a durable NIU arm with strikeout ability, but still searching for consistency
Cassell has logged meaningful innings for Northern Illinois, showing the kind of workload tolerance coaches value, but her 2026 numbers point to a rough season so far: an 8.37 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.[1] NIU’s roster and 2024 stats show she already earned trust as a multi-start pitcher, which suggests competitiveness and experience beyond the box score.[3] For a team, the appeal is her innings-eating profile and ceiling if command sharpens; the caution is that she currently looks more like a project than a plug-and-play rotation anchor.[1][3]