College softball is back! Over the last four days I watched 25 games involving 11 teams in the DePaul Dome Tournament.

Tracie Adix-Zins

Since it is too cold to start the season outside in Chicago, DePaul hosts a season opener for several teams inside the comfortable environs of the Dome in Rosemont. It is a long weekend of softball before the teams travel to warmer places for games until they return for home openers in late March.

Abby Ramirez

I proudly cheered for my alma mater DePaul as they went 4–0. DePaul pitchers held opponents to only 10 runs total. All four games were exciting, with two requiring late or extra-innings heroics by the Blue Demons.

Carly Alvers

The Dome is a 140,000-square-foot sports complex adjacent to the Ballpark. It contains two full-sized fields, with one left-field wall 20 feet across from the other’s right-field wall. With games played simultaneously, that occasionally causes issues if a batter hits a long home run onto the other field.

Baylee Cosgrove

Each day had standing-room-only crowds. Although DePaul is the host and only Chicago team in the tournament, the rest are Midwest schools, like Evansville University and St. Louis University. It has become such a fun event, fans come from all ends of the country. This is especially true for parents who want to see their daughter’s first college game.

Alisa Goler

I caught up with old friends DePaul head coach Tracie Adix-Zins and assistant coach Abby Ramirez; DePaul players including Carly Alvers, Baylee Cosgrove, Tori Meyer, Maddy Miklesh and Brooke Johnson; and familiar parents including Corey and Kimberly Meyer. I also ran into a few friends from the now-defunct Chicago Bandits pro softball team including Sammy Marshall, Shelby Turnier and Western Illinois head coach Alisa Goler.

Sammy Marshall, Shelby Turnier and Kathy Marshall

The tourney is a great way to start the season while giving local fans a sample of the upcoming season. DePaul heads west before finally returning home March 31. I can’t wait.

Kimberly Thompson Meyer

Tori and Corey Meyer

— John Wroblewski, online writer

Maddy Miklesh Tori Meyer

Brooke Johnson