DePaul Opens Home Slate with No. 22 Northwestern on Tuesday

CHICAGO – DePaul softball is set for its first home game of the 2023 season on Tuesday, March 28 as Northwestern makes the trip down to Lincoln Park for a 4 p.m. first pitch at Cacciatore Stadium. Live coverage can be found on FloSoftball with tickets available at DePaulBlueDemons.com.

About the Blue Demons
DePaul heads into the eighth week of the season 8-16 and 1-5 in BIG EAST action. The Blue Demons snapped an eight-game skid on Sunday with a 3-1 win over St. John's in Queens, N.Y.

Sophomore catcher Anna Wohlers has taken her game to another level in her second season in Chicago, batting .394 with 28 hits and a team-best 8 home runs. Brooke Johnson, a 2022 All-BIG EAST First Teamer, has driven in 12 runs on 27 hits while recording four homers to push her career tally to 24.

Bella Nigey has seen the most time in the circle for Coach Tracie Aidx-Zins and her staff, with nine starts and 65 innings pitched. The freshman has a staff-best 45 strikeouts while collecting five wins. Purdue transfer Brenna Smith owns a 5.42 ERA through 14 appearances.

About the Wildcats
Northwestern enters Tuesday's tilt 17-8 including a 3-0 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats, coming off a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2022, have won seven in a row after sweeping their conference opener over Minnesota last weekend.

Five Wildcats boast 10 or more RBIs with catcher Jordyn Rudd leading the way with 24 on a team-best 11 extra-base hits. Outfielder Skyler Shellmyer has a .343 average in 70 at bats while crossing the plate on 11 occasions and stealing seven bases in nine attempts.

Lauren Boyd owns a staff-best 2.03 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched through 12 appearances. Cami Henry is 7-1 in the circle and reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Danielle Williams is averaging 1.2 strikeouts per inning.

Kate Drohan is in her 22nd season leading the charge in Evanston.

Series History: Tuesday will mark the 63rd all-time meeting between the two programs, with Northwestern holding a 41-21 edge. The last time the two sides faced off in March of 2019, DePaul claimed a 9-7 win at Drysdale Field in Evanston. In Northwestern's most recent visit to Cacciatore Stadium in 2018, the visitors claimed a 7-3 victory.

Up Next: Following the midweek matchup with the Wildcats, DePaul will continue its seven-game homestand when Providence lands in Chicago for a weekend series, March 31-April 2.

DePaul Opens Home Slate with No. 22 Northwestern on Tuesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brooke Johnson

Bella Nigey

Brenna Smith

Anna Wohlers

DePaul University Athletics