Bradley University Athletics

Softball Returns Home To Host Missouri State

Jared Anderson

Softball 3/31/2021 2:00:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball returns home after the first Missouri Valley Conference road series of the year to host Missouri State Friday and Saturday at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex as the Braves continue a stretch that has them playing nine of the first 15 Missouri Valley Conference games at home.

All three games of the series will be available on ESPN3, with the Braves and Bears opening the set with a noon doubleheader Friday. The series concludes Saturday with an 11 a.m. contest. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all three games. For ticket information CLICK HERE.

The Braves (9-10 overall, 2-4 MVC) will be trying to take the regular-season series from the Bears (16-10 overall, 7-1 MVC) for the first time since 2016 (2-1). Missouri State took two of three games in the series in 2019 and holds a 61-36 lead in the all-time series. The Bears are 6-2 against Bradley since 2017, but the Braves have posted a 16-21 record against Missouri State under head coach Amy Hayes. The Bears own a 24-18 lead in the all-time series in games played in Peoria.

This weekend's home series against Missouri State kicks off a stretch in which Bradley plays six of the next nine at home and the Braves will play nine of the first 15 MVC contests at Petersen Hotels Field. Even with two road series mixed in that stretch, Bradley is scheduled to play the first 17 conference games in the state of Illinois. The Braves have already played 12 of their 19 games to date in the Land of Lincoln (nine home & three at SIU). Overall, Bradley is scheduled to play 28 of 42 regular-season games in the state of Illinois.

Lucy Mead has certainly stepped up her game since MVC play started, hitting a team-best .563 (9-for-16) in league action with just two strikeouts. Mead, who hit .200 in the non-conference portion of the schedule with 13 strikeouts, has collected hits in five of six Valley games. In fact, she has hits in seven of the last eight games dating back to the final day of the Buccaneer Classic in Johnson City, Tenn., on March 14 and is hitting .524 (11-for-21) with five runs and four RBI over that span.

After ranking eighth in the MVC in fielding percentage last year, Bradley currently boasts a .966 fielding percentage; which is third in the MVC and 92nd nationally. The .966 fielding percentage would be the best mark for the Braves since posting a similar .966 fielding percentage during the 2006 season. Bradley has turned eight double player through 19 games.

This weekend's series against Missouri State marks the halfway point of the regular season schedule for the Braves. Bradley has played a league-low 19 games to date, despite the team's nine home contests ranking third in the league. The Braves are tied with Southern Illinois for the fewest combined road and neutral site games played in the MVC this season (10).

After the weekend home series, Bradley travels to Chicago for a three-game series at Loyola April 10 & 11.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead: IF/UT; 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R
: IF/UT

Softball Returns Home To Host Missouri State

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead

Players Mentioned

#4 Lucy Mead