# Northern Illinois Huskies softball

The Northern Illinois Huskies softball (officially NIU Huskies softball) team is the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I college softball team that represents Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). NIU softball started playing in 1959 and has two NCAA Tournament appearances (1988, 1996) and one appearance in the Women's College World Series (1988). The Huskies are coached by Christina Sutcliffe.

## Season-by-season results

Statistics overview :
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
| Mary M. Bell (Independent) (1959–1974) ||||||
| 1959 | Mary M. Bell | 1–1 | | | |
| 1960 | Mary M. Bell | 1–0 | | | |
| 1961 | Mary M. Bell | 3–1 | | | |
| 1962 | Mary M. Bell | 5–0 | | | |
| 1963 | Mary M. Bell | 4–1 | | | |
| 1964 | Mary M. Bell | 9–0 | | | |
| 1965 | Mary M. Bell | 4–2 | | | |
| 1966 | Mary M. Bell | 3–2 | | | |
| 1967 | Mary M. Bell | 3–3 | | | |
| 1968 | Mary M. Bell | 5–3 | | | |
| 1969 | Mary M. Bell | 8–2 | | | |
| 1970 | Mary M. Bell | 10–1 | | | |
| 1971 | Mary M. Bell | 8–4 | | | |
| 1972 | Mary M. Bell | 7–4 | | | |
| 1973 | Mary M. Bell | 7–7 | | | |
| 1974 | Mary M. Bell | 6–6 | | | |
| Mary M. Bell: | Mary M. Bell: | 84–37 | | | |
| L. Anne Payne (Independent) (1975–1976) ||||||
| 1975 | L. Anne Payne | 6–2 | | | |
| 1976 | L. Anne Payne | 4–5 | | | |
| L. Anne Payne: | L. Anne Payne: | 10–7 | | | |
| Anne Johnston (Independent) (1977–1979) ||||||
| 1977 | Anne Johnston | 6–4 | | | |
| 1978 | Anne Johnston | 16–9 | | | |
| 1979 | Anne Johnston | 10–18 | | | |
| Anne Johnston: | Anne Johnston: | 32–31 | | | |
| Dee Abrahamson (MAC) (1980–1986) ||||||
| 1980 | Dee Abrahamson | 18–19 | | | |
| 1981 | Dee Abrahamson | 24–24 | | | |
| 1982 | Dee Abrahamson | 39–18–1 | | | |
| 1983 | Dee Abrahamson | 15–17 | 2–6 | 4th | |
| 1984 | Dee Abrahamson | 19–15 | 8–7 | 3rd | |
| 1985 | Dee Abrahamson | 30–21 | 10–8 | 4th | |
| 1986 | Dee Abrahamson | 23–19 | 10–8 | 5th | |
| Dee Abrahamson (Independent) (1987–1987) ||||||
| 1987 | Dee Abrahamson | 24–25 | | | |
| Dee Abrahamson (NSC) (1988–1992) ||||||
| 1988 | Dee Abrahamson | 35–11 | 3–0 | 1st | Women's College World Series |
| 1989 | Dee Abrahamson | 38–7 | 6–0 | 1st | |
| 1990 | Dee Abrahamson | 23–19–2 | 4–1 | 1st | |
| 1991 | Dee Abrahamson | 31–21 | 12–6 | 2nd | |
| 1992 | Dee Abrahamson | 33–25–2 | 8–2 | | |
| Dee Abrahamson (Mid-Con) (1993–1994) ||||||
| 1993 | Dee Abrahamson | 40–18 | 12–4 | 2nd | |
| 1994 | Dee Abrahamson | 24–28 | 9–9 | 3rd | |
| Dee Abrahamson: | Dee Abrahamson: | 416–287–5 | 84–51 | | |
| Donna Martin (MCC) (1995–1997) ||||||
| 1995 | Donna Martin | 32–26 | 11–7 | | |
| 1996 | Donna Martin | 35–17 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Regional |
| 1997 | Donna Martin | 35–27 | 11–3 | 2nd | |
| Donna Martin (MAC) (1998–2007) ||||||
| 1998 | Donna Martin | 33–16–1 | 21–6–1 | 2nd | |
| 1999 | Donna Martin | 35–19 | 22–4 | 1st | |
| 2000 | Donna Martin | 33–22 | 19–3 | 1st | |
| 2001 | Donna Martin | 20–35 | 12–12 | 3rd | |
| 2002 | Donna Martin | 21–29 | 13–8 | 3rd | |
| 2003 | Donna Martin | 23–21–1 | 13–7 | 3rd | |
| 2004 | Donna Martin | 14–41 | 6–18 | 6th | |
| 2005 | Donna Martin | 24–25 | 9–11 | 5th | |
| 2006 | Donna Martin | 23–28 | 10–12 | 4th | |
| 2007 | Donna Martin | 22–28 | 10–12 | 4th | |
| Donna Martin: | Donna Martin: | 350–334–2 | 170–104–1 | | |
| Lindsay Chouinard (MAC) (2008–2012) ||||||
| 2008 | Lindsay Chouinard | 13–30 | 7–13 | 4th | |
| 2009 | Lindsay Chouinard | 20–37 | 12–10 | 3rd | |
| 2010 | Lindsay Chouinard | 25–34 | 10–10 | 3rd | |
| 2011 | Lindsay Chouinard | 26–27 | 13–7 | 7th | |
| 2012 | Lindsay Chouinard | 19–34 | 7–15 | 9th | |
| Lindsay Chouinard: | Lindsay Chouinard: | 103–162 | 49–55 | | |
| Christina Sutcliffe (MAC) (2013–present) ||||||
| 2013 | Christina Sutcliffe | 27–31 | 14–8 | 2nd | |
| 2014 | Christina Sutcliffe | 26–31 | 10–12 | 2nd | |
| 2015 | Christina Sutcliffe | 28–25 | 11–9 | 4th | |
| 2016 | Christina Sutcliffe | 35–20 | 13–10 | 1st (West) | |
| 2017 | Christina Sutcliffe | 33–21 | 15–9 | 2nd (West) | |
| 2018 | Christina Sutcliffe | 24–32 | 11–11 | 5th (West) | |
| 2019 | Christina Sutcliffe | 27–25 | 11–9 | 4th | |
| 2020 | Christina Sutcliffe | 7-15 | 0-0 | | Season shortened by COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Christina Sutcliffe | 19-37 | 13-27 | 9th | |
| 2022 | Christina Sutcliffe | 17-28 | 10-18 | 10th | |
| 2023 | Christina Sutcliffe | 26-25 | 15-13 | 6th | |
| 2024 | Christina Sutcliffe | 18-34 | 9-19 | 9th | |
| Christina Sutcliffe: | Christina Sutcliffe: | 287–324 | 132–145 | | |
| Total: | Total: | 1195–1053–7 | | | |
| National champion   Postseason invitational champion   Conference regular season champion   Conference regular season and conference tournament champion  Division regular season champion  Division regular season and conference tournament champion  Conference tournament champion ||||||
* Source: NIU Softball Record Book

