WNUR Sports

Oh well...

2007-06-03T16:49:00.000-05:00

Northwestern's season is over after falling to Tennessee 3-0 this afternoon. Abbott was dominant, and NU had no answer offensively.

Tune in tonight for a special 2-hour edition of the Sportsvoice from 7-9 Central on WNUR--live from Oklahoma City!

First Pitch Coming Up

2007-06-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

Arizona just topped Washington 2-0 to force an if-necessary game this evening for a trip to the title series.

First pitch for NU-Tenn is set for about 2:45. Pregame is underway on 89.3 FM WNUR and wnur.org...

NU Lives to See Another Day

2007-06-03T11:07:00.000-05:00

The 'Cats awake this morning on the heels of an offensive explosion and a dominant pitching performance by Eileen Canney in a 7-0 victory over Baylor on Elimination Saturday.

Now it's onto Sunday, where if the 'Cats can beat Monica Abbott and the Tennessee Volunteers twice, they will earn a second straight trip to the Championship Series. If they drop a game to the Volunteers, their season will be over.

It doesn't get much better than this, folks. Two great teams. Two great pitchers. Northwestern with their backs against the wall. Will Drohan have her team ready to pull off the impossible? Will Monica Abbott and her 683 strikeouts overwhelm the 'Cats? Will Purple Nation be celebrating again come Sunday night or will a disappointing 9-0 loss to Washington haunt NU throughout the offseason?

All these questions will be answered today on WNUR. Ray Garcia and Guy Benson get it all started with the pregame show at 1:45pm. If NU wins that game, they will play an if necessary game at either 5pm or 8pm, depending on the outcome of Washington-Arizona. Stay tuned to sports.wnur.org and wnursports.blogspot.com for updates.

Judgment Day (Part I)

2007-06-02T17:22:00.000-05:00

NU has had all day to wallow in last night's 9-0 loss; let's hope coach Drohan didn't give them the chance to do so. Dwelling on yesterday's awful debacle would be the worst possible thing for the 'Cats to do today. They have a new task at hand--defeat Baylor. The Bears walloped A&M 7-4 this afternoon, and they'll be riding high against Northwestern tonight. If the Wildcats can bounce back this evening, they'll need to defeat Monica Abbott and Tennessee twice tomorrow--a tall task, but one that NU first needs to earn.

Join us for an 8pm first pitch (approximately), with a 15 minute pregame show.

Also, yesterday's phrase that pays was "still no one out!"

Time to Regroup

2007-06-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

A 9-0 loss is rare for NU...especially in such a big spot. This could be a really demoralizing loss for the program if the 'Cats aren't careful. Tomorrow night will tell us a lot about this team. 8pm first pitch, 7:45pm pre-game on WNUR.

Embarrassing

2007-06-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

I hate to use the 'E' word, but that's exactly what this performance has been by the #2 seed in the country. Having an off-night is one thing, but 9-0? Oh my gosh! The top of the 5th inning lasted 32 minutes.

Floodgates?

2007-06-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

Canney out, Delaney in. 4-0 and counting: Top 5th. Delaney balks, walks in a run...7-0 Washington. Canney back into the game. Still no outs. My goodness, this is tough to watch right now.

Offense Languishing

2007-06-01T22:14:00.000-05:00

The 'Cats are not clutch tonight...at least for now. 5th inning, still 3-0.

Wild Night

2007-06-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

3-0 on a Wild pitch. Walk, balk, tag-up, wild pitch. Ugly.

Washington draws first blood

2007-06-01T21:37:00.001-05:00

1-0 on a single to right. Those walks are biting Canney in the rear end. Now 2-0 on an RBI ground out.

Squandered Chance

2007-06-01T21:25:00.001-05:00

Runners on the corners with 0 outs, and the 'Cats come up empty-handed in the 2nd. Not good...

For a pitching duel...

2007-06-01T21:09:00.001-05:00

...both teams have gotten some good hacks in over the first inning or two. This ump is NOT giving the outside corner to either pitcher. We'll see who that hurts more.

8:37 pm first pitch (CST)

2007-06-01T20:22:00.001-05:00

NU/Washington coming up...

Oklahoma City Drama

2007-05-31T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the total dearth of posts from the WCWS, but suffice it to say that we were a bit preoccupied. From an NU perspective, the most important thing is that the Wildcats won today, beating Arizona State 2-0 behind an excellent performance from Eileen Canney. Katie Logan and Tammy Williams provided all the offense the 'Cats would need with an RBI double and a solo shot, respectively. Canney was the main story, though, throwing a complete game one-hit shutout. Check out the highlights at sports.wnur.org! NU moves on to face Washington tomorrow evening at 6pm. The Huskies' pitcher was just as impressive as Canney in her team's win over DePaul earlier in the day, so it should be a dandy tomorrow.

From a personal perspective, the most important news of the today was the arrival of our luggage in Oklahoma City. Without delving into it too much, this trip (until about 2 hours ago) was overshadowed by a series of unfortunate events plaguing the broadcasters of WNUR. They may or may not include:

-Oversleeping (by a certain member of our broadcast KreW who shall remain nameless)...leading to...
-Missing a flight
-A canceled flight
-Losing luggage
-Airsickness
-Multiple hours of fruitless phone conversations with American Airlines baggage personnel*
-Frantically buying makeshift equipment at radio shack
-Buying new clothes and toiletries on the airline's dime, mere hours before gametime
-ISDN failure & reprogramming
-Credit card denials at dinner
-Confronting overzealous parking enforcers
-Sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the torso**

* During one specific conversation with a well-meaning but hopelessly bureaucracy-obsessed employee, I was forced to describe---in excruciating detail--the outside AND contents of our missing luggage. I was constantly asked to list three items in each bag before moving to the next exciting step: "talking about those items." At one point I literally had to spell "s-p-e-r-r-y," to help identify the top-siders sitting inside my personal luggage. At that point I had to excuse myself from the room as to avoid catching the delirious laughter bug that had bitten my two colleagues.

**This actually did not happen, but it would not necessarily have surprised us.

The overwhelming angst caused by these trials and tribulations was significantly mitigated by the Wildcats' win, and was totally relieved when I received confirmation that our "items" had arrived at the baggage claim area in OKC. I arrived at the airport, saw our glorious bags, high-fived the woman behind the counter, collected our bags and reimbursement check (for our lovely new attire), and skipped back to the car. Even the power-hungry man from the parking gestapo couldn't ruin my mood with his over-the-top threats. On the drive back from the airport, "I feel good" by James Brown came on the radio. Kyle and I laughed heartily and sang along.

We are currently sitting at the stadium watching Arizona/Baylor. Most people here are rooting for the Bears, who are big-time underdogs.

Later on, I will enjoy a lovely shower, change into my own clothes, and celebrate NU's victory. It's a sleep-in day tomorrow. And we won't even miss a flight! Thank goodness that the past 24 are exactly that....PAST. Absolutely brutal. But now that we've got our wits about us, GO 'CATS! Enjoy the remaining broadcasts--let's hope there are quite a few.

Yesterday's phrase that pays was: "Let's talk about those items."
Today's is: "It's in my SHOES!"

WNUR Sports Sweeps Daily Northwestern

2007-05-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

WNUR Sports reclaimed the campus sports media crown on Tuesday, defeating the Daily Northwestern 13-4 in softball. The battle at Long Field was largely decided in the second inning, when the broadcasters broke through to build a 10-1 lead. Team captain/coach/crazyman Aaron Morse went 3 for 4, Frank Bauch added two key triples, and Brendan Flannery tacked on a long homerun. All of the WNUR players contributed both on offense and defense, allowing starting pitcher Guy Benson to cruise to a complete game victory, allowing 3 earned runs. Benson was named the game's MVP.

"It was all about my boys behind me making the plays," Benson said in a display of hilariously false humility. "Although with [fellow senior] Ray Garcia winning the game MVP the last two seasons, I felt a little pressure to perform well today--and I did."

With the win, WNUR bounces back from a disappointing (1-2) performance last season, in which they dropped the final two contests to the print journalists. The sweep of 06-07 is particularly sweet for the WNUR graduating seniors, including Garcia. "Estoy muy contento hoy," el dijo. "No me gusta 'El Daily,' y estoy satisfecho que ganamos en el partido."

THREE-PEAT!

2007-05-28T12:56:00.000-05:00

We just got back from Philadelphia--exhausted but satisfied. What a night it was for NU lacrosse. Winning three straight titles is quite a feat, and our ladies should be very proud of themselves. Virginia gave them all they could handle, but they soldiered on and won the game.

What chaos on the field after the game! The players just mobbed eachother, jumping up and down, screaming, laughing, and crying. If you didn't know better, you might have assumed this was their first national championship. The NU fans were great, also. About 2,000 of the 6K+ crowd was wearing purple, and they were into it the whole game.

The play of the game (in my opinion) was the huge Lathrop save to keep the score 14-13 NU down the stretch. That turned the momentum around & led to the crucial goal by Dowd.

More to come...

To the finals!

2007-05-26T12:31:00.001-05:00

Last night was fun. The 'Cats absolutely stomped UPenn to advance to their third straight national championship game thanks to playing near-perfect lacrosse. NU shut out the Quaker offense for the entire first half, a feat that no team has accomplished since 1991. Aly Josephs was the hero with five goals, alongside her fellow senior Kristin Kjellman who added a hat trick. The game was all but over at halftime with Northwestern leading 8-0.

Will and I were marveling after the game: Hannah Nielsen, the sophomore sensation from Down Under, who leads the team with a mind-blowing 113 points, was almost entirely shut down by the Quakers. The 'Cats number one offensive threat and a finalist for national player of the year was virtually neutralized...and NU still won by TEN goals. That's a testament to the balanced nature of the Wildcat attack and the sense of teamwork Kelly Amonte Hiller instills in her players. It's a pleasure to watch.

I know it was already mentioned in the previous post, but WOW: DUKE?! What happened? We left the stadium when Duke started to take control late in the first half and Virginia seemed totally dead in the water. Trailing 13-4 in the second half, UVA stormed back for an almost-unheard-of 10 straight goals to win. We were chatting with coach Hiller back at the hotel last night, and she described the Virginia comeback as "one of the sickest things I've ever seen." No wonder she's such an awesome recruiter! Not only is she one of the greatest figures in women's lacrosse history, she's young enough to be able to use the adjective "sick" in lieu of "cool" without sounding lame.

So, as we enjoy Dillo Day here in Philly (don't expect any blog posts tonight), we are getting set for the big broadcast tomorrow night. Mark Murphy will join us on the pre-game, in addition to Kelly Amonte Hiller. Please join us at 5:45 CT for full coverage of NU/UVA. It's a rematch of the 2005 national championship, when NU dethroned the Cavs 13-10 in Annapolis, MD.

Go 'Cats!

An NU Dissection

2007-05-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

Northwestern defeated Penn 12-2 yesterday in what was the single best performance from any lacrosse team that I have ever seen. And that from a team that essentially was not trying to score in the second half.

It is abundantly clear that the Wildcats are on a completely different level of lacrosse. This second half was almost entirely played with a running clock when Penn went down 10 goals. And it was the semi-finals. Penn was ranked second in the coaches' poll. A top tier team was demolished by the NU squad.

But the game that Guy and I called was nothing compared to UVA-Duke. The Blue Devils came out of the gates and blew UVA out of the water. At one point it was 13-4. But then, the Cavaliers made an unprecedented run. It was ten unanswered goals for the 'Hoos in one of the most exciting comebacks in tournament history.

Guy and I were debating how much momentum helps Virginia. In my opinion, the day off today is huge. The momentum of that tremendous run will dissipate today and the teams will be on equal footing come Sunday. And, given the monstrous disparity between NU and everyone else talent-wise, that bodes well for the Wildcats.

I am certainly predicting an NU win on Sunday. This team is too good for that not to happen. And I look forward to being on the air for my first NU championship.

Let the Good Times Keep on Rolling!

2007-05-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Hello NU Sports Enthusiasts!

As I'm making my much-anticipated return to the softball postseason broadcast booth tomorrow, I thought I'd join the discussion.

What a day! While close games are the ones you remember for ages, the blowouts are oh so relaxing. As predicted, South Carolina could not hit Eileen Canney. Since they have only three hitters batting over .232 and only 2 with more than 1 HR, it shouldn't be a shock.

The pleasant surprise was Northwestern's offense. South Carolina was able to upend the three higher seeds in their region by keeping them pinned down with great pitching. But they're not power-pitchers, which presents a problem. When you have runners on base and your fielders keep making mistakes (as was the case for the Gamecocks), you need someone who can keep the ball out of play. Strikeouts are essential. Hendon couldn't do it, and NU scored 4 crucial insurance runs.

The Wildcats are playing in their third straight Super Regionals. But for the first time in that span, they won on Friday. Saturday looks promising.

Follow that game with the most dominating defensive performance of the year for Northwestern lacrosse. The lowest goals allowed since a drubbing of Vanderbilt back at the beginning of the season. So Duke + two games against Penn still equals less goals allowed than NU averages PER game.

