2006 Northwestern Wildcats softball team

2006 Northwestern Wildcats softball
2006 Northwestern Wildcats softball
NCAA Evanston Super Regional champion; NCAA Evanston Regional champion; Big Ten champion
Women's College World Series, runner-up
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	50–15 (16–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Kate Drohan (5th season);
Home stadium	Sharon J. Drysdale Field

2006 Big Ten Conference softball standings
	Conf.				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 2 Northwestern ‍†‍‍^y	16	–	3	.842	50	–	15	.769
No. 10 Michigan ‍‍‡‍^y	14	–	4	.778	44	–	15	.746
Iowa ‍‍‍^y	12	–	7	.632	39	–	22	.639
Ohio State ‍‍‍^y	11	–	7	.611	39	–	23	.629
Penn State ‍‍‍^y	10	–	10	.500	39	–	17	.696
Indiana ‍‍‍^y	8	–	9	.471	30	–	25	.545
Michigan State ‍‍‍	9	–	11	.450	34	–	25	.576
Illinois ‍‍‍	8	–	11	.421	24	–	31	.436
Purdue ‍‍‍	7	–	12	.368	30	–	30	.500
Wisconsin ‍‍‍	6	–	11	.353	22	–	22	.500
Minnesota ‍‍‍	1	–	17	.056	17	–	33	.340

† – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of August 3, 2006^[1] Rankings from NFCA

The 2006 Northwestern Wildcats softball team represented Northwestern University in the 2006 NCAA Division I softball season. The Wildcats were coached by Kate Drohan, who led his fifth season. The Wildcats finished with a record of 50–15. They competed in the Big Ten Conference, where they finished first with an 16–3 record.^[2]^[3]

The Wildcats were invited to the 2006 NCAA Division I softball tournament, where they swept the NCAA Evanston Regional, claimed the Super Regional in three games, and then completed a run to the title game of the Women's College World Series where they fell to champion Arizona.

Roster

2006 Northwestern Wildcats roster^[2]^[4]

Pitchers

3 - Courtnay Foster - Senior
7 - Jessica Miller - Junior
13 - Eileen Canney - Junior

Catchers

00 - Erin Dyer - Freshman
10 - Jamie Dotson - Senior

Infielders

2 - Tammy Williams - Freshman
6 - Darcy Sengewald - Sophomore
12 - Gina Gonzalez - Freshman
16 - Ashley Crane - Senior
17 - Jessica Rigas - Freshman
21 - Kristen Amegin - Senior
22 - Erin Hampshire - Freshman
23 - Garland Cooper - Junior

Outfielders

1 - Elizabeth Piatt - Junior
4 - Sheila McCorkle - Senior
8 - - Katie Logan - Junior
9 - - Kristen Salamon - Sophomore

Utility

15 - Ann Schraufnagel - Freshman

Schedule

Legend
	Nebraska win
	Nebraska loss
*	Non-Conference game

2006 Northwestern Wildcats softball game log^[2]^[5]

Regular season

February
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Big Ten Record
Feb 10	vs Oregon State*	Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic)	W 1–0	1–0
Feb 10	vs Arizona*	Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic)	L 0–8⁶	1–1
Feb 11	vs Fresno State*	Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic)	W 5–0	2–1
Feb 11	vs Texas*	Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic)	L 0–3	2–2
Feb 12	vs Syracuse*	Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium • Tempe, AZ (Kajikawa Classic)	W 7–2	3–2
Feb 17	vs Cal State Fullerton*	Eller Media Stadium • Paradise, NV (Louisville Slugger Desert Classic)	W 5–4	4–2
Feb 17	at UNLV*	Eller Media Stadium • Paradise, NV (Louisville Slugger Desert Classic)	W 5–3	5–2
Feb 18	vs Oregon State*	Eller Media Stadium • Paradise, NV (Louisville Slugger Desert Classic)	L 2–6	5–3
Feb 18	vs California*	Eller Media Stadium • Paradise, NV (Louisville Slugger Desert Classic)	W 3–0	6–3
Feb 19	vs Central Michigan*	Eller Media Stadium • Paradise, NV (Louisville Slugger Desert Classic)	W 11–3⁶	7–3
Feb 24	vs Louisville*	Golden Park • Columbus, GA (NFCA Leadoff Classic)	L 0–2	7–4
Feb 24	vs UMass*	Golden Park • Columbus, GA (NFCA Leadoff Classic)	W 7–2	8–4

March
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Big Ten Record
Mar 3	at Cal State Fullerton*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA (Worth Invitational)	W 4–0	9–4
Mar 4	vs Tennessee*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA (Worth Invitational)	L 2–3	9–5
Mar 4	vs Stanford*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA (Worth Invitational)	L 4–5⁸	9–6
Mar 5	vs Texas Tech*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA (Worth Invitational)	W 7–0	10–6
Mar 17	vs Kansas*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI (Bank of Hawaii Invitational)	W 1–0	11–6
Mar 17	vs Longwood*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI (Bank of Hawaii Invitational)	W 4–3	12–6
Mar 18	at Oklahoma State*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI (Bank of Hawaii Invitational)	W 1–0	13–6
Mar 18	vs San Diego State*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI (Bank of Hawaii Invitational)	W 5–2	14–6
Mar 20	vs Kansas*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI	W 6–2	15–6
Mar 20	at Hawaii*	Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium • Honolulu, HI	W 5–0	16–6
Mar 23	at Cal State Fullerton*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA	L 3–6	16–7
Mar 23	at Cal State Fullerton*	Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA	W 10–0⁶	17–7
Mar 25	at Long Beach State*	LBSU Softball Complex • Long Beach, CA	L 5–6	17–8
Mar 26	at UCLA*	Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA	W 3–2	18–8
Mar 31	Wisconsin	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 16–0⁵	19–8	1–0

