Softball Continues Homestand Against Iowa State and Villanova

Games #29: Iowa State Cyclones (15-10) at Creighton Bluejays (12-16)
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • 6:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • Creighton Softball Stadium
LIVE STATS | WATCH | CU NOTES

Games #30-32: Villanova Wildcats (5-22, 2-4 BIG EAST) at Creighton Bluejays (12-16, 4-2 BIG EAST)
Friday, March 20, 2026 • 5:00 p.m. • Saturday, March 21, 2026 • 2:00 p.m. • Sunday, March 22, 2026 • 12:00 p.m. • Omaha, Neb. • Creighton Softball Stadium
LIVE STATS | WATCH | CU NOTES

This Weekend

Creighton (12-16, 4-2 BIG EAST) continues it seven-game homestand with a midweek contest against Iowa State (15-10) on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m.

The Bluejays will then host Villanova (5-22, 2-4 BIG EAST) in a three-game series, beginning on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday contest at 2 p.m. The Bluejays and Wildcats will wrap up the series on Sunday when they meet for a 12 p.m. contest.

All four games this week will be played at the Creighton Softball Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

Broadcast Information

All four games against Iowa State and Villanova will air on ESPN+ with Jake Ryan and Jon Schriner on the call. A subscription is required to view the games on http://watchESPN.com.

Live Stats Information

All of Creighton's home games this season will have free live stats at http://Creighton.StatBroadcast.com.

Fans can also find the links on the GoCreighton.com softball schedule page.

Scoring updates and infographics will be provided on social media vs. 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 (12-16, 4-2 BE)

Creighton is 12-16 overall and 4-2 in BIG EAST play and enters Wednesday's contest against Iowa State having won six of their last eight games.

The Jays struggled early on but swept Seton Hall in the conference opener to flip the script before dropping two of three last weekend against Providence.

Six different Bluejays are hitting better than .300, led by senior Lily West, who paces the hot hitting Bluejay squad with a .384 batting average on a team-high 33 hits, including five doubles, three home runs, 14 walks, 23 RBI and 18 runs scored.

Sophomore Tara Vandewater has been another bright spot in the lineup this season, boasting a .364 batting average with two doubles, two triples, four home runs and a team-high tying 23 RBI, while freshman Zoey Greenwood owns a team-best nine doubles and 11 stolen bases while hitting at a .356 clip.

Senior Erika Perez, meanwhile, has stepped into more of a leadership role this season and is showcasing her power early on, hitting .338 with three doubles, four triples, five home runs, 10 walks and 20 RBI. Perez and veteran returners, Avery Barnard (.326 BA, 6 2B, 20 R, 16 RBI), Kaelan Schultz (.300 BA, 16 BB, 5 3B, 3 HR) and Ella Dalton (.211 BA, 15 Hits, 3 2B) will be relied on to lead this talented group.

Freshman Audrey Gilman and junior Brooklyn Patchen have led the Bluejays pitching staff through the midway portion of the schedule. Gilman paces the Jays with a 4.59 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 74.2 innings of work, while Patchen owns a team-high 41 strikeouts and a 4.74 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched.

As a team, Creighton is hitting .301 with 36 doubles, 11 triples, 21 home runs, 87 walks and 150 runs driven in, while the pitching staff owns a 5.29 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 178.2 innings of work.

Head coach Krista Wood is in her fourth season with the Bluejays and holds a 608-412 career record, including a 100-94 mark at Creighton.

Scouting Iowa State (15-10)

Iowa State is 15-10 this season and has lost four of its last six contests after opening the season with wins in 11 of their first 15 contests. Among the Cyclones victories are wins over Butler, Minnesota and South Dakota.

Senior Reagan Bartholomew leads the team with a .436 batting average on a team-high 34 hits, including seven doubles, five home runs and 18 RBI, while Jessie Clemons boasts a .378 batting average with a team-best 12 doubles and 22 RBI.

Five additional Cyclones are hitting better than .300 with all five individuals owning 17 or more hits.

Iowa State has spread the wealth around the circle this season with Lauren Schurman leading the way with a 3.54 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 59.1 innings of work. She is supported by Ava Mullen, who owns a 3.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 41.0 innings pitched.

As a team, the Cyclones are hitting .327 with 53 doubles, 32 home runs, 98 walks and 173 runs scored, while the pitching staff owns a 4.23 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 160.1 innings of work.

Series History Against the Cyclones

Creighton is 25-22 all-time against Iowa State, though the teams have not met since the Bluejays won 1-0 in Omaha on April 13, 2016.

The Bluejays are 12-12 all-time in Omaha, despite having dropped three of the last four meetings at home.

Head coach Krista Wood is 0-5 all-time as a head coach against Iowa State.

Scouting Villanova (5-22, 2-4 BIG EAST)

Villanova enters Wednesday's non-conference battle vs. Saint Joseph's with a 5-22 overall record and a 2-4 mark in BIG EAST play after being swept by Butler last weekend.

The Wildcats struggled early, dropping its first 16 games of the season, before claiming wins over Bucknell and the series win at DePaul on opening weekend.

Maddie Burrows leads the charge, hitting .333 with seven doubles, seven RBI and a team-high 18 runs scored, while Lilly St. Jean follows closely behind with a .310 batting average with six doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI.

Katie Reed has also provided a lift offensively, hitting at a .299 clip, while Maranda Runco boasts a .254 batting average with a team-best five home runs, 25 walks, 14 RBI and 13 runs scored.

The Wildcats have mixed up the rotation over the course of the season, relying on the Kat Gallant and Maggie King for the majority of the innings.

Gallant paces the Wildcats with a 5.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 57.0 innings of work, while King owns a 6.80 ERA and 17 punchouts in 35.0 innings pitched.

Villanova as a team is hitting .257 with 39 doubles, 17 home runs, 90 walks and 102 runs scored, while the pitching staff owns a 7.01 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 163.2 innings of work.

Villanova was picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' poll as head coach Bridget Orchard is in her eighth season with the Wildcats.

Series History Against the Wildcats

Villanova leads the all-time series against Creighton, 20-12.

Creighton won the first four meetings between the two school before dropping eight straight to the Wildcats from 2015 to 2017. The Bluejays answered with wins in six of the next seven meetings, before the Wildcats swept Creighton in three-game series each in both 2022 and 2023.

Last season Villanova swept the Bluejays in its three-game series in Villanova, Pa. with two of the three contests being decided in extra innings.

Creighton is 8-7 all-time in games played in Omaha, taking two of three during the 2024 season.

Head coach Krista Wood is 3-8 all-time against Villanova, including an 5-4 extra-inning win over the Wildcats in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Milestone Watch

- Lily West owns 215 career hits and is now three hits shy of tying Kelly Brookhart and Ashley Cantu for third on Creighton's all-time career hits list.

- Lily West has driven in 115 runs in her career and is now only four RBI away from moving into the seventh on Creighton's career RBI list.

- Lily West owns 31 career doubles and is now three shy of cracking Creighton's career doubles top 10 list.

- Lily West is three runs shy of passing Liz Dike for 10th on Creighton's all-time career runs scored record board.

