Feb. 8, 2012
Northwestern's Kajikawa Classic Game Notes 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern jumps right into the heart of the 2012 season this weekend, February 10-12, when it faces a trio of ranked opponents at the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.
This season's Kajikawa field is comprised of a record 28 teams including nine squads ranked in the preseason USA Today/NFCA coaches poll. NU is making its seventh-straight season-opening trip to the desert outside of Phoenix.
The Wildcats open the year at 12:30 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 10, against Texas Tech before facing top-ranked tournament host Arizona State at 8 p.m. CT Friday night. On Saturday, NU takes on No. 12 Washington at 3 p.m. CT and New Mexico at 7:30 p.m. CT, then closes the tournament at 9:30 a.m. CT Sunday versus No. 17 Texas A&M. All games will be played at the Tempe Sports Complex with the exception of NU's Friday night and Sunday morning contests, which will be held at ASU's Farrington Stadium.
Gametracker will be available for every game while fans also can follow live twitter updates from @NU_SportsLIVE.
After graduating a combined 177 starts from NU's 2011 edition, Northwestern enters this season with a quality mix of veteran prowess and youthful promise. Perhaps the most exciting addition the NU softball family is not on the actual roster: through the Friends of Jaclyn program the Wildcats' softball team welcomed Katie Crandol, a 16-year-old who is battling cancer, to their family on Saturday, Feb. 4. A standout softball player, Katie and her family made the trip to Evanston for NU's open practice that day before sharing dinner with the entire team. She will continue to be connected with the Wildcats as she begins her own high school season later this spring. For more on Katie and Northwestern's wildly popular open practice from Saturday, Feb. 4, check out the latest edition of Schark Bytes.
Highlighting NU's returnees in 2012 are two-time senior All-American Adrienne Monka, 2011 NFCA Golden Shoes Award winner junior Emily Allard and All-Big Ten selection sophomore Marisa Bast.
For Northwestern's complete Kajikawa Classic preview and game notes package, download the .pdf at the top of this page.
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