CHICAGO, Ill. -- Villanova softball (22-18, 13-2) aims to build off its fourth BIG EAST sweep of 2024 as the Wildcats travel to the Midwest for a three-game series opposite the DePaul Blue Demons from Apr. 19-21.

'CATS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Villanova's lineup has been potent this year in a number of ways, defeating opponents in a number of ways en route to a first place standing with three weeks to play. VU leads the conference and ranks top 50 in the nation for on base percentage (.389), including the BIG EAST's OBP leaders Ally Jones (.488) and Tess Cites (.478). A big piece of that ability to get on the basepaths has been patience at the plate, leading to the country's fifth most walks (184) and an average of 0.89 walks per game from Jones for the fifth individual mark nationally. The pitching staff has been stingy with its number of bases on balls, maintaining the 58th highest strikeout-to-walk ratio in the nation as Caroline Pellicano leads the conference and places 10th nationally at 0.89 walks per seven innings. 

LIVING BY THE LONG BALL
As has become tradition under head coach Bridget Orchard and hitting coach Gabby Luety, the Wildcats are built on power. So far in 2024, Villanova has already blasted 48 dingers, which ties for fourth in program history for a single season with 10 games still to play. The 'Cats are averaging 1.20 homers per game, leading the conference and 22nd in the nation. And it's been coming from everyone, with six players belting five or more bombs and first career tanks coming off the bats of five Wildcats. Villanova's power came to a head in the 17-5 victory at Providence on March 17, where five players sent balls out of the yard, and against St. John's with a quartet of two-run bombs in the same game

BREAKING DOWN THE BLUE DEMONS

• DePaul enters the weekend at last place in the BIG EAST, owning a mark of 8-29 with just a 3-12 league record. DPU has lost five in a row and recorded only two wins in the past month of action.
• It's been a disappointing season for the Blue Demons, who were projected to finish fourth in the conference but have won just a singular BIG EAST series. DePaul won both halves of a doubleheader against Georgetown in the opening league series but has been swept by UConn, St. John's and Providence with the only other victory being a 9-inning triumph over Butler.
• Two DPU hitters have done the heavy lifting so far in 2024, led by Brooke Johnson's 1.185 OPS in a 39-hit, 30-run, nine-homer season thus far as the league's toughest hitter to strike out. Catcher Riley Pool maintains a .355 batting average with 33 hits, but the rest of the Blue Demons are hitting below .235 outside of reserve Lydia Ettema (.353 average in 17 at bats).
• The Blue Demon pitching staff has done it by committee this year as three hurlers have appeared in over 20 games, led by Bella Nigey's 15 games started with four wins, five complete games and 41 strikeouts. Brenna Smith owns a staff-best 3.25 ERA and .257 BAA as Katey Pierce has tossed just under 60 innings, with Abbey Pochie and Ettema each throwing over 14 frames.
• DePaul has been dominant in the all-time series between the two squads though, with Villanova owning a 13-32 record against DPU and just a pair of wins in 19 matchups in the Windy City.

Live stat links for each of the games this week can be found at villanova.statbroadcast.com, and all three contests will stream on FloSoftball.

Keep up with the Villanova University softball program through social media by following on Twitter (@VUSoftball) and Instagram (@novasoftball) and 'liking' on Facebook (/VUSoftball).