ST. LOUIS -- After leading Bradley to a 5-1 record last week, senior infielder Ryan Curry (Downers Grove, Ill./South H.S.) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, according to an announcement from the league office Monday afternoon.
Playing three games each at shortstop and second base last week, Curry hit .450 (9-20) with two doubles, a home run, five runs batted in and seven runs scored. He also walked four times and was hit by a pitch, giving him a .560 on-base percentage in his 25 plate appearances in the six games. Curry keyed Bradley's 7th-inning rally Wednesday against Chicago State, doubling home the tying run and scoring the winning run for the 3-2 victory in the nightcap of Bradley's doubleheader sweep of the Cougars. He then started Bradley's 14-4 rout of Southern Illinois Sunday, launching a 3-run home run in the first inning.
Along the way, Curry moved into third place in Bradley history with 225 career base hits, just one behind the second spot and 26 away from Nelson Correa's school record. The two-time all-conference pick also moved into a ninth-place tie in school history with 126 runs batted in, as well as third all-time with 489 assists.
Enjoying the best offensive season of his career, Curry begins this week leading The Valley with a .421 batting average. His 18 doubles also lead the league, despite the fact that Bradley has played the fewest games (36) of any team in The Valley. While NCAA statistics will be released Tuesday, Curry began last week ranked eighth nationally by averaging 0.53 doubles per game. In addition, Curry begins the week third in The Valley with 89 total bases and fifth with 35 runs batted in. His 126 career RBIs are tied for ninth in school history and his 295 career total bases rank 11th in Bradley history.
Curry becomes Bradley's first Valley Player of the Week since current student assistant coach Jason Newburger earned the honor April 3, 2006. Coincidentally, both players won the weekly award immediately following Bradley's league series against Southern Illinois.
Bradley senior right-hander Michael Christl was nominated for Valley Pitcher of the Week, but lost out to three-time award winner Travis Banwart of Wichita State. Christl tossed his first career 9-inning complete game Friday, leading the Braves to a 6-1 victory against Southern Illinois. After allowing a first-inning RBI single, Christl shut the door on the Salukis the rest of the game. Christl (2-5) struck out seven and allowed seven singles. He also limited the Salukis to a 1-for-8 night with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-6 with four strikeouts after Kelly's first-inning hit. Banwart allowed only four hits in 7.0 shutout innings Friday night at Missouri State.
The Braves (20-16) return to action Wednesday by visiting Western Illinois, then will host Interstate 74 rival Illinois State in a three-game weekend series at O'Brien Field.
