Softball Hosts Loyola To Open MVC Play

Softball 3/17/2022 10:30:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After playing 23 games on the road to open the 2022 season, Bradley Softball will play at home for the first time this year with the Braves kicking off the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the schedule Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series against Loyola at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Bradley (12-11 overall) and Loyola (6-11 overall) will kick off the three-game series Saturday with a noon doubleheader and conclude the set Sunday with a single game at noon. All three games will be available on ESPN3 and BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for all three contests.

The Braves are 15-5 against the Ramblers since Loyola joined the MVC in 2014, which includes a 9-2 home mark. Overall, Bradley owns a 27-14 advantage in the all-time series with the Ramblers after Loyola took two of three games last year in Chicago. The Braves are 15-5 all-time in home games in the series, with this weekend's series marking Loyola's first road games in the series since a 2018 doubleheader at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Saturday's home opener marks the latest home opener for Bradley since 2017 (April 1), excluding the 2020 campaign. The Braves are 15-5 in their last 20 home games against MVC opponents dating back to early April in 2019. Bradley is 23-19 in home openers all-time, which includes a 2-0 mark against Loyola in home openers (2014 - W, 3-2 & 1988 - W, 5-0).

The Braves have opened conference action at home each year since starting the 2017 league slate at Southern Illinois. Bradley has won at least one game during the opening weekend of the Valley schedule seven of the last eight years and posted a .500 record or better the first weekend of league action in six of the last eight campaigns, owning an 11-11 record in the opening series during that span.

Bradley has consistently ranked among the best offensive teams in the MVC over the last few years, but this season the Braves also boast one of the most balanced rotations in the Valley. Overall, Bradley's pitchers have combined for a 3.58 team ERA, which would be the best mark for the Braves since 2012 (3.39 ERA). After a tough start to the season at the Grand Canyon Kickoff Classic where BU hurlers went 1-4 with a 6.76 ERA, Bradley's pitching staff is 11-7 with a 2.76 ERA over the last 18 outings. Freshman Abbott Badgley is 5-1 with a minuscule 1.35 ERA over that stretch. Senior Grace French owns a 1.89 ERA in her last six outings, which includes starts against then 21st-ranked Auburn and #15 Missouri. French has surrendered a total of just one unearned run over her last 12.2 innings of work.

Bradley has swiped a league-leading 34 bases this season, two short of matching the team's total for the entire 2021 campaign. With just under half of the 2022 schedule complete, the Braves are on pace to have their most stolen bases since taking a school-record 99 stolen bases in 2000. Three Braves have six or more steals with seniors Camryn Monteer and Lucy Mead tied for the team lead with seven each. The last time Bradley had three individuals with six or more stolen bases was 2013 (three with 10 or more). Since the 99 stolen bases in 2000, the Braves have had 40 or more stolen bases a total of nine times with the last in 2017 (54).

Bradley has three freshmen in the starting lineup and the trio of Badgley, Katie Pederson and Addie Welsh have provided a big lift for the offense. Badgley is currently leading the team with a .372 average, in addition to her team-high five wins and 2.70 ERA. Pederson is tied for the team lead with 15 RBI in addition to hitting .298, while Welsh homered twice this past weekend and is second on the squad with seven walks to go with her .273 average. Bradley's five freshman have accounted for nine of the team's 18 homers and nearly 40 percent of BU's RBI this year. As a group, the freshman class is hitting .290 compared to .267 for the rest of the team and owns an impressive .503 slugging percentage vs. .403 for the remainder of the squad.

Badgley and senior Grace French have helped lead Bradley's offense and pitching staff. Hitting a team-best .372 with four homers, Badgley also leads the squad with five wins and 2.70 ERA. French is tied for the team lead with 15 RBI and leads the Braves in innings pitched (45.1) and strikeouts (34). Badgley has joined Madeline Lynch-Crumrine as the only players in program history to hit four or more homers and collect five or more victories in the same season. Lynch-Crumrine had five homers and 18 victories during Bradley's NCAA Tournament run in 2014.

Bradley follows up the Loyola home series with a nine-game MVC road swing that starts March 26 & 27 with a three-game series at Indiana State.

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