DePaul University
Creighton
Blue Demons Travel to Creighton for Weekend Series
4/28/2022 9:00:00 PM | SOFTBALL
Postseason implications on the line in penultimate weekend of the regular season
CHICAGO — DePaul softball will hit the road to Omaha, Neb. for take on Creighton in the penultimate BIG EAST series of the regular season. The Blue Demons and Bluejays will tangle in a three-game set over three days at Creighton Sports Complex.
First pitch on Friday, April 29 is set for 3 p.m. CT while Saturday's matchup is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. The series finale on Sunday, May 1 will begin at 12 p.m. All three games can be seen on FloSoftball with a subscription required
DePaul (24-20, 12-6 BIG EAST) will look to wrap up a berth in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament as the season heads down the stretch. The Blue Demons have won nine consecutive league contests and currently sit in fourth place in the standings with six games remaining. A sweep for DePaul in Omaha accompanied with one Providence loss to Butler would secure the program's 16th consecutive appearance in the four-team conference tournament.
The Blue Demons enter the weekend series 13-3 in the month of April having dropped midweek contests to Illinois State and RV Illinois along with the series finale to conference foe Villanova.
Brooke Johnson, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, leads the way with a .394 average on a team-high 52 hits, 47 RBI and 13 home runs. Tori Meyer boasts an average of .343. while driving in 28 runs on 46 hits including 14 for an extra base. Anna Wohlers has adjusted well to college play as a two-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. The Davenport, Iowa native has lifted six for a home run while driving in 29 runs and reaching base at a .425 clip. Maranda Gutierrez, two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year at shortstop, reaches base at a .459 rate at the leadoff spot with a .315 average while drawing 23 walks. Graduate student Kate Polucha and sophomore Nicole Sullivan provide the power in the heart of the lineup with seven and five home runs, respectively. The duo each have tallied 30 RBI with Polucha batting .340 and Sullivan just below at .290.
Graduate right-hander Sarah Lehman owns a staff-best 17 ERA in 26 appearances and over 103 innings pitched. Lehman has allowed just a pair of earned runs in her last 28 innings pitched. Senior Erin Hocker has pitched seven complete games and is 7-8 on the season with a 96 ERA.
The Bluejays enter the weekend 14-25 overall and 4-15 in league play. Creighton has dropped the last four BIG EAST series and was most recently swept by Butler last weekend. Kailey Wilson leads the way with a league-best .413 average while reaching base at a .519 clip. Junior first baseman Kiara Mills has tallied 11 extra base hits while Emma Ronsoke has 41 RBI on a .307 average. In the circle, Katie Mullaly holds a staff-best 4.05 ERA in 64.2 innings of work while Mikayla Santa Cruz has gone for 97.1 innings and a team-high 80 strikeouts. Brent Vigness is in his 29th season at Creighton and is 818-635-3 during his time in Omaha.
DePaul holds the edge in the all-time series with Creighton, 20-9, besting the Bluejays 14-4 in conference games. The Blue Demons captured the series sweep in 2021 at Cacciatore Stadium including a 10-2 five-inning victory in the series finale. This weekend will mark the first time the teams have met in Omaha since 2016.
Following the trip to Creighton, the Blue Demons will close out their home schedule on Tuesday, May 3 when No. 8 Northwestern visits Cacciatore Stadium for a in-state matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with coverage on FloSoftball.
