Season’s Final Stretch
Northwestern’s baseball squad saw its season end with a three-game series defeat at the hands of Rutgers, dropping its final record to 21-30-1.
The Wildcats managed a single win in the set, but the loss was highlighted by solid outings from veterans such as Ryan Weaver, who made his last collegiate start, scattering six innings while allowing just two runs, and Noah Ruiz, whose sacrifice fly in the opener drove home Jack Lausch.
Offensively, the team found fireworks from Jack Lausch, who launched two homers on Senior Day, tying him for second-most in a single season in school history, while Owen McElfatrick celebrated his 200th appearance and added to his career total of 35 homers. Jackson Freeman also contributed a two-run blast in the fourth inning of Friday’s game to knot the score.
Coach Ben Greenspan, in his second year at the helm, guided the club to a 25-27 mark, the best record since 2017, and the team posted its second consecutive season with more than 20 victories in the 2020s, even as the win-loss ledger slipped for the first time since 2023.
The series also underscored Rutgers’ offensive surge, as the Scarlet Knights racked up 18 hits on Saturday, the most of the weekend, while Northwestern’s defense struggled to contain the barrage.