Thursday, April 12, 2018

Morgan Newport and the 2018 Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern Wildcats Women's Softball team will be in back action this weekend. You can find my story about the Cats on the Patch at Northwestern Wildcats Returning Home.
The Wildcats are 23-13 on the season. Unfortunately, they are only 6-5 in Big Ten Conference play. There are still 16 games remaining, including a four game home stretch starting this Friday. The Cats host the Ohio State Buckeyes for 3 games, then enjoy an off day, before finishing this homestand against Green Bay.
One of the big reasons for the success of the Cats this season is sophomore pitcher Morgan Newport. She is 10-5 with a 3.87 ERA. She has 5 complete games in 12 starts. She has 46 strikeouts in 72 1/3 inning pitched. Morgan has certainly blossomed in her second season of collegiate play.
As a freshman, Morgan appeared in 33 games. She started 5 games, relieved in 22 and was the Designated Player in 5 games. She went 7-6 with 3 saves and a 3.85 ERA.
In high school, Morgan was a star on the mound and at bat. She never hit below .411 and also pitched a no-hitter, among her other accomplishments. She also played many years of club softball. Clearly she had the resume and now she is starting to show real star power in her second season with the Cats.
One of the coolest parts of following Northwestern softball is watching the development of the players. Morgan will get several more opportunities this season and I'll be watching closely.
You can go to NUSports.com to learn more about Morgan and her teammates. You can also check here for recurring coverage of Team Purple.
Morgan Newport and me in Evanston, IL-Spring 2017.

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