Friday, April 18
Piscataway, NJ
2 pm CT
Northwestern
at
Rutgers
'Cats Head to Rutgers For Big Ten Series
4/17/2025 8:46:00 PM | Softball
PISCATAWAY, NJ – Northwestern resumes conference play with a three-game road series at Rutgers, beginning this Friday.
The Wildcats and Scarlet Knights open the series at 2 pm CT on Friday, followed by a 2 pm CT meeting on Saturday, before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 12 pm CT. All three games can be streamed live on B1G+.
Northwestern enters the weekend with a 21-15-1 record on the season and a 9-4 mark in conference play, currently sitting fourth in the conference standings behind Oregon (12-1), UCLA (12-1) and Nebraska (11-3).
Most recently, the Wildcats earned a 13-0 run-rule victory over Loyola Chicago on Wednesday to wrap up an eight-game homestand at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. 13 different Wildcats combined for 15 total hits in the game, the most players recording a hit in a single game since 13 different Wildcats posted 18 hits on April 8, 2023 as Northwestern scored a program record 24 runs in a 24-6 win over Penn State.
Multiple Wildcats recorded career firsts in Wednesday's five-inning win over the Ramblers: Signe Dohse hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning for her first-career homer, Kate Dowden recorded her first-career extra-base hit with a leadoff triple to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, Lauren Curry proceeded to drive Dowden in with an RBI pinch-hit single for her first-career hit, and Grace Minarovic recorded her first-career RBI with a single off the left field wall.
Riley Grudzielanek earned the win in the circle on Wednesday, allowing one hit in 4.0 innings of work while retiring 12 of the 15 batters she faced en route to earning her eighth win of the season. In six conference appearances this season, Grudzielanek leads the team with a 2.07 ERA (8 ER/27.0 IP), the fifth-best mark among all Big Ten pitchers, to go along with four conference wins and a .227 opponent batting average (eighth in the Big Ten).
Lauren Boyd enters the weekend leading the Wildcats this season in ERA (3.00), WHIP (1.24) strikeouts (69) and opponent batting average (.231). In her last outing vs. Nebraska this past Monday, Boyd allowed just two earned runs while holding a potent Husker lineup to five hits in 6.1 innings pitched while striking out three. Boyd has now thrown 6.0+ innings in seven different starts this season, including four of her last five outings. Boyd and Grudzielanek each have thrown six complete games to date this season, tied for ninth-most among Big Ten pitchers. Northwestern is one of just three schools (also UCLA and Iowa) to have multiple pitchers with 6+ complete games on the year.
Kansas Robinson recorded her team-leading 30th RBI of the season in Wednesday's win over Loyola. Robinson has driven in 20 RBI in her last 10 games while posting a .483 batting average (14-for-29). Half of Robinson's RBI (15) have come in the Wildcats' 13 conference games, which ranks 11th among all Big Ten players.
Kaylie Avvisato hit her fourth home run of the season, and her second in the past five games, to open the scoring in Wednesday's win vs. Loyola. Avvisato leads the Wildcats in batting average (.368), hits (43), total bases (65) and stolen bases (19) entering this weekend. She is one stolen base shy of becoming the first Wildcat to record 20+ stolen bases in a season since Skyler Shellmyer (20) in 2023 and the first Wildcat rookie to do so since Rachel Lewis (24) in 2018. The Leesburg, Virginia native's .368 average is currently on pace to be the highest by a Wildcat rookie since Sabrina Rabin posted a .394 mark as a first-year in 2015.
Northwestern leads the all-time series vs. Rutgers, 13-1, most recently taking two of three games in a weekend series at Piscataway to wrap up the 2023 regular season. Dating back to 2018, the Wildcats have scored 89 runs in 11 total games (8.1 runs/gm) against Rutgers while holding the Scarlet Knights to just 27 runs (2.5 runs/gm).
