Katie Schumacher-Cawley Set for Special Chicago Cubs Honor Before Big Ten Prep

A native of the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, Katie Schumacher-Cawley made history last year. Leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to the 2024 NCAA D1 Volleyball Championship, the 45-year-old coach became the first-ever female head coach to win the national title. And still, while she did lead PSU to glory, Schumacher-Cawley’s heart continues to belong to the team that reigns over her hometown.

Ask any Chicago resident, and they’ll admit that they’re ready to put their lives on the line to defend the Chicago Cubs without skipping a heartbeat. The 17x national title-winning MLB team is something that has become part of the city’s very culture. Apparently, Katie Schumacher-Cawley also places the club on a high throne, and it’s a sentiment that the baseball team also aims to reciprocate.

The official Penn State Volleyball handle headed over to Instagram to share the newest feather that waits to be added to their head coach’s illustrious cap. “Coach Katie is back in Chicago to throw out the first pitch tomorrow at Wrigley Field,” the caption of the post read. Accompanying the caption was a snap of Schumacher-Cawley beaming broadly at being back in the Windy City.

The post also shared an old image of the younger seasoned volleyball coach with her family members from what seems like a Cubs game from eons ago. Just kidding. Everyone in the image is grinning happily from ear to ear, with two boys sporting the Cubs’ cap proudly. We hope to see that smiling kid in the pic once again tomorrow as the grown Schumacher-Cawley kicks off the match between the Cubs and the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday at the former’s home stadium.

The Cubs are currently positioned 2nd in the National League Central with a 64-45 record. Tonight, they won 1-0 against Baltimore and will face off against the same opponents twice in the next two days. Hopefully, with Katie throwing the first pitch tomorrow, the winning run against the Orioles will continue. But win or lose, the PSU head coach will be just as elated, as a Cubs fan, to be given the honor.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Schumacher-Cawley has shown up at a baseball stadium to support the Chicago team. Back in June, Katie’s presence at the Rate Field was celebrated by the Chicago White Sox. Maybe it’s the coach’s way of unwinding after a triumphant NCAA campaign and ahead of a new one. But let’s face it, the coach needs to be in perfect shape, mentally, to take on the challenges that lie ahead.

A fun way to get back to her A-game for Katie Schumacher-Cawley?

The Nittany Lions hailed their coach’s cancer battle in the most epic way possible. Winning both the Big 10 and the national titles, the PSU athletes proved that they were eager to make sure that the coach never felt that her efforts to lead the team to NCAA glory were in vain. And Schumacher-Cawley also couldn’t stop lauding her student-athletes for their continued support after she won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2025 ESPYs in July.

“You’ve been my rock, my strength,” said an emotional Katie after bagging the coveted award last month. Well, truth be told, the PSU athletes had every reason to stick by their boss. Despite battling stage 2 cancer, Schumacher-Cawley didn’t miss a single game or practice session, and her relentless spirit even awed her peers, like the former Louisville and current Nebraska head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly. “I cannot imagine going through a season, going through chemotherapy and what that must have been like. She hasn’t missed a practice all year, and that makes it even more incredible to me that she’s been able to do that,” DBK said of Katie’s resilience.

Ahead of the new season, the Penn State coach also admitted that last year’s success is making the entire camp feel like better days are ahead. “I think our goal is to always win, and these guys have really high expectations,” Katie told The Sporting News just a couple of days ago.

Now, as the Big 10 season waits to kick off, Katie will once again look to repeat last year’s feat. With a two-peat on the table for the NCAAs, the coach will have to fight a hard battle against Kelly and the Huskers to retain the national trophy in Pennsylvania. Do you think her grit will shine through in the 2025 season as well? Can she add more chapters to her legacy this time, as well? Tell us!