DePaul Blue Demons softball
The DePaul Blue Demons softball team represents DePaul University in the sport of college softball at the Division I level of the NCAA. The team has been a member of the Big East Conference since the 2006 season. They play their home games at on campus in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons are currently led by head coach Liz Bouck-Jagielski since 2025.
History
Early history (1976–1979)
Few records were kept during the early days of DePaul's softball run. It is known that Tina Brown, the first Senior Women's Administrator for the women's basketball program, would also serve as the first head coach from 1976-1978. DePaul would play its first two games on April 22, 1978 against Northern Illinois and Western Illinois. Ending with substantial losses, 2-10 and 2-23 respectively.In 1979 Jeannie Lenti would serve as head coach for just the one season while also being the Athletic Director at DePaul since 1975. Retiring only in 2020 after a 45 year long career.
Eugene Lenti era – First tenure (1980-1987)
Beginning in 1980, NFCA Hall of Famer and brother of Jeannie Lenti, Eugene Lenti, began his 37-nonconsecutive-year long tenure at DePaul. Following a two year drought, the Blue Demons would play their only game of the 1980 season on an unrecorded date, losing to UIC 3-6.The team would soon get some revenge and defeat Northern Illinois in a doubleheader on April 12, 1981. Receiving their first two wins in franchise history, being 6-5 and 4-1. DePaul would see its first full season in 1985 while also managing to achieve its first winning record of. This trend would continue for 29 consecutive seasons before finally going down to in 2015.
Phil Cahil era (1988-1989)
Coaching only two seasons, Cahil achieved a pleasable record of 62―39Eugene Lenti era – Second tenure (1990-2018)
Returning to the position in 1990, Lenti would go on to have four seasons with 50 or more wins. Them being 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2008. The 1999 season is considered DePaul's best as the team finished 22―0 in conference play and 54―14 overall. The team would become ranked #11 in the nation before ultimately being defeated by UCLA in the 1999 NCAA Semifinal.Lenti lead the team to multiple historic streaks for the franchise with an 18-game winning streak in 2014, 19-games in 2001, and the largest in 2007 with 20 straight wins. The Blue Demons became ranked #14 in the nation, however their streak was broken by Loyola Chicago in the teams first success over DePaul since 1995. The team would fall to Arizona in the tournament's Second Round, finishing 5th.
By 2015 Lenti had become ranked seventh in wins in the history of college softball. His final record at DePaul was 1,236-604-6. Starting the 2020 season, it was announced that he would become the assistant coach at Auburn.