| 2015 Northwestern Softball -- Big Ten Tournament |
|
| Official Website | Big Ten Tournament Central | Official Bracket |
| Game Notes | Northwestern's Weekly Release |
| Quarterfinal: No. 4 Northwestern (27-20, 14-8 B1G) vs. No. 5 Illinois OR No. 12 Purdue |
|
| Date | Friday, May 8 | 11 a.m. CT/noon ET |
| Location | Buckeye Field | Columbus, Ohio |
| Live Coverage | Live on BTN | Gametracker | @NU_SportsLIVE  |
| Semifinal: TBD |
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| Date | Saturday, May 9 | 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Buckeye Field | Columbus, Ohio |
| Live Coverage | Live on BTN |
| Championship: TBD |
|
| Date | Saturday, May 9 | 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Buckeye Field | Columbus, Ohio |
| Live Coverage | Live on BTN |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern enters this weekend's Big Ten Tournament as the No. 4 seed, earning a bye through to Friday's quarterfinal round of the three-day, 12-team tournament hosted by Ohio State at Buckeye Softball Field.
While eight teams will get underway Thursday in the opening round, the top four seeds will await the winners of those games in the quarterfinals. NU will play the winner between No. 5 seed Illinois and No. 12 seed Purdue at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Friday, May 8, live on BTN. The winner then will advance to Saturday's first semifinal at 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET.
The Wildcats concluded the 2015 Big Ten season with a 14-8 overall record that included sweeps of Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue. This year marks the first for NU with a bye in the current 3-year-old format, which debuted in 2013 after reinstatement of the Big Ten Tournament following a hiatus after the 2008 season.
Northwestern carries a 21-14 all-time Big Ten Tournament record into this weekend's event, winning the inaugural edition in 1982--when it was used to determine the B1G's first overall conference champion--and again in 2008. The Wildcats served as hosts one year ago, bringing in lights to stage the first-ever night game in Sharon J. Drysdale Field history--a 10-4 victory over Michigan State.
Ohio State last hosted the Tournament in 2007 after winning the regular-season championship. Northwestern advanced to the title game that year before falling to the Buckeyes. The Wildcats would go on to earn the No. 2 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and finish third in the nation at the Women's College World Series.
Led by @B1GSoftball Freshman of the Year Sabrina Rabin, 3 @NUSBCats #B1GCats are All-#B1G! http://t.co/18KIKWrvag pic.twitter.com/Cwxlz47jHG
-- #B1GCats (@NU_Sports) May 6, 2015
NU's starting centerfielder Sabrina Rabin was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year Tuesday, marking the eighth time in program history that the Wildcats have boasted the league's top rookie. Rabin, who also was named to the All-Big Ten first team, ranked first in the Big Ten in steals, second in runs and third in batting, getting in scoring position so that her fellow All-Big Ten teammates could drive her in.
Junior Andrea Filler joined Rabin on the first team after ranking among the conference and national leaders in RBIs during the regular season while senior Andrea DiPrima was selected as a second-team All-Big Ten pick with career-bests in batting and RBIs. With Rabin consistently on base and DiPrima and Filler driving her in, their awards are inextricably linked atop the Northwestern batting order.
NU already has faced both of its possible Friday opponents this season, sweeping Purdue in a trio of tight contests at home at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The Wildcats also hosted the Illini, splitting midweek doubleheader in which Northwestern run-ruled Illinois in five innings in game one before the visitors took advantage of several miscues in the field to capture game two, 9-8.
COVERAGE
All of Northwestern's possible games at the 2015 Big Ten Tournament will be live on BTN along with the other live accoutrements you have become accustomed to this year! Links will be available at the NUsports.com Schedule Page.
PLAY BALL!
For a complete preview and notes on this weekend's Iowa series, download the Northwestern weekly release available in the chart at the top of this page.
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