- Ashten Pierson has been hit by a pitch 19 times in her career and is now two hit by pitches shy of tying Sami Herbster for seventh on Creighton's career hit by pitch record list.

- Erika Perez owns 61 career walks and is now eight walks shy of tying Karla Hughes for 10th on Creighton's career walks top 10 list.

- Ella Dalton owns 25 career stolen bases and is now seven shy of tying Jamie McMurtry and Christy Lunceford for 10th on the career stolen base list.

- Ella Dalton is 10 runs shy of becoming the 21st Bluejay in program history to record 100 career runs scored.

In Great Company

This weekend's BIG EAST series against Villanova will feature two of the active all-time winningest coaches in the NCAA.

Head coach Krista Wood and Villanova head coach Bridget Orchard are the only two active head coaches in the BIG EAST to have won more than 600 games as a head coach.

Orchard leads the way with 966 career wins, including 214 of those at Villanova, while Wood owns 608 career victories and 100 wins at Creighton.

Home Sweet Home

Creighton's home opener on Friday, March 13th against Providence, marked the first home game for the Bluejays in the newly constructed Creighton Softball Stadium.

The Bluejays came out on top, earning a 7-5 win over the Friars, improving to 33-16 all-time in home openers.

Creighton had a great deal of success playing at the CU Sports Complex, racking up a 376 wins and a .620 winning percentage since opening in 1988.

CU won the first eight games at the stadium, including a pair of wins over Minnesota.

Wood Reaches 100 Wins

Head coach Krista Wood won her 100th game at Creighton, picking up the milestone victory with a 7-5 win over Providence in the home opener on March 13.

Wood is the second-quickest to 100 wins in program history, trailing only Hall of Famer Mary Higgins as she only need 157 games to record 100 wins at Creighton.

Games Coach 100th Win Date

157 Mary Higgins 3/11/81 vs. Wyoming

194 Krista Wood 3/13/26 vs. Providence

200 Brent Vigness 4/23/97 vs. Drake

A String of New Firsts

In Creighton's home opening win over Providence, the Bluejays logged a string of new first's as the Jays opened the brand new Creighton Softball Complex.

In the bottom of the first, it was truly fitting that the first Creighton hit in the new stadium went to senior slugger Lily West. Fellow classmate, Erika Perez then blasted the first home run in park history with a two-run home runs in the 3rd inning to give the Jays a 7-3 lead.

To cap off the historic day, Creighton claimed a 7-5 victory to secure the first win in park history and Krista Wood's 100th win as the Bluejays head coach.

A New Place to Call Home

The Creighton Softball program entered a new era on March 13th against Providence when the Bluejays opened its new state-of-the-art facility that ranks amongst the finest in all of Nebraska in the new Creighton Softball Stadium.

Built in conjunction of Creighton's $300 million Fly Together project, the Creighton Softball Stadium is the first of several key elements in the continued renovation of the athletic corridor on the east side of campus.

The 79,011-square-foot stadium features state-of-the-art Triple Threat FieldTurf across the entire playing surface, as well as a 15' 11 1/8" x 31' 6 5/16' fully electronic Daktronics DVX-2802 video/scoreboard in right-center field that will be operated from a new press box. The press box amenities include radio/TV booths, as well as separate space for the public address announcer, official scorer and local/national media. Key analytical technology, such as Trackman and an AWEAR Camera System, will provide enhanced statistical data to elevate player development.

The facility also features three pitching rubbers in both the home and visiting bullpen areas, just down the line from sunken dugouts that include storage space and player restrooms.

In addition, the facility has 298 fixed seats and a capacity of 600 with the potential for seating to be added in the future. Restrooms and concessions spaces will be provided at the main entrance of the stadium. Additionally, the facility is accessible to individuals with disabilities and seating inside the stadium meets ADA standards.

The field's dimensions are 200' down the left field line, 220' to straight-away center and 200' down the right field line.

Can't Keep Her Off the Bases

Senior Lily West has consistently elevated her game since the start of the season and enters this week with an 16-game on-base streak.

During that time, she's 25-of-52 (.481) with four doubles, two homers, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored. West owns at least one hit in 12 of the last 16 games, including a hit in eight of the last nine contests.

Her 16-game on-base streak is the second longest consecutive on-base streak of her career and is tied for the 14th longest by a Bluejay since 2010.

Erika Perez also reached base safely in 22 straight games dating back to last season, before having her streak snapped going 0-for-2 against Drake on Feb. 14.

The Madera, Calif. native came into her senior season with a lot of confidence after finishing last year on a 15-game on-base streak.

Perez's 22-game on-base streak was the third longest streak by a Bluejay since 2010 and longest since Amy Baker reached base safely in 37 consecutive contests in 2013.

During her 22-game on-base streak, Perez hit .373 with 19 hits, four doubles, and a team-high 19 walks to go with nine runs scored.

Longest Creighton On-Base Streaks Since 2010

OB Streak Player Year

37 Amy Baker 2013

28 Alexis Cantu 2012

22 Erika Perez 2025-26

21 Sydra Seville 2025

21 Ashley Cantu 2019

20 Anna O'Gorman 2017

20 Kelsey Allender 2015

19 Kailey Wilson 2022

18 Lily West 2025-26

18 Sydra Seville 2024-25

18 Cayla Nielsen 2024

17 Cayla Nielsen 2023

17 Alexis Cantu 2013

16 Lily West 2026

16 Michelle Trulin 2016

15 Amy Baker 2012

Gone BIG EAST WWWWWWWWWWin Steaking

Creighton had its program record 10-game BIG EAST regular season win streak snapped by Providence in an 8-7 setback last Saturday.

The Bluejays had completed a three-game sweep of Seton Hall last week and won its home opener against Providence, establishing a program record by winning it's 10th consecutive regular season BIG EAST game.

It was Creighton's longest conference regular season winning streak since the Jays won 13 consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season contests from April 10 to May 1, 2010.

Below is a list of Creighton's longest win streaks in BIG EAST play since joining the league in 2013.

CU's Longest BIG EAST Win Streaks

Wins Dates Snapped by

10 April 25, 2025 - March 13, 2026 Providence

7 April 20 - May 4, 2024 Providence

6 April 28, 2018 - March 23, 2019 Georgetown

6 April 9 - April 17, 2017 Butler

West Continues Climb Up Hits Record Board

Lily West, one of the most prolific hitters in program history, continues to climb the Bluejay record boards as she sits fifth all-time in school history with 215 career hits.

West became just the 11th Bluejay in program history to surpass 200 career hits and the first to do so since Cayla Nielsen in 2024, when she passed the 200-hit milestone on March 6th at Seton Hall.

West's 215 career hits are the fifth-most in program history and three shy of tying Kelly Brookhart and Ashley Cantu for third on the all-time record board.

West entered her senior season with 182 career hits, the most by a Bluejay in their first three seasons in program history.

The Choctaw, Okla. native has played in 194 career games and can become just the second Bluejay ever to record more than 50 hits in four straight seasons, joining Creighton Hall of Famer Christy Lunceford.

