Softball Travels to Chicago to Face Northwestern and DePaul
4/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 28, 2008
#1 Alabama vs. #12 Northwestern & #23 DePaul
NU - Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (1 p.m.)
DePaul - Tuesday, April 29, 2008 (3 p.m.)
Cacciatore Stadium (1,000) • Chicago, Ill.
Radio: WVUA 90.7 FM • Internet: www.RollTide.com
Leading Off: No. 1/3 Alabama has reeled off 25 straight wins overall and 20 in a row in SEC play headed into its showdown with No. 12 Northwestern and No. 23 DePaul at the Blue Demons' Cacciatore Stadium in Chicago on Tuesday. The 25-game winning streak is tied for the second longest in school history behind a 27-game streak in 2001 and with the 25-game streak in 2007. The Crimson Tide (46-3, 23-2 SEC) have clinched the SEC Western Division and are one game back in the loss column of Florida for the overall SEC Championship.
Opponent Summary: Northwestern is coming off of a four-game road trip in the Big Ten over the weekend, taking two games at Penn State on Friday and Saturday before splitting a doubleheader at Michigan on Sunday. The Wildcats (32-11, 16-2 Big Ten) are ranked 12th in the USA Today/NFCA poll. DePaul (40-14, 13-5 Big East) has reeled off nine consecutive wins and enter the Alabama game ranked 23rd nationally. The Blue Demons swept two Big East games from Connecticut and Providence over the weekend in Chicago.
Series History: Alabama's series history with both Northwestern and DePaul has gone through Oklahoma City and the Women's College World Series on several occasions. The Crimson Tide has faced the Blue Demons twice in OKC with a 2-0 record, while the Wildcats beat Alabama 6-5 in the 2006 WCWS. The Tide own a 4-1 edge in the all-time series against DePaul. The Alabama and Northwestern series is tied with one win apiece. UA beat the Wildcats, 5-1, in 2004 at the Palm Springs Classic.
On Deck: The Crimson Tide finishes the regular season with a three-game series at Georgia on May 3-4. The series begins with a doubleheader on May 3 starting at 1 p.m. with the finale set for 1 p.m. on May 4. The Southeastern Conference Tournament is slated for May 8-10 in Baton Rouge, La., at Tiger Park.
