This or That: Fall Edition! | Rutgers Softball

This or That: Fall Edition! | Rutgers Softball (WI73rSCg6ug)

Flashback: Ava Costales Walk-off Homer vs. Nebraska | Michigan Softball

Flashback: Ava Costales Walk-off Homer vs. Nebraska | Michigan Softball (Nm5-6ei42kA)

Melina Wilkison Grand Slam vs. Indiana Tech | Indiana Softball

Melina Wilkison Grand Slam vs. Indiana Tech | Indiana Softball (jwgHtZMCG7Q)

Flashback: Alex Cooper Walkoff Grand Slam vs. Notre Dame | Indiana Softball

Flashback: Alex Cooper Walkoff Grand Slam vs. Notre Dame | Indiana Softball (aFHerKx-8KE)

Wisconsin Knocks off Rutgers and Advances to the Semis | 2024 B1G Softball Tournament

Wisconsin Knocks off Rutgers and Advances to the Semis | 2024 B1G Softball Tournament (cDi721l8sl4)

East

Softball

Ohio St. Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes Softball team

Team standings for Ohio State Buckeyes Softball team in 2024

West

Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes Softball team

Team standings for Iowa Hawkeyes Softball team in 2024

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan Wolverines Softball team

Team standings for Michigan Wolverines Softball team in 2024

Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern Wildcats Softball team

Team standings for Northwestern Wildcats Softball team in 2024

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota Golden Gophers Softball team

Team standings for Minnesota Golden Gophers Softball team in 2024

Penn St. Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions Softball team

Team standings for Penn State Nittany Lions Softball team in 2024

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Softball team

Team standings for Rutgers Scarlet Knights Softball team in 2024

Nebraska Cornhuskers, Huskers

Nebraska Huskers

Nebraska Huskers Softball team

Team standings for Nebraska Huskers Softball team in 2024

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue Boilermakers Softball team

Team standings for Purdue Boilermakers Softball team in 2024

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers Softball team

Team standings for Wisconsin Badgers Softball team in 2024

Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana Hoosiers Softball team

Team standings for Indiana Hoosiers Softball team in 2024

Maryland Terrapins

Maryland Terrapins Softball team

Team standings for Maryland Terrapins Softball team in 2024

Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Fighting Illini Softball team

Team standings for Illinois Fighting Illini Softball team in 2024

Michigan St. Spartans

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State Spartans Softball team

Team standings for Michigan State Spartans Softball team in 2024

Michigan Softball

That’s a wrap on OKC Challenge 2024. ✔️ https://t.co/4m7ZXam3Za

Washington Softball

Lights, camera, action 🎬

#MightyAreTheWomen https://t.co/UIzZkNVLVE

Illinois Softball

Help us wish @megan_marie0927 a Happy Birthday! 🥳

#Illini | #HTTO https://t.co/66wDCt7wkf

Our own @chiddy3 was last night’s guest speaker at the NCAA Field Hockey Championship banquet, hosted this weekend in Ann Arbor. Awesome message for the four participating schools. 👏 https://t.co/Z1ENoCdHui

Northwestern Softball

7️⃣7️⃣ Days Out ⏳🥎

👀 @kate_dowden77 https://t.co/WDddTnMqzB

Winner Winner! 2024 OKC Challenge champs.

#GoBlue https://t.co/aVRRp0LPqk

Penn State Softball

We’ve got coaches looking for Lions on BOTH COASTS this weekend🤗

Say hey to Coach C and Coach Mysh in Cali, and don’t miss Coach B in Naples🌴

#WeAre | #NextStop https://t.co/mmeCKoH997

Maryland Softball

Save the date! 

Come spend the day with us at our multi-school softball clinic! Join top college teams on January 5 for a full day of elite training and recruiting opportunities. 

Register now! 
🔗: https://t.co/iKLI39rleY

#FearTheTurtle https://t.co/KHzy7bn2W3

Purdue Softball

Last week on the recruiting trail before the holidays. See you soon, future Boilers! https://t.co/CLrO2x1uoH

Ohio State Softball

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 🥎

Designated Player Club members will get exclusive benefits, including ticket presales for all home games in 2025 and much more!

Info: https://t.co/Y0KPEIIPcY
Give Now: https://t.co/DSAejnwXn5

#GoBucks https://t.co/II1aXQF8sN

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Big Ten Conference

Abbott and the Big Ten Conference Tackle U.S. Blood Shortages with First-of-its-Kind, Nationwide Blood Donation Competition, 'The We Give Blood Drive'

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference today officially admitted the University of Oregon, UCLA, USC and the University of Washington, bringing the total number of member institutions to 18. Competition will begin this season for all conference sports.“We are excited today to officially welcome the University of Oregon, UCLA, USC and the University of Washington to the Big Ten Conference,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “All four institutions feature a combination of world class academics and athletics that are a great fit for our conference, and we look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the administrators, coaches, student-athletes, alumni and fans.”On June 30, 2022, the Big Ten’s Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) voted unanimously to admit the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). A little more than a year later, on August 4, 2023, the COP/C voted unanimously once more to admit the University of Oregon and the University of Washington, with all four schools joining the Conference on August 2, 2024.Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are all members of the Association of American Universities, an organization of American research institutions devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Today, they also become members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, where Big Ten institutions lead the nation with more than 75,000 instructional staff, 810,000 students, $17.4 billion in annual research expenditures, and 145 million library volumes, representing 25 percent of all print titles in North America. Collaboration through the Big Ten Academic Alliance allows the universities to work more effectively and efficiently by, among other things, sharing a high-speed fiber optic network, offering an array of leadership development programs, building shared infrastructure, and seamlessly sharing library resources.Athletically, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington have won a combined 302 NCAA team championships and have 49 Olympians on Team USA at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. On the football field, they’ve combined for 10 Heisman Trophies, 73 College Football Hall of Famers, 41 Rose Bowl championships and 173 First Round NFL draft picks, including six this year.The University of Oregon is a Carnegie R1 research university and a member of the Association of American Universities. The Oregon faculty includes a Nobel Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a pair of National Medal of Science winners and a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Oregon has more than 500 student-athletes competing in 20 sports and have taken home 38 national championships, including men’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track &amp; field men’s and women’s cross country, men’s golf, acrobatics and tumbling.UCLA has been ranked the nation’s No. 1 public university for seven years in a row by U.S. News &amp; World Report and is known worldwide for the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletics programs. UCLA is the most applied-to university in the country. UCLA Athletics has more than 700 student-athletes competing in 25 sports and has won 123 NCAA national championships, the second most in the country.University of Southern California (USC) is a prestigious private research university offering more than 350-degree programs excelling in education, the arts, business, engineering and sciences, as well as in research innovation and healthcare. Sponsoring 23 sports, USC has a long tradition of successful Olympic athletes, boasting more Olympians, medalists and gold medalists than any school in the country. Entering 2024-25, the Trojan teams have won 113 national championships.The University of Washington has been recognized as the No. 1 most innovative public university in the world and recently tied for seventh on the U.S. News &amp; World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings and second among U.S. public institutions. Washington receives more federal research dollars than any other U.S. public university and has been home to seven Nobel Prize winners. In athletics, the Huskies 650 student-athletes compete in 22 sports and have won national championships in football, women’s cross country, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, softball, women’s volleyball and women’s golf. The department annually finishes among the top schools in the nation in the NACDA Director’s Cup.The Big Ten Conference is an association of 18 world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women.The Big Ten Network will celebrate the new schools throughout the day Friday, beginning with four hours of classic games, a special one-hour edition of B1G Today, original B1G Moment and B1G Trailblazers programming for each institution, and the Washington edition of BTN’s Football Training Camp Tour in Seattle. Additionally, the Big Ten Conference will debut an updated version of its fan-favorite “Maps” commercial that will include its four new members.

