PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball has its lightest week of games to date in 2019 on tap for the final weekend before opening the Missouri Valley Conference schedule, with the Braves slated to play a doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky Saturday in addition to a single game Sunday at Tennessee Tech.
After going 4-1 at last week's Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla., Bradley (9-10 overall) is 8-5 in its 13 games heading into Saturday's noon (CST) doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky (7-8 overall). The Braves will take on Tennessee Tech (8-5 overall) in a 1 p.m. contest Sunday in Cookeville, Tenn., to close out the weekend.
BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all three contests.
Eastern Kentucky has won both previous meetings with the Braves with both contests at neutral sites during the 2015 season (Statesboro, Ga., & Gulf Shores, Ala.). Tennessee Tech owns a 7-1 lead in the all-time series, which includes a 5-1 record in Cookeville, Tenn. The Braves will be facing Tennessee Tech for the first time since 2016.
Bradley will be playing in the state of Kentucky for the second straight year and Saturday's doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky marks the sixth trip in program history to the Blue Grass State. All five trips to Kentucky (2017, 2014, 2009, 2007 & 2002) have come since 2002 and Bradley is 12-9 all-time in those games. In fact, the Braves have boasted a .500 record or better in each of its five prior trips to the state of Kentucky. Saturday's game at Eastern Kentucky will mark Bradley's first trip to Richmond, Ky.
Bradley returns to the state of Tennessee for the second time this season when the Braves play at Tennessee Tech Sunday. Overall, the Braves are 22-33 all-time in the state of Tennessee after a trip to the Tennessee Invitational in Knoxville, Tenn., in late February, where Bradley lost to #7 Tennessee, Virginia and dropped a pair of games to Louisville.
Bradley went 4-1 at last week's Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla., with the Braves picking up three run-rule victories (Purdue, South Alabama & Savannah State). Currently 55th in the nation in scoring and second in the MVC at 5.68 runs per game, Bradley has scored 11 or more runs five times and the Braves have seven outings with seven or more runs. The three run-rule wins are one short or matching last season's four run-rule victories, while the five games with 10 or more runs match last year's total for the entire season. Bradley averaged 8.2 runs per game at last weekend's Citrus Classic despite MVC home run leader Kealia Wysocki missing all five games and preseason All-MVC first baseman Allison Apke playing in just one contest.
Junior Sydney Young entered the March 1 win over South Alabama with six career hits, but went 2-for-2 at the plate and highlighted a five-run fifth inning with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the 12-4 Bradley win. Young's homer was selected as the #1 play of the week by NCAA Softball for the week of March 5. The homer was the first career extra-base hit for Young, who is the 11th different Bradley player to hit a home run in 2019. The Braves had never previously had 11 different individuals hit a homer in the same season. In fact, Bradley has 22 of 41 seasons in which the team did not hit 11 homers.
Bradley drew a school record 13 walks in the March 1 victory over South Alabama and the Braves were hit by a pitch a total of five times in the win. The previous record for walks in a game was 12 set at Indiana State on March 19, 2016. On the season, the Braves have averaged 3.63 base on balls per outing, which includes a 4.22 walks-per-game average (last nine games) since the team's 22-home run outburst in the five games in Las Cruces, N.M. Senior Gabby Stoner and sophomore Stacia Seeton have both drawn a team high 13 walks.
Seeton ended Sunday's 11-3 win over Savannah State in grand style, with the sophomore belting the first grand slam of her career. The homer was Seeton's fourth of the year and came a day removed from delivering a three-run double in a win against South Alabama. Seeton has driven in seven runs this spring in her five at bats with the bases loaded. She is second on the team with 13 RBI this year and is 4-for-8 with two doubles, one grand slam and 10 RBI in her career with the bases loaded. Seeton is currently tied for 11th in Bradley history with 13 career home runs, one short of moving into the top 10.
Bradley opens Missouri Valley Conference play March 16 & 17, hosting Valparaiso in a three-game series at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.
