Jordan Wheeler rarely gets a day off when Northwestern is in action.
The senior outfielder has played in all but eight of the Wildcats’ games since her freshman year, starting 172 of the 177 games in which she has appeared. Wheeler is currently playing the best softball of her career statistically, something she attributes to the team’s increased will to win.
“We came into this year with a lot more passion,” Wheeler said, “a lot more fight and a will to make things go our way.”
Her best season had been her freshman campaign during which she hit a career high .255 with 20 runs and 10 RBIs in 54 games played. Her average steadily decreased to .234 her sophomore year and then .229 last season. She is currently hitting .326 on the season, which is fourth-best on the team. In conference play, she has stepped up her game, hitting .367 and driving in six of her 10 RBIs on the year.
Wheeler is currently in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak during which she has batted .444. She has scored a run in each of the Cats’ last six games, and coach Kate Drohan said it was important for Wheeler to be on the field.
“Jordan is a great competitor,” Drohan said. “She has a great presence. The reason she’s on a roll right now is number one, pitch selection, and number two, she’s not trying to do too much with it.”
Wheeler is also an important part of grooming the next great crop of outfielders for the Cats. Freshman Mari Majam is one of those who will likely be one of the replacements in the outfield upon Wheeler’s graduation. Majam said Wheeler and the rest of the seniors have helped her improve her game tremendously.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Majam said. “I came in as an infielder so switching to the outfield, there are a lot of things, like how the ball goes off the fence, that (the seniors) know all about.”
When Wheeler came to NU she was only hoping to play hard, compete and have fun. For Wheeler, just being in the outfield has been her favorite moment as a Cat.
“I love playing the outfield,” Wheeler said. “I love sprinting all out and diving for the ball or running through a breakaway fence and seeing the ball in my glove.”
After having three games rained out this week including a midweek doubleheader against Purdue, NU will hope to carry momentum from their sweep of Ohio State into the weekend set with Illinois.
