New faces and experienced veterans.
With under a week until softball is played, we finalize our position previews by turning our attention to the outfield. For an analysis of Northwestern’s schedule, click here. If you missed our other position previews, click for analysis of Northwestern’s pitchers or infield.
The engine for Northwestern’s high-flying defense is the outfield. In 2025, despite the loss of program legend Angela Zedak, Northwestern returns several familiar faces in the outfield but has intriguing depth in the form of a trio of young players.
The presumed starters:
Left field — Isabel Cunnea, Sophomore
Overall, Cunnea’s first season in Evanston was up and down. Primarily playing in the designated player role, Cunnea slashed just .213 on the season but showed steady improvement as the season went on. She unlocked her power during conference play and continued to look more and more confident at the plate. In 2025, she’ll have to fill the shoes of Angela Zedak in left field, but the former Marist star is more than equipped to hold down the fort defensively. With another year of development, Cunnea could take a massive sophomore jump similar to the one Bridget Donahey made a season ago.
Center field — Ayana Lindsey, Senior
Lindsey started every game for the Wildcats a season ago and was a crucial cog in Northwestern’s winning, especially on the defensive end. Fans grew used to seeing Lindsey fly across the centerfield grass, erasing runs with her speed and tracking skills (that also landed her two appearances on SportsCenter). Offensively, Lindsey was effective in the nine-spot of the lineup, setting up Kansas Robinson and Kelsey Nader for opportunities with runners on base. Lindsey hit .230 on the season, but that number jumps to .288 when you isolate it to conference play. The speedy Lindsey also led the team with three triples. Overall, she is one of the more consistent and dependable players for the Wildcats on both sides of the ball.
Right field — Kelsey Nader, Junior
One of the best developments of 2024 was the emergence of Kelsey Nader as a full-blown star. She finished the year batting .375 with eight home runs and led the team in steals, all while posting a ludicrously low strikeout rate and avoiding a single error in the field. In Big Ten play, Nader’s average climbed all the way to .473 and she rightfully earned First Team All-Big Ten honors. Nader’s ability to hit for both contact and power makes her one of the most dynamic weapons in Northwestern’s lineup. She is a true do-everything player. Speed, fielding, slugging, bunting — you name it, Nader can do it. Nader is a lock to hit near the top of the lineup and is primed for another award-worthy campaign.
Important Depth:
Avery Garden, First-Year
I don’t think it would be all that surprising if Avery Garden carved out a significant role for herself early in her Northwestern career. The word is that Garden has been hitting bombs in the preseason, and Kate Drohan and her staff may be inclined to see if Garden can translate that success in practices to a game environment. The Michigan native was a top-50 overall player in the class according to Extra Innings and posted a blasphemous .452 average in her three high school seasons. Early on, Garden may be most likely to see looks in the designated player spot but could work her way into the outfield rotation as well.
Hannah Cushing, Sophomore
Cushing only saw five at-bats in her debut season in a Wildcats uniform, but appeared in 12 games. With Zedak’s departure, there could be room for the sophomore to garner more opportunities in 2025, albeit in an outfield that is crowded with underclassmen talent.
Kate Dowden, First-Year
The Indianapolis native who played in the same conference as Kansas Robinson seems primed to eventually develop into a starting outfielder for the ‘Cats, but it remains to be seen how many at-bats will be available in 2025. Northwestern will certainly be able to utilize Dowden’s blazing speed on the base paths, and her high school pedigree indicates that she should develop into a solid hitter when she is given the runway.
Stay tuned for more softball content as we count down the final days before the softball season kicks off on Friday.