CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Tonight's college baseball game between visiting Bradley (20-19) and host Illinois (15-21) has been cancelled due to the persistent rain in the area and no makeup date has been announced.

Bradley won the first matchup in the home-and-home series, rallying for a 7-4 victory April 5 at O'Brien Field.

The Braves will return to action Friday night by opening a 3-game Missouri Valley Conference series at Creighton.  All three games in the series will be played at the new TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, which will be the site of the 2011 State Farm MVC Baseball Championship next month, as well as the permanent home of the NCAA College World Series.

Junior left-hander Joe Bircher (5-3, 2.65 ERA), an Omaha native, is expected to start Friday's series opener for Bradley.