Softball Hosts Indiana State In Weekend Series

Evan Temchin

Softball 4/15/2021 10:05:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Softball wraps up a stretch in which the Braves play nine of the first 15 Missouri Valley Conference games of the season at home with a three-game series against Indiana State Saturday and Sunday at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Winners of six of their last seven home games, Bradley (13-12 overall, 6-6 MVC) will open the three-game series against Indiana State (14-17 overall, 7-5 MVC) one game behind the Sycamores in the standings in a tie with Evansville for sixth.

The series kicks off Saturday with a noon doubleheader which will be available on ESPN3. The teams conclude the set Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all three contests.

The Braves own a 67-35 (.657) lead in the all-time series with the Sycamores after taking all four meetings in 2019. Bradley has split or won the season series in 12 of the last 13 seasons the teams have met. The Braves are 23-9 (.719) against Indiana State under Head Coach Amy Hayes. Owning a 34-14 (.708) home record in the all-time series against Indiana State, Bradley is 14-3 (.824) at home vs. the Sycamores during Hayes' tenure. BU's 67 wins against Indiana State are more than against any other team the Braves have faced. In fact, Evansville (41) is the only other team Bradley has won more than 40 games against. The teams have played 102 times to make it the most played series in Bradley Softball history.

Juniors Stacia Seeton and Taise Thompson have both had success in their careers against Indiana State with each of them owning three career homers against the Sycamores. Seeton, who is 11-for-24 (.458) in her career in the series, hit two homers in the four meetings in 2019 and owns a .517 career on base percentage against Indiana State. Thompson drove in a total of eight runs vs. the Sycamores in 2019, going 6-for-12 at the plate with eight RBI. In seven career games against Indiana State, Thompson has driven in 10 and scored four times. Lucy Mead went 5-for-13 with two triples, four runs and two RBI in the four matchups vs. the Sycamores in 2019.

Bradley has won six of its last seven home games and the Braves are 8-2 in their last 10 home contests heading into the weekend home series against Indiana State. The eight home wins equal Bradley's home win total from the entire 2019 season (8-7) and BU needs just one more home victory for the most home wins since posting a combined 10-10 mark at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in 2018. With eight more home games remaining on the slate, the Braves have a chance to win more than 10 home contests for the first time since 2015 (12-6).

Leadoff hitter Camryn Monteer reached base 10 times in last weekend's series at Loyola, going 6-for-9 at the plate with a double, triple, two runs scored and one RBI. Hitting a team-best .386 on the season, Monteer owns a team-high .456 on base percentage this season. She has reached base 53 percent of the team she has led off an inning and owns a .409 average with the bases empty. Over the last eight games, Monteer is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with five walks and four runs scored.

Avry Blume had a career-best six-game hit streak come to an end in Monday's series finale at Loyola, but has collected hits in each of her last eight home games dating back to the season opener against Western Illinois. Blume, who hit a pair of homers in the series opener at Loyola Sunday for the 16th multi-homer game on record in program history, is hitting .448 (13-for-29) in home contests this season with a .621 slugging percentage.

Bradley follows up the home series with Indiana State by playing eight of the next 10 games on the road starting with a midweek doubleheader at I-74 rival Illinois State April 21.

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