ST. LOUIS -- With 17 lettermen returning from last year's squad that finished sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference race, the Bradley Baseball team has been picked to move up a spot in 2009. The Braves were picked to finish fifth in The Valley, according to a poll of the league's nine head coaches released today by the MVC office.
In addition, senior rightfielder Colby Luttrell (Kincaid, Ill./South Fork H.S.) and senior closer Kori Jensen (Wichita, Kan./Goddard H.S.) were named to the 14-player preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference baseball team.
Luttrell boasts one of the strongest arms in college baseball. A three-year starter in right field, Luttrell is The Valley's active leader with 21 outfield assists. He also developed into one of the league's top hitters during his junior season in 2008. A second-team All-MVC selection last spring, Luttrell led the Braves with a .363 batting average and 48 runs batted in.
Jensen is expected to anchor the Bradley bullpen. After making the switch from second base to fulltime pitcher early in the 2008 season, Jensen went on to lead the staff with five wins (5-0) and added a school single-season record seven saves last spring.
Missouri State has been tabbed the favorite for the 2009 Valley title, followed in order by Creighton, Wichita State and Southern Illinois. Following Bradley, places six to nine fell to Indiana State, UNI, Illinois State and Evansville. For more information on the 2009 MVC preseason poll and all-conference team, visit http://www.mvc-sports.com.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Elvis Dominguez, the Braves joined the rest of the country in preparation for the 2009 season Sunday with the first day of full squad practices. Bradley will open their 109th season Feb. 20 by facing Big East Conference member Pittsburgh in the opening day of the Service Academy Spring Classic in Millington, Tenn. Bradley's participation in the event will continue with two games Feb. 21 against Kansas and Memphis and will conclude with another game against Kansas Feb. 22.
