The Bulldogs begin the closing stretch of the regular season with an important three-game series this weekend, hosting BIG EAST-leading DePaul in Indianapolis.

The teams are scheduled for a Saturday doubleheader and a single game Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. both days. Through a partnership with the university's College of Communication, a live stream of all three games is planned via the Butler Athletics YouTube page.

Prior to Saturday's start, Butler's seniors will be recognized with a brief ceremony. The group includes the program's four graduate students who each took advantage of the additional season of eligibility provided by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Christina Candotti, Madi Christiansen, Alyssa Garcia, and Payton Longest. Also being recognized will be Claire Gilliland. The senior has been limited to five appearances this season due to injury. Seniors Alyssa Graves and Maddie Moore plan to utilize the additional season of eligibility for the 2022 campaign.

This is one of two series remaining on the 2021 BIG EAST schedule for Butler, which enters the weekend at 6-8-1 in conference play and 16-16-1 overall. DePaul is 10-1 in the BIG EAST, which is tied with Villanova for the top spot, and 19-9 overall.

The top four teams in the regular season standings will advance to the 2021 BIG EAST Tournament; Butler is currently fifth. The Bulldogs will travel to Creighton next weekend in the regular season finale; Creighton is currently in the fourth position (at 8-7 in BIG EAST play).

Butler has won their last six home games (and is 6-3 at the Butler Softball Field in 2021). The Bulldogs are 7-2-1 over their last 10 games overall. That includes a 1-1-1 weekend at Providence in the team's most recent competition. Sunday's start was delayed by 75 minutes due to rain. After the teams played seven innings plus two extra frames, the teams were still tied as Butler had to depart for their flight back to Indianapolis, which ended the game officially in a tie.

Butler's strength has been in the circle this season as the team's 2.79 ERA and 227 strikeouts both lead the BIG EAST. Those 227 strikeouts have come in 220.2 innings of work, the only team in the conference to average more than 1.0 strikeouts per inning. Opponents are batting only .240 against Bulldog pitchers this season, which is the second-best mark in the BIG EAST.

The Bulldogs have the deepest pitching staff in the BIG EAST, highlighted by three pitchers ranking among the top five in the conference in ERA. Mackenzie Griman is second at 2.03, followed by Alyssa Graves in third (2.50) and Karli Ricketts in fifth (2.71). All three also rank among the top six in the league in opponent's batting average with Griman in third at .218.

Ricketts is second in the BIG EAST with 104 strikeouts on the season (in 85.1 innings) and her eight wins are tied for third. Graves is fourth in the league with 89 strikeouts. Graves struck out 16 Providence Friars in the nine-inning tie Sunday.

Griman has made five appearances against BIG EAST opponents (totaling 22.0 innings of work). Her ERA is a staggering 1.27 in those contests.

Junior lead-off hitter Lauren Fey leads the BIG EAST in both on-base percentage (.525) and triples (four). Her .426 batting average is third in the conference, while her 43 hits are third. Fey's on-base percentage has been helped tremendously by 21 walks, which is just two shy of the BIG EAST lead. Fey has scored 21 runs, which is also fifth in the BIG EAST, and her 10 stolen bases are fifth. Fey had a grand slam in the second game of the Providence series last weekend, her first home run of the season and the second of her Butler career.

Ricketts is tied for fourth in the league with 26 RBIs, while her 55 total bases are seventh among conference players. Ricketts has seven home runs (including one last weekend at Providence) and seven doubles on the season, both ranking among the conference's top 10.