Bradley University Athletics

Bradley Softball Picked Sixth In MVC Preseason Poll

Duane Zehr

Softball 1/29/2020 9:31:00 AM

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Bradley Softball was picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason poll according to a vote of the league's 10 head coaches announced by the Valley office Wednesday.

Returning seven starters and a total of 14 letterwinners from last year's team that had the most overall wins (29) since 2004 and tied the school record for MVC victories (15) to finish fourth in the league, Bradley returns a big percentage of its lineup from last year's team which was one of the most powerful offensive teams in Valley history. BU's returners combined for at least 80 percent of the team's hits (83%), runs (83%), doubles (80%), triples (82%), home runs (90%) and RBI (87%) from a team which ranked among the top 25 in the nation in runs (22nd), home runs (8th) and slugging percentage (13th).

In fact, six returning players hit .300 or better and the group combined for 242 runs, which is more than all but three MVC teams scored last year. In addition, the returners slugged 61 home runs in 2019, two more than any other Valley squad last spring. The Braves bring back three All-MVC performers in First-Team All-Valley picks Stacia Seeton and Kealia Wysocki along with Second-Team All-MVC performer Allison Apke for the 2020 campaign which gets underway next week. Both Apke and Wysocki were Third-Team NFCA All-Mideast Region selections last year.

While the Braves did graduate a pair of pitchers that won at least eight games, Bradley does have three returning hurlers back which combined for 12 of last year's 29 victories and the team's lone save. Senior Emma Jackson is the most experienced arm in the Bradley bullpen, making 22 starts and appearing in 41 games in the circle over the last three years. Jackson was 3-3 with a team-best 2.58 ERA in MVC play, where she had five complete games in her six starts and seven appearances last spring.

Defending MVC champion Drake was picked as the preseason favorite, garnering four first-place votes and 89 points. Northern Iowa was second with 87 points and Southern Illinois followed in third with 82 points. Bradley's 55 points were 14 back of fourth-place Missouri State (69 points) and just five back of fifth-place Illinois State (60 points). Indiana State was seventh in the 10-team poll at 31 points.

Bradley opens the 2020 season Feb. 7-9 at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M., kicking off the season Feb. 7 with a 3 p.m. (CST) game against #20/24 Arkansas.

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