Northern Illinois Huskies
softball
Founded1959
UniversityNorthern Illinois University
Head coachChristina Sutcliffe (7th season)
ConferenceMAC
LocationDeKalb, IL
Home stadiumMary M. Bell Field (Capacity: 600)
NicknameHuskies
ColorsCardinal and black[1]
   
NCAA WCWS appearances
1988
NCAA Tournament appearances
1988, 1996
Conference Tournament championships
1996 (MCC)
Regular Season Conference championships
1988, 1989, 1990 (NSC)
1996 (MCC)
1999, 2000 (MAC)

The Northern Illinois Huskies softball (officially NIU Huskies softball[2]) team is the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I college softball team that represents Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). NIU softball started playing in 1959 and has two NCAA Tournament appearances (1988, 1996) and one appearance in the Women's College World Series (1988). The Huskies are coached by Christina Sutcliffe.

Season-by-season results

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mary M. Bell (Independent) (1959–1974)
1959 Mary M. Bell 1–1
1960 Mary M. Bell 1–0
1961 Mary M. Bell 3–1
1962 Mary M. Bell 5–0
1963 Mary M. Bell 4–1
1964 Mary M. Bell 9–0
1965 Mary M. Bell 4–2
1966 Mary M. Bell 3–2
1967 Mary M. Bell 3–3
1968 Mary M. Bell 5–3
1969 Mary M. Bell 8–2
1970 Mary M. Bell 10–1
1971 Mary M. Bell 8–4
1972 Mary M. Bell 7–4
1973 Mary M. Bell 7–7
1974 Mary M. Bell 6–6
Mary M. Bell: 84–37
L. Anne Payne (Independent) (1975–1976)
1975 L. Anne Payne 6–2
1976 L. Anne Payne 4–5
L. Anne Payne: 10–7
Anne Johnston (Independent) (1977–1979)
1977 Anne Johnston 6–4
1978 Anne Johnston 16–9
1979 Anne Johnston 10–18
Anne Johnston: 32–31
Dee Abrahamson (MAC) (1980–1986)
1980 Dee Abrahamson 18–19
1981 Dee Abrahamson 24–24
1982 Dee Abrahamson 39–18–1
1983 Dee Abrahamson 15–17 2–6 4th
1984 Dee Abrahamson 19–15 8–7 3rd
1985 Dee Abrahamson 30–21 10–8 4th
1986 Dee Abrahamson 23–19 10–8 5th
Dee Abrahamson (Independent) (1987–1987)
1987 Dee Abrahamson 24–25
Dee Abrahamson (NSC) (1988–1992)
1988 Dee Abrahamson 35–11 3–0 1st Women's College World Series
1989 Dee Abrahamson 38–7 6–0 1st
1990 Dee Abrahamson 23–19–2 4–1 1st
1991 Dee Abrahamson 31–21 12–6 2nd
1992 Dee Abrahamson 33–25–2 8–2
Dee Abrahamson (Mid-Con) (1993–1994)
1993 Dee Abrahamson 40–18 12–4 2nd
1994 Dee Abrahamson 24–28 9–9 3rd
Dee Abrahamson: 416–287–5 84–51
Donna Martin (MCC) (1995–1997)
1995 Donna Martin 32–26 11–7
1996 Donna Martin 35–17 13–1 1st NCAA Regional
1997 Donna Martin 35–27 11–3 2nd
Donna Martin (MAC) (1998–2007)
1998 Donna Martin 33–16–1 21–6–1 2nd
1999 Donna Martin 35–19 22–4 1st
2000 Donna Martin 33–22 19–3 1st
2001 Donna Martin 20–35 12–12 3rd
2002 Donna Martin 21–29 13–8 3rd
2003 Donna Martin 23–21–1 13–7 3rd
2004 Donna Martin 14–41 6–18 6th
2005 Donna Martin 24–25 9–11 5th
2006 Donna Martin 23–28 10–12 4th
2007 Donna Martin 22–28 10–12 4th
Donna Martin: 350–334–2 170–104–1
Lindsay Chouinard (MAC) (2008–2012)
2008 Lindsay Chouinard 13–30 7–13 4th
2009 Lindsay Chouinard 20–37 12–10 3rd
2010 Lindsay Chouinard 25–34 10–10 3rd
2011 Lindsay Chouinard 26–27 13–7 7th
2012 Lindsay Chouinard 19–34 7–15 9th
Lindsay Chouinard: 103–162 49–55
Christina Sutcliffe (MAC) (2013–present)
2013 Christina Sutcliffe 27–31 14–8 2nd
2014 Christina Sutcliffe 26–31 10–12 2nd
2015 Christina Sutcliffe 28–25 11–9 4th
2016 Christina Sutcliffe 35–20 13–10 1st (West)
2017 Christina Sutcliffe 33–21 15–9 2nd (West)
2018 Christina Sutcliffe 24–32 11–11
2019 Christina Sutcliffe 27–25 11–9
Christina Sutcliffe: 200–185 85–68


Total: 1195–1053–7

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Coaching staff

NIU softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe is the seventh head coach in NIU softball program history and took over the program starting with the 2013 season.[4][5]

Honors

All-Americans

NIU softball has had seven players named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America teams, including three First-Team All-American selections.[3][6]

Year Player Team
1987 Jill Justin First-Team
1988 Jill Justin First-Team
1989 Jill Justin First-Team
1991 Julie Sexton Third-Team
1993 Niki VanHooreweghe Third-Team
1997 Tammy Pytel Third-Team
2016 Emily Naegele Third-Team

Academic All-Americans

NIU women's SOFTBALL has had 18 players named to CoSIDA Academic All-America teams, including eight First-Team Academic All-American selections.[3][7]

Year Player Team
1986 Sue Kause First-Team
1986 Amy Veld Third-Team
1987 Sue Kause First-Team
1987 Amy Veld First-Team
1987 Beth Schrader Third-Team
1988 Sue Kause First-Team
1988 Beth Schrader First-Team
1988 Laura Peterson Second-Team
1988 Amy Veld Second-Team
1989 Beth Schrader Third-Team
1990 Julie Sexton First-Team
1993 Niki VanHooreweghe Second-Team
1994 Niki VanHooreweghe Second-Team
1995 Amy Scharlau First-Team
1995 Niki VanHooreweghe Third-Team
1998 Tammy Pytel Third-Team
2006 Lindsey LaChiana Second-Team
2016 Emily Naegele First-Team
2021 Katie the god Keller First-Team

Players of the Year

NIU softball has had two players named Player of the Year by the conference.[3]

Year Player Conference
1996 Kerri Kerber MCC
1999 Christy Dalton MAC

Pitchers of the Year

NIU softball has had two players named Pitcher of the Year by the conference.[3]

Year Player Conference
1996 Angie Zuspann MCC
2000 Courtney Witvliet MAC

Coaches of the Year

NIU softball has had five head coaches named Coach of the Year by the conference.[3]

Year Head Coach Conference
1989 Dee Abrahamson NSC
1993 Dee Abrahamson Mid-Con
1996 Donna Martin MCC
1999 Donna Martin MAC
2000 Donna Martin MAC

NCAA Statistical Champions

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ "NIU Athletic Marks Standards Guide" (PDF). July 12, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  2. ^ NIU Licensing Style Guide pg. 8
  3. ^ a b c d e f "NIU Softball Record Book" (PDF).
  4. ^ Christina Sutcliffe Coaching Profile
  5. ^ NIU Softball Coaching Staff
  6. ^ NFCA 2016 All-American Team
  7. ^ 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team

External links

Northern Illinois University
Category