching held McGlaughlin hitless in five at-bats over the course of the two games.
This year, NU approaches Mexicano and McGlaughlin – and their teams – with a different starting pitcher. Sophomore Lauren Delaney has filled the void at the top of the pitching staff after last year’s ace Eileen Canney graduated.
After back-to-back shutouts Sunday against the Buckeyes, Delaney is at the top of her game.
“I really feel good out there,” Delaney said after last weekend’s victories. “I don’t think there are any big adjustments I need to make. I just need to continue throwing strikes.”
Both Iowa and Illinois return their starting pitching from last season, so there will be few surprises for the Cats at the plate. Iowa’s ace, junior Brittany Weil, has posted a 1.16 ERA this season, more than a half-run lower than Delaney’s 1.79 ERA.
After these games, the Cats return to Evanston for a five-game homestand, but coach Kate Drohan said the team must be focused on winning the game at hand.
“The key to success in the Big Ten,” she said, “is to really focus on each and every game on its own.”