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University of Oregon, UCLA, USC and University of Washington Officially Join Big Ten Conference

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten Conference is celebrating its 110th class of recipients who earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor from their respective institutions during the 2023-24 academic year. Established in 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference’s most prestigious award. It was the first award in intercollegiate athletics to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on athletics. The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their collegiate career. This year’s class comprised student-athletes from 17 sports. Big Ten schools currently feature more than 9,800 student-athletes, but only 28 earn the award on an annual basis. Since the Big Ten Medal of Honor was first presented more than a century ago, just over 1,650 student-athletes have earned this unique distinction. Those names are on display at the Big Ten Office in Rosemont. Below is a listing of this year’s recipients: 2024 Big Ten Medal of Honor Class Illinois Kendall Bostic, Basketball Isaiah Williams, Football Indiana Anne Fowler, Diving Joey Maher, Soccer Iowa Samantha Cary, Soccer Gratt Reed, Track &amp; Field Maryland Emily Sterling, Lacrosse Ajax Zappitello, Lacrosse Michigan Gabby Wilson, Gymnastics Blake Corum, Football Michigan State Justina Gaynor, Soccer Jack Frank, Baseball Minnesota Gianna Gerdes, Gymnastics Isaiah Salazar, Wrestling Nebraska Billie Andrews, Softball Ethan Piper, Football Northwestern Izzy Scane, Lacrosse Boo Buie, Basketball Ohio State Amy Fulmer, Swimming Lyle Yost, Diving Penn State Cori Dyke, Soccer TJ Malone, Lacrosse Purdue Maddie Schermerhorn, Volleyball Mason Gillis, Basketball Rutgers Cassidy Spilis, Lacrosse Shane Knobloch, Lacrosse Wisconsin Emma Jaskaniec, Soccer Cameron Huss, Golf School Releases: <a href="https://fightingillini.com/news/2024/4/22/general-fighting-illini-athletics-celebrated-at-the-2024-oskees.aspx" target="_self">Illinois</a> <a href="https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/5/8/general-holmes-stone-highlight-award-winners-at-iu-athletics-night-to-shine-annual-banquet" target="_self">Indiana</a> <a href="https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/05/10/award-winners-announced-at-ui-athletics-senior-student-athlete-reception-3/" target="_self">Iowa</a> <a href="https://umterps.com/news/2024/5/8/terrapin-athletics-sterling-zappitello-awarded-marylands-2024-big-ten-medal-of-honor.aspx#:~:text=COLLEGE%20PARK%2C%20MD%20%2D%2D%20Maryland,of%20Honor%20recipients%20on%20Wednesday." target="_self">Maryland</a> <a href="https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/4/23/general-wilson-corum-named-michigans-big-ten-medal-of-honor-recipients" target="_self">Michigan</a> <a href="https://msuspartans.com/news/2024/6/20/baseball-michigan-state-athletics-announces-2024-all-sports-award-winners.aspx" target="_self">Michigan State</a> <a href="https://gophersports.com/news/2024/5/6/athletics-gerdes-salazar-recipients-of-big-ten-medal-of-honor" target="_self">Minnesota</a> <a href="https://huskers.com/news/2024/04/29/andrews-piper-take-top-honors-at-a-night-at-the-lied" target="_self">Nebraska</a> <a href="https://nusports.com/news/2024/6/28/womens-lacrosse-buie-and-scane-honored-as-big-ten-medal-of-honor-recipients" target="_self">Northwestern</a> <a href="https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2024/4/15/general-student-athletes-recognized-with-academic-awards" target="_self">Ohio State</a> <a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2024/6/18/general-malone-dyke-tabbed-as-penn-states-big-ten-medal-of-honor-recipients.aspx#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20Penn%20State%20Nittany%20Lion%20student,the%202023%2D24%20academic%20year." target="_self">Penn State</a> <a href="https://purduesports.com/" target="_self">Purdue</a> <a href="https://scarletknights.com/news/2024/7/2/mens-lacrosse-knobloch-and-spillis-named-2024-big-ten-medal-of-honor-recipients.aspx" target="_self">Rutgers</a> <a href="https://uwbadgers.com/news/2024/4/30/general-news-huss-jaskaniec-named-big-ten-medal-of-honor-recipients.aspx#:~:text=%E2%80%94%20Members%20of%20the%20Badgers'%20Class,Big%20Ten%20Medal%20of%20Honor." target="_self">Wisconsin</a>

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Big Ten Recognizes 110th Medal of Honor Class

