Proposals for the new Kirkpatrick Stadium were submitted with the goal of propelling the ‘Cats to the upper echelon of the softball world.
Rain was pouring on Sharon J. Drysdale Field on April 30, 2023, but the bats kept cracking like thunder. Northwestern softball stood just one win away from back-to-back Big Ten regular season championships. Down 9-4 to Nebraska, the home team’s chances of clinching another conference title looked slim. Then came an onslaught in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Wildcats scored six straight runs in improbable fashion, eliciting eruption after eruption from the Northwestern faithful as the Cornhusker’s five-run lead dwindled. The stadium’s high school-level bleachers did not deter a rowdy group of supporters from showing up under the showers. Northwestern rallied behind its crowd, riding Evanston’s energy to hold on for a 10-9 victory and clinch the Big Ten regular season crown.
“The coolest part about it, despite the weather, was the fact that the gig was still packed, and I think that was like a moment where it gave me goosebumps,” said Northwestern softball alum Sydney Supple, who pitched 1.2 innings in the come-from-behind Wildcat victory.
Northwestern softball fans will be repaid for their dedication, as the program recently submitted proposals for $20 million in renovations to improve the home game atmosphere in Evanston.
Visitors at Sharon J. Drysdale Field are met with delight and disappointment. The field’s well-kept dirt diamond and glistening outfield turf contrast with a stark lack of amenities and a shed of a press box. Serving as the Wildcats’ home since 1979, the grounds named after longtime head coach Sharon Drysdale and affectionately referred to as “The J” — her middle initial — have witnessed the program’s evolution, including three Big Ten regular season championships in a row (2022-2024). The Wildcats were due for an upgrade to match their accolades.
“The J lacks in terms of facilities, it’s very barebones,” said Northwestern softball alum Sammy Nettling, who caught 161 total games for the ‘Cats from 2015 to 2018. “It’s long overdue to have an elite softball facility that matches the elite softball program that will call it home.”
In 2024, Northwestern announced that school trustee Harreld “Kip” Kirkpatrick and his wife Sara would be donating $5 million to kickstart a renovation at The J. According to Northwestern Athletics, the project has raised $18.2 million of the $20 million fundraising goal. The initial Northwestern press release indicated that construction is expected to start in the 2025 offseason and be completed by spring of 2026, although no set timeline is confirmed.
Kip Kirkpatrick said that one of his major motivations behind his donation was giving head coach Kate Drohan’s squad a competitive edge.
“We are building facilities that are competitive with any program anywhere,” Kirkpatrick said. “We want to beat Oklahoma and Texas, and we’re going to put our young women in a position to play in the same type of environment.”
CityofEvanston.org
The project is as much of a rebuild as it is a renovation. Northwestern plans to demolish the current grandstand and increase seating capacity from the current 800 to 1,326, according to the proposal listed on the City of Evanston’s website. The demolition and construction plans are “currently under review by the City.” Kirkpatrick Stadium, as the new venue will be called, will also include a new clubhouse and hospitality suite, improved lighting and “an amplified sound system.”
Softball is undergoing its stadium renovation amidst a Northwestern athletics venue revolution. The ongoing $850 million Ryan Field football stadium construction, $270 million investment in the Walter Athletics Center and Ryan Fieldhouse in 2018 and $110 million Welsh-Ryan Arena renovation in the same year all redefined how NU invests in its athletic programs financially.
Drohan’s ‘Cats must wait until at least 2026 for their turn, even with a trophy cabinet that is a good bit more stocked than most of their male counterparts, including baseball. Rocky and Berenice Miller Park was updated in 2015 and harbors a 6,000 square foot clubhouse, 2,300 square foot press box and 2,100 square feet of restrooms. Northwestern softball does not currently have a clubhouse or restrooms in its current stadium. The J, which has hosted three Big Ten Tournaments and six NCAA tournament regionals, was last renovated in 2016 to resurface the infield dirt and add a turf outfield.
Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Kirkpatrick Stadiums’s proposed capacity of 1,326 is more than double baseball’s Rocky and Berenice Miller Park current capacity of 600.
“It’s paramount for women’s programs to get funding that’s already standard for men’s programs,” said Vincent Peña, an assistant professor of sports communication and journalism at DePaul University who has written extensively about Title IX issues in modern college sports, including the amenity differences at the 2021 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. “Women’s sports need their own space, their own infrastructure.”
From a competitive standpoint, this renovation is key for Northwestern’s goal of winning a national championship. Big Ten Plus broadcaster and Northwestern alumni Noah Coffman said that new facilities are “a huge advantage” in the recruitment process and building an elite roster. Northwestern last advanced to the Women’s College World Series in 2022, and the ‘Cats made it just two games in Oklahoma City, falling 13-2 to eventual national champions Oklahoma and 6-1 to UCLA. Drohan and Co. have qualified for the previous seven NCAA tournaments but are without a Super Regional appearance since 2023. The program’s best finish was as the WCWS runners-up in 2006. Seven consecutive tournament appearances are nothing to snuff at, but investments like the renovation are crucial in returning the ‘Cats to the elite tier of the sport.
NCAA Photos Archive
College softball’s most successful schools today have all made significant investments in their teams. Notably, 2025 Women’s College World Series finalists Texas and Texas Tech, as well as semi-finalist Oklahoma, have all undergone stadium renovations in the past five years. Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady came to Lubbock from Stanford in summer of 2024 after being offered an NIL deal worth over $1 million.
Canady, who finished second in the country with a 1.11 ERA in 2025, was in the circle for 240 of Texas Tech’s 410 innings pitched and led the Red Raiders to the first WCWS appearance in program history. She pitched in a home stadium that recently underwent $600,000 of renovations that included the installation of new artificial turf and an enhanced sound system.
“Northwestern now becomes a one stop shop,” said Supple, who pitched at Northwestern from 2019 to 2023. “You are a few steps in distance from where you can go to the training room, where you can practice, where you can relax. Even from when I played, that’s a world of difference.”
Northwestern’s national title aspirations will finally be matched by its infrastructure. As soon as next year, Evanston and beyond will be able to cheer the Wildcats on from one of college softball’s premier venues.
“Everything we do at Northwestern is about being excellent, and that should apply to anything we do, whether that’s a research scientist, in the humanities, or that’s somebody on the athletic field,” Kirkpatrick said. “If we’re going to field a team, then we want to compete at the highest levels.”