Here's how good it was. Not only was Penn shutout in the first half. Lathrop only had two saves. My partners in Philly can confirm this, but that stat tells me that Finch, Finochiarro, and the rest of the defense set up a brick wall around the fan. The Quakers didn't even put up a fight. What do you expect from pacifists.

Kyle Whitehead and I, your humble servant, on the call tomorrow. Let's play one!

Law & Order: Criminal Intent Is Torture

2007-05-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Since being in Philadelphia, I have only had two options of ways to waste my time:

1) Listening to Guy's horrendous, immature and offensive jokes. Numerous WNUR staffers, present and former (Greg Bobak, I'm talking about you) would be outraged at the stories told. They are not suitable for this blog.

2) Watching television. Now, when Guy and I got to the luxurious Marriott, we were greeted by hilarity on the boob tube: the National Geography Bee. The guffaws were free-flowing at the awkward displays of emotion from these young people. Unfortunately, the champion made quick work of her competition and that was the end of that amusement.

The USA Network then promptly began a marathon of Criminal Intent. Guy and I are both huge Law & Order fans. But, and I think I speak on behalf of Guy, CI is atrocious. And when it is on for hours upon hours, it is torturous. So I am announcing my campaign to revoke the FCC license of any channel that airs this filth, especially at the expense of the other Law & Orders (the original and SVU) that actually are riveting television.

Greetings from Philly!

2007-05-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

Hey folks,

Will and I arrived in Philadelphia earlier today and we're enjoying ourselves immensely. The process of getting here, however, was not a particularly fun process. About half of the US Airways ATM-style check in contraptions were out of order, leading to high levels of frustration among our fellow travelers. Two beleaguered airline employees were desperately trying to match up checked baggage tags with the proper passengers, and they did so by just shouting out names randomly. Someone was actually named "Adolf." That can't be a fun name to grow up with. One of the last names we heard shouted out was, "Vendetta? Do we have a Vendetta here?" I responded by musing aloud that they might have a few of those developing thanks to the terminal debacle, prompting a few chortles from people standing around us.

Of course I got the middle seat, which made the flight oh so comfortable..but Will and I passed the time by talking lacrosse and making borderline inappropriate jokes. The baggage claim process was mercifully painless, as was the car rental. I feel so old being able to rent a car! It took us an hour to get to the hotel thanks to a labyrinth of one way streets and an, um, somewhat inattentive co-pilot. Fortunately my good friend Sean Hannity was on the radio, allowing me to enjoy the drive.

This hotel is a palace. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown is easily the nicest hotel I've stayed in on a WNUR Sports trip. The lobby is amazing, the gym/spa/pool is incredible (free Odwalla fruit drinks and lime-infused H20), and there is a button on the room phone that's called "at your service." The good people on the other end of that phone line assist guests with virtually anything, including ordering a delicious pizza that may or may not be arriving in about 10 minutes.

We are currently doing some game prep and watching Law & Order: SVU. We are stoked for the game tomorrow. Penn has gotten a lot better since the 'Cats dispensed of them back in March, illustrated by an eye-opening win over Maryland in the quarterfinals. They have won 13 straight games and will be playing at their home venue. We still predict an NU win. Check in throughout the final four for more lax insight and pointless (but hopefully amusing anecdotes) here on the grand old WNUR Sports blog.

Exciting Weekend Ahead

2007-05-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

There is quite a weekend on tap for Wildcat fans and WNUR Sports will be with you every step of the way.

Guy Benson and Will Cinelli will be providing live updates from their adventures at the lacrosse final 4 in Philadelphia and back in Evanston Kyle Whitehead will keep you up to date on the softball team's Super Regional matchup with South Carolina.

Stay tuned to sports.wnur.org and wnursports.blogspot.com all weekend long for game recaps, highlights, analysis, stories from the road and much, much more.

Wildcat Winners

2007-05-19T17:13:00.001-05:00

So far, it's been a fine and dandy weekend in Evanston. Softball has rolled in wins over Wright State and Illinois State, setting themselves up nicely to clinch a super-regionals berth with one win tomorrow.

Lacrosse is headed to their third consecutive final four in Philadelphia next weekend. They took care of the Syracuse Orange 14-9 today, thanks to a dominant second half. Next up? Penn.

What a beautiful day in Evanston...and what a wonderful day to be a Northwestern fan.

Wildcat Central...

2007-05-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

SOFTBALL

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard that Northwestern softball had received the overall 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Vaulting from a #6 national ranking to a #2 seed is stunning to me, but I have to credit the Wildcat coaching staff--particularly Kate Drohan--for making this happen. Drohan makes no mystery of her philosophy: Schedule the toughest non-conference opponents possible, and beat them. She and her Wildcats did just that and were rewarded with an eye-opening tournament seed.

In all likelihood, Northwestern will host both regionals and super-regionals over the next two weekends, making a return to the WCWS is a distinct possibility. That's not to say it's going to be a cake walk. Illinois State is dangerous in this first round, and any super regional opponent will pose a threat (remember UMass?). Nonetheless, the selection committee has granted NU a fairly smooth path to Oklahoma City, and I hope the 'Cats seize on this opportunity.

LACROSSE

Kelly Amonte Hiller's crew just keeps on chugging. NU blew past Holy Cross in their sweet 16 home matchup yesterday and will face Syracuse at home this coming Saturday in the elite eight. The 'Cats have already faced and defeated the Orange this season, but it was a pretty close game. Northwestern only won by a 10-7 margin, and Syracuse really played them pretty tough. I still anticipate a W for the lax team, which would send them to their third straight final four--this time in Philadelphia. The quest for a 3-peat is on!

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Northwestern's much-maligned hoops team received some terrific news this week when two highly-rated high school recruits gave Bill Carmody verbal commitments to join the 'Cats for the 2008-09 campaign. The two high school juniors, John Shurna (of Glenbard West) and Nick Fruendt (of Batavia), are considered to be blue-chip players on the Illinois circuit. These commitments have gotten quite a bit of favorable press for Northwestern around the area which may help entice other local studs to take the purple plunge. Either way, Bill Carmody and his staff (special props to Tavaras Hardy) appear to be steadily improving their local recruiting, and one has to believe that better days are ahead. Let's hope that the next generation of Wildcats will be the one that guides us to the promised land.

Anyway, it's been an exhilarating few days here in Evanston...and it's tough not to get caught up in the excitement. NU spring sports fans may be making a few trips back and forth between the lakefill field and Sharon J. this weekend..

Tough Break

2007-05-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

The 'Cats fell to Ohio State 2-1 in today's Big Ten Championship game. In all honesty, they did not deserve to win. Northwestern's lone run came courtesy of a comedy of errors committed by OSU, and aside from those miscues, Wildcat bats were kept totally silent. Ohio State walked off with the win in the bottom of the 7th on a throwing error by Darcy Sengewald--absolutely heartbreaking.

Ray, Kyle and I have returned to Evanston--where we are looking forward to tomorrow's selection show for softball, as well as the women's lacrosse team's 1st round NCAA game.

More to come...

The trip's overall phrase that pays was "Chutch & Mutch."

FAIL to the Victors!

2007-05-11T21:40:00.000-05:00

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Last year the Michigan Wolverines waltzed into Evanston and dominated the 'Cats in the Big Ten tournament final game, shutting them out 6-0. Michigan celebrated their victory at Sharon J. Drysdale Field as the 'Cats looked on from their dugout.

This season has been different. The Wildcats swiped the season series from the Blue and Maize by a count of three games to one, including today's 5-2 comeback win in Columbus. Watching the Wolverines packing their bags and heading home early put a smile on my face, especially because it was Northwestern that sent them packing. NU's hitters were so patient today, rarely swinging at pitches out of the zone. They picked up Eileen Canney after she struggled a bit, and scored five unanswered runs. Jessica Miller and Garland Cooper each contributed a big RBI double that helped bury UM. Now Northwestern needs to bear down and focus on OSU, who have scored 20 runs in their two tourney games thus far. They are playing very well right now, and they'll have the home crowd fired up for the title game. Tomorrow should be fun.

Today was a lovely day in Columbus. Ray, Kyle and I got up at the crack of dawn for calisthenics and a lengthy jog around the area. That was pretty rigorous. Then we enjoyed a delicious Bob Evans breakfast at about 2pm before heading over to the softball field to prepare for the broadcast. After the game we stopped by Damon's, a sports-themed restaurant with a number of huge screens showing various live sporting events. They even employ a video jockey of sorts--in tonight's case, an older gentleman--who announces which games are coming up, and on which screen. We overheard that they may have an opening on weekends, so Ray is preparing a demo tape and resume. Also dining at Damon's tonight..."CHUTCH," more commonly known as Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins. As she enjoyed a few cold ones at the bar, Ray and Kyle had to work very hard to convince me not to saunter over and offer to buy her a drink. Who knows if I would have gone through with it anyway...she's a little intimidating.

Now it's time for more hours of intense broadcast prep. The Benson/Whitehead broadcast pairing may be the A- team, but I'd still recommend tuning in---especially for innings 1,2,6 & 7.

Finally, today's phrase that pays is "Catch and Carry."

NU to face OSU in Final

2007-05-11T21:36:00.000-05:00

The Buckeyes pounded the Boilermakers 10-1 tonight, advancing to the Big Ten tournament final against Northwestern.

We'll be on the air tomorrow at 11:45 am CST with the WNUR Sports pre game; first pitch at noon.

'Cats Win 5-2

2007-05-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

Coach Drohan threw a curveball to Wildcat fans prior to the game, announcing Eileen Canney would start for the second straight day. Drohan's move to keep freshman phenom Lauren Delaney on the bench raised some eyebrows, and it wasn't looking good at the start.

Canney gave up a run in a sloppy 2nd inning that included a horrendous throwing error by the pitcher on a routine ground ball. Canney fielded the ball, turned to first and threw the ball directly into the ground, way short of first base. Michigan added another run in the 3rd and NU was trailing 2-0 when they came up in the bottom of the 4th.

As I sat in the stands prematurely preparing for a trip home, the Northwestern bats woke up. The 'Cats mounted a rally as the Michigan fans and coaching staff groaned in reaction to several pitches that appeared to be over the plate were called balls. With the bases loaded, Wolverine starter Nikki Nemitz hit Erin Dyer to force in a run. She then forced in another run with a walk to Jessica Rigas and the game was tied.

In came Michigan ace Lorilyn Wilson from the bullpen to try to get the Wolverines out of the jam. She promptly gave up a 2-run double to Jessica Miller and the 'Cats grabbed the lead.

NU would add another run on an RBI double from Garland Cooper in the 4th.

Drohan showed further confidence in Canney by keeping her in the game despite early struggles. The senior repaid her by dominating the rest of the way. The last 3 innings were uneventful as NU closed out their hated rivals and cemented their spot in tomorrow's title game.

WNUR will have full coverage beginning at 11:45AM CT with the pregame show. Guy Benson and yours truly will be on the call as the 'Cats go for the championship against the winner of tonight's Purdue-OSU matchup.

Everything is falling into place...

2007-05-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

No upsets thus far in the Tournament. In yesterday's second game, Ohio State trounced Penn State 10-2. Today, Michigan defeated Illinois 4-0, setting up a tremendous semifinal matchup with the Wildcats. Our coverage gets underway at 3:45 CT as Guy Benson and Ray Garcia get you set for what should be a gem. First pitch is at 4.

One Down, Two to Go...

2007-05-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

In Columbus that is.

With this win, the Wildcats are two wins away from winning the 2007 Big Ten Tournament and cementing a top 5 seed (in my opinion) in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. There are two things I would like to reiterate from today's broadcast:

1. Erin Dyer will be the key hitter in the NU lineup throughout the post-season.

2. Northwestern would be best served by playing both Michigan and Ohio State in the next two rounds.

As I said in the pre-game show, 4th inning, 6th inning and post-game show, Erin Dyer is in a pivotal spot in the Northwestern lineup. As the #5 hitter, she is the transition hitter between Logan, Williams, Cooper and Pauly at the top and Rigas, Miller, Kelly Dyer and Sengewald at the bottom. Despite her .227 average coming into the Michigan State game, she can have a huge impact on the post-season because of her ability to drive the ball the other way and make opposing pitchers work. The key thing to remember is that she will see a lot of pitches to hit because of expected success of the top four hitters.

Secondly, Coach Drohan prides herself on the tough non-conference schedule she sets up every year. By scheduling the likes of Arizona, UCLA and Texas in the non-conference, the Big Ten schedule seems much easier. In this year's Big Ten Tournament, a similar dynamic could happen. Northwestern will need to be at the top of their game if they want to make a second straight run at the WCWS. With that being said, they need tough competition going into the tournament and what better appetizer than with one of the nation's top programs in the Michigan Wolverines and the Big Ten regular season champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The level of intensity surrounding these potential matchups would be the best case scenario for the 'Cats as they prepare for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Before signing off, I would like to say the entire Ohio State Buckeyes media staff has been nothing but helpful thus far. This softens my position on the university as a whole but I still took great joy in watching them get worked at the BCS Title game and the NCAA Hoops Title Game.

Until next time, blog dismissed.

Thursday in Columbus

2007-05-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hello, friends.

