Softball

Following the rainout of a midweek matchup against the University of Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday, Northwestern (20-11, 8-0 Big Ten) will set off for Minneapolis with its undefeated conference record on the line.

This weekend, the Wildcats face off against No. 11 Minnesota (30-7, 6-3) in a three game series. NU is looking to remain atop the Big Ten conference standings, as it’s the only remaining undefeated team.

The Golden Gophers currently sit in fifth place after recently dropping two out of three games to Michigan last weekend.

Much of the Cats’ success this season has come on the heels of their high-powered offense. NU is averaging 9 runs per game in Big Ten play and has outscored their opponents 72-20.

However, the Cats are not the only team in the conference with a dynamic offense. Big Ten teams have scored an average of 7.6 runs per game in conference contests, and Minnesota averages 6.8.

Junior Kristen Wood, who won Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for her performances against Purdue last weekend, leads the conference with a 1.32 ERA in Big Ten games, and will try to curb the Gophers’ offensive output this weekend.

The first game of the series begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

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