The fourth edition of the ‘Cats Classic was one that built hope for Northwestern baseball but left it distraught, demoralized and doubtful of its Big Ten Tournament hopes.
A change of scenery seemed to be a “best case scenario” for NU at the time. Last season, Wrigley Field brought a change of the tide for a Wildcat squad that had lost five straight conference series heading into their penultimate weekend of Big Ten play. A 12-2 run-rule victory launched them toward a series victory — a crucial one
that provided them the momentum they needed to upset the powerhouse that is UCLA (then middle of the top 25, now the best team in the land) just a week later.
It seemed that the Friendly Confines were a refuge for Northwestern: a backyard of escape for a program that constantly fights an uphill battle in the Big Ten against programs like the aforementioned Bruins, Washington, Nebraska and Oregon. However, when the home of the Chicago Cubs becomes the home of the Northwestern Wildcats, it feels like the program is a “top tier” program in the conference. Must-see baseball, if you will.
So when the ‘Cats trekked to Wrigleyville for their annual contest within the parameters of the infamous ivy, their nine-game Big Ten losing streak didn’t matter. Neither did their abysmal ERA, their slumping bats or the disastrous history of the program. All that mattered was that they were playing at one of the most storied stadiums in sporting history and that, in and of itself, seemed to be a good enough reason to believe that they’d find a way to win.
It was not.
An Indiana Hoosiers squad that entered the weekend posting an arguably worse performance in conference play waltzed into Wrigley Field and embarrassed NU on the big stage in every aspect of the game (an Augie Garrido reference for the old-school college baseball fans).
The only stats you need to know are these: NU left 10 runners on base, struck out 14 times and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Northwestern’s losing streak reached double digits in agonizing fashion.
Fast forward to today and back-to-back wins have given NU a lifeline in the race toward the Big Ten Tournament. How did this happen?
Well, simply put, being dog-walked (no pun intended) in their biggest event of the season was the wake-up call the ‘Cats needed to flip the switch.
Over the next two days, NU doubled its scoring output and began to play with conviction, play with aggression and play with a level of pride we haven’t seen from this program in years. Northwestern hovered around the .300 clip with runners in scoring position for the rest of the weekend and totaled seven extra-base hits, five of which left the yard, in a much-needed offensive rout of Indiana.
No team likes to lose. Ever. No team likes to lose when the stakes are raised. But being defeated on the biggest of stages, when all eyes are glued to the television, with an opportunity to rewrite a narrative in a season spiraling into absurdity, dishes out a bone-chilling, gut-wrenching sensation to the loser.
The ‘Cats were the losers, and thereby the unfortunate recipients of that feeling.
They had two options: pack it in and accept their fate, or make a change and fight to the bell. They clearly chose the latter, and it seems that they’ve landed a blow that has them out of a corner and fighting toward the middle of the canvas.
The important thing to remember, though, is that Northwestern wasn’t fighting against Indiana. It won’t be fighting Illinois State on Tuesday afternoon, nor will it be fighting Illinois this weekend or Rutgers the next. Its opponent is a dim history of failure after failure.
Ben Greenspan and his Wildcats are fighting with everything they have to overcome it. They’ve countered the biggest uppercut they’ve ever been nailed with an incredibly strong check hook. Its opponent isn’t down, but it’s rattled and vulnerable with the fight heading into its final two rounds.
A decision win isn’t in the cards for them. They’ll need a knockout. But the way this team has responded is a sign that they’ve got one in their arsenal.
