Bradley Baseball will open its 117th season this weekend by visiting first-time opponent Texas A&M Corpus Christi for a 3-game series at Chapman Field. With 65 wins to its credit the last two seasons, Bradley begins the quest for a third straight winning season for the first time since a 5-year run from 1992-96.
SERIES SETUP
• Who - Bradley Braves (29-12 in 2016) at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (19-32)
• When - Friday (6:30 p.m.), Saturday (12 p.m.), Sunday (1 p.m.)
• Where - Corpus Christi, TX (Chapman Field)
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record - First meetings in the series
• Record at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 0-0
STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday - RHP Allan Beer (BU) vs. RHP Devin Skapura (TAMCC)
• Saturday - LHP Ben Olson (BU) vs. LHP Korey Rasure (TAMCC)
• Sunday - RHP Eric Scheuermann (BU) vs. RHP Chris Cooper (TAMCC)
THE OPENING PITCH
• Bradley Baseball will open its 117th season by visting first-time opponent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a 3-game series Feb. 17-19 at Chapman Field.
• With 65 wins to its credit the last two years, Bradley begins the quest for a third straight winning season for the first time since a 5-year run from 1992-96.
• Bradley is playing in Texas for a third consecutive year and the Braves are 3-4 in the Lone Star State the last two seasons, losing 2-of-3 games April 10-12, 2015 at Dallas Baptist and splitting four games in Notre Dame's 2016 Irish Alamo Classic in San Antonio.
• The Braves will make two more trips to Texas this season, visiting nationally-ranked Sam Houston State for a 3-game non-conference series March 3-5 and nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist for a 3-game Missouri Valley Conference set May 12-14.
• Since the start of the 2014 season, Bradley leads The Valley with 63 wins away from home - 34 true road wins and 29 neutral-site victories.
THREE YEARS AWAY FROM HOME
• Since the start of the 2014 season, Bradley shares the Valley lead with 63 wins away from home.
• Bradley's 63 road (34) and neutral (29) wins away from home the last three seasons represent 70.8 percent of the team's 89 total wins the last three years.
• Bradley is scheduled to play at least 32 games away from home this season, including the first 18 to start the season.
TEXAS ROAD TRIPS
• By opening the 2017 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Bradley Baseball will be visiting the Lone Star State for a third consecutive season.
• The Braves will return to Texas two more times this season - March 3-5 for a 3-game series at #23 Sam Houston STate and May 12-14 for a 3-game MVC series at #26 Dallas Baptist.
• Bradley is 3-4 in Texas the last two seasons, splitting four games during the 2016 Irish Alamo Classic and earning one win in the 2015 Valley series at DBU.
FAMILY TIES
• Freshman SS Luke Shadid becomes the fifth member of the extended Shadid family to play baseball at Bradley.
• Luke Shadid is the younger brother of Bradley sophomore CF Andy Shadid, who was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American last season.
• A cousin of Andy and Luke's father, DJ, Jim Shadid still owns Bradley single-season (30 in 1977) and career (85) stolen base records.
• DJ Shadid played at Bradley in 1984 and Jim's brother, George Shadid, also played for the Braves from 1978-80.
• Andy and Luke's cousin, David Shadid, is a sophomore runner on the Bradley men's track team and owns the school records in both the indoor 200 meters and 400 meters.
And on the topic of family ties:
• Sophomore IF Christian Dominguez is the son of Bradley Baseball head coach Elvis Dominguez.
• Sophomores LHP Jacob Hurst and IF Luke Mangieri are cousins (mothers are sisters).
• Senior RHP Nathan Stong is twin brothers with 2016 Bradley Baseball graduate LHP Brent Stong.
• Senior OF Spencer Gaa is the son of Rick Gaa, Bradley University's Director of Athletic Development.
