Historic MVC Series On Tap

Bradley Baseball will open MVC play by visiting Valparaiso for Crusaders' first-ever Valley games

Bradley Game Notes (PDF)

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 3/29/2018 3:12:00 PM

Games 19-21
Bradley (12-6, 0-0 MVC) at Valparaiso (7-14, 0-0 MVC)
Friday, March 30 (DH) • 12:00 p.m. CT • Listen Live • Game 1 Stats • Game 2 Stats
Saturday, March 31 • 1:00 p.m. CT • Listen Live • Live Stats
Free Admission
Valparaiso, IN • Emory G. Bauer Field

Historic Valley Series
• The program with the most Missouri Valley Conference games played among the current league membership will face league newcomer Valparaiso for its first-ever Valley games this weekend at Emory G. Bauer Field.
• With Missouri Valley Conference membership that dates back to the 1949 baseball season, Bradley has played 951 all-time MVC regular-season games.
• Both teams are road weary and are coming off Wednesday road losses to Big Ten Conference competition: Bradley suffering a 13-9, walkoff loss at Iowa, while Valparaiso dropped a 4-1 decision at Purdue.
• The Braves have played 17 of their first 18 games away from home and Bradley's 11 wins away from home rank among the nation's most.
• Valpo also has played just one home game this year, a 13-5 loss to Ball State Tuesday.
• The weekend series schedule has been altered in an effort to beat Mother Nature's cold and wet forecast: the teams will play a noon DH Friday and then will have two days to complete Saturday's 1 p.m. series finale.

Series History
Meetings 25-27: Bradley leads, 13-11
Most Recent: 4/28/2009 at Valparaiso - VU, 5-2
Current Streak: Valparaiso, W1
Elvis Dominguez vs. Valparaiso: 0-1
Brian Schmack vs. Bradley: 1st meetings

Snow and Rain, Go Away
• After playing the season's first 16 games away from home, Bradley was scheduled to enjoy a 5-game home stand before visiting Iowa Wednesday.
• After pounding out a 16-1 win in seven innings versus Chicago State in last Wednesday's home opener, the remaining four games in the home stand were cancelled due to weather-related issues.
• On the heels of Wednesday's game at Iowa, Bradley now is scheduled to play its next four games away from home, meaning the Braves are to open the season by playing 21 of their first 22 games away from Dozer Park.

Mangieri On Fire
• Junior first baseman Luke Mangieri has been on an on-base tear dating back to Bradley's March 13 game at then-No. 19 UCF.
• Mangieri has reached base safely at least three times in each of the last six games.
• During the six-game streak, Mangieri has reached base safely 23 times in 33 plate appearances, good for a .697 on-base percentage.
Last Six Games: 14-24 (.583), 8 BB's, 1 HBP

Speaking of Hot Hitters
• Sophomore 3B Brendan Dougherty is 6-for-9 (.667) with four walks (.769 OB%), six RBI's and six runs scored in the last three games.
• Senior UT Andrew Ivelia has banged out at least two hits in six of his last eight games with five doubles and a triple in that stretch.

Good Things Come in Three's
• In addition to Luke Mangieri's on-base streak, Bradley has enjoyed two other notable triple stats.
• In the sixth inning of the March 21 game versus Chicago State, Luke Shadid, Mangieri and Andrew Ivelia legged out three consecutive triples.
• The triple triples is believed to be a first-ever occurrence - college, pro or high school - in the 17-year history of Dozer Park.
• Senior DH Ian Kristan hit home runs in three consecutive AB's on a total of four pitches seen during the March 9-11 series at Jacksonville.

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