The NUmbers Guy: Northwestern weekend recap

WNUR Sports Director Jim Sannes (@JimSannes) recaps this past weekend in Northwestern sports, including big wins for softball and women’s basketball and awkward viral videos for baseball.

Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

After a weekend loaded with me ‘roiding out on House of Cards, NASCAR, and nose-cicles (icicles that form when your snot freezes), it’s time to rewind a bit. While I certainly enjoyed my time back in the Motherland (aka Minnesota) watching the Northwestern women’s basketball team take down da Golden Gophers ya sure, it was a big weekend for Wildcat sports in general. The baseball team was back in action and recorded some ridiculous Harlem Shake video. The softball team finished the weekend 3-1 and almost beat #13 Georgia before the game was cancelled in the 5th as they had to catch their flight home after the game started late due to weather. And the men’s basketball team didn’t set a record for lowest point total in the Bill Carmody era… so, there’s that. Here are the non-depressing numbers that defined the weekend.

.615: Maggie Lyon and Kendall Hackney went a combined 16-26 from the field in Northwestern’s 70-63 victory over Minnesota Sunday.

Winning Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this year just wasn’t good enough for Lyon. She sank seven of her ten shots to put up 16 points for the ‘Cats. Hackney recovered with a vengeance from her previous two games where she combined for 10 points on 4-22 shooting. The senior drained 20 points on 9-16 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. In my two-and-a-half years here, this was the first time the team had won a road game in which I was on the broadcast. MAMA, I’M NOT A CURSE ANY MORE!!!!

.889: Anna Edwards compiled a .889 slugging percentage this weekend if you include the cancelled game against Georgia.

Photo by NUSports.com

Photo by NUSports.com

The sophomore shortstop recorded six hits, five of which went for extra bases. Her two doubles, two home runs and one triple helped push across seven runs, putting Edwards at 10 RBI’s on the season. Who cares if the last game (in which she went 2-3 with a double and an RBI) doesn’t count?? This is America. (Why is that relevant? I have no idea, but it sounded way cooler in my head). In the team’s first nine games, Edwards is slugging .813 with four doubles, two triples and two home runs. She has half as many total bases this year as she had all of last year in 57 starts. Sophomore slump say whaaaat?

10,000,000,000: Kyle Ruchim can do ten billion things on a baseball field. All of them are good.

Let’s look at what Ruchim did in Friday’s game against the Miami RedHawks: He went 4-4 at the plate with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. He also drew a walk to reach base five times in the contest. Then, after seven great innings by Zach Morton (7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K), Ruchim came on in relief. He pitched two innings, faced the minimum six batters, recorded four strikeouts and picked up his 12th career save. Dude is a baller, which is why he was on our list of players deserving of more love last week.

Ruchim was not the only reason for optimism from the team, though. The previously mentioned Morton also found success at the plate, going 3-7 with a double and an RBI. Senior Trevor Stevens recorded a couple of hits in his first action since 2011 after missing all of last year with an injury. AND FREAKING BASEBALL IS BACK YEEEEEEAHHHHH, BUDDY!!!!

So, if Northwestern men’s basketball has you down, do not fret, young grasshopper. Kendall Hackney and Maggie Lyon are bossing out, softball is back to last season’s winning ways, and the baseball team is making weird videos. It’s great.

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