<a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltca750cef518bc6e4/blt678a020259cf0efa/6682b436e316340dd271dedd/2023-24_Big_Ten_Sportsmanship_Award_Honorees.pdf" target="_self">2023-24 SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES</a>ROSEMONT, Ill. – On Tuesday, the Big Ten Conference announced the 28 honorees named Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2023-24 academic year. These standouts were chosen from a group of 350 students honored throughout the academic year who had displayed positive sportsmanship.One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree, and two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected from each institution. All of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.The 2023-24 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners appear below, and the complete list of Sportsmanship Award honorees for all sports from each school can be viewed <a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltca750cef518bc6e4/blt678a020259cf0efa/667adadc39d09842b74bcf9d/2023-24_Big_Ten_Sportsmanship_Award_Honorees.pdf" target="_self">here</a>.2023-24 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award WinnersILLINOIS Isaiah Williams, Football Jessica McDowell, Women’s Track &amp; FieldINDIANA Aaron Casey, Football Caroline Craig, Women’s GolfIOWA Jay Higgins, Football Kate Martin, Women’s BasketballMARYLAND Jahmir Young, Men’s Basketball Olivia Weir, Women’s GymnasticsMICHIGAN Jacob Truscott, Men’s Ice Hockey Serena Brimacombe, Field HockeyMICHIGAN STATE Nicolas Müller, Men’s Ice Hockey Macy Lee, SoftballMINNESOTA Parker Fox, Men’s Basketball Katie Horak, Women’s GymnasticsNEBRASKA Peyton Robb, Wrestling Cecelia Ossi, Women‘s RifleNORTHWESTERN Gleb Blekher, Men’s Tennis Natalie Chizzo, VolleyballOHIO STATE Nick Feldman, Wrestling Sarah Sue Morbitzer, VolleyballPENN STATE Beau Bartlett, Wrestling Julie Gough, Women’s Ice HockeyPURDUE Praise Aniamaka, Men’s Track &amp; Field Carmen Gallardo Guevara, Women’s TennisRUTGERS Xavier Marcoux, Men’s Golf Leigha Devine, Women’s GolfWISCONSIN Tim Bielic, Men’s Soccer MJ Hammill, Volleyball

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2023-24 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Winners Announced

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Three Big Ten Softball Players Earn Academic All-America Honors

