Blue Demons Travel East to Take on Villanova

Friday, April 21

Villanova, Pa.

2:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

Villanova

4/20/2023 11:37:00 PM | SOFTBALL

Watch (FloSoftball)Live Stats

DePaul faces two-time defending champion Wildcats for three-game slate

VILLANOVA, Pa. – DePaul hits the road for a three-game series to take on two-time defending BIG EAST Champions Villanova, April 21-23. All three games from Villanova Softball Complex are set to be streamed live on FloSoftball. Friday's series opener will begin at 2 p.m. (CT) while Saturday and Sunday's contest are slated for a 11 a.m. (CT) first pitch.

About DePaul
After falling 6-0 to Northern Illinois on Wednesday, the Blue Demons have dropped five in a row and will look to snap the streak this weekend on the East Coast. DePaul is 12-24 this season and 4-11 in BIG EAST games.

Sophomore catcher Anna Wohlers has led the offensive charge for the Blue Demons this season with a team-best average of .369 in addition to 31 RBIs and an .784 slugging percentage and 11 home runs. First baseman Brooke Johnson has tallied 22 RBIs to her credit to go along with a .55 average.

In the midweek setback against the Huskies, junior Payton Viles shined with a 2-for-3 outing including her first double of the season while Carly Alvers, Riley Pool and Grace Frazier all notched base hits.

Right-hander Katey Pierce boasts a staff-best 5.52 ERA in 39.1 innings pitched in 16 appearances. Senior Brenna Smith been charged with the bulk of the work, throwing a team-high 85.1 innings in 25 appearances while striking out 39 batters.

About Villanova
The Wildcats enter the series 26-18 on the season while amassing a 10-5 mark in the BIG EAST and currently sit in third in the BIG EAST standings with three weekends of regular season play remaining. Last weekend, Villanova swept St. John's in Queens, outscoring the Red Storm 22-4 in the series. In the midweek, the Wildcats captured a 12-1, six-inning victory at Lehigh.

Junior Tess Cites has led the Wildcats offensively, batting .365 with a team-best 32 RBIs and 14 extra-base hits to her credit. Chloe Smith and Ryan Henry have provided power throughout the lineup, combining for 57 RBIs on 13 home runs. The Wildcats have drawn a 156 walks on the season, which is best in the BIG EAST and 16th in the country.

Kat Gallant owns a staff-best 2.33 ERA and an 11-4 mark in the circle through 21 appearances. The freshman has totaled a team-high 73 strikeouts on the season while allowing just 11 walks in 96 innings pitched. Sophomore Kelsey White is 7-5 in 20 appearances on the season and has a 4.04 ERA.

Series History: The Blue Demons hold a 32-9 edge over the Wildcats dating back to the first meeting between the programs in 2006. A season ago in Chicago, the Blue Demons took two of three meetings to claim the series win. Last time the two sides met, the Wildcats claimed a 1-0 eight-inning victory in the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament in Rosemont.

Up Next: The Blue Demons will play its final out of conference game on Tuesday, April 25 with a trip down to Champaign for a matchup with Illinois. First pitch from Eichelberger Field is slated for 5 p.m. CT with coverage found on B1G+.