| 2015 Northwestern Softball -- Louisville Slugger Invitational |
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| Game Notes | Northwestern's Weekly Release |
| Game One: Northwestern (4-9) vs. Southern Utah (2-7) |
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| Date | Friday, Feb. 27 | 11:30 a.m. CT/9:30 a.m. PT |
| Location | Anderson Family Field | Fullerton, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Audio | Gametracker | @NU_SportsLIVE  |
| Game Two: Northwestern (4-9) at Cal State Fullerton (9-6) |
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| Date | Friday, Feb. 27 | 4:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. PT |
| Location | Anderson Family Field | Fullerton, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Audio | Gametracker | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Game Three: Northwestern (4-9) vs. Stanford (9-8) |
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| Date | Saturday, Feb. 28 | 11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT |
| Location | Mayfair Park | Lakewood, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Audio | Gametracker | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Game Four: Northwestern (4-9) vs. No. 14 UCLA (13-4) |
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| Date | Sunday, March 1 | 1:15 p.m. CT/11:15 a.m. PT |
| Location | 49er Softball Complex | Long Beach, Calif. |
| Live Coverage | Live Audio | Gametracker | @NU_SportsLIVE |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the fourth-straight week to start the season, Northwestern heads west to face more top opponents at the Feb. 27-March 1 Louisville Slugger Invitational co-hosted by Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton.
The Louisville Slugger Invitational is co-hosted by Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton and features 12 teams playing games at three fields across three different cities: 49er Softball Complex in Long Beach, Calif.; Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif.; and Mayfair Park in Lakewood, Calif.
The Wildcats will play at all three of the tournament's sites, beginning with a pair of games Friday at Cal State Fullerton's Anderson Family Field. NU then faces Stanford at Mayfair Park in Lakewood, Calif., Saturday before concluding its schedule Sunday against No. 14 UCLA at Long Beach State University.
Northwestern opens Friday against Southern Utah, a team that has struggled early in the year and will be playing six games in three days at the tournament. After a brief break, NU will return to action against Cal State Fullerton, which opened the year in the top-25 and still is receiving votes in both polls.
Saturday sees the Wildcats play the Cardinal, which is coming off its first missed NCAA Tournament in quite some time but still is receiving some love in the polls early in 2015 despite a 9-8 record. Sunday features a rematch with UCLA, a team that defeated Northwestern, 12-3, two weeks ago at the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic hosted by UNLV. The Wildcats took an immediate 3-0 lead in that game before two big Bruins innings were their undoing.
Northwestern enters this weekend with a 4-9 overall record after facing an incredibly difficult early-season stretch. All but one of the Wildcats first 13 opponents are within a game of .500, and the group has combined to go 130-64 early in the year. Strength of schedule aside, the #B1GCats know they need more tallies in the win column and have the talent to do so.
Senior Andrea DiPrima is off to a hot start to the year, batting .406 with six extra base hits and 10 RBIs after hitting .556 with three doubles at the Nutter Classic last week. Junior Andrea Filler has a team-best 12 RBIs through 13 games while Brianna LeBeau shook off early-season struggles to finish 2-for-2 with a home run and a career-best five RBIs in NU's last contest against South Carolina. In the circle, junior Kristen Wood is fanning opponents at a 7.8 K/7 innings clip.
Programming Note
#B1GCats live audio RETURNS this weekend featuring long-time Northwestern softball SID Doug Meffley on the NUSB free UStream channel. A direct link to the broadcast is available on the schedule page at NUsports.com, the chart at the top of this page, or go directly to the NUSB UStream Page.
Northwestern Softball Tickets Are On Sale Now!
Tickets to see Northwestern softball in action at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, are on sale now. Tickets to individual games and new flex plans went on sale Monday, Feb. 16.
NU returns to the Chicagoland area March 14 to host a doubleheader against IUPUI at The Ballpark at Rosemont, home of the Chicago Bandits. IUPUI is coached by former Wildcats volunteer assistant Amanda Rivera and NU All-American Adrienne Monka.
The Wildcats open at Sharon J. Drysdale Field March 27-29 against Big Ten foe Wisconsin. More information on ticket pricing and availability will be released next week.
PLAY BALL!
For a complete preview and notes on this weekend's Louisville Slugger Invitational, download the Northwestern Weekly Release available in the chart at the top of this page.
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