Sports
Monday, May 2, 2016
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Sutcliffe thriving in fourth season
Recent 30-win seasons
Keelen Holcomb Staff writer
DeKalb | Softball (32-16) is having one of its best seasons since 1999 when it went 35-19, with head coach Christina Sutcliffe helping the team improve every year since she took over in 2013. The Huskies have earned at least 26 wins in all of Sutcliffe’s four years at NIU, and finished over .500 for the first time in her tenure in 2015 (28-25). The team has emerged as the top team in the MAC this season, capped off by a 14-game winning streak.
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2016: 32-16 1999: 35-19 1998: 33-16-1 1997: 35-27 with her catching, and she is kind of an all-around good player for us. Q: Having a 14-game win streak mid-season was really great for the program. Where do you think most of your success came during that period, and do you think it helped your team? A: I think any win is going to help your team, so that’s always a key to our success. I think it just gave us confidence that we can beat whoever we are facing and kind of got us some momentum carrying back in MAC play.
Emily [Naegele] has been doing a great job all year for us, doing a really nice job offensively. I think something that gets overlooked for her is what she does for us behind the plate ... .” Christina Sutcliffe Softball head coach
Q: How did you make the transition from being an assistant coach at [one of the top programs in the MAC at] Miami University for seven seasons... and keep the same winning mindset at NIU [a program that was struggling]? A: I think I walked into a culture that was already established and just needed a little bit fine tuning. [I] was able to continue on what NIU already established. Being a part of the conference prior to coming here gave me a comfort level that allowed me to have the confidence to know what it took to win here. That absolutely helped me out in recruiting, to know what type of player would succeed in this conference.
Atlee Hargis | Northern Star File Photo
Softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe cheers players on in a game against Western Michigan University on April 16. Sutcliffe has compiled a record of 113-103 in four seasons at NIU.
The players that continue to come team and is having a great year. in have to keep raising the bar. How do you view her progress going forward? Q: Senior catcher Emily NaeA: Emily has been doing a great gele is an impact player on your job all year for us, doing a really
nice job offensively. I think something that gets overlooked for her is what she does for us behind the plate, and it’s tough to steal off of her. Our pitchers have confidence
Baseball on best streak since 2001 each from senior shortstop Brian back-to-back shutouts of the year. Sisler and sophomore second Senior pitcher Ryan Olson reDeKalb | Baseball pushed its baseman Brad Wood. tired 12 straight batters between winning streak to six games, its the second and fifth inning, relongest since 2001, sweeping concording a career-high in strikeIt was nice to see us finish outs in eight innings pitched in ference opponent Bowling Green a weekend and play solid State University in a three-game Saturday’s 6-0 win. baseball for 27 innings. It series over the weekend. “Great team win [Saturday],” was another great perforThis was NIU’s first conference said head coach Mike Kunigomance by [Donovin] Sims sweep since April 2013, and its nis, according to an NIU Athletand a great outing for first back-to-back shutouts since ics news release. “We battled all [Joey] Ceja.” April 2014. around and grinded to get the ‘W’. Mike Kunigonis The win moved the Huskies to Olson had a fantastic performance Baseball head coach 18-25 and 12-6 in the MAC, tying and kept working his tail off, it was them with Ball State University for a great win for him.” the MAC West regular-season lead. Pitching dominated the rest of Sunday brought more of the same NIU got off to a hot start Friday the series — the Huskies didn’t give dominant pitching as sophomore with a season-high 20 runs, in- up a run in either of the final two pitcher Donovin Sims pitched seven cluding three hits and four RBI’s, contests, giving the team its first shutout innings, striking out three Scott Nicol Staff writer
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Next game
NIU vs. Valparaiso University Time: 3 p.m. Date: Tuesday Place: Valparaiso, Ind. on his way to a 2-0 win. “It was nice to see us finish a weekend and play solid baseball for 27 innings,” Kunigonis said, according to an NIU Athletics news release. “It was another great performance by [Donovin] Sims and a great outing for [Joey] Ceja.”
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Q: Being the top team in the MAC West conference with a 12-5 conference record, how do you feel going toward the MAC tournament? Are there any conference matchups you guys are looking forward to in the tournament? A: I think the MAC is so evenly matched that every game we play there is going to be hard, and there are going to be a lot of one-run games. It’s nice going into the last two weekends with [things] completely in our control, and we don’t have to rely on anybody else losing. We can just play our ball and hope that we play the best ball we can and stay on top.
In Brief
PSK beats SAE in Tugs rematch Northern Star staff
DeKalb | After falling to Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the championship of Tugs last year, Phi Sigma Kappa beat Sigma Alpa Epsilon on Saturday to claim the 2016 title. The last day of the tournament featured four matches, including Delta Chi versus Sigma Nu, Phi Kappa Theta versus Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Alpha Mu versus Tau Kappa Epsilon. The tournament ended with Phi Sigma Kappa finishing in first, Sigma Alpha Epsilon in second and Sigma Alpha Mu in third.
Saturday’s results 1. Sigma Nu def. Delta Chi 2. Phi Kappa Theta def. Phi Kappa Psi 3. Sigma Alpha Mu def. Tau Kappa Epsilon 4. Phi Sigma Kappa def. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Final Standings 1. Phi Sigma Kappa 2. Sigma Alpha Epsilon 3. Sigma Alpha Mu 4. Tau Kappa Epsilon 5. Phi Kappa Theta 6. Phi Kappa Psi 7. Sigma Nu 8. Delta Chi