PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley softball team makes its first-ever trip to the state of Arizona to take part in one of the biggest tournaments in the nation as the Braves open the 2011 season at the Kjikawa Classic in Tempe Ariz., Friday with a 3 p.m. (CST) game against Big 12 Conference foe Texas Tech.
BU will face one ranked opponent in #19 Texas A&M Sunday afternoon to wrap up play and will play three other games against squads receiving votes in the national polls. The tournament features 27 teams, including nine squads ranked in the preseason top 25, on five fields with all five of Bradley's games being held at the Tempe Sports Complex.
The opening weekend features two games against teams which advanced to the NCAA, beginning with Friday's season opener against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were 38-18 last season and finished second at the Stanford Regional before falling to eventual College World Series participant Hawaii.
The Braves wrap up the first day of play with an 8:30 p.m. (CST) contest against in-state for Northwestern which is receiving votes in the preseason polls. The Wildcats are the only team in the field Bradley has faced previously, with Bradley posting a 4-0 victory against then #5-ranked Northwestern in March 2008 in Carbondale, Ill., in the last meeting between the two.
Saturday's action begins with a 10:30 a.m. (CST) game against Cal Poly and wraps up with the first of two games this season against Pac 10 Conference opponents with a matchup against Oregon State (4 p.m.). The Beavers received 11 points in the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll.
Bradley has just one game on the slate Sunday, but it's the first of three games on the 2011 schedule against teams ranked in the preseason top 25. Ranked #19 in the preseason ESPN.com top 25, Texas A&M is a two-time national champion and finished second at last year's Baton Rouge Regional. The game against the Aggies is the second of three on the schedule against teams from the Big 12 Conference.
Bradley owns a five-game win streak in season openers, dating back to the 2005 season and BU is 16-16 overall in season opening contests. The Braves were 8-7 in neutral site games in 2011 and are 14-12 at neutral sites over the last two seasons. Bradley has posted a 23-15 (.605) record since the start of the 2007 season when playing at a neutral site.
The Braves returned nine of 19 letterwinners, including four starting position players and two pitcher's from last year's squad. Scoring early proved to be key for BU in 2010, with seven of Bradley's 15 victories coming when the Braves scored in the first inning. Bradley also owned a 12-10 mark when it was the first team to score.
Live stats for the games against Texas Tech, Northwestern and Texas A&M will be available at BradleyBraves.com.
