May 7, 2009
Northwestern's Wisconsin Series Game Notes (PDF Format) 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 13 Northwestern concludes its regular season schedule with a pair of games on the Big Ten Network, traveling to Wisconsin for primetime showdowns on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9.
The Wildcats and Badgers will square off at 6 p.m. CT on both nights, with the contests broadcast live in HD to a national audience by the Big Ten Network. The game times are changes from the schedule originally publicized at the beginning of the year to account for the television broadcast.
Following the series this weekend, Northwestern will learn its 2009 NCAA Tournament draw. The selection show is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT Sunday, May 10, on ESPNU. This is the second-straight year the show has been held very late in the evening.
The Wildcats are playing their seventh and eighth games of the year on the Big Ten Network, most of any school in the conference. During the Drohan era at Northwestern, the Wildcats have played 32 nationally televised games, including 13 on the ESPN family of networks. Combined with NU's eight games on the 2009 schedule, the NU senior class will play at least 29 games on national TV during their careers.
Despite playing fewer games than normal (NU has had seven rainouts this season, including a rare washout in the desert of Tempe, Ariz.), Northwestern remains on track to break some serious NU offensive marks. The Wildcats are on-pace to annihilate the school's team single-season records with their current marks for batting average (.304), slugging percentage (.571) and on-base percentage (.390). In addition, NU is six home runs shy of matching its school record of 85 homers set in 2007. The Wildcats played 65 games in '07 while they have totaled 42 in 2009.
Individually, freshman Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) needs one home run this weekend to match the Big Ten Conference record for home runs in conference play, set by Indiana's Monica Armendarez in 1998 when she hit 10 in 23 games played. Monka has nine through 18 conference games this year. She ranks second nationally in home runs per game in all contests.
Senior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) was named one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday, May 6.
QUINN NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT V SECOND TEAM
Sophomore Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V second-team selection on Thursday, May 7, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Quinn is batting .382 in Big Ten games this season while majoring in materials science and engineering in the classroom. She is the ninth different Wildcat to earn the honor, which is the 12th overall for Northwestern. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better and be in their second academic year at their school.
On Your Television
Northwestern is playing its seventh and eighth games of the season live in high definition on the Big Ten Network. Marney Gellner will handle play-by-play duties while Jennie Ritter will provide color commentary.
For Northwestern's complete game notes package for this weekend, download the .pdf at the top of this page.