The most important thing that happened today was the Wildcats' 4-0 victory over MSU at Buckeye Field. As Kyle alluded to in his post, Eileen Canney was a pleasure to watch as she quickly dispensed of a baffled Spartan squad. The game was scoreless for the first 3 1/2 innings before sophomore catcher Erin Dyer went yard for 2 runs, and that proved to be all the 'Cats would need. A solid win. I must say that it was a less than solid turnout in terms of NU fans: I counted 14 in total. Granted, Columbus is a hike from Evanston (as we experienced yesterday), but I figured Northwestern might be able to draw at least one fan for each player on the roster. I guess I was wrong on that count.

Onward to the far less important details of our day in Columbus. Consider for a moment: What would an average group of college buddies do on a road trip? If the first thing that popped into your mind was a midday trip to the discount department store, Kohl's...you're right! Just after noon, Ray, Kyle and I gleefully skipped, arm-in-arm, into the Kohl's, and walked away with an assortment of socks, slacks, and shoes. This excursion was highlighted by a slightly awkward encounter between myself and a random middle-aged woman in a fitting room. The doors to the store's dressing rooms did not have locks on them, so this lady just waltzed right into my stall. Unfortunately for her, I was fully clothed.

After our decidedly un-masculine trip to Kohl's, we stopped by an classic WNUR Sports haunt: Applebees, where we sought to 'eat good in the neighborhood.' Ray and I both decided to continue with the wussie theme, ordering a soup/salad/sandwich combination, while Kyle opted for a turkey sandwich. When our beleaguered waiter delivered our plates, one meal was conspicuously missing--Kyle's sandwich. The waiter frantically explained that they had run out of turkey, and that they had just informed him of this, and that he was very very sorry...he ultimately made the following over-the-top, dramatic vow: "I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!" (He then decisively comped Kyle's meal).

Later, after the softball game, we ventured to the aforementioned drive-thru liquor store and purchased a delicious two-pack of Miller Lite for the 21+ contingent of the road trip. In case you weren't aware, Miller Brewing is a proud sponsor of sports broadcasts on WNUR. They remind us to think when we drink, which is why I'm posting now rather than later on, after I've had my portion of the two-pack.

Dinner was next on the agenda, so we drove into downtown Columbus--the heart of Ohio's largest city. We settled on a chain Italian restaurant, Buca de Beppi (or something to that effect), and had our fill of delicious, previously-frozen cuisine. During the meal, the people at the table behind us had a long & loud discussion about the field of 2008 presidential candidates. The waiter even got involved. I battled every instinct in my being and stayed out of the fray. After waddling back to the Garciamobile, we headed back toward campus...and here we sit. Watching the Bulls blow a large lead with Ray complaining. I suppose it's his prerogative, though. You only turn 22 once.

A glorious match up of Big Ten softball rivals awaits us tomorrow--and I'm pleased to report that I shall make my triumphant return to the airwaves, having not called a pitch of softball in more than two years. I'm looking forward to it. NU/Michigan is always a battle, and tomorrow should be no exception. Until next time, Go 'Cats.

Today's phrase that pays is: "I'm going to do something about that!" or "The Scarlet and Red!"

'Cats Win 4-0

2007-05-10T18:09:00.000-05:00

2 hours and 9 minutes after the first pitch of the 2007 Big Ten Softball Tournament, we are already back in our room preparing for a night on the town. Guy Benson, Ray Garcia and myself have Eileen Canney to thank.

The star senior baffled Spartan hitters all afternoon, pitching a complete game 3 hitter with 12 strikeouts. MSU couldn't lay off Canney's nasty riseball and Eileen even threw in a couple wicked screwballs for good measure. Canney has now officially silenced any critics who were saying she is not the same dominant pitcher she was last season.

Sophomore Erin Dyer was the offensive star of the game. Spartan starter Lesley Noel was going toe to toe with Canney through the first 3 innings, but the 'Cats broke through in the 4th with Dyer's 2-run blast over the right centerfield fence. NU added two insurance runs in the 5th thanks to some shoddy defense from Michigan State. Two Spartan errors led to 2 unearned runs for Northwestern.

The 'Cats will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in the semifinals. They will face the winner of tomorrow's Michigan-Illinois matchup, which gets underway at 11 CT. If Michigan gets by the Illini, it should be quite a semifinal matchup as the Wolverines are NU's biggest rival and both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Our semifinal coverage gets underway at 3:45 CT with the pregame show. Ray Garcia and Guy Benson will be on the call as NU tries to advance to the BTT Final for the second consecutive year.

Now it's time to celebrate an NU win and Mr. Garcia's 22nd birthday. More posts coming from the rest of the crew later tonight...

NU-MSU Preview

2007-05-09T23:45:00.000-05:00

My colleagues may use this blog to get a cheap laugh. They use it to poke fun at my dashing red hair, my melodic singing voice, my cat-like reflexes and many of my other incredible qualities. Me? I brush off these comments and bring you the content. Now onto the matchups....

Big Ten Tournament Opening Round
#2 NU (43-10, 15-3 Big Ten) vs. #7 MSU (33-25, 7-9 Big Ten)
First Pitch: 4pm

C: Erin Dyer vs. Kara Weigle

Dyer may be the 'Cats hottest hitter heading into the BTT. Fresh off 3 home runs in a doubleheader sweep of #14 Depaul, the sophomore is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week. Still, as far as body of work, the sophomore in green and white gets the edge. Weigle sports a .356 average and leads the spartans in RBIs (48) total bases (113).

Edge: MSU

1b: Garland Cooper vs. Dayna Feenstra

No information necessary. A more appropriate matchup would be Cooper vs. Albert Pujols or Cooper vs. Ted Williams. Cooper has 14 more HRs, 43 more RBIs and slugs at a clip .359 higher than Feenstra's.

Edge: NU

2b: Nicole Pauly vs. Gina Mondo

Pauly has been perhaps the 'Cats biggest surprise this season. The freshman burst onto the scene in the high pressure spot of hitting behind Williams and Cooper in the lineup. All she did was respond with a .310 average and 11 doubles. She's even a perfect 8 for 8 on the basepaths. Mondo is one of the lightest hitters in the Spartan lineup.

Edge: NU

3b: Darcy Sengewald vs. Caitlin Mahoney

Sengewald is not in the lineup for her offense. Although she has shown the propensity for the clutch hit, the junior is the anchor in the NU infield and saves several runs per season with her glove. Mahoney leads Michigan St. in homeruns (12) and is second in RBIs (47).

Edge:MSU

SS: Tammy Williams vs. Meghan Darhower

Much like the 1b matchup, this one isn't even close. A glance at Williams' numbers boggles the mind (.438 average, 14 doubles, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs, .747 slg, 14 stolen bases). The sophomore who wasn't even supposed to be a Wildcat is on pace to be one of the finest hitters ever to don the purple and white. Darhower can't hold a candle to Tammy.

Edge: NU

Outfield: Dyer/Logan/Miller vs. T. Nicosia/N. Nicosia/Mercado

Twin sisters Traci Nicosia and Nikki Nicosia are 1st and 2nd on the team in average (.362 and .358, respectively). Traci has more power (15 doubles vs. 2), but Nikki wreaks havoc on the basepaths (21 stolen bases in 25 attempts). Logan often goes unnoticed on the star-studded Wildcat squad. The senior slaps her way onto the basepaths and sets the table for the big boppers behind her. Still, Kelly Dyer and Jessica Miller are two of the weakest hitters in the NU starting lineup. MSU has the depth and wins the matchup.

Edge: MSU

Pitching: Canney/Delaney vs. Turner/Hair/Noel

This is the difference maker in the matchup. NU's staff ERA is more than a point and a half lower than MSU's (1.74 vs. 3.39). Canney worked through her early season inconsistencies and seems to be peaking at the right time. Delaney has pitched like a seasoned veteran since she first stepped into the circle this Spring. The Spartans are 9th in the Big 10 in pitching. Lesley Noel makes the majority of the starts (10 of the 16 conference games) but is only mediocre.

Edge: NU

Overall: NU wins 4-3

Prediction: NU should have little trouble with the Spartans. This could be a trap game as most are looking forward to a potential semifinal matchup with Michigan, but Coach Drohan will have the 'Cats focused on the task at hand.

Final Score: NU wins 8-2.

"A MAN's Journey"

2007-05-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Earlier this afternoon, some talented & intrepid WNUR Sports broadcasters (and a current Sports Director) began an epic journey into the belly of the beast: Columbus, Ohio. We begin our coverage of the Big Ten softball tournament tomorrow afternoon.

Today's drive was relatively tranquil, with the exception of an unnecessarily hostile discussion about the merits of making up Big Ten softball games canceled due to bad weather. The current Big Ten policy (no make-ups) is the sole reason that we're here in Buckeyeland, rather than sleeping in our own fluffy beds back in Evanston. I could write a compelling case for changing this preposterous policy, but I've already won that argument once today--and being right does get exhausting after awhile.

The emotional anguish of a 7-hour drive was somewhat mitigated by a terrific iPod "road trip" playlist featuring an excellent blend of Billy Joel, classic rock, Big Ten fight songs, WNUR highlights, and some more Billy Joel. Ray's Mariachi music didn't go over quite as well.

We also managed to resist the urge to stop and tour the exclusive condominiums of "Williamsburg by the Lake" in podunk, Indiana. The complex's tiny/polluted-looking/man- made lake and its beautiful Interstate-side location made this community a tempting option for post-graduation residency. (Kyle could commute to NU).

Upon arriving at our generic-brand hotel, we almost immediately changed rooms for the reasons outlined by Ray in his previous post. Speaking of Ray, Feliz Cumpleanos, amigo! The big 2-2! We also noticed the *drive thru* liquor store across the street. We may investigate this unique place of business tomorrow after the game, but purely out of journalistic curiosity.

For dinner, we enjoyed a feast at the "Buckeye Grill," or something to that effect. (Incidentally, it seems to us like every business in this town has some connection to the awful Buckeyes. It's sickening.) Anyway, our waiter seemed to be hellbent on not allowing any glass of Pepsi to ever get even half empty, but overall he was attentive and helpful. After the meal, Ray and I taught young Kyle how to include a tip on a check paid on a charge card. This may benefit our colleague if/when he enters the dating fray.

Well, we wait with baited breath for this Big Ten tournament to get underway tomorrow. The broadcast should be a good one, despite my absence, so tune in! Also, be sure to read more about our exploits tomorrow evening, when we update this hallowed blog.

Finally, today's 'phrase that pays' is: "Get a grip."

Good Evening from Columbus

2007-05-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

The crew for the 2007 Softball Big Ten Tournament, Guy Benson, Kyle Whitehead and yours truly, has arrived in the mediocre state of Ohio. It was a long and sometimes contentious seven hour drive from Evanston but our friendship overcame all and we are now resting comfortably in the University Plaza Hotel. We have been here for roughly four hours and are already in our second room. This stems from our first room having an air conditioner that was "slowly dying" and making a noise reminding me of a Chili's dinner. And in 80 degree weather, this could cause a problem for two strapping young men and Kyle.

We are preparing for what should be an easy quarterfinal win for the Wildcats as they take on 7th seeded Michigan State tomorrow evening at 5pm ET/4pm CT. You can hear all the action on WNUR Sports 89.3 FM and online at sports.wnur.org. Continue to check in with the WNUR Sports blog for continuous updates on our travels throughout the greater Columbus area. Until next time, take of yourself...and no one else.

Northwestern's Spring Sports

2007-04-17T23:38:00.000-05:00

Most people on Northwestern's campus are obsessed with the football team's return to prominence in 2007 or the men's basketball team's repeated disappointments, year after year. And don't get me started on the awful women's basketball team. Yet, so many fans have no idea that two of the country's best teams in their respective sport reside right here in Evanston. Northwestern's Womens Lacrosse team is not only #1 in the country, and winners of 11 straight games, but they also happen to be the 2-time defending national champions. In addition, Northwestern's softball team is ranked 7th in the country and is the defending national runner up from 2006. Despite their recent struggles, they are still in contention for the regular season Big Ten Championship. It would behoove any REAL Northwestern sports fan to make their way out to the Lakefill and Sharon J. Drysdale Field to enjoy the great competition these collegiate powers have to offer. GO WILDCATS!

This Is Why They Play Best of 3...

2006-06-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

If you are discouraged by last night's 8-0 loss, try not to be. If there is one thing we have learned this season, it's that you can never count the Cats out. Here are some reasons to stay positive...

--The last time the Cats committed four errors in a game and self-destructed like that was against Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. But the next weekend, they dominated Southern Illinois and Notre Dame in the NCAA Regionals. Granted those games were played a week later, and Arizona is much tougher than either of those schools, but you could tell the Cats were able to put their worst performance up to date well behind them.

--It was only about 10 days ago where the Cats were also down 0-1 in a 3-game series. After UMass beat the Cats 1-0 in the first game of the super-regionals, NU had its back againt the wall. But the Cats were able to come out strong the next day and sweep the doubleheader to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City.

--The Cats have only lost consecutive games twice this year. The most recent time was nearly two months ago when Ohio State upset the Cats in a Sunday double-header in Columbus.

