After taking 2-of-3 games during the season-opening series last weekend at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Bradley Baseball hits the road again this weekend for a 3-game series against Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee Tech.
SERIES SETUP
• Who - Bradley Braves (2-1) at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (4-0)
• When - Friday (2:00 p.m.), Saturday (2:00 p.m.), Sunday (1:00 p.m.)
• Where - Cookeville, TN (Bush Stadium)
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall Record: Bradley leads 6-3
• Record at Tennessee Tech: Bradley leads 4-2
• Elvis Dominguez vs. Tennessee Tech: 12-12 overall, 3-0 as Bradley head coach
STARTING PITCHERS
• Friday - RHP Allan Beer (BU) vs. RHP Michael Wood (TTU)
• Saturday - LHP Ben Olson (BU) vs. RHP Jake Usher (TTU)
• Sunday - RHP Eric Scheuermann (BU) vs. RHP Devin Lancaster (TTU)
THE OPENING PITCH
• After winning 2-of-3 games during the opening weekend of the season at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Bradley Baseball returns to the road this weekend for a 3-game series at Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee Tech.
• Now with 67 wins to its credit since the start of the 2015 season, Bradley has begun the quest for a third straight winning season for the first time since a 5-year run from 1992-96.
• Bradley owns a 6-3 record in the all-time series against Tennessee Tech and the teams are meeting for the third time for a 3-game set in Cookeville - the Golden Eagles took 2-of-3 in 2007 and Bradley swept the 2010 series.
• Ninth-year Bradley head coach came to Bradley from Ohio Valley Conference member Eastern Kentucky, where he was the head coach from 2002-08 and faced OVC rival Tennessee Tech 21 times (9-12).
• Since the start of the 2014 season, Bradley leads The Valley with 65 wins away from home - 36 true road wins and 29 neutral-site victories.
THE FORCE WAS WITH THE LUKE SQUARED
• The two Luke's in Bradley's lineup had an impressive opening weekend.
• Sophomore 1B Luke Mangieri was 5-for-10 with two walks, two hit-by-pitches and four RBI's during the 3-game series at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
• Freshman SS Luke Shadid, the younger brother of Braves sophomore CF Andy Shadid, was 5-for-14 (.357) with a double, a triple and a team-best five RBI's from the leadoff spot in the three games against the Islanders,
• Together, Luke Squared was responsible for 13 of Bradley's 23 runs during the opening weekend.
STARTING PITCHING HOLDS UP
• After losing the top three starters in the weekend pitching rotation to graduation and the draft, Bradley's three new weekend starters were up to the task in Corpus Christi.
• Junior RHP Allan Beer got the nod in Friday's opener, and although he ended up with a no-decision, he exited the game with a 6-1 lead after his 5.0 innings.
• Sophomore LHP Ben Olson pitched into the sixth inning Saturday to earn the win in Saturday's second game, while senior RHP Eric Scheuermann worked into the eighth in Sunday's no-decision.
NEWCOMERS ADD POP TO LINEUP
• Four newcomers saw extensive action at the plate during the opening weekend of the season and the quartet demonstrated some pop,
• Junior college transfer Derek Bangert (Lockport, IL/Heartland C.C.), who hit 23 home runs and drove in 100 in 78 JUCO games, was 3-for-8 with a 2-run home run in his two games this weekend, while freshman SS Luke Shadid (Peoria, IL/Notre Dame H.S.) was 5-for-14 (.357) with a double, a triple and five RBI's as the starting shortstop in all three games.
• Junior college transfer Andrew Ivelia (Stevens WA/Everett C.C.) was just 2-for-11 (.182) in his three games as a starting infielder, but he legged out a double Friday and also drew two walks and two hit-by-pitches for a .400 on-base percentage.
• Freshman 3B Brendan Dougherty (Des Moines, IA/Dowling Catholic H.S.) was 3-for-6 with two walks and three runs scored in his eight plate appearances.
• In all, the four newcomers combined to hit .333 (13-for-39) with four extra-base hits and eight RBI's in the season's first three games.