<a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltca750cef518bc6e4/blte3404d3ba4549462/667ad8cdc7c7397a8f437207/Spring_24_-_FINAL.pdf" target="_self">Full 2024 Spring Academic All-Big Ten List</a>ROSEMONT, Ill. [June 12, 2024] — The Big Ten Conference recognized a total of 2,271 students competing in spring sports who have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team Wednesday.The list of honorees includes 174 baseball students, 80 men’s golf students, 72 women’s golf students, 181 men’s lacrosse students, 183 women’s lacrosse students, 310 women’s rowing students, 189 softball students, 56 men’s tennis students, 76 women’s tennis students, 291 men’s track and field students, 382 women’s track and field students, five bowling students, 74 fencing students, four pistol students, 17 rifle students, 18 women’s lightweight rowing students, 27 men’s rowing students, eight women’s synchronized swimming students, 18 men’s volleyball students, 57 women’s hockey students, 11 sand volleyball students, 31 women’s water polo students and seven women’s wrestling students. &nbsp; To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of May 1 for spring sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.&nbsp; 115 spring honorees had unblemished GPAs:&nbsp;Gavin Sitarz, So., Baseball, Finance, Michigan State &nbsp;Jaylen Jones, Jr., Baseball, Sport Industry, Ohio State &nbsp;Jake Marshall, Gr., Baseball, Digital Marketing, Rutgers&nbsp;Xavier Marcoux, Gr., Men’s Golf, Finance, Rutgers &nbsp;Alexis Halama, Jr., Women’s Golf, Integrative Biology, Illinois&nbsp;Mikaela Schulz, Gr., Women’s Golf, Int Practice IH MH&amp; Substance Abuse, Michigan&nbsp;Caroline McConnell, So., Women’s Golf, Accounting, Michigan State &nbsp;Faith Choi, Jr., Women’s Golf, Sport Industry, Ohio State &nbsp;Leigha Devine, Gr., Women’s Golf, Global Sports Business, Rutgers &nbsp;Justin Sherrer, Gr., Men’s Lacrosse, Health Care Leadership and Innovation, Ohio State&nbsp;Jacob Snyder, Gr., Men’s Lacrosse, Public Management, Ohio State&nbsp;Ross Scott, Gr., Men’s Lacrosse, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Rutgers&nbsp;Aiden Peduzzi, Gr., Women’s Lacrosse, Technology and Entrepreneurship, Maryland&nbsp;Emily Sterling, Gr., Women’s Lacrosse, Health Care Management, Maryland&nbsp;Dylan Amonte, Gr., Women’s Lacrosse, Post Baccalaureate, Northwestern&nbsp;Katie Buck, So., Women’s Lacrosse, Exercise Science, Rutgers&nbsp;Kimberly Greenblatt, So., Women’s Lacrosse, Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers&nbsp;Cassidy Spilis, Gr., Women’s Lacrosse, Mathematics Education, Rutgers&nbsp;Kat Borders, Sr., Women’s Rowing, Human Biology, Michigan State &nbsp;Colby Orcutt, Jr., Women’s Rowing, Kinesiology, Michigan State&nbsp;Alaina Roush, So., Women’s Rowing, Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology/Biotechnology, Michigan State &nbsp;&nbsp;Isabella Bejaran, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Integrative Therapies/Healing, Minnesota&nbsp;Grace Loescher, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Nonprofit Management, Minnesota&nbsp;Annie Moen, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Civic Engagement, Minnesota&nbsp;Tess Thompson, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Kinesiology, Ohio State &nbsp;Jule Boeckmann, Sr., Women’s Rowing, Psychology, Rutgers&nbsp;Corina Coughlin, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Design, Rutgers&nbsp;Megan Evans, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Elementary/Early Childhood Education, Rutgers&nbsp;Sydney Lehrer, Jr., Women’s Rowing, Sociology, Rutgers&nbsp;Sophia Lutz, So., Women’s Rowing, Exercise Science, Rutgers&nbsp;Emily Mahaffy, Sr., Women’s Rowing, Environmental Policy, Inst and Behavior, Rutgers&nbsp;Christina Pender, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers&nbsp;Grace Belson, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Campbell Dunn, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Geoscience, Wisconsin&nbsp;Ella Peterson, Jr., Women’s Rowing, Neurobiology, Wisconsin&nbsp;Sky Teegen, Gr., Women’s Rowing, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Macy Lee, Jr., Softball, Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis, Michigan State &nbsp;Bri Enter, Gr., Softball, Addictions Counseling, Minnesota&nbsp;Reili Gardner, Sr., Softball, Psychology, Minnesota &nbsp;Sydney Strelow, Gr., Softball, Public Health Administration and Policy, Minnesota &nbsp;Sydney Gray, Sr., Softball, Finance, Nebraska &nbsp;Angela Zedak, Gr., Softball, Post Baccalaureate, Northwestern&nbsp;Sam Hackenbracht, Gr., Softball, Sport Coaching, Ohio State &nbsp;Jagger Saylor, Sr., Men’s Tennis, Human Biology, Indiana&nbsp;Max Bengtsson, Jr., Men’s Tennis, Applied Mathematics, Northwestern&nbsp;Jason Hildebrandt, Gr., Men’s Tennis, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Josie Frazier, Gr., Women’s Tennis, Accountancy, Illinois&nbsp;Zeyneb Sarioglan, Sr., Women’s Tennis, Psychology, Minnesota&nbsp;Jillian Roa, Jr., Women’s Tennis, Economics/Philosophy, Nebraska&nbsp;Irina Cantos Siemers, Gr., Women’s Tennis, Sport Management, Ohio State &nbsp;Shawn Juliette, So., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Finance and Data Science, Illinois &nbsp;Hunter Smith, Jr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Accounting, Indiana&nbsp;Peter Capozzoli, Sr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Aerospace Engineering, Maryland&nbsp;Owen MacKenzie, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Biomedical Engineering PhD, Michigan&nbsp;Owen Gilbert, So., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Digital Storytelling, Michigan State &nbsp;Andrew Nolan, Sr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Applied Engineering Science, Michigan State &nbsp;Tyler Pritchett, Sr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Applied Engineering Science, Michigan State &nbsp;Connor Williamson, So., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Finance, Michigan State &nbsp;Isaiah Schafer, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Sport Management, Minnesota &nbsp;Seth Schnakenberg, So., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Biochemistry, Nebraska &nbsp;Sean Kaminski, So., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Finance, Ohio State&nbsp;A’nan Bridgett, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Public Health, Rutgers&nbsp;Jacob Bugella, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Sam Craig, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Mathematics, Wisconsin&nbsp;Justin Kiefel, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Computer Sciences, Wisconsin&nbsp;Ben Nibbelink, Gr., Men’s Track &amp; Field, Computer Sciences, Wisconsin&nbsp;Olivia Campbell, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Psychology, Illinois&nbsp;Abby Lynch, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Accountancy, Illinois&nbsp;Alli Bookin-Nosbisch, Sr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Sport and Recreation Management, Iowa&nbsp;Grace Bookin-Nosbisch, Sr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Sport and Recreation Management, Iowa&nbsp;Jamie Kofron, Sr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Economics, Iowa &nbsp;Lauren McMahon, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Human Physiology, Iowa&nbsp;Julia Pattison, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Health Promotion, Iowa &nbsp;Lillian Schmidt, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Biomedical Engineering, Iowa &nbsp;Kelli Tosic, Sr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Theatre Arts, Iowa &nbsp;Leah Hill, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Organizational Studies, Michigan&nbsp;Cassie Kearney, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Health Behavior &amp; Health Education, Michigan&nbsp;Natalie Blake, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Human Biology, Michigan State &nbsp;Madison Foster, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology, Michigan State &nbsp;Abbey Lee, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Global Health, Michigan State &nbsp;Sophia Lucki, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Human Biology, Michigan State &nbsp;Grace Molloy, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field,&nbsp;Financial Planning &amp; Wealth Management, Michigan State &nbsp; Kate Osika, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Communication, Michigan State &nbsp;Valadian Pallett, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Genomics &amp; Molecular Genetics, Michigan State&nbsp;Judith Rector, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Media and Information, Michigan State &nbsp;Allison Ziehl, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Global Health, Michigan State &nbsp;Ava Hill, Sr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Cell and Org Physiology, Minnesota &nbsp;Taylor Kreitinger, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Public Health Core Concepts, Minnesota &nbsp;Sydney Kretlow, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Teaching, Minnesota &nbsp;Ali Weimer, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Sociology, Minnesota &nbsp;Hillevi Carlsson, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Mathematics, Nebraska&nbsp;Alea Hardie, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Child, Youth &amp; Family Studies, Nebraska &nbsp;McKenna Lovehaug, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Nutrition &amp; Health Sciences, Nebraska&nbsp;Vivian Hacker, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Landscape Architecture, Wisconsin&nbsp;Victoria Heiligenthal, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Biomedical Engineering, Wisconsin&nbsp;Bella Jacobsen, So., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Biology, Wisconsin&nbsp;Maggie Munson, Jr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Political Science, Legal Studies and History, Wisconsin&nbsp; Olivia Roberts, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Design &amp; Innovation, Wisconsin&nbsp;Peyton Sippy, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Wisconsin&nbsp;Alexa Westley, Gr., Women’s Track &amp; Field, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Camilla Johannessen, So., Rifle, Management, Nebraska &nbsp;Katelyn Abeln, Sr., Rifle, Public Health, Ohio State &nbsp;Abbie Leverett, So., Rifle, Dentistry, Ohio State &nbsp;Emilie Rochon, Sr., Women’s Lightweight Rowing, Biochemistry, Wisconsin&nbsp;Rianne Wagner, Jr., Women’s Lightweight Rowing, Agronomy, Wisconsin&nbsp;Alexander Beer, Jr., Men’s Rowing, Business: Finance, Investment and Banking, Wisconsin&nbsp;Jonah Rane, Gr., Men’s Rowing, Sports Leadership, Wisconsin&nbsp;Justin Howard, RS-Sr., Men’s Volleyball, Sport Management, Ohio State &nbsp;Audrey Wethington, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Biological Sciences, Minnesota &nbsp;Madeline Wethington, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Biological Sciences, Minnesota&nbsp;Hadley Hartmetz, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Sport Management, Ohio State &nbsp;Quinn Kintz, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Sport Management, Ohio State &nbsp;Chayla Edwards, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Sports Leadership and Psychology, Wisconsin&nbsp;Jane Gervais, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, Wisconsin&nbsp;Kaitlyn Kotlowski, Gr., Women’s Hockey, Sports Leadership and Rehabilitation Psychology, Wisconsin&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Big Ten Conference&nbsp;(<a href="https://bigten.org/">bigten.org</a>) is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching, and public service. Founded in 1896, Big Ten Conference has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness, and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten Conference institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to more than 9,800 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013.&nbsp;

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Big Ten Recognizes Spring Academic All-Big Ten Honorees

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Wolverine Softball Coaching Staff Named Best in Great Lakes Region

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Ohio State Names Kirin Kumar Head Softball Coach

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four Big Ten softball student-athletes have earned All-American recognition by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Rutgers’ Morgan Smith and Minnesota’s Jess Oakland were second team selections, while Northwestern’s Kelsey Nader and Nebraska’s Billie Andrews were recognized on the third team.Smith is Rutgers' first-ever NFCA All-American. Oakland, Minnesota’s 16th All-American, earned her first career recognition after being named the Big Ten Player of the Year earlier this month.&nbsp; &nbsp;Nader is the 13th All-American in the history of Northwestern softball and Andrews was selected for the second time in her Nebraska career, earning third team honors in 2023. &nbsp; Second Team&nbsp;Morgan Smith, UTL/P, Rutgers &nbsp;Jess Oakland, SS, Minnesota Third Team&nbsp;Kelsey Nader, OF, Northwestern&nbsp;Billie Andrews, SS, Nebraska &nbsp;

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NFCA Selects Four from Big Ten to All-America Teams

