DePaul University Athletics
Softball Begins Super Regional on Saturday
5/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
CHICAGO - The 14th-seeded DePaul softball team travels to Norman, Okla., this weekend to face the third seed Oklahoma for the rights to advance to the Women's College World Series. The NCAA "Norman Super Regional" runs Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 at the Marita Hynes Field at the OU Softball Complex.
Game one of the best-of-three series is on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. (CST). Game two and if necessary game three are scheduled for Sunday with action beginning at noon. The entire series will be broadcast live on ESPN with Pam Ward and Karen Johns handling the announcing duties.
DePaul (44-11) punched it's ticket to Oklahoma after shutting out the competition at the Carbondale Regional May 18-20. The Blue Demons defeated Mississippi Valley State, 10-0, and Missouri twice, 2-0 and 3-0, respectively. Pitchers senior Tracie Adix and freshman Becca Heteniak combined for 20-scoreless innings behind a stellar defense, that committed only two errors in three games. The duo threw a combined no-hitter against Mississippi Valley State and allowed just eight hits in their two games with Missouri.
The weekend series in Oklahoma is rematch for the Sooners and Blue Demons as they met earlier this season at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., on March 18. Oklahoma (55-6) used the international tie breaker (which is not used in the NCAA Championship) to take a 3-2 eight inning victory. The two teams have met eight previous times and the series is knotted at four games apiece with each of the previous meetings taking place on a neutral field.
Both teams bring a high octane offense and fantastic pitching to playing field. Oklahoma's team batting average of .330 is ranked third in the country, while the Blue Demons' combined ERA of 1.32 is ranked sixth in the nation. Norrelle Dickson leads the Sooners and has the seventh best batting average (.455) in the country. Blue Demon pitching aces Adix (19-2) and Heteniak (20-6) will try to contain the Sooners and Dickson as they have held their opponents to a combined .147 batting average. Adix's 0.79 ERA is the fourth-best ERA in the nation while Heteniak's 13th with a 1.16.
Amber Patton has led the Blue Demon offense almost all season and enters the Super Regional with team-best .345 batting average. The sophomore third baseman also has a team-high 23 sacrifice hits and 138 assists. Juniors Sandy Vojik and Marcy Wilus provide DePaul's offense with power as Wilus leads the team with 12 home runs and 38 RBI while Vojik has a team-best 49 hits and a .441 on base percentage.
The Blue Demons are making their second trip to the Super Regional since the NCAA went to this format three years ago. In its previous appearance, DePaul defeated Northwestern in the 2005 Chicago Super Regional to advance to the school's third Women's College World Series. Should the Blue Demons advance to the WCWS the softball program will be the only program in DePaul history to compete for a national title on four different occasions.
The series winner advances to the Women's College World Series May 31-June 6 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
