Friday, May 16
Clemson, SC
1 pm CT
Northwestern
vs
Kentucky
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Head to Clemson for NCAA Regional
5/15/2025 10:02:00 AM | Softball
CLEMSON, SC – Northwestern kicks off the first weekend of NCAA Softball regionals with a trip to Clemson, South Carolina for the Clemson Regional beginning on Friday, May 16.
The Wildcats join No. 11 overall seed Clemson, Kentucky and USC-Upstate in a four-team double-elimination regional field. The winner will advance to next weekend's best-of-three NCAA Super Regionals, taking place from May 23-25. Northwestern opens the weekend action this Friday, facing off against Kentucky at 1 pm CT on ESPN+.
Northwestern has now qualified for seven-consecutive NCAA Tournaments, matching a program record (also done 2003-09). The Wildcats have earned a berth in 10 of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments, and 18 of the 24 years under Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan. Under the Drohan's, Northwestern has won seven regional titles and made three trips to the Women's College World Series.
This marks the fourth time Northwestern and Kentucky have been matched up in the same regional. Four of the five all-time matchups between the two Wildcats have come in the postseason, as Kentucky leads the all-time series, 2-3. However, Northwestern has won its last two meetings against Kentucky, both of which came in 2023. Most recently in the Evanston Regional on May 20, 2023, Northwestern rallied with eight runs in the third inning–during which a first-year Kansas Robinson hit two home runs in the same inning–en route to a 10-8 victory.
Robinson leads the team this season with a career-high 38 RBI after leading the team with 36 RBI in 2024. She is on track to become the first Wildcat to lead the team in RBI in consecutive seasons since Andrea Filler did so in 2016 and 2017. Robinson's fellow junior, Bridget Donahey currently leads the team this season in OPS (1.047) and slugging percentage (.595) while ranking second on the team in on-base percentage (.452) after posting a .450 OBP last season. Donahey is looking to become the first Wildcat to post consecutive seasons with an on-base percentage of .450 or better since Rachel Lewis in 2021 and 2022.
In Northwestern's last three weeks of the regular season, the Wildcats went 9-2 with five run-rule victories while outscoring their opponents 83-34 in that span. In those 11 games, the 'Cats were hitting .330 (99-for-300) with a .547 slugging percentage as a team. Isabel Cunnea led the team during that span with five multi-hit games while hitting a team-best .467 (14-for-30) with a .600 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage to go along with a team-high 10 RBI. Cunnea leads the team this season a .357 batting average (41-for-115), raising her average by nearly .150 points from her 2024 mark.
Boyd and Kaylie Avvisato each earned Big Ten postseason honors last week, with Boyd being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team in what marked her first-ever all-conference selection, while Avvisato was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Avvisato leads the team this season with 55 hits, the most by an NU rookie since Jordyn Rudd (57) in 2019, and ranks second with a .355 batting average, the highest by a Wildcat first-year since Sabrina Rabin (.394) in 2015. Her team-high 22 stolen bases leads all first-years in the Big Ten.
Boyd is 6-0 with a 1.60 ERA (8 ER/35.0 IP) and four complete game performances over her last six starts. The graduate student from Union, Missouri earned National Pitcher of the Week recognition following two dominant outings at UCLA to close the regular season.
Northwestern has made one trip to Clemson prior to this weekend, traveling to face the Tigers twice as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in 2023. Clemson took the pair of 2023 matchups at McWhorter Stadium, with Boyd tossing a complete game (7.0 IP, 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts) in the latter game.
The Wildcats hold a 48-39 record (.552) in the postseason under Drohan, and a 36-23 record (.610) in the NCAA Regional round. The 'Cats have advanced to the Regional Finals 11 times under Drohan, including each of their last three tournament appearances.
The Wildcats join No. 11 overall seed Clemson, Kentucky and USC-Upstate in a four-team double-elimination regional field. The winner will advance to next weekend's best-of-three NCAA Super Regionals, taking place from May 23-25. Northwestern opens the weekend action this Friday, facing off against Kentucky at 1 pm CT on ESPN+.
Northwestern has now qualified for seven-consecutive NCAA Tournaments, matching a program record (also done 2003-09). The Wildcats have earned a berth in 10 of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments, and 18 of the 24 years under Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan. Under the Drohan's, Northwestern has won seven regional titles and made three trips to the Women's College World Series.
This marks the fourth time Northwestern and Kentucky have been matched up in the same regional. Four of the five all-time matchups between the two Wildcats have come in the postseason, as Kentucky leads the all-time series, 2-3. However, Northwestern has won its last two meetings against Kentucky, both of which came in 2023. Most recently in the Evanston Regional on May 20, 2023, Northwestern rallied with eight runs in the third inning–during which a first-year Kansas Robinson hit two home runs in the same inning–en route to a 10-8 victory.
Two Homers. One Inning.@kansas_robinson built DIFFERENT. pic.twitter.com/CssXOfHhTT
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 20, 2023
Robinson leads the team this season with a career-high 38 RBI after leading the team with 36 RBI in 2024. She is on track to become the first Wildcat to lead the team in RBI in consecutive seasons since Andrea Filler did so in 2016 and 2017. Robinson's fellow junior, Bridget Donahey currently leads the team this season in OPS (1.047) and slugging percentage (.595) while ranking second on the team in on-base percentage (.452) after posting a .450 OBP last season. Donahey is looking to become the first Wildcat to post consecutive seasons with an on-base percentage of .450 or better since Rachel Lewis in 2021 and 2022.
In Northwestern's last three weeks of the regular season, the Wildcats went 9-2 with five run-rule victories while outscoring their opponents 83-34 in that span. In those 11 games, the 'Cats were hitting .330 (99-for-300) with a .547 slugging percentage as a team. Isabel Cunnea led the team during that span with five multi-hit games while hitting a team-best .467 (14-for-30) with a .600 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage to go along with a team-high 10 RBI. Cunnea leads the team this season a .357 batting average (41-for-115), raising her average by nearly .150 points from her 2024 mark.
Boyd and Kaylie Avvisato each earned Big Ten postseason honors last week, with Boyd being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team in what marked her first-ever all-conference selection, while Avvisato was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Avvisato leads the team this season with 55 hits, the most by an NU rookie since Jordyn Rudd (57) in 2019, and ranks second with a .355 batting average, the highest by a Wildcat first-year since Sabrina Rabin (.394) in 2015. Her team-high 22 stolen bases leads all first-years in the Big Ten.
Boyd is 6-0 with a 1.60 ERA (8 ER/35.0 IP) and four complete game performances over her last six starts. The graduate student from Union, Missouri earned National Pitcher of the Week recognition following two dominant outings at UCLA to close the regular season.
Northwestern has made one trip to Clemson prior to this weekend, traveling to face the Tigers twice as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in 2023. Clemson took the pair of 2023 matchups at McWhorter Stadium, with Boyd tossing a complete game (7.0 IP, 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts) in the latter game.
The Wildcats hold a 48-39 record (.552) in the postseason under Drohan, and a 36-23 record (.610) in the NCAA Regional round. The 'Cats have advanced to the Regional Finals 11 times under Drohan, including each of their last three tournament appearances.
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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
