2025: Started all 51 games for Northwestern … Finished with a .340 average, .954 OPS, and 21 RBI … Led the team with a .454 on-base percentage and 17 multi-hit games … Opened the season with a pair of hits and a run scored in a win over Kennesaw State (2/7) … Reached and scored a run in a 4-1 win over No. 8 Duke (2/8) … Reached base three times on two hits and a walk, and stole a base against No. 5 Tennessee (2/8) … Walked and singled against No. 8 LSU (2/14) … Doubled, walked, and scored twice in a win over UT Arlington (2/15) … Picked up a hit and a stolen base in another matchup with No. 8 LSU (2/15) … Drove in two runs with a triple in a weekend finale win over UT Arlington (2/16) … Drove in two runs with a double and came around to score in a win over Utah (2/22) … Batted .500 (7-for-14) at the Cardinal Classic (2/28-3/2) … Blasted a two-run homer in a win over Longwood (3/1) … Posted a .667 on-base percentage (10-for-15) over the opening weekend of Big Ten play against Penn State and Michigan State (3/13-15) … Blasted her second homer of the season against Michigan State (3/15) … Batted .667 (4-for-6) in a three game set against Mississippi State (3/21-22) … Doubled twice and drove in three runs in a four-hit performance against Minnesota (3/29) … Notched two hits and scored twice against Notre Dame (4/1) … Posted two hits including a double and came around to score twice in a win over Loyola Chicago (4/16) … Hit .364 (4-for-11) with two doubles, a run batted in, and two runs scored in a series win over Wisconsin (4/25-27) … Batted .444 (4-for-9) with a run batted in and two runs scored in a series win at UCLA (5/2-4) … Turned in a two-hit performance in a NCAA tournament win over Kentucky (5/16).
2024: Started 47 games as a sophomore … First Team All-Big Ten … Finished with a .375 average, good for eighth in the Big Ten … Racked up eight doubles and eight home runs while only striking out 11 times in 174 plate appearances … Posted two hits including a double in the season opener against Boise State (2/9) … Recorded three hits including a home run and a double as well as two RBI in a win over Georgia Tech (2/17) … Knocked in two runs in a victory over South Carolina (3/17) … Launched three homers in a pair of wins against Michigan State, driving in seven runs in the process (3/23-24) … Notched three hits and three RBI in a road win over Ohio State (3/29) … Reached base safely in 11 straight games (4/20-5/18) … Drove in three runs and blasted a homer against Indiana (5/3) … Hit a home run and drove in two runs in a Regional matchup against Texas (5/18) … Drove in two runs in a Regional win over St. Francis (5/18) … Finished the Regional with four hits, four RBI, and one home run in four games (5/17-19).
2023: Started 48 games in right field as a first-year ... Big Ten All-Freshman Team ... Hit .315 and scored 26 runs ... Started in right field in the season-opener against South Alabama (2/10) ... Picked up the first two hits of her career, including a game-tying, two-run single in the sixth inning, and notched two walks and two runs scored in a win over No. 6 Texas (2/10) ... Went 3-for-4 against No. 13 Tennessee (2/11) ... Tallied a double, walk, RBI, and two runs scored in a win over Notre Dame (2/19) ... Notched a hit and two runs scored in a win over No. 19 Kentucky (2/25) ... Went 2-for-2 with a walk against Toledo (3/5) ... Smoked a RBI-double and scored a run against Louisville (3/5) ... Tallied a single, RBI, run scored, and stolen base to help beat Iowa (4/1) ... Crushed her first-career home run against Illinois (4/5) ... Went 2-for-4 against Penn State (4/7) ... Recorded two hits, four RBI and three runs scored against Penn State (4/8) ... Singled and stole a base against Wisconsin (4/15) ... Doubled and singled against Michigan (4/21) ... Tallied a single, run scored, and stolen base against Michigan (4/23) ... Went 6-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBI in a three-game sweep of Nebraska (4/28-30) ... Doubled twice and drove in two runs against Rutgers (5/5) ... Drove in all three Northwestern runs with a two-run triple and RBI-single to beat Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (5/11) ... Went 4-for-8 with two RBI in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional (5/26-28).
Career Highs:
At-Bats...................... 5 (3x), last at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Hits.......................................... 4, at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Runs....................... 3 (6x), last vs. Notre Dame (4/1/25)
RBI................... 4 (2x), last vs. Michigan State (3/23/24)
Doubles................... 2 (2x), last vs. Minnesota (3/29/25)
Home Runs.................... 2, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Total Bases.................... 8, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Walks.............................. 3 vs. Michigan State (3/16/25)
Stolen Bases........................ 2, vs. Penn State (3/13/25)
High School: Team captain for sophomore, junior and senior seasons … Varsity all four years (sophomore season canceled due to COVID-19) … Recorded a .435 batting average her junior year with 37 hits, four home runs and 22 stolen bases … Helped team to district and league regional championship titles her freshman year … Earned All-State honors following her junior season … Named to All-District, All-Region and All-Conference teams in 2019 and 2021 … Rookie of the year in 2019 … Extra Innings National Player of the Week runner up June 29, 2021 … Ranked the 37th-best outfielder in the nation by Extra Innings Softball … Played 10 years with Finesse Dreher/Lesko club team … Helped team to USA Softball 16U Gold National Championship … Hit a walk-off grand slam to help her team to a top-10 finish at the Colorado Sparkler Tournament … Also played volleyball in her freshman and sophomore years … Honor roll … Daughter of Robert and Nancy Nader … Anticipated major at Northwestern is engineering.