Following this weekend, Northwestern will travel across the city for a meeting with UIC on Tuesday at 6 pm CT under the lights at Flames Field. The 'Cats then return home next weekend for their final home series of the season against Wisconsin, beginning on Friday, April 25.
The Wildcats and Scarlet Knights open the series at 2 pm CT on Friday, followed by a 2 pm CT meeting on Saturday, before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 12 pm CT. All three games can be streamed live on B1G+.
Northwestern enters the weekend with a 21-15-1 record on the season and a 9-4 mark in conference play, currently sitting fourth in the conference standings behind Oregon (12-1), UCLA (12-1) and Nebraska (11-3).
Most recently, the Wildcats earned a 13-0 run-rule victory over Loyola Chicago on Wednesday to wrap up an eight-game homestand at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. 13 different Wildcats combined for 15 total hits in the game, the most players recording a hit in a single game since 13 different Wildcats posted 18 hits on April 8, 2023 as Northwestern scored a program record 24 runs in a 24-6 win over Penn State.
Multiple Wildcats recorded career firsts in Wednesday's five-inning win over the Ramblers: Signe Dohse hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning for her first-career homer, Kate Dowden recorded her first-career extra-base hit with a leadoff triple to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, Lauren Curry proceeded to drive Dowden in with an RBI pinch-hit single for her first-career hit, and Grace Minarovic recorded her first-career RBI with a single off the left field wall.
Riley Grudzielanek earned the win in the circle on Wednesday, allowing one hit in 4.0 innings of work while retiring 12 of the 15 batters she faced en route to earning her eighth win of the season. In six conference appearances this season, Grudzielanek leads the team with a 2.07 ERA (8 ER/27.0 IP), the fifth-best mark among all Big Ten pitchers, to go along with four conference wins and a .227 opponent batting average (eighth in the Big Ten).
Lauren Boyd enters the weekend leading the Wildcats this season in ERA (3.00), WHIP (1.24) strikeouts (69) and opponent batting average (.231). In her last outing vs. Nebraska this past Monday, Boyd allowed just two earned runs while holding a potent Husker lineup to five hits in 6.1 innings pitched while striking out three. Boyd has now thrown 6.0+ innings in seven different starts this season, including four of her last five outings. Boyd and Grudzielanek each have thrown six complete games to date this season, tied for ninth-most among Big Ten pitchers. Northwestern is one of just three schools (also UCLA and Iowa) to have multiple pitchers with 6+ complete games on the year.
Kansas Robinson recorded her team-leading 30th RBI of the season in Wednesday's win over Loyola. Robinson has driven in 20 RBI in her last 10 games while posting a .483 batting average (14-for-29). Half of Robinson's RBI (15) have come in the Wildcats' 13 conference games, which ranks 11th among all Big Ten players.
Kaylie Avvisato hit her fourth home run of the season, and her second in the past five games, to open the scoring in Wednesday's win vs. Loyola. Avvisato leads the Wildcats in batting average (.368), hits (43), total bases (65) and stolen bases (19) entering this weekend. She is one stolen base shy of becoming the first Wildcat to record 20+ stolen bases in a season since Skyler Shellmyer (20) in 2023 and the first Wildcat rookie to do so since Rachel Lewis (24) in 2018. The Leesburg, Virginia native's .368 average is currently on pace to be the highest by a Wildcat rookie since Sabrina Rabin posted a .394 mark as a first-year in 2015.
Northwestern leads the all-time series vs. Rutgers, 13-1, most recently taking two of three games in a weekend series at Piscataway to wrap up the 2023 regular season. Dating back to 2018, the Wildcats have scored 89 runs in 11 total games (8.1 runs/gm) against Rutgers while holding the Scarlet Knights to just 27 runs (2.5 runs/gm).
Following this weekend, Northwestern will travel across the city for a meeting with UIC on Tuesday at 6 pm CT under the lights at Flames Field. The 'Cats then return home next weekend for their final home series of the season against Wisconsin, beginning on Friday, April 25.
Players Mentioned
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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
