CHICAGO – EKU softball opens the 2023 campaign this week with five games inside The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex, hosted by DePaul, from Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 12.
 
The Colonels are set to open the season against St. Thomas on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and end the day with regional rival Evansville at 4:00 p.m. EKU will begin Saturday's slate with Bowling Green at 10:30 a.m. and conclude the day with Valpo at 3:30 p.m. Creighton is the lone contest on Sunday for EKU, starting at 10:00 a.m. to wrap up the tournament.
 
None of the games this weekend will be available to stream, however, live stats will be available for three of five games. Fans can keep up with stats for EKU's games with St. Thomas, Valpo, and Creighton found on the Colonels' website.
 
Fans are encouraged to visit the DePaul Dome Tournament Central Page for more information.
 
EKU head coach Jane Worthington enters her 31st season at the helm of the program, the only head coach in EKU's storied history. Worthington enters year 31 with an overall record of 838-743 (.530).
 
Worthington welcomes back seven returners in Lauren Narvaez, Jasmine Miller, Maggie Pertee, Vianna Barron, Lou Bowers, Bella Sanchez, and Jeanay Riley.
 
EKU welcomed nine newcomers to the 2023 squad, including three transfers and six freshmen. The three transfers are Rylie Grantz (West Alabama), Madison Scott (Odessa College), and Nikola Schwarzingerova (Czech Republic). 
 
The Colonels open the season with incoming freshmen consisting of outfielder Jaelin Haynes, catcher/first base Lilly Davis, pitcher Emma Bethel, pitcher Alena Hillyard, pitcher Brooke Davis, and pitcher Tayteum Vigansky. 
 
EKU anticipates Bowers redshirt-senior season, the Tyrone, Ga. Native hit .303 last year with two homers and 16 runs batted in. 
 
Pertee and Riley look to improve off underclassman campaigns that saw both student-athletes hit for .227, start in over 35 games, and send out two homeruns apiece. 
 
Sophomore Narvaez is the lone returning starting pitcher for EKU this season, the Downey, Calif. Product had a team-leading 2.97 ERA in 87.1 innings over 24 appearances on the mound. Narvaez tallied a 4-5 record on the bump in her first season in Richmond.

Game 1: Eastern Kentucky (0-0) vs. St. Thomas (0-0)
- Friday, February 10, 2023 – 1:30 p.m. ET
- Rosemont, Ill.
- Live Stats

All-Time vs. St. Thomas
 - Friday's season opener is the first meeting between EKU and St. Thomas.

Game 2: Eastern Kentucky (0-0) vs. Evansville (0-0)
- Friday, February 10, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. ET
- Rosemont, Ill.
 
All-Time vs. Evansville
 - Friday's doubleheader matchup with Evansville is the sixth meeting in program history, the Purple Aces lead the series 3-2.
 
Game 3: Eastern Kentucky (0-0) vs. Bowling Green (0-0)
- Saturday, February 11, 2023 – 10:30 a.m. ET
- Rosemont, Ill.
 
All-Time vs. Bowling Green
 - Saturday marks the fifth meeting between BGSU and EKU, the Falcons lead the series 4-1.
 
Game 4: Eastern Kentucky (0-0) vs. Valparaiso (0-0)
- Saturday, February 11, 2023 – 3:30 p.m. ET
- Rosemont, Ill.
- Live Stats
 
All-Time vs. Valpo
 - EKU leads the all-time series 2-1, including a 4-1 victory last season in Lexington, Ky. The Colonels have claimed the last two meetings with the two programs.
 
Game 5: Eastern Kentucky (0-0) vs. Creighton 0-0)
- Sunday, February 12, 2023 – 10:00 a.m. ET
- Rosemont, Ill.
- Live Stats
 
All-Time vs. Creighton
 - Sunday's lone contest to end the DePaul Dome Classic is the first meeting between Creighton and EKU.
 
Up Next
After EKU's road stand in Chicagoland, the Colonels will return to Richmond to prepare for the Bob Heck Classic in Atlanta hosted by Georgia State from February 17-19.