cats look to future

By LUCAS KIM daily senior staffer @lucaskim_15

The 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and four First-Team All-Big Ten honorees propelled Northwestern to a spot in the NCAA Championship tournament last season.

Ending the season at No. 15 in the nation, the Wildcats enjoyed a dominant stretch of stellar tournament showings in the spring.

NU advanced to the NCAA Championship after placing third at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional, but eventually cooled down, finishing 22nd out of the 30 qualifying squads. lucaskim2025@u.northwestern.edu

The Cats will return three First-Team All-Big Ten honorees next season.

Senior Jieni Li will look to build upon an impressive 2022-23 season having averaged the second-lowest strokes per round on the team.

Also returning is junior Lauryn Nguyen, who tallied four top-10 tournament finishes. 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Dianna Lee led the team with two top-5 finishes last season.

The departures of Kelly Sim and Irene Kim will certainly have a noticeable impact on the team. The Cats will need to find a way to replace their production.

Williams’ shoes in the rotation. losing key players in the field and at the plate, as well. Catcher Jordyn Rudd, outfielder Skyler Shellmyer, first baseman Nikki Cuchran and shortstop Maeve Nelson all graduated.

But NU benefitted from freshman firepower from infielder Kansas Robinson and outfielder Kelsey Nader, who will both see bigger roles in their sophomore seasons.

Drohan is also adding eight freshmen, who could provide the Cats much-needed depth at each position. saulpink2025@u.northwestern.edu

NU’s Big Ten competition remains strong, and the loss of so many veterans gives the Cats a challenging road to back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles, let alone a trip to Oklahoma City. But with a rising young core, NU has a chance to do the unexpected.