Northern Illinois University Athletics

NIU Softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe enters her 12th season as head coach of the Huskies in 2024. During her tenure guiding the NIU program, Sutcliffe has mentored 85 Academic All-MAC honorees, 32 All-MAC selections, 14 All-Region standouts, three MAC Freshman of the Year, one All-American and four Academic All-Americans. She led NIU to a MAC West Division title in 2016 and has twice guided the Huskies to the championship game of the MAC Tournament (2013, 2018).

Sutcliffe has the third-most wins of any NIU softball coach, as she enters the 2024 campaign with 269 career victories.  

In 2023, Sutcliffe guided the Huskies to 26 wins, including 15 in conference play, with a young roster that featured 11 freshmen. Kelly Walinski and Danielle Stewart each earned First Team All-MAC honors while Kiley Conner was named Second Team All-MAC and the MAC Freshman Player of the Year. Sam Mallinder and Stewart were both named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Third Team while Walinski received the Nan Harvey Award, given to a MAC player, coach or staff member who demonstrates commitment, leadership and toughness.

Sutcliffe became the seventh head coach in NIU softball history on June 18, 2012, and had an immediate impact, leading the Huskies to top-three finishes in the MAC West Division in each of her first five seasons. 

During her first season in 2013, Sutcliffe guided the Huskies to 27 wins, including a 14-8 mark in league play, and led NIU to the championship game in the MAC Tournament. The Huskies defeated top-seeded Ball State twice in the tournament before ultimately falling to Central Michigan, 4-2 in 11 innings, in the final. Two Huskies earned First Team All-MAC honors, including Jennifer Barnett, who was also a Senior CLASS Award finalist and was the first Huskie to earn the Nan Harvey Award.

The following season, Sutcliffe’s Huskies made another deep run in the MAC Tournament, reaching the semifinals while finishing the 2014 campaign with 26 wins. Two Huskies earned First Team All-MAC recognition, including Kayti Grable who was named the MAC’s Freshman of the Year. Emily Naegele earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Great Lakes Region Second Team and Shelby Miller became NIU’s second consecutive Nan Harvey Award winner. 

In 2015, NIU reached the 20-win plateau quicker than any Huskie team in 15 seasons as they were led by a trio of First Team All-MAC selections, Grable, Naegele and Jessica Sturm. Grable, who was also named to the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, paired to Alaynie Woollard to become the first Huskie duo to hit double-digit home runs in the same season. 

The 2016 campaign was a banner year for the Huskies as they won 35 games, captured the MAC West Division title and Naegele became the fifth player in program history to earn NFCA All-America honors. The MAC West Division crown was the first for the program since 2000 as NIU set school records for home runs (59), runs scored (306), runs batted in (283) and slugging percentage (.483). 

Naegele, a Second Team NFCA All-American, set NIU single season marks for home runs (20), slugging percentage (.894) and RBIs (56), while also earning First Team All-MAC, First Team All-Great Lakes Region honors and CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America status. She was joined on the all-region team by Grable, Second Team honoree, and Alex Frenz, who earned Third Team recognition. Grable also captured First Team All-MAC recognition while Frenz was the MAC Freshman of the Year. 

NIU recorded back-to-back 30-plus win seasons for the first time since 1999-2000 as the Huskies earned 33 wins in 2017, finishing second in the MAC West Division while advancing to the conference tournament semifinals. Grable was one of NIU’s two First Team All-MAC honorees and also collected Second Team All-Great Lakes Region honors. She also became the third Huskie to claim the Nan Harvey Award during Sutcliffe’s tenure. 

The Huskies appeared in the MAC Tournament Final for the second time under Sutcliffe in 2018 as NIU was edged by top-seeded Ohio, 2-0, in the championship game. As the number seven seed in the conference tournament, NIU became the lowest seed to ever advance to the tournament title game. Jenny Van Geerty was named to the All-Great Lakes Region Second Team while Woollard earned All-Region Third Team recognition. 

