| NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL: Titan Classic (Fullerton, Calif.) | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | AUDIO STREAM | LIVE STATS | |
| Friday, Feb. 8 | Utah State | Noon CT/ 10 a.m. PT |
Anderson Family Field | Radio Stream | Live Stats | |
| Friday, Feb. 8 | Pacific | 2:30 p.m. CT/ 12:30 p.m. PT |
Anderson Family Field | Radio Stream | Live Stats | |
| Saturday, Feb. 9 | Louisville | 2:30 p.m. CT/ 12:30 p.m. PT |
CSF Field Two |
N/A | Live Stats | |
| Saturday, Feb. 9 | Loyola Marymount | 5 p.m. CT/ 3 p.m. PT |
Anderson Family Field | Radio Stream | Live Stats | |
| Sunday, Feb. 10 | Idaho State | 11 a.m. CT/ 9 a.m. PT |
Anderson Family Field | Radio Stream | Live Stats | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUSBCats and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (nusbcats) | Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern | Official Tournament Website |
||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern softball kicks off the 2019 season this weekend when it hits the road for the Titan Classic, a five-game tournament hosted by Cal State Fullerton in California.
The Wildcats will face off against each of the other six teams in the tournament except for the hosts. Northwestern opens its season on Friday at noon CT against Utah State.
The 'Cats are opening their season in California for the first time since before 2000, after kicking off the majority of recent seasons in Tempe, Ariz.
Northwestern enters the new season on the backs of a resurgent 2018 campaign that featured 38 wins, a run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game, two wins at an NCAA Regional and a No. 24 ranking in the season-ending edition by ESPN.com/USA Softball.
The Wildcats return four All-Big Ten honorees from last season highlighted by First Team selections in sophomore Rachel Lewis and senior Morgan Nelson. Sophomore Kenna Wilkey earned an All-Freshman selection last year while senior Lily Novak is coming off of a nod for the All-Defensive Team.
Lewis posted one of the most memorable rookie campaigns in #B1GCats history with an impressive display of power (64 RBI) that landed her a Second Team NFCA All-America honor. Her classmate Kenna Wilkey was also dominant on the mound, becoming NU's first 20-game winner since 2009.
Northwestern also welcomes back starting pitchers Morgan Newport and Kaley Winegarner to the rotation this spring. Newport won 14 games last year including an unforgettable no-hitter over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament while Winegarner, last year's Opening Day starter, is back after a season-ending injury she suffered in just the second week of last year's season.
In addition to their stellar returning talent, the Wildcats welcome the ninth-ranked recruiting class in the country, according to FloSoftball. Four out of the nine newcomers rank in the top 45 in the entire nation including Danielle Williams, Skyler Shellmyer, Nikki Cuchran and Jordyn Rudd, who all have the potential to contribute right off the bat.
Fans looking to follow along can get live tweets all weekend @NUSBCats on Twitter. Free audio streams for all matches except for Louisville can be found above as well. All matches will also be streamed live on FloSoftball.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!