2023 Softball Roster

kelsey nader outfield
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader and izzy cunnea
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader and isabel cunnea vs. rutgers
Photo by: 2025 Dakota Moyer Photography
kelsey nader sportscenter top 10 incredible catch
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader and bridget donahey vs notre dame
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader HR vs. MSU
Kelsey Nader home run vs. longwood
Photo by: Connor Cunningham/Northwestern Athletics
Photo by: Cami Henry/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader vs. duke 2025
kelsey nader and kansas robinson
kelsey nader
Photo by: Caden Greco/Northwestern Athletics
kelsey nader and kate drohan
kelsey nader at ohio state
kelsey nader clearwater invitational vs georgia tech
kelsey nader 2024 kajikawa classic
Northwestern baseball Walter Athletic Center on 01/06/2023 in Evanston, Illinois. John Konstantaras/Northwestern Athletics | http://JohnKonPhoto.com
Jersey Number 7

Kelsey Nader

  • Class:
    First-Year
  • High School:
    Canton High School
  • Hometown:
    Canton, Michigan
2025: Started all 51 games for Northwestern … Finished with a .340 average, .954 OPS, and 21 RBI … Led the team with a .454 on-base percentage and 17 multi-hit games … Opened the season with a pair of hits and a run scored in a win over Kennesaw State (2/7) … Reached and scored a run in a 4-1 win over No. 8 Duke (2/8) … Reached base three times on two hits and a walk, and stole a base against No. 5 Tennessee (2/8) … Walked and singled against No. 8 LSU (2/14) … Doubled, walked, and scored twice in a win over UT Arlington (2/15) … Picked up a hit and a stolen base in another matchup with No. 8 LSU (2/15) … Drove in two runs with a triple in a weekend finale win over UT Arlington (2/16) … Drove in two runs with a double and came around to score in a win over Utah (2/22) … Batted .500 (7-for-14) at the Cardinal Classic (2/28-3/2) … Blasted a two-run homer in a win over Longwood (3/1) … Posted a .667 on-base percentage (10-for-15) over the opening weekend of Big Ten play against Penn State and Michigan State (3/13-15) … Blasted her second homer of the season against Michigan State (3/15) … Batted .667 (4-for-6) in a three game set against Mississippi State (3/21-22) … Doubled twice and drove in three runs in a four-hit performance against Minnesota (3/29) … Notched two hits and scored twice against Notre Dame (4/1) … Posted two hits including a double and came around to score twice in a win over Loyola Chicago (4/16) … Hit .364 (4-for-11) with two doubles, a run batted in, and two runs scored in a series win over Wisconsin (4/25-27) … Batted .444 (4-for-9) with a run batted in and two runs scored in a series win at UCLA (5/2-4) … Turned in a two-hit performance in a NCAA tournament win over Kentucky (5/16).

2024: Started 47 games as a sophomore … First Team All-Big Ten … Finished with a .375 average, good for eighth in the Big Ten … Racked up eight doubles and eight home runs while only striking out 11 times in 174 plate appearances … Posted two hits including a double in the season opener against Boise State (2/9) … Recorded three hits including a home run and a double as well as two RBI in a win over Georgia Tech (2/17) … Knocked in two runs in a victory over South Carolina (3/17) … Launched three homers in a pair of wins against Michigan State, driving in seven runs in the process (3/23-24) … Notched three hits and three RBI in a road win over Ohio State (3/29) … Reached base safely in 11 straight games (4/20-5/18) … Drove in three runs and blasted a homer against Indiana (5/3) … Hit a home run and drove in two runs in a Regional matchup against Texas (5/18) … Drove in two runs in a Regional win over St. Francis (5/18) … Finished the Regional with four hits, four RBI, and one home run in four games (5/17-19).

2023: Started 48 games in right field as a first-year ... Big Ten All-Freshman Team ... Hit .315 and scored 26 runs ... Started in right field in the season-opener against South Alabama (2/10) ... Picked up the first two hits of her career, including a game-tying, two-run single in the sixth inning, and notched two walks and two runs scored in a win over No. 6 Texas (2/10) ... Went 3-for-4 against No. 13 Tennessee (2/11) ... Tallied a double, walk, RBI, and two runs scored in a win over Notre Dame (2/19) ... Notched a hit and two runs scored in a win over No. 19 Kentucky (2/25) ... Went 2-for-2 with a walk against Toledo (3/5) ... Smoked a RBI-double and scored a run against Louisville (3/5) ... Tallied a single, RBI, run scored, and stolen base to help beat Iowa (4/1) ... Crushed her first-career home run against Illinois (4/5) ... Went 2-for-4 against Penn State (4/7) ... Recorded two hits, four RBI and three runs scored against Penn State (4/8) ... Singled and stole a base against Wisconsin (4/15) ... Doubled and singled against Michigan (4/21) ... Tallied a single, run scored, and stolen base against Michigan (4/23) ... Went 6-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBI in a three-game sweep of Nebraska (4/28-30) ... Doubled twice and drove in two runs against Rutgers (5/5) ... Drove in all three Northwestern runs with a two-run triple and RBI-single to beat Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (5/11) ... Went 4-for-8 with two RBI in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional (5/26-28).

Career Highs:
At-Bats...................... 5 (3x), last at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Hits.......................................... 4, at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Runs....................... 3 (6x), last vs. Notre Dame (4/1/25)
RBI................... 4 (2x), last vs. Michigan State (3/23/24)
Doubles................... 2 (2x), last vs. Minnesota (3/29/25)
Home Runs.................... 2, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Total Bases.................... 8, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Walks.............................. 3 vs. Michigan State (3/16/25)
Stolen Bases........................ 2, vs. Penn State (3/13/25)

High School: Team captain for sophomore, junior and senior seasons … Varsity all four years (sophomore season canceled due to COVID-19) … Recorded a .435 batting average her junior year with 37 hits, four home runs and 22 stolen bases … Helped team to district and league regional championship titles her freshman year … Earned All-State honors following her junior season … Named to All-District, All-Region and All-Conference teams in 2019 and 2021 … Rookie of the year in 2019 … Extra Innings National Player of the Week runner up June 29, 2021 … Ranked the 37th-best outfielder in the nation by Extra Innings Softball … Played 10 years with Finesse Dreher/Lesko club team … Helped team to USA Softball 16U Gold National Championship … Hit a walk-off grand slam to help her team to a top-10 finish at the Colorado Sparkler Tournament … Also played volleyball in her freshman and sophomore years … Honor roll … Daughter of Robert and Nancy Nader … Anticipated major at Northwestern is engineering.
 
Kate Drohan on Nader: "Kelsey is a left-handed outfielder with great speed who has also developed power to all fields. She is a gritty player who always brings the juice. Whether it is small ball, hitting a gap or making a diving catch, Nader does whatever the game asks of her."
Softball - 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