The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's NCAA Division I sports teams and is marketed as "Chicago's Big Ten Team". The mascot is Willie the Wildcat.
Carol Sue Hutchins is an American former softball coach. In 38 years as the head coach of Michigan Wolverines softball, (1985–2022), she won more games than more than any other coach in University of Michigan history in any sport, male or female with 1,684 wins. Hutchins had a career record of 1,707 wins, 551 losses, and five ties, for a .759 winning percentage. She led the Wolverines to their first NCAA softball championship in 2005.
The Michigan Wolverines softball team represents the University of Michigan in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I competition. College softball became a varsity sport at the University of Michigan in 1978. Bonnie Tholl has been the head coach since 2023, following the retirement of longtime head coach Carol Hutchins. In 2005, Hutchins' team became the first Division I softball team since 1976 from east of the Mississippi River to win the Women's College World Series.
Tammy Kay Williams is an American, former collegiate four-time All-American, four-time professional All-Star softball player and coach. She played her natural position at shortstop from 2006 to 2009 at Northwestern, as well as the Team USA and Chicago Bandits softball team. She owns Northwestern' softball team all-time career records in batting average, home runs, hits and total bases. She helped lead the Wildcats to a national runner up finish in the 2006 Women's College World Series. Williams was drafted tenth overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2009 NPF Draft, winning two Cowles Cup championships in 2011 and 2015. She later worked as a sports broadcaster for the Big Ten and an assistant softball coach at Northern Illinois.
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball team represents the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA Division I women's softball competition. Coached by Karen Weekly, the team has become a consistently top tier team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), appearing in every NCAA tournament since 2004, and qualifying for 8 Women's College World Series.
Sierra Joy Romero is a Mexican American professional softball player. She formerly was a volunteer assistant softball coach for the Oregon Ducks softball team. She played college softball for Michigan from 2013 to 2016, where she set numerous records and was a four-time All-American. She holds the Big Ten Conference career Triple Crown, along with the total bases and slugging percentage records, simultaneously leading all of the NCAA Division I in runs scored and grand slams. She was the inaugural winner of both the espnW Softball Player of the Year in 2015 and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2016, when she also took home the Honda Sports Award Softball Player of the Year and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year awards. She is one of nine NCAA players to hit .400 with 200 RBIs, 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage for her career and was named the #5 Greatest College Softball Player.
Amanda Marie Chidester is an American former professional softball player and current assistant coach for Michigan. She was named National Pro Fastpitch Player of the Year for the Chicago Bandits in 2019. She has been a member of the USA Softball Women's National Team on-and-off since 2012. She played college softball at Michigan from 2009 to 2012 and was named First Team All-Big Ten three of her seasons. She was twice selected as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American. Chidester represented Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal. In 2021, Chidester played her second season in the Athletes Unlimited Softball league and placed second in individual points earned.
Traci Lynn Conrad is an American softball coach and former softball player. She is a coach with Select Florida Softball and previously served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame. She played professional softball for the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league from 1999 to 2000.
Patti Townsend, formerly Patti Benedict, is an American softball coach and former player. She has been a softball coach at Tallahassee Community College since 1996 and the head coach since 2003.
Lauren Nicole Chamberlain is an American retired softball infielder. Chamberlain played college softball for the Oklahoma Sooners softball from 2012 to 2015. A collegiate All-American, she was part of the 2013 Women's College World Series championship team. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in slugging percentage. She also holds the school and Big 12 Conference career lead in RBIs, walks, total bases and runs. She was drafted #1 and played professional softball for the USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch from 2015 to 2018, winning a title in her final season in 2018.
Kate Drohan is an American softball coach and former collegiate softball player who is the current head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats softball team in the Big Ten Conference. She led Northwestern to the 2006 Women's College World Series and a national runner up finish in 2022. She has mentored athletes Tammy Williams and Eileen Canney. She played college softball for the Providence Friars from 1992 to 1995 in the Big East Conference, where she was a three-time All-Conference honoree.
The 2006 NCAA Division I softball tournament was the twenty-fifth annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate softball. Held during May and June 2006, sixty-four Division I college softball teams contested the championship. The tournament featured eight regionals of eight teams, each in a double elimination format. The 2006 Women's College World Series was held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from June 1 through June 6 and marked the conclusion of the 2006 NCAA Division I softball season. Arizona won their seventh championship by defeating Northwestern two games to none in the championship series. Arizona pitcher Alicia Hollowell was named Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
The 2019 NCAA Division I Softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began February 7, 2019. The season will progress through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and will conclude with the 2019 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2019 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament will be held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, will end in June 2019.
The 2020 NCAA Division I Softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began February 6, 2020. The season ended on March 12, 2020, when the NCAA cancelled all winter championships and spring sports seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2020 Women's College World Series, which were to be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, did not occur.
The 2006 Big Ten softball tournament was held at Sharon J. Drysdale Field on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from May 12 through May 13, 2006. As the tournament winner, Michigan earned the Big Ten Conference's automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Division I softball tournament.
The 2007 Big Ten softball tournament was held at Buckeye Field on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio from May 10 through May 12, 2007. As the tournament winner, Ohio State earned the Big Ten Conference's automatic bid to the 2007 NCAA Division I softball tournament.
The 2021 Michigan Wolverines softball team was an American college softball team that represented the University of Michigan during the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wolverines were led by head coach Carol Hutchins in her thirty-seventh season, and played their home games at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The 2004 Big Ten softball tournament was held at Alumni Field on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from May 13 through May 15, 2004. As the tournament winner, Michigan State earned the Big Ten Conference's automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Division I softball tournament. As the eighth-seed, Michigan State became the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament.
The 2022 NCAA Division I softball season, part of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2022. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2022 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2022 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, ended in June 2022.
Danielle Lauren Williams is an American college softball player for the Northwestern Wildcats. As a freshman in 2019, she was named NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
