Bradley University Athletics

Double Dose of Good News

Bradley Baseball Receives Preseason Votes and Produces Record GPA

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 12/20/2017 1:33:00 PM

PEORIA, IL - In an example of the program's wholistic success, Bradley Baseball received good news in the areas of both on-field competitiveness and classroom achievement Tuesday. On the same day Collegiate Baseball announced the Braves among the teams receiving votes in the publication's Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I pre-season poll, presented by Big League Chew bubble gum, Bradley University's fall semester grades were finalized and the baseball team's 31 players combined for a program-record 3.47 semester grade point average.

Bradley is one of four Missouri Valley Conference teams to appear in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, joining #11 Dallas Baptist and #22 Missouri State, as well as an Indiana State program that also is among those receiving votes. Both Missouri State (April 27-29) and Dallas Baptist (May 11-13) are scheduled to visit Peoria in 2018 in the final two home series of the year at Dozer Park. The Braves are scheduled to play 19 games overall against teams appearing in the preseason poll: at #29 Georgia Tech (Feb. 17), versus UT Arlington (Feb. 24), a 3-game series at Belmont (March 2-4), at Central Florida (March 13), versus Rhode Island (March 14), a home-and home series against Iowa (March 28 and April 10), a 3-game home series versus Indiana State (April 6-8) and at Saint Louis (April 11).

The Braves return 20 lettermen, including seven position starters and 10 pitchers, from last year's squad. The 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, third baseman Brendan Dougherty, tops an offensive lineup that returns eight of the team's top nine hitters from last season. Junior LHP Cole Cook, who led the pitchers with eight wins in his first season with the Braves last year, leads a staff that also figures to benefit from the healthy return of junior LHP Ben Olson. Bradley's 2018 roster includes 11 newcomers - six pitchers, a pair of catchers and a trio of position players.

Academically, 29 of the 31 baseball players qualified for the Bradley Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll for the 2017 Fall term by posting a minimum 3.0 semester grade point average. The team's 3.47 semester GPA tops the previous mark set just last spring when the Braves combined for a 3.39 team grade point average.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Cole Cook: LHP; 5' 11"; Junior; L/L

#26 Brendan Dougherty: IF; 6' 2"; Sophomore; L/R

#39 Ben Olson: LHP; 6' 5"; Junior; R/L

Players Mentioned

#5 Cole Cook
: 5' 11"; Junior; L/L
: LHP

#26 Brendan Dougherty
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; L/R
: IF

#39 Ben Olson
: 6' 5"; Junior; R/L
: LHP

Double Dose of Good News

Bradley Baseball Receives Preseason Votes and Produces Record GPA

Players Mentioned

#5 Cole Cook

#26 Brendan Dougherty

#39 Ben Olson

Players Mentioned

#5 Cole Cook

#26 Brendan Dougherty

#39 Ben Olson