After the most successful opening weekend in school history, No. 2 Northwestern (4-0) returns to action this weekend in Cathedral City, Calif., at the Palm Springs Classic. The tournament features 13 ranked teams among the 23-team field. The Wildcats will take on three ranked opponents in their five-game weekend schedule.
NU will play two games Friday, the first against Oregon and the second against San Diego State.
The Cats will then face two ranked teams on Saturday, night contests against No. 6 LSU and No. 25 Texas.
NU will wrap up the weekend with a Sunday afternoon game against No. 11 UCLA.
The Pac-10 has been widely considered as the powerhouse of collegiate softball, especially with Arizona winning back-to-back National Championships. NU, of course, knocked off Arizona for the first time in school history last weekend with an 8-5 victory.
Despite the conference's prestige, NU has competed well against each of the eight teams it has faced during coach Drohan’s tenure.
The Cats record against Pac-10 opponents in Drohan’s 7-year career:
5-1 vs. Stanford
6-2 vs. California
4-1 vs. Arizona State
4-2 vs. Oregon State
2-2 vs. UCLA
2-3 vs. Washington
0-1 vs. Oregon
NU has compiled a respectable 24-19 record against traditional powerhouses in the country, and it would mean a good bit to pick up a win this weekend against Oregon, whom the Cats have faced only once, and lost to.
After NU’s great opening weekend, the team jumped from sixth to second in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches’ Poll, released on Feb. 19. The only team in front of the Cats is Alabama, who recorded 688 points and 22 of the 28 first place votes. NU tallied 641 points, 47 behind the Crimson Tide, and recorded one first place vote, the first in school history in any poll. Ironically Texas A&M (9-2), who lost to NU 8-7, received four first place votes.
In the ESPN.com/USA Today Poll, NU placed third behind Alabama and Arizona State. The Cats totaled four of the 20 first place votes. Ironically No. 10 Arizona still received one first place vote after starting 0-3.
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