Most Career Hits, Creighton History

No. Name H Years

1. Christy Lunceford 245 1994-97

2. Heidi Geier 243 1996-99

3. Kelly Brookhart 218 1988-91

Ashley Cantu 218 2017-21

5. Lily West 215 2023-Pr.

6. Cayla Nielsen 209 2020-24

Sue Frederick 209 1986-89

8. Ellen Homan 203 2011-14

Wendy Moon 203 1991-94

10. Renae Sinkler 201 2007-10

Jean Tierney 201 1980-83

Most Hits, After 3 Seasons at Creighton

Hits Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Name Years

182 58 60 64 Lily West 2023-25

169 55 62 52 Christy Lunceford 1994-96

168 50 70 48 Heidi Geier 1996-98

162 52 67 43 Ellen Homan 2011-13

161 64 43 54 Wendy Moon 1991-93

159 42 59 58 Jean Tierney 1980-82

149 44 57 48 Ashley Cantu 2017-19

148 28 57 63 Kelly Brookhart 1988-90

142 51 41 50 Amy Baker 2010-12

140 21 69 50 Sue Frederick 1986-88

West Hitting Way Into Top-10

Nearly halfway through her senior season, Lily West continues her climb up the Bluejay ranks in career batting average, runs scored and runs batted in.

West currently ranks sixth on Creighton all-time career batting average list with a .340 career batting average, while owning 215 career hits. In addition, West sits eighth all-time with 115 career RBI and just outside the top 10 with 115 career runs scored.

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. .353 Kailey Wilson 168-476 2019-23

6. .340 Lily West 215-632 2023-Pr

7. .336 Renae Sinkler 201-599 2007-10

8. .333 Sydra Seville 133-399 2022-25

.333 Cayla Nielsen 209-627 2020-24

10. .331 Kiara Mills 123-372 2019-22

Lily's Keeping it 100

Lily West is looking to rewrite the record book in 2026 as the senior slugger closes in on multiple career milestones.

With a leadoff home run against Drake on Feb. 14, West became the 20th Bluejay in program history to record 100 career runs scored.

In addition, the senior slugger became the 13th Bluejay in program history to record 100 career RBI with two RBI against Seton Hall on March 6 and is now just four RBI away from tying Liz Dike for seventh on Creighton's all-time career RBI list.

West is just the second Bluejay in program history to record at least 200 career hits, 100 career RBI and 100 career runs scored, joining Bluejay Hall of Famer Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman.

Bluejays with 100 Career Hits & 100 Career RBI

No. Name RBI Hits Years

1. Amy Baker 167 191 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 146 201 2007-10

3. Abby Johnson 144 172 2002-05

4. Kailey Wilson 125 168 2019-23

5. Bailey Dawson 121 183 2006-09

Stacey Rybar 121 194 2001-04

7. Liz Dike 119 180 2012-15

8. Lily West 115 215 2023-Pr.

9. Jody Schwartz 113 179 1985-88

10. Christy Lunceford 110 245 1994-97

11. Lauren Cisneros 107 165 2003-06

12. Emma Rosonke 106 103 2021-24

13. Dede Pendleton 103 184 1991-95

Bluejays with 100 Career Runs Scored

No. Name R Years

1. Cayla Nielsen 137 2020-24

2. Stacey Rybar 132 2001-04

3. Jean Tierney 130 1980-83

4. Heidi Geier 129 1996-99

Ashley Cantu 129 2017-21

6. Sue Frederick 128 1986-89

7. Christy Lunceford 122 1994-97

8. Renae Sinkler 120 2007-10

9. Bailey Dawson 119 2006-09

10. Liz Dike 118 2012-15

11. Lily West 115 2023-Pr.

12. Lauren Cisneros 113 2003-06

13. Melanie Dorsey 112 2002-05

14. Mary Yori 108 1980-82

Michelle Graner 108 2007-10

16. Michelle Koch 106 2007-10

17. Shelly Esser 103 1992-95

18. Ellen Homan 102 2011-14

19. Madeline Vejvoda 100 2020-24

20. Wendy Moon 100 1991-94

West Staying Durable

Senior catcher Lily West has been a fixture in the Bluejays starting lineup since stepping foot on campus in 2023 and is reaching uncharted territory as she has started in all 194 games of her Bluejay career.

Her 194 consecutive starts is the longest starting streak by a Bluejay since at least 2010, surpassing the 185 consecutive starts by Kelsey Allender from 2013- 2016.

High Five

Senior Lily West tied a Creighton single-game record lasting seven innings or less on March 6 at Seton Hall when she went 5-for-6 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored.

Her five base hits tied Ashley Cantu for the most hits in a single non-extra inning game in program history. The five hits were also tied for the second-most in a single game ever, trailing only the six hits Kelly Brookhart had in a 31-inning contest against Utah in 1991.

In addition, West recorded four hits, falling a triple shy of the cycle, on March 7 at Seton Hall to tie for the fourth-most hits in a single game in school history.

CU's Single Game Hits

1. 6 - Kelly Brookhart 5/11/91*

2. 5 - Lily West at Seton Hall 3/6/26

5 - Ashley Cantu 2/8/20

4. 4 - Multiple times,

last by Lily West 3/7/26

Scoring BIG

Despite getting off to slow starts this season, Creighton has put up some big run scoring innings to supplement its early season success.

CU has manufactured some big scoring innings in contests, outscoring its opponents 40-9 in the second inning this season.

The Bluejays have scored four or more runs in a single inning 16 times this year, including a season-high eight runs in the 3rd inning of its comeback win over Northern Colorado on Feb. 27.

Below is a list of BIG scoring innings for the Bluejays this season.

Date Opponents Runs Inn.

2/6 Central Arkansas 4 2nd

2/6 Sam Houston 7 6th

2/7 Sam Houston 4 2nd

2/20 UT Arlington 5 6th

2/27 Northern Colorado 8 3rd

2/27 Northern Colorado 4 4th

2/27 Northern Colorado 4 5th

3/6 Seton Hall 7 2nd

3/6 Seton Hall 4 3rd

3/6 Seton Hall 7 7th

3/7 Seton Hall 6 2nd

3/7 Seton Hall 4 4th

3/10 Kansas City 5 4th

3/13 Providence 7 3rd

3/14 Providence 5 2nd

Catch Them If You Can

Creighton has soared around the base paths this season, racking up 53 stolen bases over the first 28 contests, including a season-high seven bags against Northern Colorado on Feb. 27.

CU's seven stolen bases were two shy of the school record and tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.

The seven stolen bases were also its most in a single game since the Jays also stole seven bags against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, 2025.

In addition, The Bluejays have stolen six bases on two additional occasions against South Dakota on both Feb. 8 and Feb. 20.

Creighton Single-Game Stolen Bases

1. 9 - vs. Connecticut 3/13/91

2. 7 - at Northern Colorado 2/27/26

7 - at UC Santa Barbara 3/2/25

7 - vs. Bradley 3/31/01

5. 6 - nine times, last vs. South Dakota 2/20/26

Last season, Creighton stole 72 bases, the most by a Bluejay squad since joining the BIG EAST in 2014 and the most by a Creighton team since the Jays swiped 82 bags during the 2005 season.

Below is a breakdown of the stolen bases totals since joining the BIG EAST in 2014 and Creighton's single season stolen base top 10 list.

