DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Wants It All at BIG EAST Championship
5/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
May 11, 2011
BIG EAST Championship Bracket (pdf) 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - DePaul came into the signature event of the BIG EAST Conference softball season with a different kind of attitude.
It was evident in the spirited round of batting practice Wednesday at Ulmer Stadium with coach Eugene Lenti putting in a rare and extended performance throwing to his hitters.
The last two seasons, the Blue Demons captured the league's regular-season title, and the conference tournament was somewhat anticlimactic.
This year, they finished second to Notre Dame.
"We're taking a different approach than in the past," said Lenti, who last year compared winning the BIG EAST Championship tournament to the cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae.
"Winning the regular-season title the last two years showed we were the best team over an entire season. It's much easier to get hot for three days and win a conference tournament.
"This year, our players really want to go after this one---especially the seniors. That group has won some sort of title every year."
DePaul (38-12) won the BIG EAST Championship title in 2008 and regular-season titles the following two years.
"We are right where we want to be," Lenti said. "This is the best our pitching staff has looked all year. All three of our pitchers (Kirsten Verdun, Lindsey Dean, Bree Brown) are throwing strikes.
"Offensively, more people are hitting the ball solidly throughout the lineup. And our defense (fourth-highest fielding percentage in the nation) has been so steady.
"We're ready to roll and looking to do some damage."
No. 2 seed DePaul will open against No. 7 Rutgers (19-29) at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Back on April 22, the Blue Demons swept a doubleheader at Rutgers 9-4 and 15-10 in 10 innings.
Lenti & Co. fell behind 9-5 in game two and rallied with two runs in the sixth inning and Marla Mathews' clutch two-run, game-tying home run in the seventh.
Samantha Dodd's two-run blast sparked a five-run outburst in the 10th.
"Rutgers can hit the ball, and they are very dangerous throughout the lineup," Lenti said. "This one could come down to us outscoring them."
The Scarlet Knights enter the tournament with a .302 team batting average led by Brittney Lindley (.435, 13 home runs, 47 RBIs), Mandy Craig (.354, 35 RBIs) and Mikelyn Messina (.348, 37 RBIs).
Their pitching staff has a combined earned-run average of 5.48 and the defense has committed 70 errors which have led to 51 unearned runs.
By comparison, DePaul has a staff ERA of 2.73 and its 30 errors have resulted in 31 unearned runs.
"After we lost the doubleheader to Louisville (on March 30th), I gave the seniors an ultimatum," Lenti said. "They began to show more leadership, decided to step up and make things happen.
"We are 21-2 since Louisville."
And they would like to finish off 3-0 in Louisville.
