CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Panthers return home for their first of three games of a midweek rivalry matchup.
After seeing each other play during the annual Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic, UNI, and the Drake Bulldogs will finally play each other this week. The Panthers will host the first game against their in-state Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) rival on Tuesday evening before alternating to play in Des Moines next week. UNI currently leads the overall series against the Bulldogs 76-57 and won their last matchup in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament in 2022.
THE PANTHERS:
- UNI still leads the Missouri Valley Conference after suffering their first conference loss of the season this past week. The Panthers did pick up the 2-1 series win over Indiana State on the road at Price Field. UNI sits atop the standings with an 11-1 record, followed closely behind by the Missouri State Bears, one of two teams the Panthers will not face in the regular season.
- The Panthers have one of their longest home stands of the season this week at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex. UNI welcomes in-state rival Drake to Cedar Falls first this week with a Tuesday night matchup against the Bulldogs. The Panthers then will play a three-game series against the Southern Illinois Salukis, the team with the best overall record in the MVC at single-digit losses.
- In her first full week in the designated hitter position, infielder Addison McElrath led UNI in batting average, continuing a strong sophomore season at the plate. McElrath had nine at-bats with six hits, four RBIs, two doubles, and two walks for a .889 slugging percentage in three games against Indiana State.
- Freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo has cracked the top 65 nationally in home runs after adding two more to her resume last weekend. Pupillo is 64th among Division I hitters with nine home runs on the season and is only three behind MVC leader Jackie Lis.
THE BULLDOGS:
- Drake comes into Tuesday's game riding a four-game win streak, all against MVC opponents. The Bulldogs pulled off their first series sweep of the season this past weekend on the road against the Bradley Braves.
- Until this past week, the Bulldogs have struggled early in the Valley portion of the season. Drake had eight straight losses to MVC teams until they broke through with their first conference win against Murray State in a 14-inning thriller on April 2.
- Drake is led on the offensive end by junior, MaKayla Rice and senior Aubree Beitzinger. Rice leads the Bulldogs in at-bats with 108 and posted a .306 batting average this season. Over the past weekend, Beitzinger jumped out in the Bulldogs lineup with a strong showing against the Braves in their first game of the weekend, with two hits and one run scored.
- The ace for the Bulldogs' pitching staff this season has been senior, Mackenzie Hupke. Hupke has pitched a 2.67 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. She leads the team in strikeouts with 90 and has only thrown 47 walks in 84 innings pitched.