Today, the NCAA and the five autonomy conferences released a joint statement on the agreement of settlement terms.“The five autonomy conferences and the NCAA agreeing to settlement terms is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come. This settlement is also a roadmap for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students. All of Division I made today’s progress possible, and we all have work to do to implement the terms of the agreement as the legal process continues.&nbsp;We look forward to working with our various student-athlete leadership groups to write the next chapter of college sports.”– Joint Statement from NCAA President Charlie Baker, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D., Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey

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NCAA and Autonomy Conferences Agree on Settlement

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35 Big Ten Softball Student-Athletes Recognized on NFCA All-Region Teams

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Northwestern pitcher Ashley Miller was one of 15 players selected in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro College Softball Draft on Tuesday evening. It is the third straight year that a Northwestern player has been selected in the draft. Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season features 15 games across five weeks, utilizing Athletes Unlimited's unique scoring system to crown an individual champion. The 2024 event will take place July 26 - Aug. 25 at The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex – the first sports venue dedicated solely to women’s professional sports in the United States. Fifteen AU Pro Softball championship games will be available live exclusively on ESPN platforms.

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Northwestern's Ashley Miller Selected in 2024 Athletes Unlimited Draft

<table style="text-align: center;"><thead style="text-align: center;"><tr style="text-align: center;"><th colspan="5" style="text-align: center;">NCAA Tournament&nbsp;</th></tr></thead><tbody style="text-align: center;"><tr><td>Date</td><td>Game</td><td>Location</td><td>Time (ET)</td><td>Links</td></tr><tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="5" style="text-align: center;">Regionals</td></tr><tr><td>Friday, May 17</td><td>Washington d. Indiana, 8-7</td><td>Columbia Regional</td><td>3 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a62f33fb-ba2c-445f-a17b-41e39dd982d6" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289390" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/5/17/softball-indiana-falls-in-regional-opener-to-washington" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Friday, May 17</td><td>Kentucky d. Michigan, 4-3</td><td>Stillwater Regional</td><td>3 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/96b0e0bd-e1bf-485c-9934-6452c4bc6069" target="_self">ESPN2</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289334" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/5/17/softball-wolverines-sacrifice-lead-in-walk-off-heartbreaker-against-kentucky-in-ncaa-opener" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Friday, May 17</td><td>Texas State d. Penn State, 4-2</td><td>Bryan-College Station Regional</td><td>4 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/44a2491a-f7ea-47f4-b0f6-b0a849d47aaa" target="_self">ESPNU</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289312" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2024/5/17/softball-falls-in-2024-ncaa-regional-opener-to-no-25-texas-state.aspx" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Friday, May 17</td><td>Northwestern d. St. Francis (Pa.), 7-2</td><td>Austin Regional</td><td>6:30 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/0e49eee9-edb0-40ec-8e09-2c687cba71f0" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289306" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ba7MPxjJKM" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Texas d. Northwestern, 14-2</td><td>Austin Regional</td><td>1 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/4a1d296e-1cc7-455c-b191-c39884416083" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289307" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://nusports.com/news/2024/5/18/softball-cats-advance-to-ncaa-regional-final-with-5-1-win-over-saint-francis" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Michigan d. Northern Colorado, 4-2</td><td>Stillwater Regional</td><td>3:30 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/f3dbbbe4-6fdd-424d-87de-04bfd254c6fa" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289336" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/5/18/softball-wolverines-win-back-to-back-elimination-games-to-advance-to-ncaa-regional-final" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Penn State d. UAlbany, 9-3</td><td>Bryan-College Station Regional</td><td>5:30 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/4d06a74e-e9b7-4991-bf69-ef1c454b413c" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289315" target="_self">Live Stats|</a> <a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2024/5/19/softball-penn-state-concludes-2024-season-in-ncaa-bryan-college-station-regional.aspx" target="_self">Recap</a> </td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Missouri d. Indiana, 5-1</td><td>Columbia Regional</td><td>5:30 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a7a331fc-78e5-4674-b94d-f15cb5fb15b8" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289392" target="_self">Live Stats|</a> <a href="https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/5/18/softball-indiana-drops-regional-game-to-no-7-missouri" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Northwestern d. Saint Francis (Pa.), 5-1</td><td>Austin Regional</td><td>6 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://t.co/WtPHMwnYmo" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://t.co/xXTPuD75hl" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | <a href="https://nusports.com/news/2024/5/18/softball-cats-advance-to-ncaa-regional-final-with-5-1-win-over-saint-francis" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18 </td><td>Michigan d. Kentucky, 4-2</td><td>Stillwater Regional </td><td>6 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://t.co/Jvkg4eHsnX" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://t.co/qKgNyjezzW" target="_self">Live Stats |</a> <a href="https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/5/18/softball-wolverines-win-back-to-back-elimination-games-to-advance-to-ncaa-regional-final" target="_self">Recap</a></td></tr><tr><td>Saturday, May 18</td><td>Texas State d. Penn State, 8-4</td><td>Bryan-College Station Regional</td><td>8 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/e51b14fe-8a6c-420e-b355-5894c7871740" target="_self">ESPNU</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289316" target="_self">Live Stats </a>| <a href="https://gopsusports.com/news/2024/5/19/softball-penn-state-concludes-2024-season-in-ncaa-bryan-college-station-regional.aspx" target="_self">Recap</a> </td></tr><tr><td>Sunday, May 19</td><td>Texas d. Northwestern, 7-0</td><td>Austin Regional</td><td>1 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/9e0d652e-64ae-4d67-8d6e-0b09f39c915b" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-softball/game/_/gameId/401671233/texas-tbd" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | Recap</td></tr><tr><td>Sunday, May 19</td><td>Oklahoma State d. Michigan, 4-1</td><td>Stillwater Regional </td><td>3 p.m.</td><td><a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/?redirected=true" target="_self">ESPN+</a> | <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/game/6289338" target="_self">Live Stats</a> | Recap</td></tr></tbody></table>

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NCAA Softball Tournament Central

