Friday, March 28
Minneapolis, Minn.
3 pm CT
Northwestern
at
Minnesota
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
'Cats Resume Conference Play with Weekend Trip to Minnesota
3/27/2025 4:39:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – After a four-game homestand, Northwestern hits the road for a Big Ten weekend series against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
Inclement weather in the forecast has shifted the weekend schedule: the 'Cats and Gophers will now play a Friday doubleheader beginning at 3 pm CT. The teams are scheduled to wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at 2 pm CT. Additional updates throughout the weekend can be found on the Northwestern Softball Twitter feed. All three games will be streamed live on B1G+.
Two weekends ago, the Wildcats swept their opening weekend of conference play in Oklahoma City, winning a pair of two-game sets against both Penn State and Michigan State. Northwestern and Michigan are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Big Ten, sitting atop the conference standings at 4-0. The Wildcats combined to outscore Penn State and Michigan State 40-18 over four games in OKC, scoring runs in 20-of-26 innings including a stretch of 14-consecutive innings over the course of three games.
The Wildcats have now won 18-consecutive Big Ten series, dating back to the start of the 2023 season. Over the past three seasons, the Wildcats boast an .861 winning percentage (62-10) in Big Ten play, the highest mark in the conference.
Minnesota holds a narrow 66-64 advantage in the all-time series, having won each of the last five series that have been played in Minnesota dating back to 2014. Northwestern, however, has won five-straight games against the Gophers, earning a 5-2 victory on March 17 last season in Columbia, South Carolina and sweeping a three-game series in Evanston in 2023.
Most recently, Northwestern secured an 11-2 run-rule victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The Wildcats scored five runs in the first inning and six in the second frame to cruise to their fourth run-rule victory of the season. Six different Wildcats combined for 10 total hits. Bridget Donahey led the way for the NU offense, tallying the first three-hit game of her career as she finished 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and a career-high four RBI. Donahey leads the team this season with five homers, 20 runs scored and a .627 slugging percentage.
Four different Wildcat hitters currently boast a batting average above .300 on the season, led by first-year Kaylie Avvisato. Avvisato currently leads the team in hits (33), RBI (19), stolen bases (12), and batting average (.388). The last Wildcat to hit above .400 in a season was Marisa Bast in 2012, a season in which she was named an NFCA Third Team All-American. Avvisato's 12 stolen bases have already surpassed the total from any NU player from the 2024 season, she is looking to become the first Wildcat rookie to steal 20+ bases in a season since Rachel Lewis stole 24 in 2018, a season in which she was named an NFCA Second Team All-American.
Kelsey Nader enters this weekend on a 13-game reached base streak, during which she has raised her batting average .157 points up to .342 (25-for-73) on the season. Nader's .489 on-base percentage currently leads the team, and she has reached base in 22-of-31 total plate appearances over the Wildcats' last eight games. Last season, Nader led the Wildcats in Big Ten play with a .473 batting average (35-for-74) to go along with a team-best 20 RBI and 22 runs scored. Her 35 hits and .473 batting average in conference play ranked second among all players in the conference, trailing only the Big Ten Player of the Year, Jess Oakland (Minnesota).
Grace Nieto is currently hitting .364 (28-for-77) on the year and has recorded a hit in 11-of-13 games for the 'Cats since she moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup. On the season, Nieto is hitting .414 (12-for-29) when leading off an inning, and also holds a team-best .421 batting average (8-for-19) with runners in scoring position.
In the circle, Lauren Boyd and Riley Grudzielanek are tied for the team lead with six wins apiece. Boyd is 5-0 with two saves, 34 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA (10 ER/32.1 IP) in her last seven outings, most recently throwing a 127-pitch complete game in a 4-2 win over No. 19 Mississippi State on Saturday. In Northwestern's opening weekend of Big Ten action, Grudzielanek went 3-0 in three appearances and posted a 1.66 ERA (3 ER/12.2 IP) and a .190 opposing batting average while adding 10 strikeouts.
Following this weekend, Northwestern returns home for an eight-game homestand in the month of April, including a midweek matchup vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 1 and back-to-back Big Ten series vs. Illinois (April 5-7) and Nebraska (April 12-14) in a new Saturday-Sunday-Monday series format.
