Five Valley Scholar-Athletes

Bradley led the eight Valley baseball programs with five MVC Scholar-Athlete selections in 2018

Bradley University Marketing

Brothers Andy (left) and Luke Shadid both earned MVC Scholar-Athlete first-team honors

2018 MVC Baseball Scholar-Athletes

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 6/5/2018 10:00:00 AM

ST. LOUIS – Led by first-team brothers Andy and Luke Shadid (Peoria, IL/Notre Dame H.S.), Bradley placed a league-best five players on the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Scholar-Athlete Team, according to an announcement of the squad by the MVC office Tuesday morning.

While the Shadids both earned first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete recognition in a vote of the league's primary baseball sports information directors, three Braves earned honorable mention accolades: sophomore 3B Brendan Dougherty (Des Moines, IA/Dowling Catholic H.S.), senior RHP Alex Gray (Marysville, WA/Marysville Pilchuck H.S.) and senior 2B Andrew Ivelia (Lake Stevens, WA/Snohomish H.S.). In addition to leading the league's eight baseball squads with five honorees, Bradley matched its best total of MVC Scholar-Athletes in one season, previously achieved by the 2005 and 2007 squads.

Getting it done on the field and in the classroom - the @BradleyBraves land a league-best 5?? @MVCsports Baseball Scholar-Athletes! ???????

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— Bradley Baseball (@BradleyBaseball) June 5, 2018

The Shadid brothers finished the year as Bradley's top two hitters: Andy pacing the Braves with a .326 average as the team's starting center fielder, followed closely by younger brother Luke with a .325 average as the team's starting shortstop. Both majoring in business with an emphasis in finance, Andy Shadid boasts a 3.56 cumulative grade point average and Luke a 3.64 GPA. Selected to attend the 2017 NCAA Leadership Forum as one of two MVC attendees from across all sports, Andy graduated in May after just three seasons on The Hilltop.

The 2017 MVC Freshman of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American a year ago, Dougherty followed up his stellar rookie season by batting .323 with 34 RBI's in 2018, while committing just seven errors in his 51 games at third base. Majoring in communications with an emphasis in sports communication, Dougherty boasts a 3.51 GPA.

The first-ever Bradley Baseball players from the state of Washington, Gray and Ivelia excelled both on the field and in the classroom during the two years with the Braves after transferring from Everett C.C. An honorable mention All-MVC selection on the diamond, Gray starred in a long-relief role in 2018, posting a 7-0 record in his 15 relief appearances this season. He became the second pitcher in Bradley Baseball history to win as many as seven games without suffering a loss, matching the mark set by Harmon Groover 70 years earlier in 1948. Gray graduated in May with his degree in actuarial science (mathematics), boasting a 3.52 cumulative GPA.

Ivelia was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection on the field, batting .287 with a team-best 16 doubles, while finishing second for the Braves with 35 runs batted in. He graduated in May with his degree in business (management and leadership), sporting a 3.51 cumulative GPA.

Led by the quintent of Valley Scholar-Athletes, Bradley posted a 32-19 record in 2018, matching the most-improved season by W-L record in program history. Among the nation's leaders in wins away from home, the Braves also won a program-record eight MVC road games to tie for third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings and claim the No. 3 seed in the MVC Baseball Championship for the third time in four years.

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