<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/softball/d1/2024" target="_self">NCAA BRACKET</a> ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has qualified four teams for the 2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Michigan received the conference’s automatic berth while Northwestern, Indiana and Penn State earned at-large berths. The NCAA field includes 64 teams taking part in 16 on-campus regionals in a double-elimination format May 17-19. Sixteen winners will advance to eight on-campus, best-of-three super regionals May 23-26 with berths on the line for the NCAA Women’s College World Series, to be held May 30-June 7, at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. Michigan (41-16), which captured the Big Ten Tournament title on Saturday, will meet Kentucky (30-22) in the Stillwater (Okla.) Regional at 3 p.m. ET Friday at Cowgirl Stadium. Michigan has qualified for 23 of the past 24 NCAA tournaments and will make its 30th appearance overall. Northwestern (33-11), the Big Ten regular season champions, face St. Francis of Pennsylvania (40-12) at the Austin (Texas) Regional at 6:30 p.m. ET Friday at McCombs Field. The Wildcats are making their sixth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and their 22nd appearance overall. Indiana (40-18) encounters Washington (31-13) in the Columbia (Mo.) Regional at 3 p.m. ET Friday at Mizzou Softball Stadium. The Hoosiers are making their second consecutive trip to the NCAAs and their ninth appearance overall. Penn State (34-18) will take on Texas State (45-13) in the Bryan-College Station (Texas) Regional at 4 p.m. ET Friday at Davis Diamond. The Nittany Lions are making their first NCAA appearance since 2011 and their 11th overall. Stillwater Regional (Stillwater, Okla.) Kentucky (30-22) vs. Michigan (41-16) — Friday (May 17), 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2 Other regional teams: No. 5 Oklahoma State (44-10), Northern Colorado (27-24) Austin Regional (Austin, Texas) Northwestern (33-11) vs. St. Francis (Pa.) (40-12)— Friday (May 17), 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+ Other regional teams: No. 1 Texas (47-7), Siena (33-20) Columbia Regional (Columbia, Mo.) Washington (31-13) vs. Indiana (40-18) — Friday (May 17) at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+ Other regional teams: No. 7 Missouri (43-15), Omaha (41-13) Bryan-College Station Regional (Bryan-College Station, Texas) Texas State (45-13) vs. Penn State (34-18) — Friday (May 17) at 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU Other regional teams: No. 16 Texas A&amp;M (40-13), Albany (33-12)

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Big Ten Sends Four Teams to NCAA Softball Tournament

Photo by Matthew Putney IOWA CITY, Iowa — Michigan added another conference championship to its trophy case with a 3-1 victory over Indiana in the Championship Game of the 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament Presented by DirecTV. Saturday's victory at Pearl Field was the 11th Big Ten Tournament title for the Wolverines and their first since 2019. Michigan (41-17) will receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins next week. Junior pitcher Lauren Derkowski was named Most Outstanding Player after fanning six and allowing one run in her third complete game of the tournament. She made the final out, knocking down a liner off the bat of Brianna Copeland and tossing to first. Copeland, who excelled in the circle as well, was one of five Hoosiers named to the all-tournament. Indiana (40-18), which appeared in its second-straight final, put the game's first run on the board on Aaliyah Andrew's RBI double in the top of the second. Michigan answered with a run in the fourth and two unearned runs in the bottom sixth. The NCAA Tournament field will be revealed on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Tournament MOP Lauren Derkowski, Michigan All-Tournament Team Aaliyah Andrews, Indiana Brooke Benson, Indiana Alex Cooper, Indiana Brianna Copeland, Indiana Aly VanBrandt, Indiana Courtney Wyche, Maryland Lauren Derkowski, Michigan Ella McVey, Michigan Keke Tholl, Michigan Billie Andrews, Nebraska Hilary Blomberg, Wisconsin Tessa Magnanimo, Wisconsin

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Michigan Claims 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament Title

Photo by Matthew Putney IOWA CITY, Iowa — Indiana and Michigan advanced to the championship game of the 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament Presented by DirecTV with wins Friday at Pearl Field. No. 8 seed Indiana rallied from a three-run deficit to post a 9-3 win over No. 4 Nebraska in the first semifinal. The Hoosiers (40-17) were down to their last at-bats in the top of the seventh when Alex Cooper homered to force extra innings. Indiana sent 11 batters to the plate in pushing across six runs in the eighth, sparked by Brianna Copeland's three-run home run. Nebraska (30-23) opened a 3-0 lead behind a Billie Andrews home run and RBI single along with an Ava Bredwell home run. The Hoosiers return to the championship game for the second-straight year and become the first 8th-seed to reach the final since 2004. No. 2 Michigan earned a berth into the championship game for the third time in the last four Big Ten Tournaments with a 6-2 win over No. 11 Wisconsin in Friday's nightcap. Michigan (40-16) broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth and added three more runs in the fifth on Keke Tholl's home run which gave the first baseman four RBI on the night. Hilary Blomberg recorded a pair of hits and three RBI for Wisconsin (21-31). Michigan's Lauren Derkowski stuckout 11 batters in a complete game effort. The Wolverines and Hoosiers meet at 3 p.m. CT Saturday with BTN carrying the broadcast.

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Softball Tournament Update: Day 3

Emmerson Cope / Photo by Matthew Putney IOWA CITY, Iowa — The stage is set for the semifinals of the 2024 Big Ten Softball Tournament Presented by DirecTV after four games were played on Thursday. In a rematch of last year's championship game, top seed Northwestern was upset by No. 8 Indiana, 4-3, marking the third-straight win by a lower seed in the tournament. Indiana (39-17) received hits from eight different players, scoring runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to build a 4-1 lead. Northwestern (33-11), which won the Big Ten regular season title, struck for two runs in the bottom sixth but were kept off the board in the seventh. Indiana will play its third game in as many days when it meets Nebraska on Friday at 4 p.m. No. 4 Nebraska used the long ball to run-rule No. 5 Minnesota, 11-2, in five innings. Big Ten Player of the Year Jess Oakland homered in Minnesota's first at-bat of the game before Nebraska (30-22) answered with Emmerson Cope's tape-measure shot that hit the top of the scoreboard at Pearl Field. SS Billie Andrews ended the contest with her second home run of the day and the 60th of her career. In the circle, Sarah Harness held the Gophers (28-25) to three hits. No. 2 Michigan put a 10-spot on No. 10 Maryland in a 10-0 run-rule contested decided in the fifth. Michigan scored all its runs in the fifth, which was capped by Avery Fantucci's grand slam to center field. Lauren Derkowski tossed a two-hitter for the Wolverines (39-16) while Courtney Wyche struck out seven in 4.1 innings of work for the Terrapins (24-30). Michigan will meet No. 11 Wisconsin tomorrow in a semifinal starting at 6:30 p.m. CT. Wisconsin turned away No. 3 Rutgers, 7-3, to continue a remarkable run at the tournament. The Badgers (21-30) are the lowest seed to ever make the Big Ten semifinals.Wisconsin scored four unearned runs in the fifth and added two more in the seventh. DP Hilary Blomberg went 3-for-5 with 5 RBI for the Badgers. LF Jillian Anderson led Rutgers (33-22) with three hits. Both of Friday's semifinal games will be carried live by BTN.