--Throughout this season, we have seen how it usually takes the Cats one time through the order to figure out the opposing pitcher. That's why the 4th inning is when they have scored the most runs. Alicia Holowell is the nation's second-best pitcher, so it might take the Cats a little more time to figure her out. However I'm confident we will see a lot more than just one hit tonight, as the Cats did yesterday.

Nobody on this team wants their season to end tonight. Although they could lose tonight as well, there is no way it will be in the fashion they dropped game 1.

Once again, I would just like to remind everyone pre-game coverage begins tonight at 6:40 CT on WNUR 89.3 fm or www.wnur.org. Please turn down your TV's and turn up your radios for this crucial game 2.

Post Game Press Conference

2006-06-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

Kate Drohan, Jamie Dotson, Garland Cooper, Tammy Williams, and Eileen Canney spoke at NU's post game press conference following the Wildcats' 3-1 win over UCLA in 8 innings

Presser

When Ray Garcia is speechless....

2006-06-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

What a game! UCLA ties the game at 1-1 when down to their last strike in the 7th and instead of running scared, the Wildcats hit back-t0-back jacks in the top of the 8th (Tammy Williams and Garland Cooper). Eileen Canney shut the door in the bottom half and Northwestern awaits the winner of Arizona/Tennessee in the CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES!!

Here are some of the sounds:

Highlight Montage

Post Game Interview with 3rd Baseman Darcy Sengewald

More audio to come including Northwestern's Post Game Press Conference...

Three Wins Away

2006-06-03T22:59:00.000-05:00

From Northwestern's third national championship in two weeks (if you count the doubles win of Grier and Prousis). Absolutely incredible. Even if NU's run ends tomorrow, which I don't believe it will, it has still been an incredibly successful campaign, the first or second best ever (competing only with Ishikawa's third place team).

Tomorrow's opponent is definately the team Northwestern wanted to face in this situation. Of the three seeds higher than the Wildcats, they had only beaten (or scored runs against) UCLA.

All Northwestern needs to do is win one of two games tomorrow. "Jelly" Selden had a phenomenal game against Texas, shutting them out to only three hits. But her earlier games were very rough. She lost the lead late to Tennessee and had a lot of long atbats with Alabama (although she only gave up one run, a solo shot by the short statured Accetturo, whose grandparents I met in the elevator...good people, they're very proud).

The point is that Selden is beatable. She mowed down Texas, but the Longhorns had arguably the weakest lineup in the WCWS. And we've already seen Eileen Canney and the Wildcat defense stop the Volunteers' number one offense cold (remember, Tennessee had never before had less than 4 hits; yesterday, they had one).

Selden will have a much harder time against a team with power, high averages, and plate patience. I can't say their hitters will have a more difficult time with Canney or Foster than they did Cat Ostermann (who just got a touching standing ovation from the many Texas fans in attendance on this her last collegiate game). When Canney did face the Bruins, the only two hits she gave up were solo jacks...this is a very favorable matchup for the purple clad fans here in OKC (about the same number as UCLA, and much more energetic).

Anyway you look at it, Northwestern has an excellent chance at winning this game. You can't say it will be easy, or sure-fire, since UCLA is supposed to be the best team in the country. But this year, NU is 1-0 against the Bruins, and UCLA has already lost this tournament. I'm confident Dan and Alex will be calling at least two games in the championship.

As for tomorrow's game, Ray and I will have all your coverage, starting with a pregame at 1:45pm, first pitch at 2pm. As always, your only home for Northwestern Wildcat Softball is right here on WNUR 89.3 FM, or www.wnur.org. Also, with the eliminations today, NU is one of only two radio stations left standing in Oklahoma City, the other being Tennessee. Should Arizona rub them out in the first game tomorrow, WNUR will be the ONLY radio coverage of the Women's College World Series.

Send it in!!!

Now, to take my safari hat, chewed fingernails, and showtunes back to the hotel.

Chatting with 'Cats during UCLA/Texas

2006-06-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

While the Wildcats were watching UCLA and Texas under the lights at Hall of Fame Stadium, I had a chance to catch up with some of NU's heroes of the past couple of days

Eileen Canney was unreal yesterday; who called the signals?...
Pitching coach Tori Nyberg

With the 'Cats down 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th, down to their last strike.....
Erin Dyer

Solid defense, and only the 2nd non-SEC HR off of Monica Abbott to give the 'Cats a 2-0 lead over Tennessee...
Darcy Sengewald

We're enjoying UCLA/Texas, and the Bruins are up 2-0 in the top of the 4th...I know UCLA is great, but I DO NOT want to see Cat Osterman (she has given up 2 HR, one of the inside the park variety)

Gettin' Some "Dap"

2006-06-03T18:17:00.000-05:00

We've been talking about how many Softball pundits and "experts" didn't feel NU had a chance to go far in the CWS, well after wins over Alabama and Tenn people are staring to talk about the Wildcats.

We're sitting at Hall of Fame Stadium right now watching The Sun Devils vs. The Lady Vols in an elimination contest (Alabama and Oregon State have already been sent home), and I figured since I'm really waiting for the UCLA/Texas LOSERS BRACKET?? GAME (Osterman vs. Seldon..Oh my!) I may as well let you know what some of the "softball message boards" are saying about NU:

"Tammy's the real deal as I just happened to catch that NU game...did you see her backhand a ball from 3rd base and throw the runner out??? INCREDIBLE! I'm a believer"

"the purple cats are hot. The horrible umps couldn't stop them last night, Abbott couldn't stop them tonight"

"Northwestern is the real deal in every way - in softball and in academics. Great job, Cats!"

"I've joined the bandwagon. I'm rooting for the purple to win the WCWS.

GO NORTHWESTERN!"

Northwestern vs. UCLA/Texas Tomorrow at 2 PM CT, pregame at 1:40. Ray Garcia and Ryan Morton will have the call. Also, the team should be here to watch that UCLA/Texas game, so keep checking back for more audio.

Stay PHresh Wildcat Fans!

Canney......ONIONS!

2006-06-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

Northwestern took down the Lady Vols 2-0 tonight in Round 2 of the College World Series!!! The 'Cats are now 3 wins away from a National Championship!!!

Here are some of the sounds....

Highlights from the big win

Post Game Interview with Jamie Dotson

More thoughts and commentary from the men who called the game, Ray Garcia and Ryan Morton later tonight...

'Cats Win!!

Huge Night of Games Ahead!

2006-06-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

Well, we did not get back to our hotel until like 4 AM this morning. That is because after the thriller between Northwestern and Alabama we stayed at Hall of Fame Stadium to watch the game between UCLA and Tennessee to see who NU would play today (Tenn won). The game didn't end until like 2 AM (amazing that a game that might just have this year's NCAA Champion was being played at 2 in the morning). After that game we packed up and headed to an old WNUR Sports favorite....STEAK N' SHAKE!!...Nothing like "S n' S" at 3 AM in Oklahoma City! Be glad that I'm the one writing about this meal and not Ray...trust me.

After a good night's sleep we walked around an area of downtown called "Bricktown" and it was pretty cool. It's just old brick factories that have been converted into restaurants and bars with lots of outdoor tables and such. Now we're just hanging out and getting "RePhreshed" before heading back to the stadium to watch Texas and Arizona and get set for the Wildcats vs. The Lady Vols. That Texas game is going to be fun, Cat Osterman was absolutely unreal yesterday, but when you think about it, Courtnay Foster had a better strikeout/inning ratio last night then Cat did...TAKE THAT LONGHORNS!

I got a message this morning regarding Courtnay Foster's pitching performance last night and it basically said that what we saw was "Vintage Courtnay Foster" and I couldn't agree more. We have been saying that Courtnay Foster showed what we like to call (via Bill Raftery)....figurative ONIONS!

It should be an electric atmosphere tonight at HOF Stadium and a great game between NU and Tenn. The Lady Vols beat the 'Cats 3-2 in their only meeting this year. In that game Tammy Williams (a lefty) hit a lead off HR off of the lefty Monica Abbott.

Pre game show at 7:40 CT and first pitch at 8 PM on WNUR 89.3 FM and sports.wnur.org. I'm sure we'll have some more audio after the game as well, so keep reading.

The Sounds of NU 6 Alabama 5 F (10)!!!

2006-06-02T00:38:00.000-05:00

Well, we're just sitting and watching UCLA and Tenn to see who NU will face tomorrow night at 8 PM. Our money is on UCLA, but we shall see. We have been at Hall of Fame Stadium since about 12:30 PM on 6/1 and it is now about 12:30 AM on 6/2. We saw an amazing game! Ray said it all. But here is all your audio:

Erin Dyer's Game Tying Home Run in the 7th (2-2 count, 2 outs, bottom 7th, down 5-4)

Tammy Williams' GW hit in the 10th (5-5, Sengewald on 2nd)

Full Highlights

Interview with Katie Logan right after the game

NU's post game press conference (Kate Drohan, Tammy Williams, Garland Cooper, Erin Dyer, Courtnay Foster, Darcy Sengewald)
Presser

That should hold you over for now. I'm still in awe. I have watched this team for a long time and WNUR has covered many games (many dramatic ones), but when you take into account the scope and magnitude of this game, the fact it was on ESPN2, the fact it was in the CWS, the fact it was under the lights, etc. It is by the greatest softball game covered on WNUR. How about a freshman (Dyer) getting the game tying HR, a freshman (Williams) getting the game winning hit, with a Senior (Foster) getting 13 strikeouts in relief and holding the game at 5-5 until the 'Cats won.

...Also, not one NU batter struck out in extras

NU vs. UCLA/Tenn Friday 6/2 at 8 PM (7:40 PM pregame) WNUR 89.3 FM or sports.wnur.org

Greatest Softball Game...EVER!!!

2006-06-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

I may have only lived for 21 years and I have seen my fair share of sporting moments in person, however, never have I sat through a game like the one I just saw between Northwestern and Alabama. Northwestern won the game 6-5 in 10 innings and yet somehow, the final score was almost meaningless.

Last week against UMass in Game 2 of the Super Regional, Northwestern did everything they could to lose the game. They hit into a triple play, they had a runner picked off, they failed miserably at the plate for 5 innings and their pitching coach was ejected and yet still managed to come back and win the game and eventually the Super Regional. Tonight's game was a completely different circumstance. The Wildcats did make a few mistakes throughout the game, but the umpiring in this game was horrendous and Alabama never let up and still NU was able to keep their focus and win the game.

Great moments in sports are few and far between. Being a sports fan from Chicago, nothing tops the White Sox title from a season ago. Yet, the fact that regardless of what happened in that series, the players are still millionaires makes a difference.

Every Northwestern player from Erin Dyer and Courtnay Foster to Sheila McCorkle and Tammy Williams gave their heart and soul in Oklahoma City tonight for pure love of the game. No money. No shoe deals. No incentives. Just a drive to hoist a national championship trophy, an undying passion for their teammates and maybe the most powerful point of all...PURPLE PRIDE!!!

Tune in for Northwestern's next game tomorrow night at 7:45pm on 89.3 FM WNUR as the Wildcats take on the winner of UCLA/Tennessee. GO CATS!!!

ERIN DYER!!!

2006-06-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS WITH ME?!?!

You gotta love post-season Northwestern softball. Bring on the extra innings...

The Journey has Begun!!!

2006-06-01T20:01:00.000-05:00

To my right, Dan Platt and Alex Freedman are calling Northwestern's first game here at the 2006 Women's College World Series. To my left, Ryan "Bobo" Morton is chewing his fingernails and wearing the safari hat he stole from an 80-year old man outside the stadium. And in front of me, Northwestern and Alabama are scoreless in the 3rd inning.

This is what it's all about folks. After NU won the 2006 Lacrosse National Title and followed it up with an NCAA Women's Doubles National Title, it's only amazing that NU has the chance to make it a trifecta of championships in one week. Despite the disappointments in Evanston throughout the fall and winter seasons, spring has become the epitome of excellence in Evanston.

I would be doing our devoted blog readers a disservice if I didn't update them on Ryan and my travels to Oklahoma City from Evanston. We departed E-town at 8:30am and pulled into the Oklahoma City Sheraton at 9:30pm. You may think 13 hours in a car is brutal, but let me correct you. 13 hours in a car with a singing Ryan Morton is as bad as it gets.

*In all honesty, the ride was not bad at all. Ryan kept his singing to a minimum.*

We made three different gas stops and one food stop at KFC, which could also be considered a "gas" stop. We drove into the mouth of horrific rain near St. Louis but I must say, the new Busch Stadium is beautiful. We wound through the cornfields of southern Illinous, the forests of Missouri and the plains of Oklahoma and here we are, in Oklahoma City.

Northwestern has now taken the lead 1-0 on an RBI hit-by-pitch by Kristin Amegin. Let's hope this score holds up. Stay tuned to the blog and sports.wnur.org for complete coverage of the 2006 Women's College World Series.

I AM OUTTA HERE!!!!

Wouldn't be NU in the postseason...

