March 17, 2010
Northwestern's Missouri DeMarini Invitational Notes (PDF Format) 
DeMarini Invitational Schedule (PDF Format)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following an off week for winter quarter final exams, Northwestern returns to the diamond for its final pre-conference tournament of the year, the Missouri version of the DeMarini Invitational March 19-21 in Columbia, Mo. NU's last tournament, played March 5-7, at Cal State Fullerton, also was called the DeMarini Invitational.
The Wildcats join four other squads in the Show-Me State, opening with Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. CT Friday, March 19, before playing Ball State at 7 p.m. CT. A matchup with No. 3 Missouri awaits the Wildcats at 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by a game against Northern Colorado at 5 p.m. Northwestern rounds out its schedule in Missouri at 10 a.m. Sunday with another game against Eastern Michigan.
With four Missouri natives on the roster (Seniors Lauren Delaney and Emily Haug from Jefferson City along with freshmen Lauren Ackerman and Meghan Lamberth from the St. Louis area), NU will take its time meandering home during Spring Break week, playing games along the way. Before opening the Big Ten schedule March 27-28 at home against Purdue, Northwestern will visit Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 and Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. March 25.
Northwestern last visited Missouri for a Spring Break tournament during Delaney and Haug's freshman campaign of 2007. The Wildcats run-ruled their opponents in all four games that weekend, including defeating the host Tigers by scores of 8-0 (6) and 10-0 (5). Missouri qualified for its first Women's College World Series in 14 years in 2009.
Freshman Emily Allard enters this weekend batting .387 (12-for-31) in Northwestern's last two tournaments, raising her average on the season to .313. Sophomore Adrienne Monka continues to be a dominant force with a .383 average, eight home runs, a .915 slugging percentage and a .580 OBP.
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