Fresh off its second straight Big Ten championship and a run to the NCAA Tournament’s super regionals, Northwestern will travel to Arizona to begin its upcoming season at the Kajikawa Classic this weekend.
The Wildcats finished 2023 with a 42-13 record — including a 20-3 Big Ten gauntlet — and they ended the season undefeated at home. NU fell just short of a return to the Women’s College World Series, dropping the final super regional game by just one run to No. 5 Alabama.
After a productive offseason that included a multi-year contract extension for coach Kate Drohan, the team now faces the challenge of rebuilding after losing five veteran stars who have been instrumental to the team’s success.
The ’Cats were one of two Big Ten teams included in ESPN’s preseason ranking, polling at No. 25. Nebraska ranked eight spots higher at No. 17.
The squad will square off against Boise State and Arizona State on opening day Friday, followed by two games with Weber State and one with St. Thomas to round out the weekend.
Here are three things to keep tabs on as NU gears up for opening weekend.
1. Who becomes the new battery?
For the last five years, having Danielle Williams on the mound was synonymous with success for the ’Cats.
The four-time first-team All-Big Ten pitcher led the team to a program-high 106 wins in 174 appearances, including 32 shutouts.
NU also bid farewell to the other half of its electric battery –– Jordyn Rudd –– whose departure leaves a void not only behind the plate but also in the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
Drohan will likely look to senior Lauren Boyd and graduate transfer Ashley Miller to fill Williams’ hole in the rotation.
Boyd is coming off her best season in the circle, where she boasted a 2.88 ERA in 26 appearances — and a 1.67 ERA against conference opponents. She made 18 starts last season but will likely play a far bigger role in 2024.
Miller joins the ’Cats as a graduate transfer from Michigan State. Like Williams, Miller recorded more strikeouts than innings pitched last year as a Spartan, tallying 129 strikeouts in 114.1 innings.
2. Sophomore sluggers stepping up
As freshmen last year, infielder Kansas Robinson and outfielder Kelsey Nader solidified themselves as integral parts of NU’s winning offense.
The pair rounded out spots in a lineup that was dominated primarily by seasoned upperclassmen like Rudd and Skyler Shellmyer. This season, they are likely to take on more prominent roles.
Both Robinson and Nader were named to the All-Big Ten freshman team last season, and Robinson held the team’s second-best on base plus slugging percentage.
3. Good early season tests for the ’Cats
While none of the teams NU is scheduled to face this weekend appeared in last year’s NCAA tournament, the squad should anticipate solid competition as they kick off their season in Arizona.
Weber State and Boise State have each made two postseason runs in the last five years, while Arizona State has appeared four times.
All five matchups this weekend should aid the ’Cats in fine-tuning their performance as they seek to launch another successful season with a developing young core.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @AudreyPachuta
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