April
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Big Ten Record
Apr 1	Wisconsin	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 10–3	20–8	2–0
Apr 2	Iowa	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 3–1	21–8	3–0
Apr 2	Iowa	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 12–2	22–8	4–0
Apr 4	at Northern Illinois*	Mary M. Bell Field • DeKalb, IL	W 3–1	23–8
Apr 7	at Penn State	Nittany Lion Field • University Park, PA	W 1–0	24–8	5–0
Apr 8	at Penn State	Nittany Lion Field • University Park, PA	W 3–1	25–8	6–0
Apr 9	at Ohio State	Buckeye Field • Columbus, OH	L 1–2	25–9	6–1
Apr 9	at Ohio State	Buckeye Field • Columbus, OH	L 2–3	25–10	6–2
Apr 11	UIC*	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 9–0⁵	26–10
Apr 14	Indiana	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 8–0⁶	27–10	7–2
Apr 15	Indiana	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 11–1	28–10	8–2
Apr 16	Purdue	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 4–0	29–10	9–2
Apr 18	Notre Dame*	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 3–2	30–10
Apr 20	Loyola (IL)*	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 8–0⁵	31–10
Apr 23	at Minnesota	Jane Sage Cowles Stadium • Minneapolis, MN	W 4–3¹⁸	32–10	10–2
Apr 23	at Minnesota	Jane Sage Cowles Stadium • Minneapolis, MN	Jane Sage Cowles Stadium • Minneapolis, MN	W 4–2	33–10	11–2
Apr 28	at Michigan State	Old College Field • East Lansing, MI	W 5–0	34–10	12–2
Apr 29	at Michigan State	Old College Field • East Lansing, MI	W 9–4	35–10	13–2
Apr 30	at Michigan	Alumni Field • Ann Arbor, MI	W 2–1	36–10	14–2
Apr 30	at Michigan	Alumni Field • Ann Arbor, MI	L 0–2	36–11	14–3

May
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Big Ten Record
May 2	at DePaul*	Cacciatore Stadium • Chicago, IL	W 2–0⁹	37–11
May 2	at DePaul*	Cacciatore Stadium • Chicago, IL	W 3–1	38–11
May 6	at Illinois	Eichelberger Field • Urbana, IL	W 3–0	39–11	15–3
May 6	at Illinois	Eichelberger Field • Urbana, IL	W 5–0	40–11	16–3

Postseason

Big Ten Tournament
Date	Opponent	Rank (Seed)	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Big Ten T record
May 12	(8) Illinois	(1)	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 4–1	41–11	1–0
May 13	(4) Ohio State	(1)	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 4–0	42–11	2–0
May 13	(2) Michigan	(1)	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	L 0–6	42–12	2–1

NCAA Evanston Regional
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	NCAAT record
May 19	Southern Illinois	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 4–0	43–12	1–0
May 20	Notre Dame	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 9–0⁵	44–12	2–0
May 21	Notre Dame	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 7–4	45–12	3–0

NCAA Evanston Super Regional
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	NCAAT record
May 26	UMass	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	L 0–1	45–13	0–1
May 27	UMass	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 4–2	46–13	1–1
May 27	UMass	Sharon J. Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL	W 9–0⁵	47–13	2–1

NCAA Women's College World Series
Date	Opponent	Rank (Seed)	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	WCWS Record
June 1	(5) Alabama	(4)	ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK	W 6–5¹⁰	48–13	1–0
June 2	(8) Tennessee	(4)	ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK	W 2–0	49–13	2–0
June 4	(1) UCLA	(4)	ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK	W 3–1⁸	50–13	3–0
June 5	(2) Arizona	(4)	ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK	L 0–8	50–14	3–1
June 6	(2) Arizona	(4)	ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK	L 0–5	50–15	3–2

References

^ "2006 Big Ten Softball Standings & Leaders Statistics". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c 2025 Record Book (PDF). Northwestern Wildcats. p. 25. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
^ Audrey Pachuta (May 14, 2024). "Softball: Former players reflect on Northwestern's winning legacy ahead of NCAA tournament". Daily Northwestern. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
^ "2006 Softball Roster". Northwestern Wildcats. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
^ "2006 Softball Schedule". Northwestern Wildcats. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

[1] "2006 Big Ten Softball Standings & Leaders Statistics". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. Retrieved June 25, 2020.

[media-2] 2025 Record Book (PDF). Northwestern Wildcats. p. 25. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

[3] Audrey Pachuta (May 14, 2024). "Softball: Former players reflect on Northwestern's winning legacy ahead of NCAA tournament". Daily Northwestern. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

[4] "2006 Softball Roster". Northwestern Wildcats. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

[5] "2006 Softball Schedule". Northwestern Wildcats. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Northwestern Wildcats softball
Venues	Sharon J. Drysdale Field (1979–Present)
Head coaches	Mary Conway (1975–1978) Sharon Drysdale (1979–2001) Kate Drohan (2002–present)
Seasons	1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Women's College World Series appearances in italics