2006-06-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

Well, even though we are 800+ milies away from Evanston and further from Ann Arbor, rain still seems to follow Northwestern around in the post season. In the bottom of the 5th inning of Arizona vs. Oregon State, the skies darkened, the wind picked up, and then said "skies" opened up and it poured buckets. The game eventually resumed after the rain stopped and the tarp came off the field. We are now in the top of the 7th and Arizona and Oregon State are knotted at 2. We aren't sure how this will affect the start time of Northwestern vs. Arizona. It is about 3:40 and there is still Texas vs. Arizona State to play before our game. Pre game is still scheduled for 5:40 PM CT, but stay tuned to the sports.wnur.org and especially our blog for updates.

Also, I have to echo Mr. Tilman's sentiments about the Spelling Bee. Ray Garcia and I were discussing this very same topic here in Oklahoma City and I find it unreal that an actual "sport" has been bumped to "the deuce" for SPELLING! (hooray 14 year olds who can't spell words passing out on stage!). Even more messed up?? The National Spelling Bee finals are being broadcast not on ESPN or ESPN2....but ABC!!! ABC loses Monday night football and they get Spelling! great trade off.

That is all for now, McGowan and Hollowell are in a pitchers' duel! Wildcats are mounting a threat in the bottom of the 7th

Programming Decisions

2006-06-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

EVANSTON - Greetings from back in wonderful Evanston, IL. The College World Series has begun as Oregon State and Arizona are in the bottom of the third with no score. I'm enjoying watching on ESPN2, but what is very interesting is that the World Series is the secondary programming on the ESPN family today. Beating it out and airing on ESPN? The NATIONAL SPELLING BEE!!! As much as I enjoy watching the nine-year-old spell causerie, (he blew it) somehow I doubt he would come within 15 feet of an Alicia Hollowell rise ball.

Then again, I don't think Hollowell could spell attrahent either. (The 10 year old blew that one as well.)

And This is Day 1?

2006-05-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

Wow...what a way to start our trip in Oklahoma City. Dan and I are thoroughly exahausted after an action-packed day that has yet to end. Here's the rundown of the day's events...

After we "checked our bags," both Dan and I were lucky enough to be randomly selected to participate in an extended security check. If you have seen either of us, you probably know we're not exactly prime candidates to pose any major threat. Once that uncessary ordeal was complete, we started walking to our gate. Upon arrival, we noticed our gate was more of a Hooverville than place people board planes. People were sprawled out all over the place taking naps and the like on the ground. Needless to say, it was weird.

A couple of hours later we touched down in OKC. After checking into the hotel, we walked to the elevators to go up to our room, and noticed someone was holding an open elevator for us. Turns out it was none other than Tennessee ace and player of the year finalist Monica Abbott. With our first "celebrity" sighting under our belt, we hailed a cab to head over to ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Our cab driver turned on the radio as soon as we sat down, only to hear local sports talk radio hosts bantering over--what else--Oklahoma University football. Even though it's June, it's always football season in the Sooner State.

We arrived at the stadium only to immediately see NU Coach Kate Drohan and pitcher Courtnay Foster. (You can listen to Dan's interview with Foster by scrolling down the page.) Dan and I decided to do an audio tournament preview with Sports Information Director Doug Meffley (also below). We watched the team practice, and I gotta say, the coaches Drohan can absolutely rip the ball. Once they were done, we hopped on the bus with the team, and headed over to the Varsity Grill--not to be confused with THE Varsity in Athens, Georgia--for an early dinner. It just so happened that the hour and half we were there was dominated by Northwestern in many ways. Since this was a sports bar, there were many tv screens. One screen had a replay of the women's lacrosse team winning their second consecutive national championship. Another had NU alum Michael Wilbon sporting a Northwestern baseball jersey during his show Pardon the Interruption in order to show his support for the softball team. Once PTI concluded, it was time for Sports Center, anchored by WNUR Sports alum Dave Revsine.

As the servers brought in the food, we noticed someone had ordered a FULL slab of ribs. Who did that plate of ribs go to? Probably the person you would least expect...Coach Drohan! And yes, Coach made all gone.

After a brief stop at the hotel so everyone could change, we headed back to the stadium for the opening cermonies. The festivities got started off with a bang as a cover band made up of officers in the Navy called "Freedom" started rockin' some tunes. After each team was introduced (the Cats introduction is below), former UCLA standout Dr. Dot Richardson gave a couple of inspirational speeches. On the bus ride back, Caryl Drohan jokingly announced to the team that Dr. Richardson would be replacing Barak Obama as this year's graduation speaker. After the doc finished, it was time to announce the player of year. To nobody's surprise, Texas hurler Cat Osterman took home the award for the third time in her career.

Back on the bus after the ceremonies came to a close, we were notified that a Tennessee player came up to a couple of the NU players to ask if Northwestern was located in Iowa. Some might consider this a fair question, but I find it hard to believe seeing as how the Cats already played the Lady Volunteers earlier this season!

Coach decided to come up with a sweet way to end the night by taking everyone on the bus out for ice cream. After already devouring a full slab of ribs only 3 hours ealier, one might think it would be tough to down some dessert. But Coach Drohan was up to the task as she easy polished off the root beer float she ordered. (Please keep in mind Coach actually encouraged us to champion her digestive powers.)

Now we're back at the hotel and we've just been joined by WNUR Sports Directors Ray Garcia and Ryan Morton. They just completed a 13-hour trek on the road that began in Chicago this morning. And Dan and I think we had a long day...

Please check back for more updates, included a picture gallery and possible video footage of today's ceremonies. Remember pregame coverage for the Cats first WCWS game in 20 years begins at 5:40 central time tomorrow. Catch all the action through the airwaves on 89.3 fm or on the web via http://sports.wnur.org.

GO CATS!

WELCOME TO THE CWS NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS!!!

2006-05-31T19:19:00.000-05:00

Teams were introduced in alphabetical order, and here is the sound of Northwestern's introduction. The loud explosions you here after the introduction are the fireworks that were set off after the announcement of each team. While the 'Cats walked to their seats on the field, a video montage of clips from the season was played on the video board in center field. The music that accompanied NU to the field at Hall of Fame Stadium...Best of You by the Foo Fighters...(my apologies for the poor quality of the mp3, it was tough to pick up the sound from the PA, but i figured it was better than nothing!)

NU's Intro

WCWS Opening Cermonies

2006-05-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

Well, we have arrived back at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium for tonight's opening ceremonies. I'm not good at judging attendance, but the festivities haven't started yet and there is a good crowd on hand and more are still coming in. Everyone who walks through the gates gets a souvenir softball. There is live music, team introductions, and the announcement of "Player of The Year" Since this is the point of blogging, when cool stuff happens, I'll be sure to let you know about it. There is scheduled to be a "surprise guest" and we have heard rumors that it might be a performance by country star Toby Keith...we shall see

We may get some pictures up on the blog and sports.wnur.org and there may be some free video of the ceremonies up on nusports.com. Also, there is an amazing article about NU Softball and Kate and Caryl Drohan up on espn.com. It's by Graham Hays and here is the link

If you look closely you'll see what I will classify as a "shoutout" to WNUR. More updates to come.

Northwestern WCWS Preview

2006-05-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

Take a listen! Alex and I recorded a bit of a preview for Northwestern in the College World Series and their game with Alabama tomorrow (5:40 PM pregame, 6:00 PM first pitch). We had a chance to chat with NU's SID Doug Meffley about what the team has been up to and what they're doing to avoid being overwhelmed and distracted by the big stage of the World Series.

WNUR Sports World Series Preview

The opening ceremonies are this evening, so be expecting more interviews with Northwestern Softball Players!

Greetings from HOF Stadium

2006-05-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Me and Freeds made it to Oklahoma City and right now we are sitting in Hall of Fame stadium watching Texas practice on the game field. Alex is going to recap our trip down and give some other facts, but I wanted to post this interview with Courtnay Foster from right after the WCWS press conference. Here is the link to the mp3.

Also, keep an eye on the blog and sports.wnur.org later tonight, Alex and I will be posting a preview show of sorts that we will be recording in a few minutes "live to tape" from ASA's Hall of Fame Stadium. We'll get you set up for NU's opening round game with Alabama which is tomorrow evening, pre game at 5:40 PM CT on WNUR 89.3 FM and at sports.wnur.org. We'll also have some other interviews with players up as well.

OKC in the AM

2006-05-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

Well, the WNUR sports crew ships out tomorrow morning for Oklahoma City and the 2006 Women's College World Series. Again, our first broadcast is Thursday evening when the Wildcats take on the Crimson Tide of Alabama. First pitch is slated for 6:06 PM Central Time, and our pre-game coverage will begin at 5:40. All games can be heard on WNUR 89.3 FM or at sports.wnur.org. When I was a freshman the WNUR marketing slogan was "Turn down your TV and turn up WNUR." This was directed mostly at NU football fans who could watch the games on TV. Well, I'm bringing it back, all of NU's Softball Games in the series can be seen on ESPN or ESPN2, but WE URGE YOU to turn down those announcers who have not seen this team play once this year, or maybe EVER. We have broadcast every post season game in the Drohan era on top of our Big Ten season coverage, so if you want to feel the excitement of Northwestern Students calling a National Championship run, and want to listen to announcers who know this team inside and out, turn us up. So for this weekend, TURN DOWN YOUR TV AND TURN UP WNUR!

On some other notes, Alex Freedman and I should arrive in Oklahoma City in time to attend the pre-tournament press conference, so we will post audio from it to this blog. Also, keep an eye to the blog and sports.wnur.org for other broadcasts from Oklahoma City. We may be doing a "joint venture" World Series preview with Alabama Student Radio WVUA, or some other type of preview show from OKC, so keep checking back.

For the seniors who have watched this team since they were freshman, and for others on our staff that have come to appreciate the heart, determination, and character of this group of athletes, this is a very special time. I don't think any of us thought a CWS birth would happen just 5 seasons into the "Drohan Era." Keep reading for updates, multimedia, schedules, etc. and be sure to catch all the College World Series action on WNUR.

P.S. With the group we have going on this trip (Ray Garcia, myself, Ryan "Bobo" Morton, and Alex Freedman) this might be the first and last top to bottom "serious" post of the trip.

Drysdale Field...The Softball Twilight Zone

2006-05-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

"You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: Games 2 and 3 of the Super Regionals between Northwestern and UMass at Sharon J. Drysdale Field on Saturday

I know this is over the top, but what went on yesterday in Northwestern's dramatic comeback to reach the College World Series was truly SPECTACULAR. Let's go through some of the craziness.

In Game 2, with the game scoreless in the 2nd inning, The 'Cats had runners on First and Second with no outs when Sheila McCorkle hit a soft pop up to the UMass second baseman. Both Ann Schraufnagel and 2nd and Kristen Amegin at first were wondering of their bases and were both forced out before they could tag up. So yes, a TRIPLE PLAY!

In the 4th inning of game 2, NU Pitching Coach Tori Nyberg was EJECTED for arguing balls and strikes. I have covered a lot of softball and I have NEVER seen anyone thrown out of a game. In softball, the pitching coach for the most part calls all the pitches, so this was a big loss.

In the 6th inning with the 'Cats down 2-0, UMass pitcher Brandice Balschmiter walked 4 NU hitters and then hit Garland Cooper with a pitch (5 "free passes"). The 'Cats plated 2 runs WIHOUT RECORDING A HIT! and tied the game at 2 (RBI walks for Jamie Dotson and Kristen Amegin)

With 2 outs in the top of the 7th, NU got back to back hits by Katie Logan and Tammy Williams to put runners on second and third. Cooper was intentially walked and Jamie Dotson hita 2 RBI double to provide the game winning runs...'Cats win 4-2

Lets move to the thrid game, Brandice Balschmiter came into this series with a 0.70 ERA...In the 4th inning with NU already up 3-0, the 'Cats scored 6 RUNS!!! (They had scored only 4 in the previous 2 games). They had 7 hits in the inning. When the carnage subsided, the 'Cats had put up 9 runs on 13 hits against Brandice Balschmitter, beat UMass 9-0 in 5 innings, and ADVANCED TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES!

this is a long post, but to recap the weirdness: 1) Triple play 2) pitching coach ejected 3) 2 runs on no hits with 4 walks and HBP 4) 6 runs in the 4th inning against a pitcher with a 0.70 ERA on the season (9 runs on 13 hits in the game)

Ray, did I miss anything?

Game Time...

2006-05-28T09:24:00.000-05:00

Howard and I, and the Northwestern Wildcat women's lacrosse team, have arrived safely at Nickerson Field in plenty of time for the National Championship game, coming up in just under 2 hours.

Keep it locked to WNUR 89.3 FM for the live broadcast, starting at 10:45 AM Central Time. Bring a radio out to the Memorial Day beach barbecue and treat everyone to world class lacrosse and the premier vocal stylings of Howard Tilman on play by play.

Enjoy.

Oooooooooooklahoma!

2006-05-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

I, as the Broadway afficianado, had to be the first to post that. I will let my colleagues on today's call, Dan and Ray, actually recap the afternoon, though.

I just wanted to express my thoughts briefly. Following the 1-0 defeat on Friday, four things gave me confidence in a Saturday sweep.
1) Freshman in the circle
2) A lot of plate patience by the Wildcats
3) Solid contact against Balschmiter
4) Canney and Foster

Experience always wins out. Balschmiter's a wonderful pitcher, but you can not send a rookie out 3 straight games to pitch the most important games of her career. Pressure and fatigue got to her.

