Softball Heads To Evansville For MVC Tournament

Softball 5/11/2021 11:40:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. – After wrapping up the regular-season schedule with a series victory against Drake, Bradley Softball returns to Evansville, Ind., for the second time in two weeks for the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, which will be held Wednesday through Saturday at Evansville's Cooper Stadium.

Bradley (19-21 overall, 12-15 MVC) earned a first-round bye for the 10-team event that kicks off Wednesday with the Braves slated to open play Thursday at 1 p.m. in the single-elimination event. The #6 seed for the tournament, the Braves will face the winner of Wednesday's first-round game between #7 seed Indiana State (19-27 overall, 12-15 MVC) and #10 seed Valparaiso (5-34 overall, 1-23 MVC).

Every game of the 2021 MVC Championship will be available on ESPN+ and BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for each BU contest.

The winner of Thursday's second-round game will advance to face #3 Missouri State (25-16 overall, 16-6 MVC) Thursday in a 7 p.m. third-round matchup.

Bradley went 2-1 this season against both Valparaiso and Indiana State, playing both teams at home. The Braves, who hold an 8-6 advantage in the all-time series against Valpo, have yet to face Valparaiso in the MVC Tournament. Indiana State, on the other hand is Bradley's second-most common foe in the Valley Tournament. The teams have met in the last two conference tournaments with the Braves ending the Sycamores season in the third round in 2019 (4-0) after Indiana State edged the Braves 4-3 in the opening round in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2018. Bradley holds a 69-36 lead in the all-time series with the Sycamores that includes a 7-4 edge in tournament contests.

In search of its first MVC Tournament title since 2014 and third overall (2009), Bradley owns a 33-41 record in MVC Tournament play all-time after going 1-1 in the event in 2019. Overall, the Braves are making their 27th MVC Tournament appearance. Bradley has not played in either of the two previous MVC Tournaments held in Evansville (2003 & 1998) with the only previous trip to the Hoosier State for the Valley Tournament in 1995 (Terre Haute), when the Braves went 1-2.
While Bradley nearly claimed the #5 seed for the MVC Tournament, the season results would suggest the Braves are on the favorable side of the bracket for a potential post-season run. Bradley claimed the season series from three of the four teams on the same side of the bracket and had at least one win against all four teams, combining for an 8-4 record against those squads. The Braves were swept by two of five teams on the other side of the bracket and claimed just one season series (Drake), owning a 4-11 combined record against that half of the tournament field. Bradley owned a combined 7-8 record against the top five teams in the Valley standings compared to a 5-7 mark against the bottom four seeds in this year's tournament.

After rallying for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the series opener against Drake (7-5), Bradley scored 12 runs in the first inning of the nightcap in an eventual 18-1 victory. The 12-run inning was the highest scoring frame for the Braves since a 12-run sixth against Indiana State in a 16-4 win back on March 19, 2016. Bradley's 18-run outburst topped the school record for runs scored in a Valley contest (16) as the Braves claimed the season series from Drake for the first time since 2015. In addition, the 17-run victory was the largest margin of victory in a Valley game in school history and biggest victory margin for the Braves dating back to a 17-0 win over Canisius in 2014. Winning the series from Drake for the first time since 2015, Bradley won the series against both the Bulldogs and Missouri State in the same year for the first time dating back to 2000.

Bradley's series victory against Drake to close out the regular season moved the Braves from eighth into a tie for sixth in the MVC standings with BU closing the regular season with a 12-15 league mark. Picked eighth in the MVC preseason poll, Bradley finished higher than its preseason prediction for the fourth time since 2014 and the Braves have placed in the top six in the league five times during that stretch. Prior to this recent run, the Braves had finished in the top six in the Valley standings just once between 1996 and 2013 with Bradley doing so in 2009 during head coach Amy Hayes' first season. Overall, Bradley has finished among the top six in the Valley standings 13 times with seven coming during Hayes' tenure. In fact, Bradley won 12 league games for the fifth time in the last seven years. The Braves had just two seasons with 12 or more conference wins prior to 2014 with the 2009 squad going 12-12 in Valley play and the 1986 team finishing 12-6 in the Gateway Conference.

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