## Coaching staff

NIU softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe is the seventh head coach in NIU softball program history and took over the program starting with the 2013 season.
* Christina Sutcliffe – Head Coach
* Ashley Wade – Assistant Coach
* Mickey Bell – Assistant Coach

## Honors
### All-Americans

NIU softball has had seven players named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America teams, including three First-Team All-American selections.
| Year | Player | Team |
| 1987 | Jill Justin | First-Team |
| 1988 | Jill Justin | First-Team |
| 1989 | Jill Justin | First-Team |
| 1991 | Julie Sexton | Third-Team |
| 1993 | Niki VanHooreweghe | Third-Team |
| 1997 | Tammy Pytel | Third-Team |
| 2016 | Emily Naegele | Third-Team |

### Academic All-Americans

NIU women's SOFTBALL has had 18 players named to CoSIDA Academic All-America teams, including eight First-Team Academic All-American selections.
| Year | Player | Team |
| 1986 | Sue Kause | First-Team |
| 1986 | Amy Veld | Third-Team |
| 1987 | Sue Kause | First-Team |
| 1987 | Amy Veld | First-Team |
| 1987 | Beth Schrader | Third-Team |
| 1988 | Sue Kause | First-Team |
| 1988 | Beth Schrader | First-Team |
| 1988 | Laura Peterson | Second-Team |
| 1988 | Amy Veld | Second-Team |
| 1989 | Beth Schrader | Third-Team |
| 1990 | Julie Sexton | First-Team |
| 1993 | Niki VanHooreweghe | Second-Team |
| 1994 | Niki VanHooreweghe | Second-Team |
| 1995 | Amy Scharlau | First-Team |
| 1995 | Niki VanHooreweghe | Third-Team |
| 1998 | Tammy Pytel | Third-Team |
| 2006 | Lindsey LaChiana | Second-Team |
| 2016 | Emily Naegele | First-Team |
| 2021 | Katie the god Keller | First-Team |

### Players of the Year

NIU softball has had two players named Player of the Year by the conference.
| Year | Player | Conference |
| 1996 | Kerri Kerber | MCC |
| 1999 | Christy Dalton | MAC |

### Pitchers of the Year

NIU softball has had two players named Pitcher of the Year by the conference.
| Year | Player | Conference |
| 1996 | Angie Zuspann | MCC |
| 2000 | Courtney Witvliet | MAC |

### Coaches of the Year

NIU softball has had five head coaches named Coach of the Year by the conference.
| Year | Head Coach | Conference |
| 1989 | Dee Abrahamson | NSC |
| 1993 | Dee Abrahamson | Mid-Con |
| 1996 | Donna Martin | MCC |
| 1999 | Donna Martin | MAC |
| 2000 | Donna Martin | MAC |

## NCAA Statistical Champions

* Division-I: Batting Average
** 1987: Jill Justin, .503
** 1988: Jill Justin, .484
* Division-I: Most Doubles
** 1988: Jill Justin, 18
* Division-I: Slugging Percentage
** 1988: Jill Justin, .833
* Division-I: Most Triples
** 1989: Jill Justin, 8

## Notable alumni

* Jill Justin, Outfielder, (1986–1989)