Leading Off
•  Two weeks after dealing Northern Illinois a 19-0 defeat, April 16, in DeKalb, Bradley will host its in-state rival in the return matchup of the 2013 season series.
•  The 19-0 decision was Bradley's most-lopsided victory since a 24-2 win against Cornell March 18, 2006 in Florida and snapped a 6-game losing streak.
•  In Bradley's last eight games since the rout in DeKalb, the Braves are 2-6 and have averaged 3.1 runs per game while surrendering 6.1 runs per game.
•  The Huskies, meanwhile, have bounced back with a 4-3 record in their last seven games since Bradley's visit, averaging 5.6 runs per game and allowing 3.3 runs per contest.
•  Northern Illinois owns a 4.46 staff earned run average, but that ERA would drop to 4.13 without the 16 earned runs the Braves scored in 7.0 innings.
•  Bradley senior LF Mike Tauchman has reached base safely 340 times in his career equalling the most in school history, meaning he will set the new standard with his next hit, walk or hit by pitch.

Series Notes
Bradley leads 44-31
•  The in-state rivals have met in 14 consecutive years and all but one season since 1992.
•  Bradley snapped a series-worst, 5-game losing streak to the Huskies with a 4-3 win April 25, 2012 and tacked on a 19-0 win two weeks ago, April 16, in DeKalb.
•  Though Bradley is 22-11 all-time at home against NIU, the Huskies are 5-4 at Peoria Chiefs Stadium.