EVANSTON, Ill. – After winning its first road series in Big Ten play, Northwestern returns home to Sharon J. Drysdale Field to play host to the Michigan Wolverines in a series that features the last five Big Ten regular season champions, dating back to 2018.
The Wildcats and Wolverines kick off the series on Friday, with first pitch at 4pm CT. They'll face off at 1pm CT on Saturday, and then wrap up the weekend at 12pm CT on Sunday. Action will be streamed on B1G+ throughout the weekend, and tickets can be purchased here.
Winners of their first two Big Ten series this season, the Wildcats have now won 10-straight Big Ten series dating back to May of 2022. Northwestern is 44-8 (.846 win%) in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022 season, the highest mark in the conference.
Northwestern is 6-0 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field this season and has won 30-consecutive home games dating back to April 3, 2022 in what marks the longest active home winning streak in Division I Softball. During that streak, 10 of the NU's 30 wins have come by run-rule, and the Wildcats have outscored opponents by a 258-82 margin (including 37-9 in 2024).
Both the 'Cats' pitching and hitting units rank atop the Big Ten heading into this weekend. Their 2.24 ERA as a team leads the Big Ten and ranks 23rd in the nation, while their .221 opposing batting average ranks third in the conference behind only Maryland (.217) and Michigan (.220). At the plate, Northwestern's .402 on-base percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks 27th in the nation.
Kansas Robinson currently ranks fourth in the nation in batting average (.488) and sixth in the nation in on-base percentage (.578), both of which lead the Big Ten. Robinson is 10-of-14 (.714 average) with eight walks (most in conference) in six conference games, good for a .792 on-base percentage and a Big Ten-leading 1.643 slugging percentage. For context, the top two highest single-season batting averages in Northwestern history are Emily Allard (.491) and Adrienne Monka (.461), both done in the 2011 season. The top two single season on-base percentages in NU history are Monka in 2011 (.707) and Tammy Williams in 2008 (.538).
In the circle, Ashley Miller ranks 20th in the nation (second in Big Ten) with a 1.22 ERA (15 ER/86.0 IP), while her .161 opposing batting average ranks second in the conference. Miller has already tossed nine complete games this season, including four shutouts. Opposing batters are hitting .161 against Miller this year. Her 3.99 hits allowed per seven innings ranks 14th in the nation and second in the Big Ten, while her 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings ranks third in the conference.
Angela Zedak currently ranks second on the team with a .597 slugging percentage entering the weekend. So far this season 11 of Zedak's 25 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including all four of her hits last weekend at Ohio State (two home runs and two doubles).
Ainsley Muno had a breakout weekend at the plate at Ohio State, reaching base in 6-of-11 plate appearances while leading Northwestern with a .545 batting average over the weekend series to go along with a .909 slugging percentage. Muno has started the Wildcats last 13 games at first base after serving as a DP/Pinch Hitting option to begin the season. In those 13 games, Muno is hitting .286 with an .804 OPS, and the Wildcats have posted an 11-2 record that span.
Michigan leads the all-time series, 80-39, but Northwestern has won each of the last two series in 2022 and 2023. Last year, Northwestern took two of three games in Ann Arbor for the Wildcats' first series win at Michigan in program history. It's been 32 years since Michigan has lost three-straight Big Ten series to a program (Iowa, 1990-92).
The Wildcats and Wolverines kick off the series on Friday, with first pitch at 4pm CT. They'll face off at 1pm CT on Saturday, and then wrap up the weekend at 12pm CT on Sunday. Action will be streamed on B1G+ throughout the weekend, and tickets can be purchased here.
Winners of their first two Big Ten series this season, the Wildcats have now won 10-straight Big Ten series dating back to May of 2022. Northwestern is 44-8 (.846 win%) in Big Ten play since the start of the 2022 season, the highest mark in the conference.
Northwestern is 6-0 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field this season and has won 30-consecutive home games dating back to April 3, 2022 in what marks the longest active home winning streak in Division I Softball. During that streak, 10 of the NU's 30 wins have come by run-rule, and the Wildcats have outscored opponents by a 258-82 margin (including 37-9 in 2024).
Both the 'Cats' pitching and hitting units rank atop the Big Ten heading into this weekend. Their 2.24 ERA as a team leads the Big Ten and ranks 23rd in the nation, while their .221 opposing batting average ranks third in the conference behind only Maryland (.217) and Michigan (.220). At the plate, Northwestern's .402 on-base percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks 27th in the nation.
Kansas Robinson currently ranks fourth in the nation in batting average (.488) and sixth in the nation in on-base percentage (.578), both of which lead the Big Ten. Robinson is 10-of-14 (.714 average) with eight walks (most in conference) in six conference games, good for a .792 on-base percentage and a Big Ten-leading 1.643 slugging percentage. For context, the top two highest single-season batting averages in Northwestern history are Emily Allard (.491) and Adrienne Monka (.461), both done in the 2011 season. The top two single season on-base percentages in NU history are Monka in 2011 (.707) and Tammy Williams in 2008 (.538).
In the circle, Ashley Miller ranks 20th in the nation (second in Big Ten) with a 1.22 ERA (15 ER/86.0 IP), while her .161 opposing batting average ranks second in the conference. Miller has already tossed nine complete games this season, including four shutouts. Opposing batters are hitting .161 against Miller this year. Her 3.99 hits allowed per seven innings ranks 14th in the nation and second in the Big Ten, while her 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings ranks third in the conference.
Angela Zedak currently ranks second on the team with a .597 slugging percentage entering the weekend. So far this season 11 of Zedak's 25 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including all four of her hits last weekend at Ohio State (two home runs and two doubles).
Ainsley Muno had a breakout weekend at the plate at Ohio State, reaching base in 6-of-11 plate appearances while leading Northwestern with a .545 batting average over the weekend series to go along with a .909 slugging percentage. Muno has started the Wildcats last 13 games at first base after serving as a DP/Pinch Hitting option to begin the season. In those 13 games, Muno is hitting .286 with an .804 OPS, and the Wildcats have posted an 11-2 record that span.
Michigan leads the all-time series, 80-39, but Northwestern has won each of the last two series in 2022 and 2023. Last year, Northwestern took two of three games in Ann Arbor for the Wildcats' first series win at Michigan in program history. It's been 32 years since Michigan has lost three-straight Big Ten series to a program (Iowa, 1990-92).