If Northwestern’s season were a dance, it would be the cha-cha.
It’s no secret the Wildcats started off their campaign on the wrong foot after getting outscored 58-9 in their opening weekend. Without hesitation, NU took one step forward the next week with wins over Connecticut and Rutgers in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. In their third weekend the Cats slipped up, losing two out of three at the Dairy Queen Classic. That has been the story of 2010 for NU.
But recently the Cats have been taking more strides forward than backward. And they have waltzed straight to the top of the Big Ten.
“Sometimes you have to go through those trials and tribulations,” coach Paul Stevens said. “We did, and these guys are dancing pretty well right now. Not that they’re great, not that anybody’s getting called for ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ but we’ve got a few guys that have a little bit of rhythm.”
Chad Noble has certainly gotten in a groove recently. Noble dislocated a finger on his throwing hand earlier in the year and subsequently started at second base, right field and designated hitter. But the catcher is back at his natural position, and he has made his presence felt. Behind the plate, Noble has nailed 16 attempted base stealers, good enough for fourth in the conference. At the plate, the senior is hitting .371, second on the team.
The senior has struggled at times, including an 0-for-4 performance Sunday against Indiana, but he attributes his overall success to his ability to “flush it” and move on.
“I went 0-for-4 today but I really don’t care right now,” Noble said. “I’m just ready for Michigan.”
Taking a page out of Pat Fitzgerald’s book, Stevens has preached this forward-looking mentality.
“The best players I’ve been around are the guys that can sit there and forget,” he said. “They have the worst memories. They do something wrong, they forget about it. They have a bad at-bat, they forget about it. They have a bad play defensively, they forget about it. They have a bad pitching outing, they forget about.”
Stevens embodied his own approach Friday. When designated hitter Colby Everett whiffed at a fastball up in the zone, the freshman kicked his cleats in frustration and appeared to be looking for an answer. No sooner did Stevens yell from the dugout, “Hey, so what? Get the next one.”
That’s the mentality that has worked to right the ship and get the Cats headed in the direction that hardly anyone, other than Stevens, predicted before the season started.
But that’s exactly what this young team needed-a care-free coach who only asks for his players to do the best they can.
The Cats have also done a good job disregarding their struggles of the past. Last year, NU finished with just five Big Ten victories, the fewest of Stevens’ 23-year tenure. Noble pointed to pitching and defense as the difference in this year’s group.
“We’re controlling the game a lot better this year,” he said. “Last year, I’ll tell you what, we had to score about 10 runs a game to get wins.”
No player embodies the Cats newfound success more than sophomore Paul Snieder. As Stevens calls him, “Sniedley” has made a name for himself on the mound and at the plate. Snieder’s sick slider has earned him a conference-leading 10 saves, while his sweet stroke has kept him hovering around the top of the Big Ten with a .393 batting average.Snieder does a different dance than the rest of the Cats, as the Honolulu native bounces to Reggaeton when he strides to the plate. But Stevens and Co. will take whatever they can get.
After all, if NU doesn’t miss a beat in its last two series, the Cats may be dancing well into June.
Sports Editor Robbie Levin is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].