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Softball Tournament Update: Day 2

Photo by Matthew PutneyIOWA CITY, Iowa — Indiana, Minnesota, Maryland and Wisconsin won opening round games as the Big Ten Softball Tournament Presented by DirecTV commenced Wednesday at Pearl Field. No. 8 seed Indiana defeated arch-rival and No. 9 seed Purdue, 6-3, in the first game of the day. The Hoosiers (38-17) jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held off the Boilermakers (25-26), who scored three times in the fifth. IU's Brianna Copeland struckout nine over seven innings while 2B Aly VanBrandt went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Indiana will meet top seed Northwestern at 11 a.m. CT tomorrow in quarterfinal action. No. 5 seed Minnesota needed extra innings to down No. 12 seed Illinois, 10-7. Taylor Krapf connected on a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom ninth to propel Minnesota (28-24) into Thursday's quarterfinals. Four Gophers had multiple hits, led by Breezy Burnett's three singles. SS Megan Ward drove in three runs for the Illini (21-31). Minnesota will take on No. 4 seed Nebraska at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow. In a pitchers' duel, No. 10 seed Maryland prevailed over No. 7 seed Penn State, 3-1. Diamond Williams drove in the winning run as the Terrapins (24-29) plated a pair of runs in the top ninth. Courtney Wyche tossed a complete-game three-hitter for Maryland, allowing just one run. For Penn State (34-18), Bridget Nemeth struckout six batters in a seven-hit, complete-game performance. Maryland will face No. 2 seed Michigan at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. No. 11 seed Wisconsin used the long ball and a four-run inning to power past No. 6 seed Ohio State, 5-1. Hilary Blomberg and Brooke Kuffel cleared the fences for Wisconsin while from the circle, Tessa Magnanimo struck out seven batters in a four-hit effort to improve to 11-1 on the season. Allison Smith allowed just three hits and fanned 10 batters in a losing effort for the Buckeyes (31-20). Wisconsin (20-30) will once again play under the lights tomorrow when it encounters No. 3 seed Rutgers at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

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Softball Tournament Update: Day 1

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the 2024 All-Big Ten Softball Teams and individual awards Wednesday, with Minnesota, Northwestern and Penn State earning individual accolades through a vote of the conference’s 14 head coaches.Minnesota infielder Jess Oakland was selected as Player of the Year, while Northwestern’s Ashley Miller was named Pitcher of the Year, led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Kate Drohan, who earned the honor for the third consecutive year. Pitcher Bridget Nemeth of Penn State was named Freshman of the Year.It’s the sixth time that a Minnesota player has been named Player of the Year and first since the 2018 season. In the final weekend of the regular season, Oakland became Minnesota’s single season leading runs scorer with 68. The sophomore currently leads the Big Ten in batting average (.457), doubles (19), home runs (19), on-base percentage (.554), slugging percentage (.915) and total bases (151). Oakland was also a unanimous selection on the All-Big Ten First Team and earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team at shortstop.Miller earns Pitcher of the Year as the fifth Wildcat to receive the honor, and first since Danielle Williams was the unanimous selection in 2022. Miller currently leads the conference with a 1.34 ERA behind 16 wins throughout the regular season. Miller has struck out 165 batters across 151.1 innings pitched and was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week four times this season. Miller was also a unanimous selection on the All-Big Ten First Team.This marks the sixth Big Ten Coach of the Year honor for Drohan, and fourth in five seasons. It’s also the eighth time Northwestern has produced the Big Ten Coach of the Year, with Sharon Drysdale receiving the award in 1987 and 1995. Drohan guided Northwestern to its third consecutive Big Ten Championship and 10th overall, posting a 33-10 record and a 19-3 mark in conference play to earn the No. 1 seed in this year’s Big Ten Tournament.Nemeth is the first Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first Penn State player or pitcher to win an individual accolade. The right-handed pitcher leads the team with a 1.68 overall season ERA, paired with a historic 22-5 individual record in the circle, needing one winning decision to set the Penn State program record for wins in a single season. Her 22-5 record leads the Big Ten and is 39th-best nationally. Nemeth also owns the Penn State single-season record for Big Ten weekly awards with four. Nemeth was a unanimous selection on the All-Big Ten First Team and was also selected to the All-Freshman Team.In addition to the individual award winners, the Big Ten announced an All-Big Ten First and Second Team, as well as nine student-athletes selected to the conference’s All-Defensive Team and 11 chosen for the All-Freshman team. The Big Ten also announced the 14 Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sport-competition setting.The complete All-Big Ten teams and individual honorees can be found below.2024 BIG TEN CONFERENCE SOFTBALL POSTSEASON HONORS&nbsp;&nbsp;Player of the Year: Jess Oakland, So., SS, Minnesota&nbsp;Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Miller, Gr., RHP, Northwestern &nbsp;Freshman of the Year: Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State &nbsp;Coach of the Year: Kate Drohan, Northwestern&nbsp;&nbsp;FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN&nbsp;Sarah Stone, Jr., IF, Indiana&nbsp;Jena Young, Fr., IF, Iowa&nbsp;Jaeda McFarland, Gr., OF, Maryland&nbsp;Lauren Derkowski, Jr., P, Michigan&nbsp;Maddie Erickson, So., IF, Michigan&nbsp;Elle Sieler, Jr., OF,&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;Keke Tholl, Sr., IF, Michigan&nbsp;Taylor Krapf, Jr., C, Minnesota&nbsp;JESS OAKLAND, So., IF, Minnesota &nbsp;Billie Andrews, Sr., IF, Nebraska&nbsp;Kelsey Nader, So., OF, Northwestern&nbsp;ASHLEY MILLER, Gr., P, Northwestern&nbsp;Kansas Robinson, So., IF, Northwestern&nbsp;Kami Kortokrax, Jr., IF, Ohio State&nbsp;BRIDGET NEMETH, Fr., P, Penn State&nbsp;Kyleigh Sand, Sr., IF, Rutgers&nbsp;MORGAN SMITH, Sr., OF, Rutgers&nbsp;Hilary Blomberg, Fr., DP, Wisconsin&nbsp;&nbsp;SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN*&nbsp;Taylor Minnick, Jr., OF, Indiana&nbsp;Aly VanBrandt, Fr., IF, Indiana&nbsp;Rylie Moss, Jr., OF, Iowa&nbsp;Sydney Lewis, So., DP, Maryland&nbsp;Mazie MacFarlane, Gr., OF, Maryland&nbsp;Diamond Williams, Gr., IF, Maryland&nbsp;Courtney Wyche, Gr., P, Maryland&nbsp;Ella Stephenson, Fr., OF, Michigan&nbsp;Hannah Hawley, So., IF, Michigan State&nbsp;Morgan DeBord, Gr., OF, Minnesota&nbsp;Sydney Strelow, Gr., IF, Minnesota &nbsp;Sydney Gray, Sr., IF, Nebraska &nbsp;Taylor Heckman, Sr., OF, Ohio State&nbsp;Allison Smith, Sr., P, Ohio State&nbsp;Gaby Garcia, Sr., C, Penn State&nbsp;Maddie Gordon, Jr., OF, Penn State&nbsp;Kaitlyn Morrison, Sr.+, IF, Penn State&nbsp;Mattie Boyd, Gr.,&nbsp;P, Rutgers&nbsp;Ava Kuszak, So.,&nbsp;IF, Wisconsin&nbsp;&nbsp;ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM&nbsp;Adisyn Caryl, IF, Illinois&nbsp;Alex Cooper, UTL, Indiana&nbsp;Aly VanBrandt, UTL, Indiana&nbsp;Jena Young, IF, Iowa&nbsp;Ava Costales, UTL, Michigan&nbsp;ELLA STEPHENSON, OF, Michigan&nbsp;Samantha Bland, IF/OF, Nebraska&nbsp;Emma Raye, C/IF, Northwestern&nbsp;Jasmyn Burns, C/UTL, Ohio State&nbsp;Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State&nbsp;HILARY BLOMBERG, C, Wisconsin&nbsp;&nbsp;ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM&nbsp;P: Morgan Smith, Sr., Rutgers&nbsp;C: Emma Raye, Fr., Northwestern&nbsp;1B: Sammy Diaz, Sr., Iowa &nbsp;2B: Sydney Strelow, Gr., Minnesota&nbsp;SS: Jess Oakland, So., Minnesota &nbsp;3B: Alex Cooper, Fr., Indiana&nbsp;OF: Morgan DeBord, Gr., Minnesota &nbsp;OF: Moriah Polar, Fr., Purdue&nbsp;OF: Jaeda McFarland, Gr., Maryland &nbsp;&nbsp;SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES&nbsp;Abby Ryniec, Illinois &nbsp;Brooke Benson, Indiana&nbsp;&nbsp;Sammy Diaz, Iowa&nbsp;&nbsp;Megan Mikami, Maryland&nbsp;Ellie Sieler, Michigan&nbsp;Macy Lee, Michigan State&nbsp;&nbsp;Jacie Hambrick, Minnesota&nbsp;Mckinley Malecha, Nebraska&nbsp;&nbsp;Lauren Boyd, Northwestern&nbsp;Kirsten Eppele, Ohio State &nbsp;Amanda Mack, Penn State&nbsp;&nbsp;Kate Claypool, Purdue&nbsp;&nbsp;Megan Herka, Rutgers&nbsp;Tessa Magnanimo, Wisconsin&nbsp;&nbsp;ALL CAPS indicates unanimous selections&nbsp;* - additional players due to ties in voting&nbsp;

