Softball Heads Back On The Road For BIG EAST Series Against DePaul

Game #36-38: Creighton Bluejays (14-21, 1-8 BIG EAST) at DePaul Blue Demons (11-18, 3-6 BIG EAST)
Friday, April 7, 2023 (DH) • 12 p.m. • 2:30 p.m. • Saturday, April 8, 2023 • 12 p.m.
Chicago, Ill. • Cacciatore Stadium
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | CU NOTES

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Creighton (14-21, 1-8 BIG EAST) hits the road for the first time in three weeks as the Bluejays travel to Chicago for a three-game series against preseason favorites DePaul (11-18, 3-6 BE).

The two teams will kick off the series with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 12 p.m. before wrapping up the series with a single game on Saturday at 12 p.m.

Follow The Games

This weekend's three-game series at DePaul will feature both live video and live stats.

Live video will be provided through FloSports, while live stats will be provided via StatBroadcast. Creighton alum Peter Ferreri will be on the call for this weekend's series.

Links to the video and live stats can be found on the Creighton Softball schedule page on GoCreighton.com.

Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.

Bluejays not Blue Jays

Creighton's mascot is the Bluejays or Bluejay, one word. Conversely the MLB Toronto team is the Blue Jays.

Scouting Creighton (14-21, 1-8 BE)

Struggling as of late, Creighton enters this weekend's series with a 14-21 overall record and a 1-8 mark in league play after snapping a 10-game losing streak with a 9-1 win over Butler last Sunday.

Creighton continues to be one of the top offensive teams in the BIG EAST, ranking second with a .284 batting average. The Bluejays, however, lead the way in runs scored (153), hits (258), RBI (144), doubles (52), home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.436).

Junior leadoff hitter Cayla Nielsen lead five Bluejays with a batting average over .300 with a .385 average. She ranks third in the BIG EAST with 35 hits, while her 24 runs scored ranks second in the league.

Freshman Lily West has continued her hot hitting ranking second on the team with a .348 batting average. The Choctaw, Okla. native leads the BIG EAST with 39 base knocks and seven sacrifice hits, including five sac bunts.

Senior Saren Croker and junior Madeline Vejvoda have also provided a significant help at the plate with .333 and .314 batting averages respectfully, while senior Kailey Wilson has risen her batting average to .301 and leads the team with 10 doubles and 26 RBI, while ranking second with seven home runs.

In the circle, Creighton owns a 3.62 ERA, the third-best ERA in the BIG EAST, while ranking third in strikeouts with 170 in 220.1 innings of work.

Freshman Natalia Puchino (8-9) and junior Payton Akers (4-5) have been the driving force in the circle for the Bluejays this season. Akers paces the pitching staff with a 3.17 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 53 innings, while Puchino follows closely behind with a 3.20 ERA in 94 innings of work with a team-best 62 strikeouts.

The Bluejays return 12 letterwinners from last year's squad, while 10 newcomers enter the program with first year head coach Krista Wood.

Scouting DePaul (11-18, 3-6 BE)

DePaul is 11-18 this year and 3-6 in BIG EAST Play. The Blue Demons took two of three over Providence last weekend, which included a 15-6 run-rule victory and a 9-5 win in the series finale.

Sophomore Anna Wohlers leads the team and the BIG EAST with a .407 average, including a .520 clip during BIG EAST play (13-for-25). She paces the Blue Demons with 10 doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBI and 20 runs scored.

Senior Brooke Johnson follows closely behind with .371 average on a team-high 33 hits. The senior is also hitting at a .500 clip (15-of-30) during BIG EAST play.

As a team, the Blue Demons are hitting .254 with 30 doubles, 22 home runs and 114 runs scored over 29 games. DePaul's batting average has gone up in BIG EAST play as the Blue Demons are hitting at a .319 clip.

In the circle, DePaul ranks last in the league with a 5.92 ERA, a number has risen to 6.87 during BIG EAST play. The Blue Demons have struck out a league low 87 batters in 178.2 innings of work.

Freshman Bella Nigey leads the pitching staff with 67.2 innings pitched and a 4.97 ERA. She has stuck out a team-best 45 batters this season, while senior Brenna Smith owns a 6.44 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 62 innings of work.

Head coach Tracie Adix-Zins is in her fifth season at the helm of the Blue Demons.

Series History Against Blue Demons

DePaul leads the all-time series against Creighton, 22-10, including a 16-5 record in BIG EAST contests.

The Blue Demons took two of three from the Bluejays last season in Omaha, as Creighton claimed an 11-6 win on senior day.

DePaul has won five of the last six meetings, while the Bluejays last win in Chicago was back in 2019.

Head Coach Krista Wood is 2-0 all-time against DePaul.

Bluejays Seek Programs 1,400 Win

Creighton enters this weekend's three-game series at DePaul three wins shy of 1,400 wins in program history.

The Bluejays currently hold a 1,397-956-3 all-time record and have outscored the opposition 9,394 - 6,939 in 2,356 all-time games in program history.

