PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior pitcher Matt Dennis (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows) has been named the Bradley COUNTRY Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week after helping Bradley Baseball to a series win over I-74 rival Illinois State.

Dennis helped Bradley to a series-opening 10-2 win at Illinois State by allowing one unearned run on seven hits in 7.0 innings last Friday.  After Illinois State squeezed home its first run in the third inning, the Redbirds tried a second squeeze in the fourth, but the bunt came right back to Dennis, who caught the runner from third in a rundown.  That play wound up being the first of 11 consecutive outs for Dennis, who did not allow another runner until giving up a 2-out infield single in the seventh.  A psychology major, Dennis owns a 3.03 cumulative grade point average. 
 
Each week, a Bradley student-athlete is selected as the COUNTRY Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week.  The individual chosen must be at least a sophomore in class standing and boast a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, while displaying a level of athletic excellence.

Dennis and the Bradley baseball team open the final home series of the 2016 season Friday with a 6 p.m. game against Indiana State at Dozer Park.