For the rest of my analysis on those other three points, tune into the Sportsvoice tomorrow night, when Carl Deffenbaugh and I will break down the weekend's results (a World Series berth, and dare I say, a quite possible second national champion).

Modern Technology

2006-05-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Louis and I are currently listening to the softball webstream (blogging) from the Apple Store in Cambridge, Mass. Thank you modern technology and go 'Cats! Amegin just walked with the bases loaded to tie the game.

Wow...

One Heck of a Season

2006-05-27T03:12:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-For Northwestern baseball, the 2006 season is one Wildcat fans will remember for a long time.

The 'Cats came out of no where and shocked the Big Ten baseball scene by finishing second in the regular season and falling just two games short of hosting the tournament. Their 21-11 record was the most successful season to date under Paul Stevens. They were road warriors as they took three series on the road against Michigan, Iowa and Illinois. They received numerous post season accolades including Pitcher of the Year (Dan Brauer) Coach of the Year (Paul Stevens), 3 1st team All-Big Ten selections (Pat McMahon, Dan Brauer, Antonio Mule), one 2nd team selection (Caleb Fields) and two third team selections (Geoff Dietz and Julio Siberio).

Wow...just wow...

And the most spectacular thing about all of that...Northwestern came into Big Ten play losers of 12 straight games. But, as Paul Stevens told me all week, this was one of the most resiliant teams he had ever coached here at NU.

Congratulations Northwestern baseball for giving the school and your fans one heck of a ride and one heck of season to follow...here is to much more success in the coming years. I see no reason why this cannot return to the tournament next year and the years to follow...

GO U NORTHWESTERN!!!

Last Day in Ann Arbor

2006-05-27T02:57:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-I am writing this at 2:55 am Evanston time Saturday morning...it has been one of the longest days of my life and one of the best at the same time...it is surely a day I will remember for a long time.

I got up this morning at 9:30 ET and started to get ready for the day...I ate breakfast with Tim Stoddard, NU's Pitching Coach and Ron Klein, NU's First Base Coach. They told me that this was going to be a long day because of all the rain that had fallen and boy were they right. We got to the stadium at 11:15 ET and watched the end of the Minnesota-Michigan game (Gophers won 6-2) and didn't leave until 7:30 ET...yikes...

After chatting it up with Coach Stevens, Julio Siberio (who is part Cuban...which is awesome...) Chris Boyer of the AD and Aaron Bongle, the 'Cats took the field. I don't know what it was, but something was telling me that the game against Purdue would not be the last for the NU team. The game got underway and Kontos recorded the last out around 4:30 ET. It was a great feeling to see the 'Cats pull out the win.

The next game wasn't so enjoyable, but it was special for me as well. It was the last time I would be on the air as a play by play man as this is my final year here at Northwestern. It has been a great four years and WNUR has given me memories that I will never forget. I would like to thank the station for giving me so many opportunities, my parents and grandparents for listening to almost everygame I ever broadcasted and my fellow staff members. You guys are just awesome.

The team bus left Ann Arbor at 9:30 pm ET and we arrived back in Evanston at 3 am ET. It was a great trip and a great day. It was an honor to cover the team out in Ann Arbor and I wish them the best of luck next year and the years to come.

GO 'CATS!!!

And it has come to an end...

2006-05-27T02:37:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-The Northwestern baseball season came to end this afternoon with a loss to the Michigan Wolverines 8-3.

Northwestern played their first game of the day against Purdue. They played an almost flawless game and got the job done against a Boilermaker team which had their backs to the wall as well. George Kontos delivered a solid complete game outing making the right picthes when he needed and the 'Cats slammed the Boilers 8-4. Antonio Mule, Caleb Fields and Dan Brauer combined to go 8-13 with six runs scored and 4 RBI. Mule hit his 10th long ball.

However, the second game would not go the way the 'Cats planned...in fact, it looked like the 'Cats might have run out of gas against the number one seeded Wolverines. Northwestern had to take the field immediately after thier game against Purdue while Michigan had a while to rest after they lost to Minnesota in the morning. And while Paul Stevens in now way would make any excuses for a loss, it seemed to me that the 'Cats were a little sluggish in game 2.

Northwestern started off well with a solo homerun by Mule his 11th...but the game quickly turned in favor of Michigan as they put four in the inning and never looked back.

Be sure to check the blog to get my take on the final day in Ann Arbor and what I think of this team and what they did this year.

***Was supposed to be posted Friday afternoon, however my internet was down...***

Post Game Press Conference Audio

2006-05-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Duke first...Click Here.

Some notes on the audio:
1) Its a little unclear at key moments, unfortunately, but when Coach Kerstin Kimel is discussing the sweatbands her team wore, she does indeed get very emotional. There was clearly a deep connection between the men's and women's squads at Duke.
2) The players don't talk a lot on this recording, since most of the questions regard the sweatbands and are directed toward Kimel, but the three who spoke are Katie Chrest, Megan Huether, and Leigh Jester. Chrest had 3 goals in the losing effort, and Jester tallied 4 points, with a goal and three assists. Huether made four saves, including a key one to send it to overtime.

Now Northwestern, the jubilation and the pride in the voice of Coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller, and the sheer exhausted excitement of Laura Glassanos, Morgan Lathrop and Kristen Kjellman. Click here.

Check back for a full report tomorrow, after Howard and I get our wits back about us, and shake off the hangovers from the victory celebration!

Here We Go Again!!!

2006-05-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

Northwestern is back in the National Championship game! After one of the hardest played, most exciting women's lacrosse tournament games in the 25 year history of the event, NU emerged victorious 11-10. I'm exhausted. On the play by play for one of the most exciting NU sporting events in recent memory, I feel immensely blessed. I also feel relieved. After this game went to OT, I knew Howard Tilman was waiting, hoping for an NU victory so he could have the play by play for this Sunday's title game. He (and I) got his wish. Simply a remarkable evening. And its only half over, believe it or not, since Notre Dame and Dartmouth have just gotten underway to decide who plays NU in the National Championship game.

Howard was at the post-game press conference, listening in on the thoughts of the Duke players on their heartbreaking loss and the jubilation of the 'Cats after this huge win. Its great stuff. Check back in a few minutes for another post with links to all that great audio.

Cheers, and GO 'Cats!

Game Delayed Due to Lightning. Stay Tuned.

2006-05-26T17:04:00.000-05:00

It's raining cats and dogs here in Boston, and lightning overhead has delayed the start time by more than an hour. The Field Turf surface is all ready to go, being water resistant, but the teams can't begin their warmups as long as there's lightning overhead. Start time is now scheduled for 6:25 CT. Right now on WNUR 89.3FM NU's baseball team takes on Michigan in Ann Arbor in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Tune in, and Dan Gotera will keep you up to date on the Lacrosse start time and all the other goings on on WNUR Sports this weekend.

So stay tuned, and sometime tonight we should be live on WNUR 89.3FM with the Lacrosse National Semifinal. Plus, keep checking back for audio, photo, and old-fashioned text blogs from Nickerson Field and environs, plus updates from the Big Ten Baseball tourney in Ann Arbor and the Softball super regional back in sunny Evanston.

More Schedule Updates

2006-05-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

Right now....Northwestern Softball vs. UMass "On Air" (See below for details on how to listen)
Coming up at 4 PM...Northwestern Baseball vs. Michigan "Internet Only"
Coming up at 5 PM...Northwestern Lacrosse vs. Duke "On Air"

That is all....

Keep reading for more updates from the WNUR Studios

Friday's Broadcast Schedule...Focus

2006-05-26T12:52:00.000-05:00

Northwestern's game in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament against Purdue will begin shortly on WNUR 89.3 FM as well as sports.wnur.org, so might as well set you up for today's schedule (All Times Central. Also, just to clarify our two means of broadcasting.

"On Air" can be received from 89.3 FM here in Chicagoland as well as on our website at sports.wnur.org with the "Listen to Regular Broadcasts" Link

"Internet Only" can be received from our website sports.wnur.org by clicking on the "Internet Only Broadcasts" Link

1 PM-Northwestern Baseball vs. Purdue (On Air).
3 PM-Northwestern Softball vs. UMass (On Air) and Baseball moves to (Internet Only)
5 PM-Northwestern Lacrosse vs. Duke (On Air) and the conclusion of Softball may move to (Internet Only)
Should Baseball win vs. Purdue, the Northwestern Baseball vs. Michigan will be approx. 3:45 on that will be (Internet Only). That will be on the internet until Lacrosse starts at 5 and if softball still going on, baseball returns to (Internet Only) upon the conclusion of Softball vs. UMass.

Also, other (On Air) web links for other media devices:
Real Audio
Window Media
Mp3 Stream

A Coincidence???

2006-05-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

BOSTON - As Louis and I are relaxing around the hotel getting set to depart for Nickerson Field in just under two hours we are keeping ourselves busy watch ESPN Classic. Currently airing is a repeat showing of the now defunct "2 Minute Drill." (Stump the Schwab was just on and Nick took down the Schwab on two tiebreaker questions... Wow!) This is the semi-final matchup of the second season of 2 Minute Drill and there is an interesting seed breakdown. The competition is between last year's defending champion who is the four seed and this year's overall number one seed.

Sound familiar to anyone? Northwestern, the defending champion and four seed against Duke, this season's number one season...

That's just a little bit odd if you ask me. For what it's worth, the defending champion is winning by five at the half.

We're on the air in four hours and counting.

Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head

2006-05-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-"Raindrops keep falling on my head but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red. Crying's not for me cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining. Because I'm free. Nothing's worrying me."

Well, today might be a very long day, well at least I hope its a very long day. That rain started last night and didn't stop. The Northwestern-Purdue game is scheduled for 12 CT, however that time might change once more.

I wont know what the condition of the field is until i get out there, but make sure to tune into WNUR for the exact start time, we will have an update for you at the original start time of 12 CT. If I had to guess, the latest we would start is 1 CT, but no one knows what that crazy Mother Nature will do.

Baseball is a beautiful game, unfortunately, you can't play it in the rain...GO 'CATS!!!

The 25th Anniversary Celebration, plus bonus audio!

2006-05-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

BOSTON - The Final Four weekend officially kicked off tonight (at least in the eyes of the NCAA, Howard and I kicked it off last night at Game On) with the 25th Anniversary celebration of Women's Championships in the NCAA. They honored the 25th Anniversary team, which included Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller. Howard snapped some photos of the evening, held inside Agannis Arena, home of the Boston University Terrier hockey teams. Check them out by clicking here.

We also had a chance to chat with former NU coach (during womens' lacrosses' first incarnation at NU) and 25th Anniversary team head coach Cindy Timchal about her feelings for the weekend. Three of the four head coaches involved in this weekend played under coach Timchal at Maryland, where Timchal has won 8 national titles.

Take a listen here, but here's a hint... She's pulling for NU.

Two of Northwestern's stars took a little time away from signing autographs for local youth lacrosse players and their parents to chat with Howard and I. Senior Laura Glassanos reflected on coming home to Boston for the Final Four and about the festivities of the night, which included a rendition of Hollaback Girl, rewritten as L-A-X Girl. "My stick, oh my stick... N-C-A-A-L-A-X!" Sorry, no audio from that performance. Here's the interview with Glassanos.

But my favorite moment of the evening was chatting with freshman Hilary Bowen. Bowen is new to this whole NCAA tournament thing, unlike most of the Wildcats, who did it with applomb last year in Annapolis, MD. But the real treat was hearing Bowen describe the Wildcat's rivalry with Duke, who somehow managed to supply the 'Cats with more motivation tonight. Bad idea. Listen to Bowen here.

Keep checking back for more audio-visual updates.

Blast from the Past

2006-05-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-Hey Wildcat Baseball fans...Hey what? I am glad you asked...

Does the name Robert K. Rauth ring any bells? If it doesn't, then aren't you glad I'm gonna tell you. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rauth before the NU-OSU game this afternoon. He was a member of the Northwestern Wildcat baseball team back from 1956-1959. In his freshman year season, 1957, Northwestern won the Big Ten title...it was the last time NU won a title in baseball, yep back when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.

I chatted with him for a good 20-25 minutes and I must say, he is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Boy does he love Wildcat sports. Not just baseball, but all sports. We talked about the softball team, the lacrosse team, the football team and everything in between. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox also came into the conversation, but we all know who's going to win that race...

After we talked for a while, Head Coach Paul Stevens (one of the greatest interviews at NU...great guy...) came over and talked with us about playing golf at his annual golf tournament. Apparently Coach Stevens is not just a solid baseball coach, he is an avid golfer.

Because I was so impressed with the dedication that Mr. Rauth shows to NU Athletics, I invited him to join me up in the booth tomorrow afternoon. I am sure he will tell the stories he told me and more tomorrow on WNUR. Be sure to tune in!!

GO 'CATS!!!

Guess who's Back???

2006-05-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true the doctor of digestion has returned to the WNUR Sports Blog. Though thanks to a lack of popular demand, I will keep "most" of my digestive information to a minimum. On a much better note, WNUR Sports is in the midst of what has been called the "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" Weekend as well as the "3 Places, 2 Timezones, 1 Weekend" well, Weekend.

