Softball Prepares for Maverick Invitational

CHICAGO - DePaul softball is set to tackle another road tournament, heading to Arlington, Texas for the Maverick Invitational. The Blue Demons open up the weekend with Michigan State and Kansas City on Friday at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. DePaul then meets Boise State and Kansas City on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT, before wrapping up competition against the hosts Sunday UT-Arlington at 12:30 p.m. CT.

Sunday's game against UT-Arlington will be streamed on ESPN+ with StatBroadcast coverage available for all other games.

BLUE DEMON BITS

DePaul owns the top ranked batting average (.246) in the BIG EAST after opening weekend. The team also ranks second in slugging percentage (.373) in the conference.
Freshman Brooke Cwick had an impressive opening weekend, with a .389 batting. Cwick started and played in all five games, recording seven hits on 18 at bats. She also earned her first career home run and tallied three RBIs.
Cwick ranks first in the conference and is tied for eighth among all freshmen nationally with seven hits after opening weekend.
Fifth-year senior Brooke Johnson tallied four hits and four RBIs in the first weekend. Johnson hit two home runs to start off the season and owns a .333 batting average. Johnson's slugging percentage (.722) ranks third in the conference.
Five of DePaul's six newcomers saw action on opening weekend. Cwick, Bibianna Rodriguez and Morgan Rogers all earned starts while Ava Paganis and Lydia Ettema appeared in three games each.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE

The Spartans enter the weekend 0-5 in the young season after dropping games against Ohio, Marshall, No. 12 Arkansas and FAU.
Three Spartans own a .333 batting average, with two of them earning four hits each.
Liv Grey has been the main pitcher for Michigan State, starting and appearing in three games and giving up nine runs on 18 hits for an ERA of 4.61 after the first weekend.
Michigan State finished the 2023 season with a record of 14-32 (4-19 Big Ten). The Spartans return 12 letterwinners to the team while welcoming in 11 newcomers.
Sharonda McDonald-Kelley is in her second season at the helm in East Lansing.

ABOUT KANSAS CITY

The Roos are 0-6 on the season after dropping games to BYU, Nevada, Ole Miss and Hawaii.
Briona Woods is leading the Roos offensively after the first weekend, earning a batting average of .417 with five hits in 12 at bats.
Senior Camryn Stickel has 1.84 ERA in 26.2 innings pitched. Stickel appeared in five games, starting four, and gave up 16 runs on 27 hits.
Senior infielder Sydney Nichols and Stickel were named Players to Watch in the Summit League Preseason Poll.
The Roos went 9-43 (4-17 Summit League) in 2023, earning wins over programs like North Dakota, Western Illinois and St. Thomas.
Kiki Stokes O'Connor is in her second season with Kansas City.

ABOUT BOISE STATE

The Broncos are 4-1 this season, picking up wins over No. 20 Northwestern, St. Thomas, Arizona State and Grand Canyon.
Freshman outfielder Sophia Knight leads the Broncos offense, tallying a .632 batting average with 12 hits and four runs scored in 19 at bats. Knight also owns a .842 slugging percentage.
Senior Taylor Caudill owns a 0.33 ERA in four appearances after pitching 21 innings and giving up seven hits, four walks and striking out 23.
Caudill, senior outfielder Jordyn Hutchins and junior outfielder Mykenzie Hanna were named to the 2024 Preseason All-Mount West Team.
Boise State earned a 32-17 (16-5 Mountain West) record in 2023 before concluding their season in the Mountain West Championship to San Jose State.
2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year Justin Shults is in his third year leading the Broncos.

ABOUT UT-ARLINGTON

The Mavericks are 2-4 on the season, earning wins over ULM and Southern, and falling to No. 2 Tennessee, Eastern Illinois, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls.
Freshman infielder Emma Lopez leads the Mavericks in the early season with a .438 batting average, seven hits and two runs.
Senior Gracie Bumpurs leads the Mavericks in the circle, owning a 2.55 ERA in three appearances and 11 innings pitched in the season.
Sophomore utility player Marley Neises was named to the Preseason All-WAC Team after earning All-WAC Second Team honors in 2023.
UT-Arlington finished the 2023 season with a record of 22-30 (11-13 WAC) including a trip to the WAC Tournament.
Kara Dill is in her second season leading the Mavericks.

UP NEXT
DePaul heads to Memphis, Tenn for the Blues City Tournament on Feb. 23-25. The Blue Demons will face off against SIUE, Tennessee Tech and Memphis.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Softball, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

2024 TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket packages for the 2024 DePaul Softball season are available now. Season ticket packages start at just $39 and for a limited time includes an exclusive DePaul mini bat. Single-game tickets and Group Ticket Offers go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 20 and start at $5. Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information.

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Players Mentioned

Brooke Cwick

Lydia Ettema

Brooke Johnson

Ava Paganis

Bibianna Rodriguez

Morgan Rogers