DeKALB – When asked about her team’s strengths, NIU softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe offered three words to describe her team: gritty, spunky and fast.

Guided by its 12th-year skipper, NIU will look to use that grit, spunk and speed in 2024 to improve upon its 26-25 record from last season. The Huskies went 15-13 against the MAC in 2023 to finish sixth in the final conference standings. They were voted to repeat that finish in the annual MAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced Friday.

SAME GOAL, DIFFERENT YEAR

Despite its middle-of-the-pack projection, NIU eyes the same prize as its 10 league rivals: the conference title. 

“Anything less than a MAC Championship, we’re all going to be disappointed by that,” Sutcliffe said. “That’s the ultimate goal for us – to play in the postseason this year.”

The Huskies have reached the postseason 20 times in the 30 years the tourney has been held – their latest appearance dating back to 2019. None have seen NIU come away with the conference crown.

NIU’s annual quest to end that championship drought starts with its group of experienced veterans leading the way on an underclassman-heavy roster.

“We have a lot of youth with experience, but it’s meshed perfectly with some upper-class women that are definite leaders on the field, and are guiding us in the right direction,” Sutcliffe said.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

The Huskies returned eight players that started at least half of NIU’s games last season, five of whom were college rookies in 2023. Headlining the group are a pair of sophomore up-and-comers in pitcher/outfielder Kiley Conner and pitcher/utility player Danielle “Dee Dee” Stewart. Both players raked in all-conference accolades a season ago after establishing themselves as two of the league’s top freshmen.

Conner batted .363 and belted eight doubles and three home runs in 2023 to earn a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team. She was also voted to the All-MAC Second Team and was tabbed as the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year for her efforts. 

Stewart played in every game but one last season, and started 44 – 21 of those starts coming at the mound. She finished the season with the 10th-best ERA (3.06) and tied for fourth in wins (13) in the MAC. Like Conner, Stewart was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team, while also taking home All-MAC First Team honors.

Stewart views 2024 as a clean slate, but looks to put on an encore to a stellar freshman campaign that saw her blossom into one of the MAC’s stingiest pitchers.

“What I did last year means nothing to this year, and I’m trying to make myself better this year and also live up to that standard that I had last year,” Stewart said.

CLEANING UP THE DETAILS

For the Huskies to live up to their self-imposed championship expectations, they’ll need to crack down on the miscues that came back to bite them their last time out.

Last season, NIU lost eight games by a single run. Four of those losses were to conference opponents. 

Last season, NIU played six “really good” innings. College softball games are (usually) played to seven innings.

Last season, NIU began MAC play 6-3. They finished a mediocre 15-13 and two games shy of a playoff berth – the result of a hot start flamed out too soon.

“I think we started off conference (play) fairly hot last year, and then we kind of just settled in and kind of fell into a little bit of complacency,” Sutcliffe said. “I think we saw that that hurt us in the home stretch, and our returners aren’t going to let that happen again.”

The Huskies will have the opportunity to back that up while playing through their 2024 schedule as they seek their third winning season since 2019.

READY TO ROLL

This year’s MAC tournament is scheduled to take place from May 8 to May 11 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. The conference’s top six seeds will advance.

Senior infielder Caitlyn Shumaker, entering her third season at NIU, believes this year’s squad owns the right mindset to be one of those six seeds. A mindset, fueled by grit, resiliency and drive, that will allow the Huskies to overthrow their league adversaries and seize the conference throne.

“It’s been a long time coming that we have had a team like this, that is, just, all together and excited to play,” Shumaker said. “And I’m just really excited to get the season rolling and get it on a good foot.”

The Huskies open their 2024 season at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic, where they will face five different opponents in a three-day span. NIU will battle in-state rival Western Illinois University in the event’s opening contest at 9 a.m. CT Friday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live statistics will be provided by SIDEARM Sports.