108th Season Opens Saturday
? Bradley will open its 108th baseball season Saturday when the Braves begin a three-game series at Murray State.
? The Braves, who are not scheduled to play a home game until March 28, have opened the season on the road every year since 1988.
? Bradley owns a 19-8 all-time record versus Murray State with all 27 games played on the road.
? Despite the overall series dominance, Murray State swept a season-opening doubleheader versus Bradley in 2005 and has won three straight against the Braves.
New Look Braves
? Bradley's 32 wins in 2007 were the most for the program since 1996 (40-22), but the Braves were hit hard by graduation and the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft during the summer.
? The Braves lost 13 lettermen, including six positiion starters.
? With the added shoulder injury to junior first baseman Mike McMillan, Bradley could start as many as seven newcomers on opening day.
? With junior Dan Brewer sliding from shortstop to third base, junior right fielder Colby Luttrell is the only player likely to start at the same position as last year.
Preseason Award Candidates
? Junior third baseman Dan Brewer, a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick at shortstop last season, was voted the preseason All-MVC utility player when The Valley announced its preseason poll and all-conference team.
? Brewer, who was a 2007 Cape Cod League All-Star as a center fielder, also has been named to the Wallace Award preseason watch list as one of the nation's top players.
? Brewer was joined on the Wallace Award watch list by sophomore hurler Brad Altbach, who was a 2007 Freshman All-American and the league's Freshman of the Year following his stellar rookie season on the mound for the Braves last season.
Influx of Newcomers
? Bradley's roster features 16 newcomers: five freshmen, six junior college transfers and six four-year college transfers (Nick Popescu is a freshman that transferred during the winter break from Mississippi State).
Kalmer's 29th Year
? Dewey Kalmer is beginning his 29th season at the helm of the Bradley program and his 40th year overall as a collegiate head coach.
? Kalmer begins the season 36th on the NCAA Division I all-time winning list with 1,006 career victories, 11th -best among active coaches.
? Already the winningest coach in Bradley Athletics history, Kalmer begins his 29th year at Bradley with an 816-744-4 record with the Braves.
Early Road Warriors
? Beginning with this weekend's series at Murry State, Bradley is scheduled to play its first 21 games away from home.
? The Braves managed their road schedule with good success last season, finishing with a 17-14 road record.
? The 17-14 road record represented Bradley's first winning road mark since 2004 (13-12-1) and the 17 road wins were the most by the Braves since the 1987 squad went 23-10 on the road during their record-setting 41-win season.
? Bradley will not play a home game until hosting Missouri Valley Conference rival Indiana State in a three-game set March 28-30 at O'Brien Field.
