Two Northwestern Softball Players Receive All-Big Ten Honors
Northwestern's season is up in the air after losing to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday. On the bright side, Big Ten awards were announced today, and two 'Cats received some recognition.
Lauren Boyd, Northwestern's ace, earned an All-Big Ten Second Team selection after a dominant season in the circle. Kaylie Avvisato was also named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team for her contributions as a first-year.
Lauren Boyd » All-Big Ten selection 👏🏅#GoCats | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/yS4YyqCycf
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 9, 2025
Boyd had the best season of her college career in 2025. The grad student posted career highs in almost every measurable stat category. She currently sits with 14 wins, a 2.57 ERA and 104 punch outs in 109 innings pitched.
It's hard to be good in the Big Ten without a starting pitcher that can counter other aces in the conference. Boyd was just that for Northwestern all year, keeping Northwestern in games start after start.
Avvisato, meanwhile, had a fantastic start to her college career at the plate. The first-year holds a .355 batting average, the highest for a freshman Wildcat since 2015. She also leads this year's team with 55 hits.
Kaylie Avvisato » All-Big Ten Freshman Team!#GoCats | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/6zA1UQgd9s
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 9, 2025
Northwestern's NCAA Tournament odds are not great after the loss to Purdue, so it might be time to start looking to the future. Avvisato is the future. Her hot start should provide Wildcat fans with some solace. She seems to be a very good building block for future seasons.
Boyd and Avvisato weren't the only Wildcats to earn recognition today. Senior Lauren Curry was also named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
The 'Cats will hope for a stunning NCAA Tournament bid, but it's unlikely. These awards probably represent the end of a hard-fought season for the Wildcats that just didn't go the right way in postseason play.
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Ryan Cole is a writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI covering every team on campus. He’s currently a junior at NU where he’s studying journalism and previously wrote and edited for Inside NU. He also studies business with an eye towards eventually helping develop business models to revive local news. In his free time, Cole enjoys watching sports, playing sports, reading the news and singing.