The two teams that played for the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship will kick off the 2016 league season this weekend when #16 Missouri State (24-5) visits Bradley (14-9) for a 3-game set at Dozer Park. The competition between the two Valley rivals is just part of this weekend's story, however. Below this weekend's series particulars, readers will find a feature story by Bradley Athletics Communications intern Aaron Freeman spotlighting the Bradley Baseball team's efforts to raise funds and awareness in the fight against childhood cancer.
Bradley (14-9) vs. Missouri State (24-5)
Friday 2 p.m. | Saturday 12 p.m. | Sunday 12 p.m.
Peoria, IL | Dozer Park (7,500) | 310' Lines, 400' CF, 375' Gaps
TV/Video: Friday and Sunday on ESPN3 | Audio: N/A | Stats: MVC Scoreboard
Bradley Baseball Standing Up to Cancer
By: Aaron Freeman for BradleyBraves.com
After raising more than $11,000 last season, the Bradley Baseball team is committing to raise even more money in 2016 to fund lifesaving efforts in the fight against childhood cancer.
Headed by redshirt senior LHP Cameron Roegner and redshirt junior RHP Peter Resnick, this season the baseball team is trying to raise $12,000 with half of the proceeds going toward national research to find a cure and the other half helping Peoria area children who are undergoing treatment.
Wanting to carry on the tradition that former baseball player Steve Adkins started last season, Roegner said that a main motivation for continuing this event at Bradley is because of how much it can support local families.
“Half of the money is raised goes toward local children's hospitals,” Roegner said. “To really support the kids in the local area and to give them the toys and games to really make their lives easier while they are in the hospital we felt was very important.”
Former University of North Carolina baseball player Chase Jones founded The Vs. Cancer foundation in 2012 after beating Stage IV cancer as an eighteen-year-old college student-athlete. The Vs. Cancer Foundation has 74 collegiate baseball teams from all over the country along with professional athletes raising money and empowering local communities to support the fight against cancer.
Along with raising money for the Vs. Cancer Foundation, members of the Bradley Baseball team will raise awareness for their efforts and demonstrate their support of those affected by cancer by shaving their heads on the center field concourse at Dozer Park immediately following Saturday's game versus Missouri State.
Roegner said that with such a large amount of people supporting this great cause, the Braves are just happy to be doing their small part to bring awareness and raise funds.
“We are all leaders on this team and we don't view ourselves as having just two leaders,” Roegner said. “We have a goal of being a good baseball team and now our mission is to help the community, so we are all working toward that.”
Fans and supporters can still donate even after Friday's event and can do so by visiting https://team.vs-cancer.org/fundraise/team?ftid=68940. To date, the Bradley Baseball team is about $7,000 short of their goal of $12,000.
Bradley will carry a 4-game winning streak into its first Missouri Valley Conference series of the year, a 3-game weekend set versus #16 Missouri State Friday (2 p.m.), Saturday (noon) and Sunday (noon) at Dozer Park.
