Softball Set For Troy Cox Classic

Southern Illinois University

Softball 2/15/2017 12:30:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball will face one of its toughest weekends of the non-conference slate this week when the Braves play a pair of NCAA Tournament teams and a third squad which won 38 games last spring at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Bradley will take part in the Troy Cox Classic for the second time in three years and the weekend trip to New Mexico will be the fourth in program history. The Braves are 4-6 all-time at the Troy Cox Classic, taking part in the event in both 2010 and 2015, and Bradley is 6-9 all-time in the state of New Mexico including a 2-3 record at the 2013 Lobo Classic.

The third matchup of the young season against Northern Colorado (1-4 overall) kicks off the weekend's games Friday at 2:30 p.m. (CST). The teams split a pair of games last weekend at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Braves will face tournament-host New Mexico State (2-1 overall), which posted 38 wins last season, Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) to wrap up the first day of play. Bradley has split four all-time meetings with the Aggies, with the teams splitting two games in 2015.

Saturday's action includes the only game on the 2017 schedule against a Pac-12 team and a matchup with a nationally ranked opponent. The Braves square off with Oregon State (3-0 overall) for the first time since 2011 Saturday at noon. The first of two games on the 2017 slate against Tennessee (5-0 overall), which is ranked as high as 14th in the national polls, will be Saturday at 7 p.m. The Volunteers won the only previous meeting at the 2010 Troy Cox Classic.

Bradley wraps up the weekend Sunday at 10 a.m. (CST) against in-state foe DePaul (2-3 overall) in the first meeting between the two teams since the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The two games between the Braves and Blue Demons in the 2009 NCAA Tournament are the only meetings in the series since a 1998 doubleheader in Chicago.

BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all five games at the Troy Cox Classic.

Junior Maria Schroeder (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week Tuesday after hitting .533 with six runs, four doubles and four RBI last week at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Tournament. A marketing (social media) major with a 3.81 cumulative grade point average, Schroeder had hits in all five games to open the season and owns a .588 on base percentage through five games. She is just four RBI from pushing her career total among Bradley's career top 10.

Sophomore Megan Mahaffy (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) made her first appearance in the Bradley lineup after not batting during her freshman season. Mahaffy homered in her first career at bat Saturday against Northern Colorado to highlight a seven-run first inning in an eventual 9-1 victory. She returned to the lineup the next day to collect a double and her two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh helped force extra innings against Grand Canyon. All three of her hits on the season have gone for extra bases and she has a team-best five RBI despite having just four at bats.

Senior hurler Jaelen Hull (Clifton Park, Ill./Bishop McNamara) also got off to a strong start making four appearances out of the bullpen. In 9.2 innings of work, Hull struck out 10 batters and limited hitters to a .176 batting average. She has not allowed a batter she has faced to advance past second base and brings a perfect 0.00 ERA into the weekend. Hull is now tied for ninth in school history with 224 career strikeouts.

Fellow senior Kelly Kapp (Freeburg, Ill./Gibault Catholic) stole four bases over the weekend and is now 16th in Missouri Valley Conference history with 61 career steals. In addition, Kapp broke into Bradley's career top 10 and is tied with former teammate Shannon King for 10th in school history with 159 hits.

Following the weekend in Las Cruces, N.M., the Braves will head to Lafayette, La., for the Mardi Gras Classic Feb. 24-26.

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