In 2019, a trio of Huskies earned First Team All-MAC honors as NIU won 27 games and finished fourth in the MAC. Katie Keller, Kira Mickleson and Van Geerty were each named to the All-MAC First Team, with Keller also picking up First Team All-Great Lakes Region honors while becoming the first MAC player named to the NFCA Top 25 Freshman list; Van Geerty also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team recognition. NIU stole a school-record 103 bases and Keller led the nation in doubles per game (0.45). 

Sutcliffe guided NIU through uncharted waters in 2020 and 2021, navigating the program through two seasons that were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Huskies played just 22 games prior to the cancelation of the 2020 campaign and played a limited non-conference schedule in 2021. Keller earned First Team All-MAC, First Team All-Great Lakes Region and Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 2021 while also becoming the fourth Huskie player in Sutcliffe’s tenure to collect the Nan Harvey Award. 

The 2022 season saw Keller become just the third player in program history to earn All-Great Lakes Region honors for a third time (joining Missy Kaczor and Kayti Grable). She was also named a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and a First Team All-MAC selection. Keller finished her Huskie career with 72 doubles, tied for 13th-most in NCAA history. Sam Mallinder joined Keller on the All-MAC First Team and earned Third Team All-Region recognition. 

Sutcliffe came to NIU following seven seasons as an assistant coach at Miami University (2006-12). During her time in Oxford, the RedHawks won MAC Tournament titles in 2009 and 2012, advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years. In 2012, Miami compiled 41 wins including 16 conference victories, both school records, and defeated No. 7 seeded Tennessee, 1-0, in its opening round contest of the NCAA Tournament.

As the pitching coach for the RedHawks in her first season in 2006, Sutcliffe mentored Courtney Salmon, who recorded 125 strikeouts and ranks second on Miami’s all-time strikeout list. Sutcliffe worked primarily with Miami’s catchers and hitters over the next six seasons, helping the RedHawk offense tie a school record with a .289 team batting average in 2011.  

Prior to her time at Miami, Sutcliffe spent three seasons as head coach at Rhode Island (2003-05), guiding the Rams to a 44-88 record while overseeing a $68,000 renovation of the program’s softball field in 2004 that included an overhaul of the playing surface, drainage and irrigation systems.

Sutcliffe was the head coach at Boynton Beach (Fla.) High School in 2001 and began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Chattanooga in 2002. She helped the Lady Mocs to a 44-15 record and the Southern Conference Tournament title. 

As a player, Sutcliffe was a four-year letterwinner at Florida Atlantic from 1997-2001, helping the Owls win five Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) Tournament Championship. Sutcliffe, who redshirted her sophomore season, compiled a career record of 67-23 in the pitcher's circle with 351 strikeouts, a 1.47 ERA, 25 shutouts and two no-hitters. A four-time All-TAAC selection and four-time Academic All-TAAC honoree, she was named the TAAC Tournament MVP in 1997. 

Sutcliffe received her bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2000 and her master's in curriculum and instruction in 2001 from FAU. She was inducted into the FAU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. 


NIU Records Broken During Sutcliffe’s Tenure
2014
Nicole Gremillion, Career Runs Scored (153)

2016
Emily Naegele, Season Home Runs (20)
Emily Naegele, Season RBI (56)
Emily Naegele, Season Slugging Percentage (.894)
Emily Naegele, Career RBI (144)
Team, Season Home Runs (59)
Team, Season Runs Scored (306)
Team, Season RBI (283)
Team, Season Slugging Percentage (.483)

2017
Kayti Grable, Career Home Runs (40)

2018
Alaynie Woollard, Season Triples (9)

2019
Katie Keller, Single Game Runs Scored (Tied, 4 vs. Eastern Kentucky)

2020
Team, Single Game Hits (23 vs. Jacksonville State)

2021
Katie Keller, Season Stolen Bases (23)
Courtney James, Single Game Stolen Bases (5 vs. Buffalo)
Bianca Barone, Single Game Hits (Tied, 5 vs. Toledo)
Katie Keller, Single Game Doubles (Tied, 3 vs. Grand Canyon)

2022
Katie Keller, Career Doubles (72)

2023
Caitlyn Shumaker, Season Stolen Bases (34)
Team, Season Stolen Bases (132, fourth in MAC history)