BU (0-5 overall) is looking for its first win of the season after opening the year at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend.  The Braves played four of five games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the preseason national polls, wrapping up the squad's first trip to the Grand Canyon state with a 3-1 loss to 19th-ranked Texas A&M.

Bradley begins play at the Troy Classic Friday with a 6:30 p.m. game against Samford (1-4 overall) and opens Saturday's action against Troy (3-2 overall) at 5:30 p.m.  Saturday's play wraps up with an 8 p.m. matchup against Central Arkansas (0-4 overall) before the Braves finish out the tournament Sunday morning vs. North Florida (0-5 overall) at 10 a.m.

Both Samford and Central Arkansas are first-time opponents for Bradley, while Saturday's matchup against Troy is the first of three on the schedule this season against the Trojans.  The Braves are 2-1 against Troy all-time with all three previous meetings coming during the 1997 season.  BU will also face Troy at the Eller Media Stadium Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. (March 6) and the Bayer Cropscience Classic in Fresno, Calif. (March 11).  Bradley posted a 3-1 win in the last meeting with North Florida in March 2006 to pull even in the series at 1-1.

Junior Julie Sherman (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) hit .364 during the opening weekend with two runs scored, two walks and a team-best .462 on base percentage.  Seniors Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.) and Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) ranked first and second on the team in RBI in 2010 and drove in a team-best three runs last weekend.

Senior Denise Jilka (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) also helped highlight the first weekend of action for the Braves with a solo home run against 19th-ranked Texas A&M.  The homer was the second of Jilka's career and first since her freshman year.

Live stats for all four games at the Troy Classic will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/troy/softball/index.htm.