Below is a list of every game Creighton surpassed any 100 win milestone.

Win # Date Opp. Score

100 3/11/81 vs. Wyoming 3-1

200 4/13/83 Drake 10-0

300 4/11/86 vs. Georgia State 5-3

400 3/19/89 vs. Utah State 4-3

500 4/18/91 Southern Utah 5-1

600 3/15/95 Omaha 4-3

700 5/2/98 Evansville 8-2

800 2/23/02 vs. Oakland 1-0

900 2/25/05 vs. #18 Oregon 4-1

1,000 5/11/07 vs. Wichita State 3-1

1,100 4/15/10 Kansas 8-0

1,200 2/7/14 vs. Western Michigan 9-0

1,300 2/25/18 vs. Grambling State 11-0

Creighton Puts Up Seven Runs in First

The Bluejays scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning during the series finale against Butler on April 2. The seven run first was the most runs scored in an inning by a Creighton team since thee Bluejays scored 10 runs in the first inning against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 28, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill.

It was the sixth time this season that the Bluejays had scored five or more runs in an inning. It was also the fourth time this season that Creighton has scored five or more runs in the first inning of a game.

Bluejays Snap Losing Skid

Creighton snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Butler on April 2.

The Bluejays blasted three home runs, including two in the first innings, as the Bluejays opened the game with a seven run first.

The 10-game losing streak was tied for the second longest losing streak in Creighton history and the longest since the Bluejays dropped 14 straight contests last season.

Wilson's Among The BIG EAST Best

Not only is graduate student Kailey Wilson one of the most dynamic hitters in Creighton softball history, but she is also one of the greatest hitters in BIG EAST history.

Enter this weekend, Wilson ranks second all-time in BIG EAST history with a .449 career batting average in BIG EAST games, behind only Notre Dame's Meghan Murray's .518 career batting average from 1996-97.

Over the course of 64 career games, Wilson owns 80 hits (80-of-178), including 17 doubles, 16 home runs, 32 walks and 45 RBI.

BATTING?AVERAGE (minimum 50 at-bats)

No. Avg. Name Years

1. .518 Meghan Murray, ND 1996-97

2. .449 Kailey Wilson, CU 2019-Pr.

3. .443 Amber Patton, DPU 2007-09

4. .440 Shari Blackman, UConn 1992-94

5. .437 Lacy Wood, UL 2006

6. .435 Juliette Brooks, RU 1996-99

7. .427 Stephanie Brown, ND 2004-07

8. .427 Katie Marten, ND 1996-97

9. .420 Ricci Lugo, VU 2003-04

10. .418 Melissa Roth, VU 2009-10

The Bluejays are Always On Base

This season four different Bluejays have posted on-base streaks of 11 consecutive games or more. Junior Cayla Nielsen leads the way having reached base safely in 30 of the Bluejays 35 games this season. She has currently reached base in career long 14 straight contests. Earlier this season Nielsen had a 13-game on-base streak from Feb. 12 - March 4.

Additionally, Nielsen had recorded at least one hit in 10 consecutive games before going hitless against Drake. During Nielsen's 10-game hit streak, she racked up a .516 (16-of-31) batting average with two doubles, three home runs and nine runs batted in.

Her 10-game hit streak was a career-long hit streak, surpassing a nine-game hit streak she had from Feb. 18 to March 4th earlier this season.

Senior Kailey Wilson is currently on a 13-game on-base streaks, while also recording at lead one hit in each of the Bluejays last five games. Wilson also had a nine-game on-base streak earlier this season.

Junior Madeline Vejvoda had an on-base streak snapped earlier this month after reaching safely in 11 straight contests, while classmate Alyssa Gappa had her 13-game on-base streak snapped last weekend against Butler.

Freshman Phenom Delivering

Freshman Lily West has been dominant at the plate during her first season as a Bluejay. The Choctaw, Okla. native leads Creighton with 39 hits and holds the second-best batting average on the team at .348.

West has produced 12 multi-hit games this season, becoming the eighth freshman since 2003 to record at least 10 multi-hit games in a season. Allie Mathewson recorded 18 multi-hit games during her freshman season in 2012, the most in the past 20 seasons by a freshman.

Below is a list of Freshman with at least 10 multi-hit games in a season.

Name Year Multi-Hit Games

Allie Mathewson 2012 18

Ellen Homan 2011 15

Kiara Mills 2019 13

Sam Dellinger 2017 13

Ashley Cantu 2017 13

Lily West 2023 12

Amy Baker 2010 12

Dawson Bailey 2006 11

Walk This Way

With a BIG EAST-best 21 walks this season, senior Kailey Wilson etched her name on Creighton's all-time top-10 list for career walks.

Wilson recorded a pair of walks in the series opener against Butler on March 31, moving into the top-5 all-time with 83 career walks.

Kailey led the 2022 squad with 24 walks, while a total of four other players earned double-digit walks a season ago.