Stolen Bases since Joining the BIG EAST

Year SB SB Att. SB%

2026 53 64 82.8

2025 72 84 85.7

2024 24 29 82.8

2023 20 26 75.9

2022 22 29 75.9

2021 14 18 77.8

2020 18 23 78.3

2019 29 40 72.5

2018 21 25 84.0

2017 22 34 64.7

2016 43 50 86.0

2015 30 39 76.9

2014 39 52 75.0

Creighton Team Stolen Bases

Stolen Bases

1. 89 1991

2. 83 1995

3. 82 2005

4. 79 1997

5. 74 1999

6. 72 2025

7. 71 1993

Friday Fever

Despite only owning a 12-16 record this season, Creighton has played some of its best softball of the year on Friday's.

The Bluejays are 7-3 this season on Friday, posting wins over Central Arkansas, Sam Houston, South Dakota, UT Arlington, Northern Colorado, Seton Hall and Providence.

In 10 Friday games this year, CU is hitting .354 with 16 doubles, seven triples and nine home runs, while outscoring its opponents 85-54.

On the flip side, Creighton is just 3-13 during its Saturday and Sunday contests, with its lone wins coming over Drake and Seton Hall. In those 16 contests, Creighton is hitting just .256 with 15 doubles and 12 home runs, while being outscored 105-66.

Swiper No Swiping

Senior Lily West has been mowing down the opposition on the base paths early on this season.

Twenty-eight games into her senior year, West has thrown out 10 would-be base-stealers this season, including two against UT Arlington on Feb. 22.

By comparison, West only threw out nine would-be base-stealers last season and just 11 in her first two seasons with the Bluejays in 2023-24.

The Choctaw, Okla. native is currently ranked tied for third in Division I for runners caught stealing.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Junior Ashten Pierson was hit by a pitch in the season opener against Central Arkansas on Feb. 6 and once more on against Providence on March 14, recording the 19th hit-by-pitch of her Bluejay career.

Pierson's 19 career hit-by-pitches are tied with Mileah McKelvy for the eighth-most all-time in a career at Creighton. She is now two hit by pitches shy of tying Sami Herbster for seventh on Creighton's top 10 career hit by pitch record list.

Last season, Pierson was hit by a pitch 12 times, a total that ranks tied with Jen Daro for second-most in a single season in program history.

CREIGHTON CAREER HIT BY PITCH TOP 10

No. Name HBP Years

1. Jen Daro 39 2014-17

2. Michelle Graner 34 2007-10

3. Alexis Cantu 29 2012-14

4. Michelle Koch 25 2007-10

Lauren Cisneros 25 2003-06

6. Alyssa Gappa 24 2021-24

7. Sami Herbster 21 2000-03

8. Ashten Pierson 19 2024-pr.

Mileah McKelvy 19 2016-20

9. Liz McKewon 18 2008-11

Walk This Way

Senior Erika Perez has walked 10 times during the Bluejays first 28 games this season, including five during the Jays opening weekend at the Bearkat Classic in Texas.

The Madera, Calif. native drew a career-high tying three walks in the Jays' 5-4 win over Central Arkansas in the season-opener before draw one addition walk in each contest against Sam Houston and South Dakota.

Perez's five walks during opening weekend were the second-most in the BIG EAST, trailing only the seven walks drawn by DePaul's Alexis Houge in the first week of play.

Perez has now drawn 61 walks in her Bluejay career and is now eight walks shy of tying Karla Hughes for 10th on Creighton's career walks record board.

Creighton Career Walks Top 10

No. Name BB Years

1. Michelle Graner 111 2007-10

2. Alexis Cantu 110 2012-14

3. Amy Baker 104 2010-13

4. Kailey Wilson 94 2019-23

5. Abby Johnson 85 2002-05

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

- Erika Perez 61 2023-Pr.

Magic Number 5

Since the turn of the century, Creighton has had tremendous success when scoring five or more runs and the Bluejays look to continued that success this season after owning a 25-4 record when scoring five or more runs last spring.

Over the last 26 seasons, Creighton is 410-62 when scoring five or more runs. In the same time span Creighton is 248-443-3 when scoring four runs or fever.

Creighton is also 194-44 when scoring five or more runs in a game since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, including a 10-4 record this season.

During that same time frame the Bluejays are 114-5 when scoring eight or more runs, which included a 6-0 record this year. Prior to Creighton's 22-18 loss to Connecticut on March 28, 2025, Creighton had won 29 consecutive games when scoring eight or more runs.

Additionally, Creighton had won 35 straight games when scoring 10+ runs, before March 28th setback to the Huskies. Overall, the Bluejays have won 48 of their last 49 games when scoring more than 10 runs.

RUNS, RUNS, RUNS!!!

Creighton scored a season-high 20 runs and tied a school record with 22 hits in a 20-11 win at Northern Colorado on February 27 and immediately followed it up with another 20 runs and 21 hits in the Jays' 20-10 BIG EAST opening win over Seton Hall on March 6.

The Bluejays' 20 runs scored are tied for the second-most in program history and the most in a single game since CU set a program record with 24 runs scored against Toledo on Feb. 8, 2020.

The 31 combined runs between Creighton and Northern Colorado on Feb. 27 were the fifth-most run scored in a Creighton game in program history, while the 30 combined runs between the Bluejays and Pirates on March 6 marked the sixth-most runs scored in a game in school history.

Creighton Single-Game High for Runs

Rk Runs Opponent Date

1. 24 vs. Toledo 2/8/20

2. 20 at Seton Hall 3/6/26

20 at Northern Colorado 2/27/26

20 vs. College of Saint Mary 2/9/00

4. 19 Butler 4/13/25

19 vs. Howard 3/4/12

6. 18 Connecticut 3/28/25

18 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2/11/12

18 vs. Saint Louis 2/20/09

18 at Nebraska Wesleyan 5/1/78

18 at Peru State 4/12/77

Combined Runs in a Single-Game

Rk Runs Opponent Date

1. 40 vs. Connecticut (L, 18-22) 3/28/25

2. 35 vs. Peru State (W, 18-17) 4/12/77

3. 33 vs. College of Saint Mary (W, 17-16) 4/17/77

4. 32 vs. South Dakota (L, 12-20) 4/8/15

5. 31 at Northern Colorado (W, 20-11) 2/27/26

6. 30 at Seton Hall (W, 20-11) 3/6/26

7. 27 vs. Nebraska (L, 8-19) 2/24/96

7. 26 vs. South Dakota (L, 6-20) 2/24/17

26 vs. Providence (W, 14-12) 3/23/16

26 at Peru State (L, 11-15) 4/11/77

Record Setting Run Production

Creighton swept Seton Hall in the BIG EAST opening weekend, scoring a combined 44 runs in the three-game series.

CU's 44 runs scored are the most in any three-game span in program history, surpassing the previous high of 42 runs scored during the first three games of the 2012 season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Bluejay Bash

In one of Creighton's highest-scoring games in program history, the Bluejays tied a school record. The Jays topped Northern Colorado, 20-11, on February 27 in Greeley, Colo., tying the school record with 22 hits in the lopsided win.

The Bluejays 22 hits matched the school record, previously done against Howard on March 4, 2012, and at Drake on April 9, 2002.

