Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The New England Riptide’s first round draft pick Garland Cooper continues to beat up opposing pitchers, hitting .379 with a team-high 21 home runs and 65 RBI in 53 games.

Cooper’s teammate Eileen Canney, New England's second pick, has been just as dominant on the mound for the Wildcats. Her record is currently 25-8 and she has allowed just 52 earned runs in 199 and 1/3 innings. Canney recorded 276 strikeouts in that same stretch.

The Wildcats enter this week’s Big Ten Tournament with a record of 43-10 and as the number two seed in the conference.

Also, the Big Ten has posted a feature on the history of Northwestern softball on its website as part of the 25th anniversary of women’s championships in the conference. Former Wildcats coach and current Riptide coach Sharon Drysdale is also quoted in the piece.

The Riptide’s third pick in this year’s draft Alex Sutton of the University of California is also having a very productive year for the Golden Bears. She leads the team with 43 RBI and is hitting just under .300 right now (.298). Sutton has also swatted 10 homers this season.

She is the subject of a feature appearing on the University of California website.

Ramblings…

According to the team website, the Riptide are looking for individuals looking to work for the Lowell-based softball team this summer. Follow this link to find out more about the full-time summer internships...

The first-year organization the Washington Glory announced their new home field facility will be the George Mason Unviersity Softball Complex. Upgrades that are in the works include temporary concessions, additional seating and a state-of-the-art lighting system. The Glory will host 29 games there this season...

The NPF has also announced the re-signing of Nokona Athletic Goods as an official supplier of softball equipment. Bats, gloves, batting gloves and wristbands will be provided for the league by the company.