April 29, 2004
Michigan/DePaul Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Unlike the spring weather in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern has been hot of late. Winners of 11 of their last 12 contests, the Wildcats (28-14) have turned a 1-4 Big Ten start into a 10-6 conference mark -- currently good for fourth place. The biggest challenge of the season will come this Sunday when Northwestern plays host to the Big Ten leader, sixth-ranked Michigan.
NU is coming off another successful weekend in conference, posting a 3-1 record against Indiana and Purdue. Two of those wins came by way of the mercy rule, the first such Big Ten games for the Wildcats since current assistant coach Lauren Schwendimann threw a perfect game March 23, 2000, against the Wolverines.
Last week NU also made a significant dent in the Wildcat record books. Sophomore Kristen Amegin (W. Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) broke the school's single-season home run and walks record while classmate Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) became only the second pitcher in Northwestern history to strike out 200 batters in consecutive seasons.
Amegin and freshman Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) swept last week's Big Ten Player/Pitcher of the Week awards, the second time NU has swept the honors this season. The Wildcats have earned three of the last four weekly awards from the conference.
Northwestern has won three of its last four games against Michigan at home, including a sweep of the Wolverines in 2000. NU also handed UM its first loss of last year's Big Ten Tournament. Northwestern has no-hit the Wolverines three times, including Schwendimann's perfect game, the most against any single opponent.
Before the first game Sunday, Northwestern will celebrate its 1984 Big Ten Championship team, which finished third at the Women's College World Series. Two-time All-American Lisa Ishikawa will throw out the first pitch before the initial game at Noon. Between contests the 1984 squad will be recognized along with this year's Wildcat seniors: Carri Leto, J.C. Kira and Eryn Manahan.
Michigan begins the weekend by traveling to in-state rival Michigan State before heading to Evanston Sunday. The Wolverines enter the weekend with a 44-7 overall record, 15-1 in the Big Ten. Jessica Merchant paces UM at the plate, batting .347 with a team-best 10 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and an astronomical .810 slugging percentage.
Nicole Motycka and Jennie Ritter handle most of the innings in the circle for Michigan, both posting ERA's of 0.75 or better. Ritter (19-4) currently averages 8.99 strikeouts per seven innings, trailing NU's Foster (9.02) for the Big Ten lead in the category. Motycka (17-3) has a team-high four saves.
Following its doubleheader with Michigan, Northwestern will travel to DePaul for a Wednesday twin-bill. The Wildcats last met the Demons in 2002, splitting a pair of games against the then No. 17 ranked team in the nation. The games will mark the end of competition against nonconference opponents for the year.