Additionally, the Bluejays racked up 21 hits in its 20-10 BIG EAST opener at Seton Hall on March 6, marking the fourth-most hits in a single game in program history.

The Jays' 22 hits on Feb. 27 are tied for the ninth-most in a single game in Division I this season, while the 21 hits on March 6 at Seton Hall are tied for the 16th-most in a game this spring.

Creighton Single-Game High for Hits

1. 22 - at Northern Colorado 2/27/26

22 - vs. Howard 3/4/12

22 - at Drake (Game 1) 4/9/02

4. 21 - at Seton Hall 3/6/26

5. 20 - at UMKC 4/18/96

6. 18 - vs. Toledo 2/8/20

18 - at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Game 2) 2/11/12

18 - vs. Wichita State 4/1/00

18 - vs. Bellevue (Neb.) 2/8/99

Bring the BIG EAST Broom

With a series sweep of Seton Hall last weekend, Creighton completed its third consecutive BIG EAST series sweep, dating back it last season when the Jays swept DePaul and Seton Hall to end the year.

Last weekend's series sweep of Seton Hall also marked the 14th series sweep for the Bluejays since joining the BIG EAST in 2014. Seven of Creighton's 14 BIG EAST series sweeps have come since Krista Wood took over as head coach prior to the 2023 season.

Below is a list of all the series sweeps Creighton has had since 2014.

CU's BIG EAST Series Sweeps

Opponents Date

at Seton Hall March 6-8, 2026

Seton Hall May 2-4, 2025

at DePaul April 25-27, 2025

Butler April 11-13, 2025

at Georgetown April 4-6, 2025

DePaul April 27-28, 2024

Georgetown March 28-30, 2024

Seton Hall April 2-3, 2021

Villanova May 5-6, 2018

at Seton Hall April 21-22, 2018

Seton Hall April 14-15, 2017

Georgetown April 9-10, 2016

Providence May 3-4, 2014

Villanova April 5-6, 2014

Bluejay Trio Sweeps BIG EAST Weekly Awards

Senior Lily West, junior Brooklyn Patchen and freshman Zoey Greenwood were all been honored by the BIG EAST Conference on March 9th after guiding the Bluejays to a sweep of Seton Hall this past weekend. West was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week, Patchen was tabbed the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week and Greenwood earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week acclaim.

West, a Choctaw, Okla. native, hit a blistering .714 (10-of-14) and recorded a 1.143 slugging percentage with three doubles, a home run, seven RBI and six runs scored, while becoming the 11th Bluejay in program history to record 200 career hits and just the 13th player ever to record 100 career RBI as Creighton opened BIG EAST play 3-0. This is the senior's third career BIG EAST Player of the week award as she also claimed the honor in April of 2024 and February of 2025.

Patchen was dominant in the circle this past week, recording a 1.91 ERA and a 1-0 record, while striking out three and limiting her opponents to just nine hits in 7.1 innings of work. This marked the Whitehouse, Ohio native's first BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award of her career.
Greenwood, meanwhile, had a pair of multi-hit games as she hit .462 with two doubles, a triple, five RBI and seven runs scored in a series sweep over Seton Hall last week. This marks the first BIG EAST weekly honor of Greenwood's career as she joins Keegan Mayhue as the second Bluejay to earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors this season.

Driving Em' In

Creighton drove in a season-high 19 runs in the Bluejays' 20-10 BIG EAST opening win at Seton Hall on March 6.

The Bluejays 19 RBI are the second-most in a single game in program history, trailing only the 21 RBI during the Jays' school record 24-0 win over Toledo on Feb. 8, 2020.

In addition, CU has also recorded the third-most RBI in a single game this season, when they drove in 18 runs during its 20-11 win at Northern Colorado on Feb. 27.

Below is a list of the top single-game RBI outputs in program history.

Creighton Single-Game RBI History

No. Opponent Date

21 vs. Toledo 2/8/20

19 at Seton Hall 3/6/26

18 at Northern Colo. 2/2726

18 vs. Howard 3/4/12

18 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2/11/12

18 vs. Saint Louis 2/20/09

18 vs. College of St. Mary 2/9/00

Driving in All The Runs

Senior Erika Perez had a career day, driving in a career-high six runs on four hits in Creighton's 20-10 victory over Seton Hall on March 6 in New Jersey.

Perez's six RBI are tied for the fourth-most in a single game in program history and the most in a game since Sydney Potter drove in seven runs on a pair of home runs against Butler last season.

The Madera, Calif. native owns 17 RBI this season, including three or more on three separate occasions.

CU's Single Game RBI Record List

Runs Batted In

1. 8 - Alexis Cantu 4/6/12

2. 7 - Sydney Potter 4/13/25

7 - Stacey Rybar 4/26/03

4. 6 - Marie Gieron 4/12/00

6 - Kari Shank 4/7/01

6 - Abby Johnson 4/3/04

6 - Renae Sinkler 2/20/09

6 - Amy Baker 4/5/10

6 - Jen Daro 2/20/16

6 - Sam Dellinger 3/25/17

6 - Mileah McKelvy 4/17/18

6 - Cayla Nielsen 4/23/23

6 - Alyssa Gappa 5/10/24

6 - Erika Perez 3/6/26

Two-Hits, One Inning

Creighton has players record two hits in the same inning on three separate occasions this season, including twice last weekend at Seton Hall.

In the Jays' 20-10 win on March 6, Ashten Pierson recorded two hits in the Bluejays 7-run second inning, while Lily West delivered a pair of hits during the Jays' 7-run seventh.

In addition, junior Avery Barnard recording a pair of hits during CU's 7-run sixth against Sam Houston on Feb. 6.

Prior to this season, the last Bluejay to collect two hits in the same inning was Madeline Vejvoda against Omaha on April 23, 2024.

West and Perez Nearly Hit For Cycle

Senior Erika Perez nearly became the first Bluejay ever to hit for the cycle, finished March 6th BIG EAST opener at Seton Hall 4-for-5 with a single, double and triple and a career-high six RBI.

The senior slugger singled in the first and third and tripled in the second, before capping off the game with a stand-up double in the seventh.

Senior Lily West then nearly completed the feature the following day (March 7) going 4-for-4 with a single, two doubles and a home run, while driving in a career-high tying five runs.

The Choctaw, Okla. native blasted a two-run home run in the first, doubled in the second and fourth and lined a single in the third to cap off a 15-3 victory over the Pirates.

League Opener History

Creighton cruised to a 20-10 win at Seton Hall on March 6, improving to 25-15 all-time in conference openers.

Head coach Krista Wood also moved to 6-5 in conference openers as a Division I coach, which includes a 2-2 mark at Creighton and a 4-3 mark at South Dakota State.

Creighton is now 7-5 in BIG EAST openers and have won 14 of its last 20 conference opening-games, which includes wins in the final seven Missouri Valley Conference lid-lifters.

In the previous 24 seasons that Creighton has won its conference opener, it has finished .500 or better in league play 21 times and owns a combined .647 (299-163-1) winning percentage during league contests.

In the 15 years in which Creighton's lost its league opener, the Bluejays have finished with a losing record on eight occasions and owns a combined .461 (129-151) winning percentage during league games.