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Big Ten Conference Announces 2024 Softball Postseason Honors

Player of the WeekSydney Gray, NebraskaSr. – 3B – Tucson, Ariz. – Sabino – Major: Finance&nbsp;<ul><li>Collected six hits, two home runs, seven RBI, a .545 batting average and 1.091 slugging clip during Nebraska’s 2-1 series victory at Minnesota</li><li>Had two hits, including a home run, to open the series</li><li>Batted .667, had a 1.667 slugging percentage and five RBI in game two</li><li>Connected on the game-winning three-run homer on Saturday</li><li>Was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI to close out the weekend</li><li>Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Billie Andrews (March 18, 2024)</li></ul>Pitcher of the WeekLiv Grey, Michigan StateGr. – RHP – Woodland, Wash. – Woodland – Master’s: Criminal Justice&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Helped Michigan State go 4-0 on the week and record its first Big Ten series sweep since 2018</li><li>Tossed 15.1 innings on her way to a 2-0 record, 24 strikeouts and a 0.46 ERA against Oakland and Purdue</li><li>Pitched her first complete game shutout of the season in the series-opening win over Purdue on Friday</li><li>Had one inning of relief to earn her first save of the 2024 campaign on Saturday, combining for a shutout</li><li>Held opponents to a .115 batting average and just six hits over four games</li><li>Last Michigan State Pitcher of the Week: Liv Grey (March 4, 2024)</li></ul>Freshman of the WeekEmma Raye, NorthwesternC/IF – Superior, Wis. – Superior Senior – Major: Undeclared<ul><li>Homered in both of Northwestern’s wins over Indiana to help the Wildcats claim their third-straight Big Ten regular season crown</li><li>Knocked a solo dinger in Friday’s 6-3 win</li><li>Hit a two-run go-ahead homer to lock in a 4-2 victory on Sunday</li><li>Caught a pair of runners stealing from behind the plate</li><li>Last Northwestern Freshman of the Week: Izzy Cunnea (April 8, 2024)</li></ul>2024 Big Ten Softball HonoreesFeb. 12PL: Katie Wingert, Gr., RUP: Bridget Nemeth, Fr., PSUF: Jasmyn Burns, OSUFeb. 19&nbsp;PL: Britain Beshears, So., MSU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sydney Gray, Sr., NEBP: Brianna Copeland, Jr., INDF: Jaeya Butler, MSUFeb. 26&nbsp;PL: Billie Andrews, Sr., NEBP: Ashley Miller, Gr., NUF: Bridget Nemeth, PSUMarch 4PL: Kaitlyn Morrison, R-Sr., PSUP: Liv Grey, Gr., MSUF: Ashlynn Campbell, PURMarch 11PL: Sydney Gray, Sr., NEBP: Courtney Wyche, Gr., MDF: Jasmyn Burns, OSUMarch 18PL: Billie Andrews, Sr., NEBP: Ashley Miller, Gr., NUF: Jenissa Conway, MICHMarch 26PL: Kansas Robinson, So., NUP: Lauren Derkowski, Jr., MICHF: Bridget Nemeth, PSUApril 1PL: Jess Oakland, So., MINNP: Jalen Adams, So., IOWA&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Courtney Wyche, Gr., MDF: Ella Stephenson, MICHApril 8PL: Sarah Stone, Jr., INDP: Mattie Boyd, Gr., RUF: Izzy Cunnea, NU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bridget Nemeth, PSUApril 15PL: Keke Tholl, Sr., MICH&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Morgan Smith, Sr., RUP: Ashley Miller, Gr., NUF: Ella Stephenson, MICHApril 22PL: Kami Kortokrax, Jr., OSUP: Ashley Miller, Gr., NUF: Alex Cooper, IND&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ella Stephenson, MICHApril 30PL: Jess Oakland, So., MINNP: Lauren Derkowski, Jr., MICHF: Ella Stephenson, MICHMay 6PL: Sydney Gray, Sr., NEBP: Liv Grey, Gr., MSUF: Emma Raye, NU

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