ee consecutive Women's College World Series under Sharon Drysdale, for whom NU's field is named. Now the Wildcats are hoping to repeat this feat under Kate Drohan, but they will have to do it without several key components from the past two seasons.
Garland Cooper and Eileen Canney, two of the best players in the program's history, graduated after last season.
Cooper, a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year award winner, concluded her career in the top 20 in NCAA history in walks, intentional walks, home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. She graduated with the Big Ten's single-season (23) and career (55) home run records.
Canney finished her career at NU with a school-record 97 wins, 33 of which came in her final season. Canney struck out 386 batters last season, second in school history.
Cooper and Canney were among four seniors who helped guide the Cats to a 52-13 record and a third-place finish at the Women's College World Series.
Last year's class graduated as the winningest in NU history with 178 victories, but this year's squad features only one senior.
So when the Cats, ranked sixth at the time, headed to the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., to face top-ranked Arizona and No. 3 Texas A&M, they knew they were going to be tested early.
The Cats answered the challenge with a 4-0 record, highlighted by a defeat of two-time defending national champion Arizona 8-5, NU's first win in school history against Arizona. The Cats also defeated Texas A&M 8-7, Nebraska 8-6 and Idaho State 14-2.
Despite the fact that 12 of the 17 players on the team are freshmen and sophomores, junior starting shortstop Tammy Williams refuses to call the team young.
"After this weekend we decided that we're never calling this team a young team again," said Williams, who earned Big Ten Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week after going 11 for 14 at the plate. "We came out and really attacked every team; it didn't matter whether you're a freshman or senior. Along with all the other upperclassmen, I think that our job is over. They know how to play."
2008 Woodie Awards
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