In addition, Creighton is now 26-14 overall and 2-2 under Coach Wood in league road openers.

Bluejays Tabbed Fourth In Preseason Poll

Fresh off its second consecutive BIG EAST Finals appearance and its first back-to-back 30-win seasons since 2009-10, the Creighton softball team was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Friday, January 16.

It's just the second time in Creighton's 13 years in the BIG EAST Conference that the Bluejays have been picked second, as the 2014 squad was also picked second in the Jays inaugural season in the league. It is the Bluejays highest preseason pool ranking since being the league favorites in 2019.

Creighton collected two first-place votes and earned 51 points in the poll, trailing only St. John's six first-place votes and 62 overall points. Defending BIG EAST Tournament champs Connecticut received the final first-place vote and tied Creighton with 51 points for second, just ahead of Villanova, who was tabbed fourth with 50 points.

Providence was picked to finish fifth with 32 points, while Butler came in right behind with 31 points. The bottom three teams in the pool are Seton Hall (24), DePaul (15) and Georgetown (8).

2026 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. St. John's (6) - 61

T2. Creighton (2) - 51

T2. UConn (1) - 51

4. Villanova - 50

5. Providence - 32

6. Butler - 31

7. Seton Hall - 24

8. DePaul - 15

9. Georgetown - 8

Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History

Year Preseason Pick Actual Finish

2014 2nd 4th

2015 5th 7th

2016 5th T-5th

2017 5th 6th

2018 5th 2nd

2019 1st 6th

2020 4th N/A

2021 5th 4th

2022 4th 8th

2023 5th T-8th

2024 6th T-2nd

2025 4th T-3rd

2026 2nd TBD

Krista vs. The BIG EAST

Throughout her career, head coach Krista Wood's teams played some of their best softball against BIG EAST competition.

In her fourth season with the Bluejays, Wood's currently owns a 47-41 record in the BIG EAST (includes BIG EAST Tournament) with at least two victories over every team in the league.

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

In total, Wood's owns a 68-46 overall record against teams from the BIG EAST.

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

Krista Wood's Record against BIG EAST Teams

Opponent SDSU CU

Butler 3-0 8-3

Creighton 10-4 0-0

DePaul 2-0 8-1

Georgetown 0-0 7-2

Providence 2-1 6-7

Seton Hall 1-0 7-5

St. John's 1-0 6-5

Connecticut 0-0 3-10

Villanova 2-0 2-8

Totals 21-5 47-41

Mayhue The Magnificent

Keegan Mayhue was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the first time in her young career, the league announced on March 2.

Mayhue started all five games for the Bluejays at the Colorado Classic, posting a .313 (5-of-16) batting average with a double and a team-high three home runs and nine RBI on a .938 slugging percentage.

The freshman slugger started the weekend with a 1-for-3 showing at the plate, with her lone hit coming in a big way as she blasted a three-run home run to erase an early deficit to Northern Colorado.

Mayhue followed that up by going 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBI while recording the first multi-home run game of her career in the Bluejays' 20-11 record setting win over Northern Colorado. She opened the day by launching her first collegiate grand slam to give the Jays its first lead of the day, before following it up with a solo home run and an RBI double to lead the Bluejays to victory.

The Elm Mott, Texas native would then close out the Colorado Classic by going 1-for-3 with a run scored in the first meeting with Colorado State on Saturday afternoon.

An Historic Comeback For the Ages

Creighton pulled off a comeback for the ages, erasing an 9-0 deficit with eight runs in the third inning and four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to knock off Northern Colorado, 20-11, on Friday, February 27.

The victory marked Creighton's largest comeback win in program history and snapped a 31-game losing streak when allowing 10 or more runs, dating back to a 13-12 win over Kansas City on April 17, 2018.

Creighton picked up just its sixth victory since 2000 when the opposition scores 10 or more runs. The Jays are now 6-80 (.070) during the past 26 years when allowing 10 or more runs.

The Bluejays, however, improved to 124-5 (.961) since the turn of the century when scoring 10 or more runs in a contest, which includes wins in 46 of their last 47 contests.

Wood Earns 600th Win

Krista Wood surpassed 600 career coaching wins, picking up the milestone victory with a 4-0 shutout win over South Dakota on Feb. 20 at the Boerner Invitational in Texas.

Wood has won more than 200 games at both Wayne State College and South Dakota State and owns a 608-412 career record and a .596 career winning percentage in 20 seasons and 1020 games as a head coach.

Wood is one of 46 active Division I softball coaches, and only 102 active softball coaches across all levels, to own 600 or more victories. She joined Villanova's Bridget Orchard (966) as the only BIG EAST coaches to record more than 600 wins in their coaching careers.

Krista Wood's Milestone Victories

Date W-L Opponent & Site Score

3/4/07 1-0 WSC vs Dominican (NY) 6-1

2/26/10 100-68 WSC vs Pittsburg St. 4-2

4/11/12 200-114 Upper Iowa at WSC 6-4

3/10/16 300-198 SDSU vs. Holy Cross 14-3

4/21/19 400-282 Purdue Ft. Wayne at SDSU 6-4

4/28/22 500-315 St. Thomas at SDSU 10-0

2/20/26 600-403 CU vs. South Dakota 4-0

A Grand Occasion

A win over Drake on Feb. 14 marked Krista Wood's 1,000th game as a head coach in 20 seasons in the dugout.

Wood's boasts a 608-412 record, which includes a 270-154 record at Wayne State from 2007-14, a 238-164 record from 2015-22 at South Dakota State and a 100-94 record from 2023-Present at Creighton.

With a 4-0 shutout win over South Dakota on Feb. 20, Wood's became just the second active head coach in the BIG EAST to record 600 career victories, joining Villanova's Bridget Orchard (966).

Here's a breakdown of her record per 100 games.

Game # W-L Result Year

1 1-0 Beat Dominican (NY), 6-1 2007

100 57-43 Lost to St. Cloud State, 2-0 2008

200 126-74 Lost to Omaha, 8-1 2010

300 192-108 Beat Northern State, 5-2 2012

400 255-145 Beat Upper Iowa, 11-1 (6 inn.) 2014

500 301-199 Beat Hampton, 13-7 2016

600 343-257 Beat Niagara, 9-6 2018

700 410-290 Lost to Murray State, 1-0 2020

800 487-313 Beat Omaha, 6-3 2022

900 543-357 Lost to St. John's, 10-0 (5 inn.) 2024

1000 599-401 Beat Drake, 3-2 (5 inn.) 2026

Bluejays Surpass 2,500 Games Played

Creighton surpassed 2,500 games played as a Division I program, falling to Wichita State, 8-0, on Feb 21, 2026.

The Bluejays own a 1,483-1,029-3 all-time record, outscoring its opponents 10,222-7,692, an average margin of 1.01 runs per game in 2,515 games as a program.

Creighton is 16-10 all-time in games where it surpasses any 100 games played milestone, as seen below.