In 2005, I thought executing the 2005 Lacrosse Final Four and Softball Regionals was impressive. Now in 2006, we have turned Regionals into Super Regionals and added a Big Ten Baseball Tournament to the mix. None of this would be possible without well...ME! Just kidding. A lot of people were and will be involved with pulling off what could be the most successful weekend in the history of WNUR Sports. From the guys in Boston, the guy in Ann Arbor and the WNUR staff who are working here in Evanston, I congratulate and thank them. These are the type of events that put WNUR Sports ahead of any sports outlet on this campus.

Reminder that tomorrow we have the first ever WNUR Sports Tripleheader (cue the NBA on NBC music in the background). Starting at 11:45am, Dan Gotera has the call of Northwestern's Big Ten Tournament game against Purdue. If NU wins, they play again right after and that game will be on sports.wnur.org. At 3pm, the optimistic Alex Freedman and Ryan "BOBO" Morton will have Game 1 of NU's Super Regional series against Massachusetts and the day will be capped at 5pm when Louis Wertz and Howard Tilman bring you every second of NU's Lacrosse National Semifinal against Duke. Make sure you clear your schedule from 12pm through 7pm for a full dose of WNUR Sports.

(Hello Subway, Part II)

Rough Start...'Cats lose 9-0 to OSU (Game Recap)

2006-05-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-Well, it was a rough day to say the least today for the Northwestern baseball team, getting smacked around by Ohio State, losing 9-0 in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament. If you really think about it, there was nothing good about today's game, which is really surprising.

Dan Brauer was on the hill for NU and from the first at bat, one could tell, this might be a rough afternoon. A lead-off walk followed up by an error by the catcher Geoff Dietz started the one run, no hit first inning. Ohio State then added 2 in the third and 1 in the fifth. Brauer finished the day with 8 innings pitched allowing 6 runs on 10 hits. It was the second start of his career where he didn't strike out anyone. In the ninth the Northwestern bullpen walked two guys and allowed a three run homerun to Jedidiah Stevens.

Offensively, the 'Cats were silenced by the brilliant pitching performance of Ohio State's Cody Luebke. NU could never get anything going and when they had an opportunity, baserunning miscues ended any chance of a comeback. The NU defense was also shaky committing 3 errors.

Here is the Box Score

Tomorrow the 'Cats play Purdue at 11:05 CT. They split the last weekend against the Boilers in West Lafayette. Purdue lost their first game to Ohio State and then eliminated Illinois this morning 10-5. It is an elimination game, but I have a feeling that NU will not be leaving this tournament without a win.

So don't lose the faith Wildcat fans...this team will bounce back...GO 'CATS!!!

Something for Everyone

2006-05-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Northwestern Softball Wildcats will take to Sharon J. Drysdale Field once again tomorrow to continue their quest to the College World Series. It's a best 2 out of 3 series with the UMass Minutewomen and i'll leave some of the hardcore previewing to the rest of the crew here in Evanston, but in thinking about this Wildcat Softball Team I've realized there are just so many personalities, characters, etc. to love about this team. It's almost a buffet of qualities we all should admire in our sports teams and athletes.

Lets start at the top with the coaching staff. Kate and Caryl Drohan, along with their staff are a group of young and determined women. Although they have the respect and loyalty of their players, they are just "cool" people and it's always a blast to chat some softball and hear their stories. Their youth and energy trickles all the way down through the roster.

Next, you have the "hollywood" flash and pizzaz of Garland Cooper, Eileen Canney, and Tammy Williams. They were Big Ten Player, Pitcher, and Freshman of the year respectively. They have received national attention (a great piece on Eileen Canney up on espn.com's college sports secton) and have put up big numbers (big average for Cooper, big strikeouts for Canney, big home runs for Williams)

Next, you have the battle tested veterans who took a chance on Kate Drohan in coming to Northwestern and trying to build something special. Jamie Dotson has started every game she's been at Northwestern and has been a leader. Courtnay Foster is among the Big Ten's greatest pitchers ever and has been a warrior in the circle ever since her freshman year.

What if you just like grit and hardcore toughness? I recommend you come out and watch Darcy Sengewald play 3rd base. She is a "ballplayer" in the truest sense of the word.

And finally, if the underdog is something you look for (although Northwestern has been playing that role with Michigan in the conference as long as I've been here), how about "The Little Engine That Could" story of Ashley Crane. The Washington native came here as a starter, but ended up a role player for 2 years and is now the every day second baseman. She's a player you can't help but root for because of her positive attitude and friendly personality. Oh yeah, she hit a HR in the first game of the year against Oregon State, had the game winning hit against UCLA, and hit home runs in the Big Ten Tourney against Illinois and in the NCAA Regionals against Notre Dame.

Like the title says, there is something for everyone, be sure to listen to all the Softball action on WNUR this weekend and hopefully all these personalities will add up to a trip to Oklahoma City...Go Cats!

Plans for the evening

2006-05-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

BOSTON - A quick update of our plans for tonight. Louis and I are headed to the NCAA Women's Lacrosse 25th Anniversary Celebration. The 25th anniversary team will be announced and all four teams participating in the NCAA finals this weekend will be in attendance.

Check back here later tonight for photos, a recap and maybe even some interviews.

The Deep South

2006-05-25T15:05:00.000-05:00

Of the three WNUR broadcast locations this weekend, Evanston, Illinois is actually the farthest south. As it is May 25, we've probably just avoided the last chance of snow flurries.

I just thought I'd chime in (making my sports blog debut) while sitting in our studio listening to Dan broadcast this Big Ten Tournament game. As he mentioned a few minutes ago, NU is looking to do something they've never done: reach the NCAA tournament. Can they do it? I say yes.

To do so, they'll need to not lose their first two games. That way, Brauer can be used again on Saturday if need be. And I think that will happen....despite trailing 2-0 after OSU just hit a HR while typing this sentence...maybe that's a sign that I shouldn't be writing this.

Regardless, this team has defied expectations all season long. They have come up with key hits when they needed it; pitchers beside Brauer have done the job when called upon; yes, there have been monumental struggles, but this team has shown they can handle the pressure.

Most importantly, though, this is the Big Ten. No team in the Big Ten really deserves to be in the NCAA tournament. The whole Big 12, SEC, and maybe even Big West deserves bids before the Big Ten. It's just not a baseball conference.

The separation between NU and the rest of the Big Ten field is not that big. So why can't they be a cut above this weekend?...crud, 3-0 after another error...this whole post is moot.

Should that happen, and should things go well this weekend in Evanston (Friday, 2:45; Saturday, 12:45), WNUR Sports will be hitting the crossroads again next weekend.

Omaha, anyone? Probably - check, definitely - not. But a guy can dream.

Let the games begin!!!

2006-05-25T10:54:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR- Good morning Wildcat Fans!!

The second ranked Northwestern baseball team kicks off their action in the Big Ten Tournament today against the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Dan Brauer will be on the mound for the Wildcats as they try to move on in the winner's bracket.

I will have more updates throughout the day so tune in to this blog and definately check out the game at 2:15 pm on WNUR 89.3 FM or on sports.wnur.org.

GO CATS!!!

Memory Lane

2006-05-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

BOSTON - One final post before heading to bed after a long day, for one simple reason - I can. Tuesday night, while putting off packing for this trip far longer than I should have, I stumbled across a very interesting interview in the depths of the WNUR Sports archives. Following the end of her first season as head coach of the varsity lacrosse program, Coach Hiller appeared as a guest on the Sportsvoice. The date was May 5th, 2002, the hosts were Matt Pearl and Rich Goldberg, the recording is here.

While the content of the interview is not particularly relevant to this trip, it is very interesting to think how far Coach Hiller has taken this program since that interview. I doubt that anyone involved with that interview would have predicted the team would be seeking back-to-back national titles only four years later.

What a Welcome

2006-05-24T22:06:00.000-05:00

They love us here in Boston already. At least here at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, just a 15 minute walk from Fenway Park. This photo proves it.

Howard and I went down to Fenway tonight, with a pair of lady acquaintances, at Game On sports bar, a block from the ballpark, where the Red Sox were busy dropping the rubber game to the Yankees 8-6. Festive atmosphere nonetheless, but I was a little underwhelmed by the bar crowd's support of the Sox. We can only hope that the crowd for the national semifinal is more into it...

On a completely unrelated note, something has been fascinating me recently... Scott Hiller, coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller's husband. This guy is unbelievable. He has a law practice in Chicago, yet was commuting to Boston to coach and act as the director of player personnel for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (who play at Nickerson Field, home of this weekend's Final Four). But the big news is he'll be commuting no more, thanks to MLL expansion out west. Check out the story in Lacrosse Magazine here.

Hopefully Howard and I will get a chance to chat him up this weekend about how he possibly balances law and lacrosse so successfully, and what he thinks about being back in Boston for the Final Four.

Stay Tuned!

I think I can...chugging out to Ann Arbor...

2006-05-24T21:10:00.000-05:00

ANN ARBOR-I think I can...I think I can...everyone remember the Little Engine That Could? Well, while that is a great book when you're five, that popular line actually pertains to the situation here in Ann Arbor for all parties involved.

I am making WNUR history here in the Wolverine State...the first time one man has covered a whole tournament, by himself. However, don't worry Wildcat fans, I can assure you that you will get the best coverage of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament. These 'Cats are something special and I really believe that they will be able to put it all together this weekend and bring a championship back to Evanston. I will bring you all the action!!

This also marks the first time in a while that WNUR used this countries fine rail system. A five hour trip out to Ann Arbor went by real quick...but I would like to thank the rather large woman sitting behind me for not letting me get any sleep...boy could that woman snore...mercy...

No one really knows what to think of these diamond 'Cats. However, this team has the potential to be electric, but to stay in the winner's bracket their gonna have to get by a tough team. #3 Ohio State beat #6 Purdue this afternoon 2-1 in 12 innings to set up a match-up with NU. The two teams haven't faced each other this year, but with Dan Brauer on the bump for Northwestern, I like our chances in tomorrow's game.

I think I can...bring you the best coverage of the tournament...they think they can...win the Big Ten Tournament...these next couple of days should be a good 'ol time...

Tune in tomorrow, 2 o'clock CT for THE Northwestern Univeristy vs. Ohio State on WNUR...

Bracketologists At It Again

2006-05-24T18:36:00.000-05:00

Well, in preparation for this big weekend of Softball Super Regionals, our friends at WVUA-FM Alabama Student Radio brought me on their "Road to the College World Series" show this evening. There is a lot of good NU vs. UMass chat in here as well as some things about the national softball scene. Howard was on with these guys last week, but since he's obviously in Boston, I figured I'd step up and try to fill his shoes. I am an idiot though and forgot about the magic of radio/internet delay and stopped recording before I should have, so the pleasantries before I hung up are not on the recording....Oops

Platt on WVUA

Innocence in Boston

2006-05-24T15:58:00.000-05:00

BOSTON - Greetings from Boston. Louis and I have safely arrived at our hotel located just on the shores of the Charles River. Of course the view from our room is of a nice piece of hotel roof. The team is currently practicing in preparation for the Friday matchup with Duke.

Speaking of Duke, you might have read that the Duke Women's Lacrosse team will wear "innocent" bands to show support for the Duke Men's Lacrosse team that has been in the news a great deal lately. It seems to me that his is an unnecessary combination. The Northwestern - Duke semi-final is a big enough story on its on and does not need any off-field issues clouding it. In fact, this matchup is so big that this piece of news takes away from it in some ways. The Wildcats trying to avenge their only loss of the season in hopes of defending their national title is enough of a story for me.

One more thing on the topic of innocence. We landed at Logan International Airport about two hours ago and I couldn't help but feel dirty the entire time. Can you blame me though? After watching Charles Logan confess to conspiring to kill David Palmer as well as supply terrorists with nerve gas, I don't feel too good about being near anything named Logan. Look for an audio recording here in the near future that implicates Logan in all of this, as long as Jack can safely recover it from the diplomatic charter flight.

Baseball Preview Off The Rails

2006-05-24T15:42:00.000-05:00

En route to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Big Ten Baseball Tournament on the choo choo, Dan Gotera previews Northwestern's chances for a Big Ten Title. Dan Gotera will have all the play-by-play on WNUR of all of NU's Tourney Games

Big Ten Baseball Tourney Preview

It Begins

2006-05-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

EVANSTON, IL - And we're off... Louis and I are departing in just about an hour for Boston with the Lacrosse team. An amazing weekend is in store for us and for all of WNUR Sports.

Audio Blog Debut

2006-05-23T22:33:00.000-05:00

Well, we're going to be trying some new things this week through the miracle of modern technology. We will be posting audio (interviews, highlights, audio updates) from the various sites this weekend (Ann Arbor, Evanston, Boston). Here is a preview of things to come starting tomorrow....

Weekend Preview

Boston Here We Come...

2006-05-23T17:31:00.000-05:00

Louis Wertz here, Howard Tilman’s broadcast partner for the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four. I’m wicked stoked to be headed to Boston for the tournament this weekend. And I’ll be checking in with you all weekend to keep you up to date on the goings on in our nation’s birthplace.