Kate Drohan on Nader: "Kelsey is a left-handed outfielder with great speed who has also developed power to all fields. She is a gritty player who always brings the juice. Whether it is small ball, hitting a gap or making a diving catch, Nader does whatever the game asks of her."
2024: Started 47 games as a sophomore … First Team All-Big Ten … Finished with a .375 average, good for eighth in the Big Ten … Racked up eight doubles and eight home runs while only striking out 11 times in 174 plate appearances … Posted two hits including a double in the season opener against Boise State (2/9) … Recorded three hits including a home run and a double as well as two RBI in a win over Georgia Tech (2/17) … Knocked in two runs in a victory over South Carolina (3/17) … Launched three homers in a pair of wins against Michigan State, driving in seven runs in the process (3/23-24) … Notched three hits and three RBI in a road win over Ohio State (3/29) … Reached base safely in 11 straight games (4/20-5/18) … Drove in three runs and blasted a homer against Indiana (5/3) … Hit a home run and drove in two runs in a Regional matchup against Texas (5/18) … Drove in two runs in a Regional win over St. Francis (5/18) … Finished the Regional with four hits, four RBI, and one home run in four games (5/17-19).
2023: Started 48 games in right field as a first-year ... Big Ten All-Freshman Team ... Hit .315 and scored 26 runs ... Started in right field in the season-opener against South Alabama (2/10) ... Picked up the first two hits of her career, including a game-tying, two-run single in the sixth inning, and notched two walks and two runs scored in a win over No. 6 Texas (2/10) ... Went 3-for-4 against No. 13 Tennessee (2/11) ... Tallied a double, walk, RBI, and two runs scored in a win over Notre Dame (2/19) ... Notched a hit and two runs scored in a win over No. 19 Kentucky (2/25) ... Went 2-for-2 with a walk against Toledo (3/5) ... Smoked a RBI-double and scored a run against Louisville (3/5) ... Tallied a single, RBI, run scored, and stolen base to help beat Iowa (4/1) ... Crushed her first-career home run against Illinois (4/5) ... Went 2-for-4 against Penn State (4/7) ... Recorded two hits, four RBI and three runs scored against Penn State (4/8) ... Singled and stole a base against Wisconsin (4/15) ... Doubled and singled against Michigan (4/21) ... Tallied a single, run scored, and stolen base against Michigan (4/23) ... Went 6-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBI in a three-game sweep of Nebraska (4/28-30) ... Doubled twice and drove in two runs against Rutgers (5/5) ... Drove in all three Northwestern runs with a two-run triple and RBI-single to beat Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (5/11) ... Went 4-for-8 with two RBI in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional (5/26-28).
Career Highs:
At-Bats...................... 5 (3x), last at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Hits.......................................... 4, at Minnesota (3/29/25)
Runs....................... 3 (6x), last vs. Notre Dame (4/1/25)
RBI................... 4 (2x), last vs. Michigan State (3/23/24)
Doubles................... 2 (2x), last vs. Minnesota (3/29/25)
Home Runs.................... 2, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Total Bases.................... 8, vs. Michigan State (3/24/24)
Walks.............................. 3 vs. Michigan State (3/16/25)
Stolen Bases........................ 2, vs. Penn State (3/13/25)
High School: Team captain for sophomore, junior and senior seasons … Varsity all four years (sophomore season canceled due to COVID-19) … Recorded a .435 batting average her junior year with 37 hits, four home runs and 22 stolen bases … Helped team to district and league regional championship titles her freshman year … Earned All-State honors following her junior season … Named to All-District, All-Region and All-Conference teams in 2019 and 2021 … Rookie of the year in 2019 … Extra Innings National Player of the Week runner up June 29, 2021 … Ranked the 37th-best outfielder in the nation by Extra Innings Softball … Played 10 years with Finesse Dreher/Lesko club team … Helped team to USA Softball 16U Gold National Championship … Hit a walk-off grand slam to help her team to a top-10 finish at the Colorado Sparkler Tournament … Also played volleyball in her freshman and sophomore years … Honor roll … Daughter of Robert and Nancy Nader … Anticipated major at Northwestern is engineering.
Kate Drohan on Nader: "Kelsey is a left-handed outfielder with great speed who has also developed power to all fields. She is a gritty player who always brings the juice. Whether it is small ball, hitting a gap or making a diving catch, Nader does whatever the game asks of her."