May 5, 2011
Northwestern's Indiana Series Game Notes (PDF Format) 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Weekend is here at Sharon J. Drysdale Field! Come out to the ballpark to honor the 2011 Senior Class and enjoy some great promotions as the Wildcats take on Indiana May 7-8.
First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT while Sunday's game time is 3 p.m. to accommodate a live Big Ten Network broadcast. Following Saturday's game Northwestern will hold its fifth-annual PURPLE AUCTION in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Saturday is Evanston Youth Baseball and Softball Day at the park as well as Scout Day. Bring your organization out to enjoy fast-paced Wildcat softball! For more information, email wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu.
The series marks the final home games for seniors Michelle Batts, Kelly Quinn, Jessica Smith, Robin Thompson and Jordan Wheeler. The quintet has combined for 699 starts during their four years in Evanston, earning a Big Ten regular-season and tournament championship as freshmen in 2008. The group also earned an NCAA Regional crown that year, beating DePaul at home to advance to the Super Regionals. Entering this weekend, the 2011 seniors have been a part of 118 victories at NU.
The group has won All-Big Ten and NFCA All-Region accolades on the field while in classroom it has won Academic All-Big Ten, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors.
In many ways, the class is having its best season as a group this year. In the circle, Smith has thrown the most innings and matched her shutout total from her previous three years combined. Thompson is easily having the best season of her career, hitting .371 while moving up to the top of the order. Wheeler's .323 batting average comes after a career-best 13-game hitting streak that recently concluded. Quinn has bounced back to hit .150 points higher than she did as a junior while earning 26 starts in the outfield. Batts has moved into the top five all-time in five different offensive categories at Northwestern.
(For Northwestern's complete Indiana series game notes package, download the .pdf at the top of this page.
THE FIFTH-ANNUAL PURPLE AUCTION
Saturday, May 7, is the fifth-annual PURPLE AUCTION! Join the Wildcats following their home game against Indiana for great food, drinks and auction items as we celebrate the 2011 Senior Class. The event brings together current players, alumni, stakeholders, friends and family of the program -- and YOU are invited! Click here for more information, to register or to donate an item for the auction.
THE BROADCASTS
Saturday's game will be stream live in high definition on BigTenNetwork.com. The broadcast is available on a pay-per-view basis. Sunday's game will be live on the Big Ten Network itself.
SCHARK BYTES BLOG
Don't miss out on the best student-athlete blog on the internet today! Be sure to read sophomore Kristin Scharkey's Schark Bytes blog!
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