May 14, 2009
Northwestern's NCAA Regional Game Notes (PDF Format) 
Waco Regional Tournament Central
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the first time since 2005, Northwestern will begin the road to Oklahoma City on the road, traveling this weekend as the nation's No. 12 seed to the Waco Regional hosted by Baylor.
Northwestern will face Texas State in its opening game at 5 p.m. CT Friday, May 15. Louisiana-Lafayette and Baylor will play the other first-round match-up at 7:30 p.m. Friday night. Refer to the game times lower in this story for the remainder of the Waco Regional schedule. Download the .PDF notes package at the top of this page for capsules on the other three teams in the Waco Regional field.
Since the beginning of the current NCAA Tournament format in 2005, the Wildcats have advanced to the Super Regional round every year. The last time NU moved on as a road team was in 2005 when it captured the South Bend Regional hosted by Notre Dame. The Wildcats hosted their Regional from 2006-08.
Northwestern is one of the NCAA Tournament's top-16 seeds for the fifth-straight year, earning a seed in every season since the event went to its current 16 Regional format in 2005. NU was No. 9 in 2005, No. 4 in 2006, No. 2 in 2007 and No. 11 last year. Northwestern has a 25-15 record in the NCAA Tournament in six previous appearances under eighth-year head coach Kate Drohan. The Wildcats are making their 12th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament field and their seventh in a row in the Drohan era, the second-longest streak in the Big Ten.
The last time Northwestern played each of its three Waco Regional foes was in past NCAA Tournaments. NU fell to Texas State (then known as Southwest Texas, and no, not nicknamed the Armadillos as in the Scott Bakula vehicle Necessary Roughness) in the 2003 Austin Regional before Louisiana-Lafayette knocked NU out of the 2004 Tucson Regional. The Wildcats eliminated the Bears from the 2007 Women's College World Series in a game featuring a two-run single by current senior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), a three-run home run by current senior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) and a solo home run by current junior Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine).
On Thursday, the NFCA announced its 2009 All-Region honorees. Read the NUsports.com release here.
THE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15
5 p.m. Game 1: Texas State vs. Northwestern
7:30 p.m. Game 2: Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Baylor
Saturday, May 16
1:30 p.m. Game 3: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2
4 p.m. Game 4.: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2
6:30 p.m. Game 5: Winner G4 vs. Loser G3
Sunday, May 17
1:30 p.m. Game 6: Winner G3 vs. Winner G5
4 p.m. Game 7: If Necessary
ON YOUR RADIO
Northwestern student radio WNUR 89.3 FM once again is on the road with the Wildcats, broadcasting every pitch of NU's NCAA Tournament. Aaron Pepper and Josh Weinstock will call the action, also available at sports.wnur.org.
VIDEO ON YOUR COMPUTER
A Northwestern tradition during home NCAA Championship competition, Baylor also is providing live streaming video of its Waco Regional. Visit the tournament page for links and more information.