Inclement weather in the forecast has shifted the weekend schedule: the 'Cats and Gophers will now play a Friday doubleheader beginning at 3 pm CT. The teams are scheduled to wrap up the weekend series on Saturday at 2 pm CT. Additional updates throughout the weekend can be found on the Northwestern Softball Twitter feed. All three games will be streamed live on B1G+.
Two weekends ago, the Wildcats swept their opening weekend of conference play in Oklahoma City, winning a pair of two-game sets against both Penn State and Michigan State. Northwestern and Michigan are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Big Ten, sitting atop the conference standings at 4-0. The Wildcats combined to outscore Penn State and Michigan State 40-18 over four games in OKC, scoring runs in 20-of-26 innings including a stretch of 14-consecutive innings over the course of three games.
The Wildcats have now won 18-consecutive Big Ten series, dating back to the start of the 2023 season. Over the past three seasons, the Wildcats boast an .861 winning percentage (62-10) in Big Ten play, the highest mark in the conference.
Minnesota holds a narrow 66-64 advantage in the all-time series, having won each of the last five series that have been played in Minnesota dating back to 2014. Northwestern, however, has won five-straight games against the Gophers, earning a 5-2 victory on March 17 last season in Columbia, South Carolina and sweeping a three-game series in Evanston in 2023.
Most recently, Northwestern secured an 11-2 run-rule victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The Wildcats scored five runs in the first inning and six in the second frame to cruise to their fourth run-rule victory of the season. Six different Wildcats combined for 10 total hits. Bridget Donahey led the way for the NU offense, tallying the first three-hit game of her career as she finished 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and a career-high four RBI. Donahey leads the team this season with five homers, 20 runs scored and a .627 slugging percentage.
Four different Wildcat hitters currently boast a batting average above .300 on the season, led by first-year Kaylie Avvisato. Avvisato currently leads the team in hits (33), RBI (19), stolen bases (12), and batting average (.388). The last Wildcat to hit above .400 in a season was Marisa Bast in 2012, a season in which she was named an NFCA Third Team All-American. Avvisato's 12 stolen bases have already surpassed the total from any NU player from the 2024 season, she is looking to become the first Wildcat rookie to steal 20+ bases in a season since Rachel Lewis stole 24 in 2018, a season in which she was named an NFCA Second Team All-American.
Kelsey Nader enters this weekend on a 13-game reached base streak, during which she has raised her batting average .157 points up to .342 (25-for-73) on the season. Nader's .489 on-base percentage currently leads the team, and she has reached base in 22-of-31 total plate appearances over the Wildcats' last eight games. Last season, Nader led the Wildcats in Big Ten play with a .473 batting average (35-for-74) to go along with a team-best 20 RBI and 22 runs scored. Her 35 hits and .473 batting average in conference play ranked second among all players in the conference, trailing only the Big Ten Player of the Year, Jess Oakland (Minnesota).
Grace Nieto is currently hitting .364 (28-for-77) on the year and has recorded a hit in 11-of-13 games for the 'Cats since she moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup. On the season, Nieto is hitting .414 (12-for-29) when leading off an inning, and also holds a team-best .421 batting average (8-for-19) with runners in scoring position.
In the circle, Lauren Boyd and Riley Grudzielanek are tied for the team lead with six wins apiece. Boyd is 5-0 with two saves, 34 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA (10 ER/32.1 IP) in her last seven outings, most recently throwing a 127-pitch complete game in a 4-2 win over No. 19 Mississippi State on Saturday. In Northwestern's opening weekend of Big Ten action, Grudzielanek went 3-0 in three appearances and posted a 1.66 ERA (3 ER/12.2 IP) and a .190 opposing batting average while adding 10 strikeouts.
Following this weekend, Northwestern returns home for an eight-game homestand in the month of April, including a midweek matchup vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 1 and back-to-back Big Ten series vs. Illinois (April 5-7) and Nebraska (April 12-14) in a new Saturday-Sunday-Monday series format.
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/ SoftballSoftball - Lauren Boyd Tosses Complete Game Shutout, 'Cats Blank Kentucky in NCAA Regional (5/16/25)
Friday, May 16
Softball - 'Cats Storm Back, Secure Series Victory at No. 8 UCLA (5/4/25)
Sunday, May 04
Softball - 'Cats Earn 8-0 Run-Rule Win at No. 8 UCLA (5/2/25)
Saturday, May 03
Softball - Kaylie Avvisato Hits Walk-Off Home Run, 'Cats Take Series vs. Wisconsin (4/27/25)
Sunday, April 27