Game #W-L Result Year

1 0-1 Lost to College of St. Mary, 5-7 1977

100 56-44 Beat Nebraska-Kearney, 10-0 1980

200 140-60 Beat Nebraska, 1-0 1981

300 207-93 Lost to Missouri, 1-2 1983

400 278-122 Beat Oklahoma City, 1-0 1985

500 344-156 Lost to Iowa State, 0-1 1987

600 416-184 Beat Utah, 4-0 1989

700 480-220 Beat Ball State, 2-0 1991

800 530-270 Beat Southern Utah, 4-3 (13 Inn.) 1992

900 580-320 Lost to Kansas, 1-5 1994

1000 633-367 Lost to Nebraska, 1-5 1996

1100 688-412 Beat Bradley, 3-0 1998

1200 747-453 Lost to Nebraska, 2-3 (8 Inn.) 2000

1300 801-499 Beat Stephen F. Austin, 1-0 2002

1400 852-548 Beat Wichita State, 5-1 2004

1500 932-567-1 Beat Kansas, 3-2 2005

1600 989-610-1 Beat Evansville, 5-4 (8 Inn.) 2007

1700 1057-641-2 Beat North Dakota State, 5-0 2009

1800 1122-676-2 Lost to UT Arlington, 1-2 (8 inn.) 2011

1900 1171-726-3 Beat New Mexico, 5-1 2013

2000 1229-768-3 Beat Pacific, 2-0 2015

2100 1277-820-3 Lost to South Dakota, 6-20 2017

2200 1330-867-3 Beat South Dakota State, 1-0 2019

2300 1379-918-3 Beat Seton Hall, 4-2 (9 inn.) 2022

2400 1421-976-3 Lost to Nebraska, 0-9 (5 inn.) 2024

2500 1476-1021-3 Lost to Wichita State, 0-8 (6 inn.) 2026

Leadoff Power

Senior Lily West moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup this past weekend at the Bear Down Fiesta and delivered in a big way, blasting a leadoff home run in the Jays 3-2 win over Drake on Feb. 14.

The leadoff homer marked the second leadoff home run of West's Bluejay career and the first leadoff home run by a Bluejay since she delivered a leadoff home run against Georgetown on March 28, 2024.

Schultz Swipes

Kaelan Schultz entered her junior season having recorded just one stolen base in her first two seasons with the Bluejays.

She, however, flashed her speed on opening weekend, recording two stolen bases in five games at the Bearkat Classic. One of those stolen bases was a perfectly executed double steal, in which Schultz stole home for the Bluejays first run of the game against South Dakota on Feb. 8.

With her steal of home, Schultz became the third Bluejay in the last four years (since head coach Krista Wood's arrival) to steal home and the first do it since Ashten Pierson stole home against DePaul last season.

Prior to head coach Krista Wood's arrival in 2023, the last time Creighton had stolen home was in 2011.

Making a First Impression

Sophomore Tara Vandewater made an immediate impact in her first week as a Bluejay, earning a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

The Winterset, Iowa native, posted a team-best .462 (6-of-13) batting average with two home runs, a double and two stolen bases, while registering a 1.000 slugging percentage and a team-high six RBI.

She made a lasting impression in her first game, blasting a three-run home run to left in her first Bluejay at-bat and driving in a career-high four runs during the Jays' 5-4 season-opening win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 6.

With her first career home run in her first Bluejay at-bat, Vandewater became the first Creighton player to homer in her Bluejay debut since Sara Loeffelholz launched a homer in her Creighton debut against Indiana State in 2009.

Season Opener History

Creighton opened the 2026 campaign with an 5-4 win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 6, lifting the Bluejays to 24-26 (.480) all-time in season-openers.

The Bluejays are now 3-1 in lid-lifters under Krista Wood, but just 5-8 in season-openers since joining the BIG EAST in 2013.

The Bluejays, however, have outscored foes by an average of 4.28 to 4.10 runs per game in the 50 season-openers.

Head coach Krista Wood is 15-5 all-time in lid-lifters, including an 8-5 mark at the Division I level. Wood also sported a 7-1 record in season-openers at Wayne State College.

Krista Wood in Season-Openers

Date School Opponent Result

3/4/07 Wayne St. Dominican College W, 6-1

3/3/08 Wayne St. St. Anselm (N.Y.) W, 2-0

2/20/09 Wayne St. Colorado Mines W, 3-2

2/26/10 Wayne St. Washburn L, 2-3 (8)

2/18/11 Wayne St. Regis W, 8-0

3/3/12 Wayne St. Gannon W, 6-4

3/3/13 Wayne St. W. Virgina Wesleyan W, 5-4

2/21/14 Wayne St. Nebraska-Kearney W, 11-2

2/7/15 SDSU Utah State W, 6-4

2/12/16 SDSU Green Bay L, 7-10

2/10/17 SDSU Montana L, 5-6

2/9/18 SDSU Kansas City W, 5-3

2/8/19 SDSU Saint Louis W, 6-0

2/7/20 SDSU DePaul W, 4-1

2/12/21 SDSU Iowa State L, 2-4

2/11/22 SDSU Northern Iowa W, 2-1 (9)

2/11/23 Creighton Detroit Mercy W, 4-3

2/9/24 Creighton Southern Illinois L, 0-3

2/7/25 Creighton Purdue Ft. Wayne W, 8-4

2/6/25 Creighton Central Arkansas W, 5-4

It Gets Earlier Every Year

Creighton's season-opener at the Bearkat Classic against Central Arkansas took place on February 6, tied for the second-earliest start date for a season-opener in Creighton Softball history.

The only earlier starts in program history came in 2015 (Feb. 5) when the Jays defeated Pacific, 2-0, at the Kajikawa Classic is Tempe, Ariz.

In comparison, Creighton's season-opener in 1977, its first season as a program, didn't take place until March 28.

Making Opening Statements

Despite holding a 24-26 record in season-openers, Creighton has outscored its opponents 214-205 in 50 season-opening contests.

In the Bluejays' 24 victories, they have averaged an impressive 6.92 runs per game, including five or more runs on 13 different occasions. The Bluejays have also held its opponents to just 1.50 runs per contests in its 24 lid-lifting victories.

Creighton, however, has only averaged 1.85 runs per game and has allowed 6.04 runs per contests during its 26 season-opening losses.

CU Season-Opener Run Differential

CU Runs Scored Runs Allowed

Overall 214 (4.28) 205 (4.10)

In Wins 166 (6.92) 36 (1.50)

In Losses 48 (1.85) 169 (6.04)

Mix of Old and New

Creighton returns 13 letterwinners and seven starters from last season's squad that went 30-25 and finished as the BIG EAST Tournament runner-up for a second consecutive season. The Bluejays also reloaded, bringing in 11 newcomers to the softball program.

Of this season's 11 new faces, eight are freshmen and three are incoming transfers from, Oklahoma State, North Texas and McLennan CC.

Of note, this is the fourth straight season the Bluejays have had at least nine newcomers join the program.

Making an Entrance

Creighton has had all 11 newcomers and Mazie Flud make their Bluejay debuts over the first three weekends of the season. Of those 11 players who made their debut, six made their Creighton debut in the Jays starting lineup.

Senior Ashley Smetter is the only current Bluejay to record multiple hits in her debut, while Tara Vandewater drove in a career-high four runs and became the first Bluejays to hit a home run in their Bluejay debut since 2009.

