2014 Season Recap
The Braves posted a 24-27 overall record in 2014, improving by seven wins over the 2013 season (17-32) ... Bradley also jumped from 2-19 in MVC play in 2013 to 5-16 last spring, following its seventh-place regular-season finish in the Missouri Valley Conference with a first-round win against host and No. 2 seed Indiana State in the MVC Baseball Championship ... The Braves were led on the mound by sophomore right-hander Elliot Ashbeck, who went 6-3 with a 2.57 earned run average ... Offensively, sophomore shortstop Tyler Leffler ranked among the nation's leaders in on-base percentage throughout the year and finished as the league's second-leading hitter with a .354 batting average.
Returning Talent
Bradley returns six starting position players, including an infield that features three Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-Americans - Spencer Gaa (2014, 3B); Tyler Leffler (2013, SS); and Chris Godinez (2012, 2B) ... In addition, senior centerfielder Isaac Smith anchors the outfield after leading the nation in hitting through the halfway point of the 2014 season ... The pitching staff also figures to return eight hurlers who made double-digit appearances on the mound last season, as well as an expected healthy return of 2013 ace Brent Stong, whose only 2014 appearance came in the MVC Tournament, and fifth-year junior Steve Adkins, who made six starts after his mid-season return to the bump ... In all, the staff's 11 returning pitchers combined for a 24-24 record with all nine of the team's saves and a 3.94 ERA.
New Pitching Coach
While head coach Elvis Dominguez returns for his seventh season and hitting coach Sean Lyons returns for a sixth campaign, the Braves welcome veteran pitching coach Larry Scully for his first season on The Hilltop ... Scully boasts 21 years of collegiate and professional baseball coaching experience and comes to Bradley from Murray State, where he was the Racers pitching coach in 2014 ... Throughout his career, Scully has worked with 12 pitchers who have been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including four who went on to reach the Big Leagues.
Summer Baseball
Sixteen Braves are participating in summer collegiate leagues around the country, led by junior pitcher Elliot Ashbeck, who is 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, and senior Chris Dominguez, who is the fourth-leading hitter in the Northwoods League with a .355 batting average.
