The Basics
The Bulldogs will head to Nashville, Tennessee for a weekend series against the Belmont Bruins. The series will last from Friday, Apr. 28 until Sunday, Apr. 30.
The Bulldogs will then travel back north for one game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Wednesday, May 3.
About the Bulldogs
Pacing the Bulldogs offensively have been
Emma Dighton and
Emily Valtman.
Emma Dighton holds a .299 batting average, a .914 OPS and has slugged seven home runs this season, all team-high marks. Dighton collected four hits and one home run in the Bulldogs' sweep of Valparaiso last weekend.
Valtman is hitting .269 on the season for the Bulldogs and she is 3/3 in stolen base attempts. Valtman hit .500 in the weekend series against Valparaiso and she slugged one home run en route to a Bulldog sweep.
Haylee Lehman has also impressed for the Bulldogs, hitting .268 with 12 stolen bases.
Mackenzie Hupke continued her stretch of dominance over the weekend in Valparaiso. She hurled 13 total innings and only allowed one run against the Beacons, pitching in all three games. She has lowered her season ERA to 2.69.
Scouting the Competition
Drake will square off against the Bruins on Friday, Apr. 28 at 5 p.m., Saturday, Apr. 29 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, Apr. 30 at 12 p.m. All three games will be played in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee.
The Bruins hold a 23-20 record on the season. In their most recent series, Belmont got swept by Missouri State. Belmont has now lost two series in a row coming into play against Drake.
This is the first-ever softball matchup between Drake and the MVC newcomer Belmont.
Drake will then travel north past Des Moines for a mid-week matchup in Ames, Iowa against Iowa State on Wednesday, May 3 at 4 p.m.
Drake is 15-19 against the in-state opponent in all-time play. Drake has won two games in a row against Iowa State, with both victories coming in 2023.
The Cyclones are 18-27 on the season. They are also 2-10 in the Big 12 and are currently in last place in that league.
Up Next
Drake will conclude the regular season with a weekend series at home against UIC. The final series will begin on Friday, May 5 and conclude on Sunday, May 7.