To start things off, a basic rundown of NU’s itinerary: The team’s leaving at 7:30 am Wednesday morning from Patten Gymnasium in Evanston, bussing to O’Hare, and flying to Logan. Come to Patten and cheer on the ‘Cats before they head out (and say hello to Howard and I as we get on the bus quietly).

We’ll have all day Thursday to get ready for NU’s rematch with the team that handed them their lone loss in the last 40 games. The Duke Blue Devils head up the East Coast from Durham, NC, finally escaping the legal and media furor surrounding their men’s team to present NU’s toughest challenge of the season so far. The game is already being billed as the “real” national championship, thanks to NU’s inexplicable #4 seed.

The venue, Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University, is a storied facility. It was host to the first game in American Football League (AFL) history, between the Boston Patriots and Denver Broncos in 1960, and the home of the Boston Braves until BU bought the field in 1953. You can see in this photo that the field was very multipurpose.

Plus, the complex is beautiful and modern, home to the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse, and the press box, seen here, is beautiful. I’m ready to go. Come along.

Keep checking back here for more updates and news from inside the Wildcat Women’s Lacrosse team’s most important road trip of the season. The ‘Cats defend their National Title, and its all on WNUR Sports, sports.wnur.org, and wnursports.blogspot.com!

Let the Good Times Roll

2006-05-23T13:14:00.000-05:00

Well we're back at it. The WNUR Sports Blog is back in working order after some time off and we're seeking to do one better than we did last year. You all remember when WNUR Sports was in two places at once last spring during Softball Regionals and the Women's Lacrosse Final Four. This year we're doing one better.

WNUR Sports will be in three places at once.

Women's Lacrosse is back at the NCAA Final Fourin Boston, Softball is hosting the NCAA Super Regionals and Baseball is headed to Ann Arbor, Mi, for the Big Ten Baseball Tournament.

3 Places, 2 timezones, 1 weekend. You won't want to miss this...

NU Alumni Dinner

2005-12-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

WNUR Sports had a very successful internet-only video broadcast of the NAA event held at the glorious Camino Real hotel earlier this evening. Howard Tilman, Dan Platt, and Alex Freedman held down the fort at our makeshift TV set, while I wandered around with a wireless mic interviewing several NU big-wigs.

We got some free food and beverages out of the deal, as well as TWO mentions in speeches delivered by the executive director of the NAA (folled by prolonged, heartfelt applause) and NU President Henry Bienen. Nice.

Tomorrow we'll cover the players luncheon live on WNUR, as well as the fan fest on NUSports.com -- they say they're expecting 20,000 fans at the latter.

We've seen a lot of purple all over town--tshirts, hats, car flags, etc. NU will be represented pretty well at this game. The Bowl events have been really terrific so far and the folks here in El Paso have been quite hospitable.

See y'all tomorrow.

So that's why they call it the Sun Bowl...

2005-12-28T15:02:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon from sunny El Paso, Texas.

Our broadcast crew has arrived safely in El Paso and are preparing for the next three days in Texas.

Dan Platt, Guy Benson and I arrived on the charter plane just a few minutes ago and were greated warmly by an authentic Mariachi band, the same one that welcomed the teams into town a few days ago.

Our charter flight consisted of many school administrators, the cheerleaders and dance time as well as the famous Northwestern University Marching Band. And let me tell you traveling with the band is quite an experience. Here are some excerts from the band's rules for plane travel. "Do kick-off rituals during our taxi. During the flight attendant's saftey orientation point in every possible direction for 'emergency exits,' and after it is over, start a slow clap. During take off and landing, sing 'Go U.' Plane surf during turbulance."

My initial reaction upon seeing these rules was simple - utter speechlessness. As the band began singing the fight song during takeoff I was not only embaressed for myself, but for them as well. I mean wow...

Anyhow, our preperations are underway for the next few days of Sun Bowl coverage. Stay tuned right here for further updates.

El Paso Here We Come!

2005-12-27T23:22:00.000-06:00

It's the night before we begin our journey to the Sun Bowl in El Paso Texas. Howard, Guy, and Myself spent this evening preparing all of our equipment (radio equipment) and planning out our schedule of various broadcasts. Due to the fact the dorms here at Northwestern are closed, Mr. Benson has set up camp at my humble abode here in Evanston. He is pretending he has New Jersey pride by rooting heavily for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their bowl contest against Arizona State (oh yes, we remember the Sun Devils). Tomorrow should be a long, but exciting day. The bus leaves for the airport bright and early at 9:30 AM for a noon departure. That should put us in El Paso at some time around 2 PM local time. We'll be doing our first remote telecast for NUsports.com from an Alumni Gathering. We've got all kinds of great stuff planned for All Access and of course WNUR the next couple of days. Remember, pre game for the Sun Bowl begins at 11 AM central time for a 1:15 central kick off. Go Cats!

Here Comes the Sun

2005-12-17T21:11:00.000-06:00

Well the speculation is finally over and the Northwestern Wildcats are off to the 2005 Vitalis Sun Bowl. The ‘Cats will face a very talented UCLA Bruins team in what is shaping up to be one of the more exciting match-ups of the bowl season. With lots of offense and some optional defense the Sun Bowl looks like it should be a great game.

And WNUR Sports will be there for all the action.

We’re currently working out our bowl week schedule and some exciting broadcast events are taking shape. Among them are the team luncheon, fan fiesta and of course the game itself.

Stay tuned to WNUR 89.3 fm, WNUR Sports Online and right here at the WNUR Sports Blog for final schedules and all your bowl coverage.

And if you’re going to be down in El Paso, be sure to stop by one of our remote broadcasts and say hello to the WNUR broadcast crew.

Waiting to Bowl...

2005-11-27T13:42:00.000-06:00

We here at WNUR Sports love bowling. I remember quite a bowling match in South Bend last spring, but we don’t need to talk about the results of that.

But how about the other type of bowling…

WNUR Sports loves that bowling too.

It’s an interesting situation we’re all in right now. The ‘Cats regular season is over and now they are in the awkward position of simply waiting. They are waiting to learn where their Christmas break trip will be. And the worst part about it all now, is that there is nothing they can do. The final decision is out of their hands.

San Antonio? El Paso? Nashville? Detroit? Please, not Detroit…

There are many plusses and minuses to each of the possible destinations. San Antonio features both a high prestige game and a fun city. From what I’ve heard the nightlife on the Riverwalk is an experience to be had. However, it doesn’t look very likely the ‘Cats will be headed there and the December 28^th date is less than desirable.

The Sun Bowl in El Paso is well respected bowl. It’s been around for a while and will be aired on national television on CBS. However, the guide books on El Paso are fairly thin comparatively speaking. While it certainly is an exotic location, the city itself is not on the must-visit list.

Nashville features an interesting combination. The city is great with lots to do both during daylight and nighttime hours however it is technically a low ranked bowl. While a trip here would certainly be a good time, it seems a little bit of a let down. Last year as the ‘Cats hoped to stumble to a 7-5 overall record Nashville was their best possible destination. However this year’s season was much more successful and with definite possibilities of higher up bowls, having to settle for Nashville seems disappointing.

Detroit – well let’s just say hopefully not…

So it will certainly be another interesting week of bowl speculation. The message boards will be crammed, the bloggers will be posting and the pundits will be punditing. While the destination of the bowl trip is far from decided one thing is for sure. Wherever the ‘Cats end up, WNUR Sports will be there. We’ll have lots of bowl coverage from the destination city with remote broadcasts at bowl events, full game coverage and of course, blog posts.

Stay tuned to the WNUR Sports Blog for further bowl updates.

Back safe and sound...

2005-11-17T02:02:00.000-06:00

...In Evanston, where it is just as cold as Laramie.

Thanks to all who made the Wyoming trip possible--it was a great weekend for WNUR Sports, a good weekend for the basketball team, and a lousy weekend for the football team.

Go 'Cats -- Beat the Illini!

Championship (of sorts) tonight!

2005-11-15T14:14:00.000-06:00

So the 'Cats have a chance to start 3-0 with a win tonight over UNC Wilmington. Incredible.

Catch all the action here on WNUR 89.3 FM tonight at 9pm central.

Go 'Cats!

Who Knew???

2005-11-15T01:07:00.001-06:00

I'll be honest, after squeaking by LEHIGH by only 2 points, Guy and I were less than thrilled about playing an NCAA team from last year that outrebounded their opponent last night by 27 and had 40 points in the paint. But thankfully, the Charlotte 49ers chose to shoot 31 percent from the field and the Wildcats took advantage with a big time 61-47 win.

It's amazing how the number "61" can be totally redefined after just 24 hours. One night, you embarass your conference against a Patriot League opponent. The next, you embarass the Atlantic 10 by beating one of their best teams. Regardless of the opponents or the final scores, two wins for this Northwestern team is a huge boost especially after you consider the Wildcats 1-2 start last year in Alaska (including a loss to New Mexico State, who finished 5-23).

After the game, Assistant coach Paul Lee chatted with us and he was beaming to say the least. In short, Lee's theme for the game was "that's what happens when you execute your gameplan." I'm no Bill Raftery, but taking and making high percentage shots, playing tough interior defense and boxing out on rebounds seems to be a pretty solid gameplan.

For our postgame meal, Guy and I ventured to the local Applebee's, where we met up with some Northwestern fans who traveled to the game from the Midwest as well as Coach and Mrs. Carmody and some Carmody relatives. Needless to say, once Coach thought we were loud and obnoxious Laramie locals, he discontinued his interest in us. But the two highlights of the meal were...

A. Guy smashing his head on a hanging light fixture while exiting the table. It was amazing how I did not lose my 9 oz. sirloin on the spot. I believe liberals everywhere laughed a little inside.

B. While Guy and I were exchanging comments about the broadcast, a quick moving Coach Carmody caught our eye. Upon turning our heads and listening to his conversation, he was quickly slapping his hands together and softly muttered a word that rhymes with "pit." Needless to say, we enjoyed a hearty laugh.

Now, we move on to face the University of North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks, who outlasted host Wyoming in overtime. Join 89.3FM WNUR, sports.wnur.org, and NUsports.com as NU looks to start 3-0 in could be a memorable season. We hope all of our listeners have enjoyed our wall to wall coverage of Northwestern sports starting football in Columbus, OH, the SportsVoice in Evanston, and Men's basketball in Laramie, WY. That's it and that's all.

Carmody Quote of the Day...

2005-11-14T01:56:00.000-06:00

During the post-game press conference, Coach was understandably critical of his team's performance for much of the game. After several less-than-glowing answers to reporters' questions, one reporter remarked, "Wow, coach....they might have to kick you out of the optimist's club!"

Carmody, without missing a beat, responded: "Oh, believe me, I was NEVER in that club."

The Laramie press corps was eating it up.

A Win is a Win...

2005-11-14T01:37:00.000-06:00

It sure wasn't pretty, but it was a win. The Wildcats' 61-59 victory was bittersweet because they won a game that *shouldn't * have been close according to most Cats fans. But these are the 'Cats, after all, and it came down to the wire. A typically slow start resulted in a double-digit deficit in the first half, leading to heartburn for NU fans everywhere. Then at halftime coach Carmody must have had some choice words in the locker room because his team looked like a different squad in the second stanza. They scored 40 second-half points, led by (who else?) Vedran Vukusic, who poured in 25. The breaks and bounces went the Wildcats' way in the crucial final minute, and they were able to survive game one.

1-0. It's a heck of a lot better than 0-1, but this this team will need to play much much much better to beat Charlotte. Tomorrow's game will be a good test for NU.

We'll have the call on WNUR, of course!

Tune in at 6:30 CST for our pregame show--and the tip is slated for 7pm. Ray Garcia will cut his teeth in men's bball play by play, and I'll be on color. It should be a good time, so please join us tomorrow.

Kudos, by the way, to the Wildcat fans in attendance. They were pretty loud, and did a great job at recruiting some Wyoming fans to join our ranks in what they termed the "adopt-a-cat" program. They got a few 'Go U-NU!" chants going, and never lost the faith even when the team was really struggling.

An Hour and a half until 2005-2006 season

2005-11-13T19:34:00.000-06:00

Guy and I are courtside for the UNC-Charlotte vs. Coppin State quarterfinal showdown. The winner of this thriller will square off with the winner of the Northwestern vs. Lehigh winner. And if Northwestern is not in the semifinals of this tournament, then tomorrow's broadcast will be memorable. 8:46

A few notes for today's game:
- the expected starting lineup for the game is Thompson, Vukusic, Doyle, Hachad, and Jenkins
- expect the first guys off the bench to be Williams, Cote, Scott, and Seacat.
- this is the just the second meeting ever between Northwestern and Lehigh. Northwestern won the earlier meeting.
- After the game is over tonight, stay tuned to our postgame show as Northwestern Assistant Head Coach Paul Lee will join us to discuss the game.

Remember to listen to the SportsVoice at 8pm cst on WNUR 89.3 FM and at sports.wnur.org. The Voice will conclude at 8:45pm and our pre-game show will begin sharply at 8:46pm. Like the Voice, the game will be on our WNUR airwaves and on our website. Enjoy the broadcast and let's get to 1-0.