WALKS

No. Name BB Years

1. Michelle Graner 111 2007-10

2. Alexis Cantu 110 2012-14

3. Amy Baker 104 2010-13

4. Abby Johnson 85 2002-05

5. Kailey Wilson 83 2019-pr.

6. Renae Sinkler 81 2007-10

7. Jen Daro 80 2014-17

8. Jody Schwartz 78 1985-88

9. Ashley Cantu 70 2017-21

10. Karla Hughes 69 1979-82

On The Double

With 10 doubles this season, senior Kailey Wilson has entered the top-10 for career doubles. The Aurora, Colorado native ranked tied for 10th with 33 career doubles and is just three doubles away from entering the top-5 all-time.

In the opening weekend of the season, Wilson hit .500 on six hits, including four doubles, a home run and five RBI.

Her four doubles were the most by a Bluejay in the opening weekend of a season since Amy Baker hits four doubles in a four-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to open the 2012 season.

The four doubles also ranked tied for third nationally, behind Clemson's Valerie Cagle's five doubles and Wichita State's Lauren Lucas' six doubles during opening weekend.

DOUBLES

No. Name 2B Years

1. Christy Lunceford 51 1994-97

2. Frenchy Nix 47 1998-01

3. Stacey Rybar 43 2001-04 4. Kelly Brookhart 40 1988-91

5. Abby Johnson 36 2002-05

Jody Schwartz 36 1985-88

7. Bailey Dawson 35 2006-09

8. Erin Fraser 34 1995-98 Dede Pendleton 34 1991-95

10. Kailey Wilson 33 2019-pr.

Wendy Moon 33 1991-94

Wilson's Rewriting Record Book

Senior Kailey Wilson entered her fifth year with the Bluejays as one of the most dominant hitters in school history.

Wilson currently ranks fifth in Bluejay history with a .355 career batting average, while ranking tied for sixth in home runs with 33, tied for fifth in walks with 83, eighth in RBI with 112 and tied for 10th with 33 career doubles.

BATTING?AVERAGE (minimum 250 at-bats)

No. Avg. Name H-AB Years

1. .404 Anne Timmermann 116-287 1977-79

2. .382 Ashley Cantu 218-570 2017-21

3. .379 Christy Lunceford 245-646 1994-97

4. .358 Heidi Geier 243-678 1996-99

5. .355 Kailey Wilson 149-420 2019-pr.

6. .336 Renae Sinkler 201-599 2007-10

7. .331 Kiara Mills 123-372 2019-22

8. .328 Melanie Dorsey 198-604 2002-05

9. .326 Christine Fukumoto 110-337 2004-05

10. .325 Mary Yori 176-542 1980-82

HOME?RUNS

No. Name HR Years

1. Amy Baker 58 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 50 2007-10

3. Liz Dike 39 2012-15

4. Lauren Cisneros 37 2003-06

Stacey Rybar 37 2001-04

6. Kailey Wilson 33 2019-pr.

Alexis Cantu 33 2012-14

8. Bailey?Dawson 30 2006-09

Abby Johnson 30 2002-05

10. Michelle Graner 27 2007-10

TJ?Eadus 27 2007-08

RUNS?BATTED?IN

No. Name RBI Years

1. Amy Baker 167 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 146 2007-10

3. Abby Johnson 144 2002-05

4. Bailey?Dawson 121 2006-09

Stacey Rybar 121 2001-04

6. Liz Dike 119 2012-15

7. Jody Schwartz 113 1985-88

8. Kailey Wilson 112 2019-pr.

9. Christy Lunceford 110 1994-97

10. Lauren Cisneros 107 2003-06

Krista vs. The BIG EAST

Throughout her career at South Dakota State, head coach Krista Wood's teams were at their best against BIG EAST competition.

In her eight seasons with the Jackrabbits, Wood's compiled a 21-5 overall record against the BIG EAST, including a 17-1 mark in the past six seasons that featured an 11 straight victories.

In her first season with the Bluejays, Wood's is 1-8, suffering close losses to Villanova and Seton Hall, before picking up a victory in the series finale against Butler on April 2.

Below is a breakdown of Wood's record against every BIG EAST team.

Opponent SDSU CU

Butler 3-0 1-2

Creighton 10-4 0-0

DePaul 2-0 0-0

Georgetown 0-0 0-0

Providence 2-1 0-0

Seton Hall 1-0 0-3

St. John's 1-0 0-0

Connecticut 0-0 0-0

Villanova 2-0 0-3

Totals 21-5 1-8

Softball Heads Back On The Road For BIG EAST Series Against DePaul

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Payton Akers

Ashley Cantu

Saren Croker

Alyssa Gappa

Kiara Mills

Cayla Nielsen

Natalia Puchino

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

Kailey Wilson

Softball Heads Back On The Road For BIG EAST Series Against DePaul

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Payton Akers

Ashley Cantu

Saren Croker

Alyssa Gappa

Kiara Mills

Cayla Nielsen

Natalia Puchino

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

Kailey Wilson

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