Hall of Fame
The 1988 season was a magical season on the Huskie softball diamond. In NIU’s 30th softball season, the Huskies strung together a mid-season, school record, 16 game winning streak with a dominating undefeated sweep through the North Star Conference Tournament which led them into their first ever NCAA post-season.
Head coach Dee Abrahamson’s Huskies were ranked as high as No. 10 nationally and finished the post-season as No. 8. The 35-11 overall record represented the best team winning percentage (.761) since Coach May Bell’s 10-1 season in 1970. By season’s end, not only did NIU go 9-0 at home, but managed an impressive 13-4 regular season ledger vs. the country’s Top 20.
Building on the experience gained by playing in the 1987 National Invitational Championship, the Huskies were no strangers to tight, high pressure games. NIU beat NCAA Midwest Regional host Bowling Green 4-3 before falling 0-1 to in-state rival Illinois State. On their final day of the double-elimination tournament, the Huskies bested ISU 3-1 and 2-0 to become the first NCAA Division I program to advance to the Women’s College World Series in its initial NCAA postseason appearance.
On the national stage, the Huskies first matched up against the number one seed and eventual champion, UCLA. An unearned run in the first inning proved to be the difference as the Huskies fell, 1-0. The dream season ended two days later in a 3-0 setback to defending champion Texas A&M. The Huskies finished the season ranked No. 11 in the NCAA in team batting average (.302) and team earned run average (0.88) and No. 13 in team fielding (.964).
The potent Northern Illinois line-up featured a three-time, first-team All-America selection (Jill Justin) and four Academic All-America (Sue Kause and Beth Schrader first-team and Laura Peterson and Amy Veld second-team) picks. Jill Justin was inducted into the NIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, Beth Schrader in 1996, Julie Sexton in 2004, Sue Kause in 2007 and Head Coach Dee Abrahamson in 2017.
Inductees: Sue Alexander, Kathy Bulow, Susie Conway, Kim Crotinger, Shari Edwards, Pat Faletti, Lisa Gilfoy, Jennie Hughes, Heidi Hutchison, Jill Justin, Sue Kause, Lynn Lacy, Maria Leake, Laura Peterson, Jeanne Richael, Beth Schrader, Julie Sexton, Amy Veld, Manager Cory Wilensky, Assistant Athletic Trainer Peg Chilvers, Athletic Trainer Barb Pearson, Assistant Coach Donna Martin, and Head Coach Dee Abrahamson.
