Feb. 20, 2008

Northwestern Palm Springs Classic Game Notes (PDF Format)

Listen to Northwestern vs. Oregon LIVE! (8 p.m. CT, Feb. 22)

Listen to Northwestern vs. San Diego State LIVE! (10:30 p.m. CT, Feb. 22)

Listen to Northwestern vs. No. 6 LSU LIVE! (8 p.m. CT, Feb. 23)

Listen to Northwestern vs. No. 25 Texas LIVE! (10:30 p.m. CT, Feb. 23)

Listen to Northwestern vs. No. 11 UCLA LIVE! (1 p.m. CT , Feb. 24)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern returns to action this weekend at the most star-studded tournament of the softball season, the Palm Springs Classic, which features 13 ranked teams among its 23 entries into the field.

The Wildcats first face Oregon at 8 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 22, before taking on San Diego State at 10:30 p.m. CT Friday night. Saturday's action includes a doubleheader featuring games against No. 6 LSU at 8 p.m. CT and No. 25 Texas at 10:30 p.m. CT. Northwestern rounds out the Palm Springs Classic with a contest against No. 11 UCLA at 1 p.m. CT Sunday, Feb. 24.

As a special treat to Wildcat fans, Northwestern student radio WNUR 89.3 alum and current Sporting News Radio broadcaster Howard Tilman will be on hand to call all of the action free on NUsports.com. Tilman is a veteran, calling numerous NU softball games during his time as a student at Northwestern.

Northwestern is coming off the best opening weekend in program history, going 4-0 at the Kajikawa Classic with wins over No. 1 Arizona and No. 3 Texas A&M while averaging 9.5 runs per game on offense. The performance vaulted the Wildcats all the way to No. 2 in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll while netting NU its first-ever No. 1 votes in any poll.

Junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) batted .786 (11-for-14) with eight runs scored in NU's four games at the Kajikawa, earning Big Ten and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week honors. Williams tied former 'Cat Garland Cooper's Northwestern career record for runs scored with 146 after last weekend.

The Wildcats hope to bring the offense to Palm Springs that was with them at the Kajikawa, where they hit .390 as a team with a .472 on-base percentage and a .627 team slugging percentage.

For Northwestern's complete game notes package for the Palm Springs Classic, click on the .pdf at the top of this page.