DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team enters the final week of the regular season with four scheduled games left to play, including a key three-game Missouri Valley Conference home series versus Loyola this weekend, May 6-7. Drake (25-25, 8-15 MVC) starts the week with an in-state contest against Iowa (17-29) on Tuesday night at Buel Field with first pitch against the Hawkeyes set for 6 p.m.
 
The Bulldogs then welcome Loyola (26-22, 9-14 MVC) on Saturday for a 12 p.m. doubleheader and then the season-finale and senior day is scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. The weekend series is critical for Drake as it fights for one of the final spots to next week's MVC Tournament to be held in Normal, Ill., May 11-13. The winner of the eight-team tournament earns the MVC's automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Drake, which is coming off a sweep of Missouri State in a weather-shortened series last weekend, is currently in eighth place in the league standings. Depending on their series outcome and other MVC games this weekend, the Bulldogs can climb as high as sixth place for the tournament. Ahead of Drake currently are the Bears (10-13 MVC) and the Ramblers while Indiana State and Bradley are tied for ninth place with 6-17 records in MVC action. Drake holds final tiebreakers over Bradley, Indiana State and Missouri State. The Braves and the Sycamores will play each other in Peoria, Ill. this weekend while the Bears must travel to Southern Illinois.
 
Prior to Sunday's game, Drake will honor three seniors for their careers in the Blue and the White. Kaitlyn Finneran (Morrison, Ill.), Maddie Hooyman (Trenton, Mo.) and Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) will play their final home games on Sunday. Finneran has played in 188 career games, was selected to the 2016 MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and was awarded the MVC's Elite 18 award at the 2016 MVC Tournament title game. Hooyman has played in 120 career games, swiped 13 stolen bases and scored 35 runs. Sowa is a three-time All-MVC selection, including being named to the 2016 and 2014 All-MVC First Team. She will leave Drake in the top-five of several all-time career offensive statistical categories, including batting average (.328), doubles (39), hits (200), runs (123), runs batted in (104) and walks (82).
 
Drake and Iowa have already played once this season back on March 12 at the KU Invitational in a game the Bulldogs won 11-1. Drake won two games against Loyola in 2016 in a weather-shortened series in Chicago.