CHICAGO (April 11, 2024) – The UIC Department of Athletics and Flames' softball program eagerly announced their plans for the 2024 UIC Softball Alumni Weekend April 26-28 during the team's final home series of the regular season against Drake at Flames Field.
More than 30 UIC softball alumnae and guests will return to campus for the weekend celebration, which will be highlighted by the dedication of the
Sandra M. Wichelecki and Suzanne M. Dukes UIC Flames Softball Clubhouse in a private ceremony on Saturday morning, April 27. Back in November, Wichelecki, a 1983 graduate and four-year member of the softball program, and Dukes made a $300,000 leadership gift to fund development of the new day-to-day home for UIC softball program operations.
Also on April 27, UIC will celebrate the 30
th anniversary of the program's historic 1994 NCAA Women's College World Series appearance during the Flames' matchup against Drake. Fans will receive a commemorative poster to spotlight the achievements of that groundbreaking team.
On April 28, UIC will cap off its Alumni Weekend with a special pre-game Senior Day ceremony to honor the seven seniors on the current Flames' squad for their contributions to the program.
"Alumni Weekend is about honoring the players and the coaches of the past," head coach
Lynn Curylo said. "They laid the foundation for this historic program. It's also an opportunity for our current players to interact with former players who once walked a similar path. A big highlight of the weekend will be the unveiling of the Sandy M. Wichelecki and Suzanne M. Dukes Softball Clubhouse Saturday morning."
SCHEDULED EVENTS
Friday, April 26, 2024
UIC vs. Drake
First Pitch: 5 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, April 27, 2024
UIC vs. Drake
First Pitch: 2 p.m. (CT)
The dedication of the Sandra M. Wichelecki and Suzanne M. Dukes UIC Flames Clubhouse
Alumni Day
30
th anniversary celebration of UIC's 1994 Women's College World Series team
First 150 fans will receive a commemorative poster of UIC's 1994 World Series team
Sunday, April 28, 2024
UIC vs. Drake
First Pitch: Noon (CT)
Senior Day (the seven current seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony)
After a perfect 17-0 in the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League) and the first conference championship in program history, the 1994 UIC softball team entered the NCAA regionals for the first time. Led by future UIC Athletics Hall of Fame head coach
Mike McGovern and current head coach
Lynn Curylo, the Flames punched their ticket to the College World Series after going 3-1 in the NCAA regionals against the likes of DePaul, Notre Dame, and Indiana.
For more information, fans are encouraged to visit
UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (
@UIC_Softball and
@UICFlames) and Instagram (
@uic_softball and
@uicflames).
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