Softball Hosts Western Illinois Wednesday Night

Bob Hunt - Photographer

Softball 3/20/2018 10:41:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- In-state foe Western Illinois will be the first non-conference opponent to visit Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex when Bradley Softball hosts the Leathernecks Wednesday in a 6 p.m. contest as the two teams meet for the second time in 2018.

The Braves (11-14 overall) won the season's first meeting 5-4 back on Feb. 11 to wrap up the season Petersen Hotels Invitational which was played inside the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex Dome. Western Illinois (7-21 overall) holds a 41-20 edge in the all-time series which dates back to 1980, but Bradley is 11-3 in the last 14 matchups since 2004. The Braves are 10-11 at home in the series, but 6-0 in the last six home contests.

BradleyBraves.com will provide a link to live stats for Wednesday's game which is the second of three midweek non-conference home games for the Braves. Bradley has three midweek non-conference games on the schedule for the first time since 2005.

Bradley was ranked 98th in the first edition of the NCAA RPI Report released Monday and the Braves have played the 51st toughest schedule in the country through games of March 18. Eighteen of 25 games to date have been played against teams with .500 records or better as of Sunday and BU's 14 losses have come to teams with a combined record of 269-103 (.723). I-74 rival Illinois State is the only Missouri Valley Conference school to play a tougher schedule than the Braves in 2018.

The opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play featured a matchup of the two best hitting teams in the MVC in Bradley and Northern Iowa and the teams didn't disappoint with the squads each scoring 13 runs and combining for 35 hits in the abbreviated two-game series. Sophomore Allison Apke continued her hot hitting by slugging her team-best sixth home run of the year and she owns a league-best .746 slugging percentage this spring with 12 of her 20 hits going for extra bases. In fact, six of her last 16 hits have been home runs. As a team, Bradley is scoring a Valley best 4.96 runs per game which would be the team's highest scoring average at the NCAA Division I level.

Sophomore Emma Jackson earned her second victory of the year out of the bullpen Sunday against Northern Iowa, holding the Panthers to three hits and one earned run in 5.1 innings in the 7-4 Bradley victory. Jackson, who now has a team and career-best five victories this season, boasted a 1.27 ERA in 11.0 innings out of the bullpen in Sunday's doubleheader against UNI. On the year, she is 2-0 with a save and 1.25 ERA in 22.1 innings in relief. Bradley pitchers have combined for a 5-3 record with two saves and a 2.16 ERA in relief appearances. In fact, opponents are hitting a combined .238 on the year against BU pitchers coming on in relief.

In addition to ranking among the top power hitters in the MVC this season, Apke has drawn a league-best 17 base on balls through 25 games with her total just two short of the team lead from 2017. With Wednesday's game against Western Illinois marking the halfway point of the regular-season schedule, Bradley has already drawn 76 walks and is averaging a little better than three free passes per game, which would be the best average in school history. Senior Maria Schroeder has drawn eight walks of her own this spring and is currently tied for second all-time at Bradley with 69 career walks. Schroeder is one walk from tying the Bradley career walks record of 70 held by Bailiegh Basham (2012-14).

Wednesday's game against Western Illinois is third of a season-long six-game home stand for the Braves, which will wrap up with a three-game weekend series against Loyola Saturday and Sunday at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

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Players Mentioned

#16 Allison Apke: IF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#7 Emma Jackson: RHP; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#17 Maria Schroeder: UTL/C; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#16 Allison Apke
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#7 Emma Jackson
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#17 Maria Schroeder
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: UTL/C

Softball Hosts Western Illinois Wednesday Night

Players Mentioned

#16 Allison Apke

#7 Emma Jackson

#17 Maria Schroeder

Players Mentioned

#16 Allison Apke

#7 Emma Jackson

#17 Maria Schroeder