DePaul University
Illinois State
Softball Readies for Midweek Meeting with Illinois State
4/11/2022 9:49:00 PM | SOFTBALL
Bleu Demons and Redbrids meet for 40th time
CHICAGO — DePaul and Illinois State will renew their storied matchup for the second straight season on Tuesday afternoon with a midweek contest scheduled for 4 p.m. at Cacciatore Stadium.
Fans at home can catch the action on FloSports with a valid subscription, while Live Stats are available via the softball schedule page.
The Blue Demons enter the week riding a four-game win streak including a three-game series sweep over Seton Hall last weekend. DePaul is a game back from .500 at 17-18 and 6-6 in BIG EAST action.
Illinois State, picked sixth in the preseason Missouri Valley poll, is 16-18 and 7-4 in MVC play. The Redbirds swept Evansville last weekend after an 11-3 setback to Illinois on Wednesday. Common opponents with ISU include Florida and Minnesota as 37-year veteran head coach Melinda Fischer scheduled a tough non-conference slate much like DePaul's. The Redbirds won the 2021 MVC regular season title with a 17-5 record before falling in the conference tournament. Senior Emme Olson leads the way with 34 hits and a team-best .354 average while Abby Knight and Delaney Bryant drive in the runs with 19 and 18 RBI, respectively. Amanda Fox and Hannah Ross have thrown the majority of the innings. Ross owns a 2.72 ERA and is 7-7 on the season while Fox has recorded 100 punch outs and sits at 9-9 on the campaign.
DePaul holds the narrow edge in the all-time series with Illinois State, 20-18-1. The first meeting came back in 1986 with the two squads facing off in 2021 for the first time in four seasons. The Redbirds took the most recent matchup in Normal, Ill. 7-2 with Kate Polucha responsible for the pair of runs.
The Blue Demons return to Cacciatore Stadium on Friday for a doubleheader with BIG EAST foe St. John's with start time for game one scheduled for 12 p.m. CT. The series finale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday with action aired on CBS Sports Network.
