PEORIA, Ill. -- Off to its best start since 2005, the Bradley Baseball team will open its season-long, 8-game home stand by hosting Interstate 74 rival Illinois State in a weekend series at O'Brien Field.  The series begins with a 6 p.m. game Friday and will follow with a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 o'clock game Sunday.

Friday's series opener will be the the 188th game between the Braves and Redbirds since 1921 and Illinois State owns a slim 95-92 lead in the last 187 games against Bradley.  Illinois State has won seven of the last 10 against the Braves and has won the season series in each of the last three years.  Looking ahead to this weekend, however, neither team has won the season series against its I-74 rival in four straight years since the Redbirds joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1982.

To learn more about Bradley Baseball as the Braves prepare for the weekend rivalry series, check out Bradley's pre-series notes package (PDF).

Regular-season ticket prices for Bradley Baseball home games at O'Brien Field are $6 for adults, $3 for youth (k-12) and free for Bradley University students, faculty and staff, as well as active members of the military and their immediate family members, all presenting valid identification.  Friday's game will be Morton Community Night and fans presenting the Morton Community Night flyer will receive admission for $3 (flyers are available at various Morton businesses or by emailing busportsmarketing@bradley.edu).    For Sunday's series finale, youth (13U) baseball players will receive admission for $1 by wearing their uniforms and may run the bases after the game, as well as get autographs from the Braves (posters will be provided).