Chicago City Wire

DePaul softball will make the trip down Interstate 55 on Tuesday, March 21 to face Illinois State in a midweek matchup at Marian Kneer Stadium. 

First pitch from Normal is slated for 1 p.m. CT with live stats available at depaul.statbroadcast.com.
 
About DePaul
DePaul (8-13, 0-3 BIG EAST) will look to snap a five-game skid on Tuesday afternoon after going 0-2 last weekend at the John Cropp Classic in Lexington, Ky. The Blue Demons fell in the weekend opener to then fourteenth-ranked Kentucky before dropping a 6-4 contest to Longwood in walk-off fashion.
 
The Blue Demons are led by sophomore Anna Wohlers who is batting .379 on the season with 22 hits on 58 at bats while driving in 19 runs on a team-high six home runs. First baseman Brooke Johnson has added 12 RBIs on 22 hits.
 
Bella Nigey and Brenna Smith have seen the bulk of the work in the circle, throwing 51.1 and 44.1 innings, respectively. Nigey owns a 4.77 ERA and a 4-4 record while Smith is 2-5 through 12 appearances this season. 

About Illinois State
The Redbirds enter Tuesday's matchup with a 10-15 overall record including a 1-1 mark in Missouri Valley play. ISU opened MVC action last weekend, splitting a pair with Belmont after going 4-0 the weekend prior at the Murray State Tournament.
 
Fifth-year infielder and preseason MVC honoree Emme Olson paces the Redbirds at the dish with 13 RBIs and 37 total bases while Delainey Bryant matches the team lead with 13 RBIs of her own.
 
Illinois State's pitching staff owns a collective 3.12 ERA with senior right-hander Hannah Ross boasting a staff-best 34 strikeouts in 63 innings of work.
 
Tina Kramos is in her first season at the helm of the Redbirds program after spending 23 years as an assistant coach.
 
The Series
DePaul holds a slight 20-19-1 edge through 40 all-time meetings between the two programs. In 2022, the Redbirds claimed a 9-4 win at Cacciatore Stadium. 

Original source can be found here.