Below is a look at how Creighton's current players have performed in their Creighton debuts.

Name AB H R 2B HR RBI

Dalton 0 0 1 0 0 0

Perez* 3 1 0 0 0 1

West** 3 1 0 0 0 0

Pierson** 2 0 0 0 0 0

Schultz** 2 0 0 0 0 0

Davis 0 0 1 0 0 0

Patchen 0 0 0 0 0 0

Nakasawa** 3 1 0 0 0 0

Smetter** 4 2 1 0 0 1

Barnard 1 0 0 0 0 0

McCutcheon 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ramos 1 0 0 0 0 0

Bailey** 3 0 0 0 0 0

Vandewater** 2 1 1 0 1 4

Greenwood* 3 0 0 0 0 0

Trevino 1 0 0 0 0 0

Vazquez 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mayhue* 3 0 0 0 0 0

Martinez 1 0 0 0 0 0

Flud 1 0 0 0 0 0

Name IP H R ER K BB

Patchen 1.1 5 5 5 1 2

Drehs* 0.0 3 2 2 0 0

Gilman 5.2 3 1 0 2 2

Harris* 1.1 2 0 0 1 2

Maloney 1.0 3 4 4 1 1

* - Started Bluejay Debut

**-Started Bluejay Debut in Season-Opener

Freshmen Contribution

Since joining the BIG EAST in 2014, Creighton had only had 14 true freshmen start the Bluejays season opener. On Feb. 6 vs. Central Arkansas, that number rose to 15 as Emma Bailey got the starting nod in right field.

This marked the first time a freshman had started the season-openers since Ashten Pierson earned the starting job at shortstop in 2024, when she became the first freshman in league history to earn BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, Lily West is the only other active Bluejay to have started a season-opener as a freshman, earning the starting role behind the plate for the season-opener in 2023.

Below is a list of Bluejay freshmen to earn a season-opening start since 2013.

Bluejay Freshman to Start Season Opener Since 2013

Year Name Position

*2026 Emma Bailey Right Field

*2024 Ashten Pierson Shortstop

*2024 Sydney Potter DP

*2023 Lily West Catcher

2023 Natalia Puchino Pitcher

2023 Ensley Frame Shortstop

2019 Kailey Wilson DP

2019 Sam Alm First Base

2017 Ashley Cantu Right Field

2017 Sam Dellinger Left Field

2015 Tash Coffiel Third Base

2014 Jen Daro First Base

2014 Jessica Lewis Second Base

2013 Kelsey Allender Left Field

Current Player in Bold

Starting On The Right Foot

Creighton opened the 2026 season with a 2-3 showing at the Bearkat Classic on Feb 6-8 in Huntsville, Texas. It was the ninth time since joining the BIG EAST in 2014 that Creighton has finished the first weekend of the season with two or more wins, including all four seasons under head coach Krista Wood.

The last time Creighton finished with fewer than two wins in the opening weekend of the season was in 2021 when the Bluejays were swept in a three-game series at Wichita State. On the flip side, the last time Creighton finished the opening weekend with fewer than two losses was 2012 when the Bluejays swept a four-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and started the season 7-0.

Additionally, the last time Creighton opened the year with a perfect showing at a tournament was in 2007 when Creighton went 5-0 at the UCA Spring Clash in Conway, Arkansas.

2026: 2-3 in Huntsville, Texas

2025: 3-2 in Conway, S.C.

2024: 3-2 in San Marcos, Texas

2023: 2-2 in Rosemont, Ill.

2022: 3-2 in El Paso, Texas

2021: 0-3 at Wichita State

2020: 3-2 in San Antonio, Texas

2019: 1-4 in Las Cruces, N.M.

2018: 3-2 in Las Vegas, Nev.

2017: 1-4 in Tempe, Ariz.

2016: 1-4 in Tempe, Ariz.

2015: 3-2 in Tempe, Ariz.

2014: 3-2 in Tempe, Ariz.

Tough Sledding

Creighton has never shied away from playing a tough schedule, and that is no different in 2026. The Bluejays will play five different teams that made the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as well as Preseason Top 25 ranked Arizona on Feb. 15 and Nebraska on March 31.

Production Returns

Creighton returns seven regular starters from last spring's team that finished 30-25 and capped off the year as the runner-up in the BIG EAST Tournament for a second consecutive season.

All told, CU returns 64.4 percent of its starts, 63.3 percent of its hits, 64.5 percent of its runs, 68.1 percent of its doubles, 57.4 percent of its home runs, 65.4 percent of its RBI, 61.1 percent of its stolen bases and 72.5 percent of its walks off last year's squad.

The Bluejays, however, only return 33.2 percent of its innings pitched, 37.8 percent of its strikeouts, 36.7 percent of its pitching wins and 58.9 percent of its putouts from last season's team.

Below is a breakdown of the production that is back:

Stat Returners Departures

Starts 354 (64.4%) 196 (35.6%)

Hits 300 (63.3%) 174 (36.7%)

Runs 207 (64.5%) 114 (35.5%)

Doubles 47 (68.1%) 22 (31.9%)

Home Runs 31 (57.4%) 23 (42.6%)

RBI 191 (65.4%) 101 (34.6%)

Walks 124 (72.5%) 47 (27.5%)

Stolen Bases 44 (61.1%) 28 (38.9%)

IP 124.0 (33.2%) 249.0 (66.8%)

K's 96 (37.8%) 158 (62.2%)

Wins 11 (36.7%) 19 (63.3%)

PO 659 (58.9%) 460 (41.1%)

Coaching is Key

After leading the Bluejays to a 30-25 record in 2025, its first back-to-back 30-win seasons since 2009-10, and a runner-up finish in both the BIG EAST Tournament for a second consecutive season, head coach Krista Wood's expectations are higher than ever as the Creighton Softball program seeks its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.

In just three seasons as the Creighton head coach, Wood has engineered one of the nation's greatest turnarounds.

She has coached seven first team and four
second team All-BIG EAST picks, while also recruiting and coaching the 2024 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year (Natalia Puchino) and the two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year (Ashten Pierson). In addition, Wood has also coached five NFCA All-Great Lakes Region, 11 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and 38 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete members during her first three seasons.

Softball Continues Homestand Against Iowa State and Villanova

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Players Mentioned

Emma Bailey

Avery Barnard

Ella Dalton

Mazie Flud

Alyssa Gappa

Audrey Gilman

Zoey Greenwood

Keegan Mayhue

Cayla Nielsen

Brooklyn Patchen

Erika Perez

Ashten Pierson

Sydney Potter

Natalia Puchino

Emma Rosonke

Kaelan Schultz

Sydra Seville

Ashley Smetter

Tara Vandewater

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

Softball Continues Homestand Against Iowa State and Villanova

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emma Bailey

Avery Barnard

Ella Dalton

Mazie Flud

Alyssa Gappa

Audrey Gilman

Zoey Greenwood

Keegan Mayhue

Cayla Nielsen

Brooklyn Patchen

Erika Perez

Ashten Pierson

Sydney Potter

Natalia Puchino

Emma Rosonke

Kaelan Schultz

Sydra Seville

Ashley Smetter

Tara Vandewater

Madeline Vejvoda

Lily West

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