Softball Heads To Valparaiso For Weekend Series

Josh Schwam

Softball 3/31/2022 10:30:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball returns to the state of Indiana for a second consecutive weekend, with the Braves heading to Valparaiso to continue a nine-game Missouri Valley Conference road swing with a three-game road series against the Beacons Saturday and Sunday.

The series begins with a noon doubleheader Saturday at the Valpo Softball Complex, with the teams wrapping up the weekend Sunday with a single game at noon. All three games will be available on ESPN3.

Valparaiso (9-15 overall, 1-5 MVC) opened MVC play with road series at Indiana State and Missouri State, with the weekend series against Bradley (14-15 overall, 2-4 MVC) marking the start of a 13-game home stand for the Beacons.

The Braves lead the all-time series with Valparaiso 8-6 after winning two of three games against the Beacons last season in Peoria, but Valpo holds a slim 5-4 edge in the series since joining the MVC for the 2018 season. Valparaiso has won all three games in the series played in Valparaiso, Ind., with that series falling during the Beacons first year in the MVC in 2018. Bradley has won four of the last six matchups since that 2018 Valpo sweep, however, with all six of those games played in Peoria.

Senior Lucy Mead has had her fair share of success against Valparaiso in her career after collecting hits in 6-of-9 at bats against the Beacons last year. In six career contests against Valpo, Mead owns a .526 average (10-for-19) with four doubles, seven runs and five RBI. In fact, Bradley's five seniors combined to go 15-for-38 (.398) with two doubles, three walks, a stolen base, eight runs and 10 RBI in last year's three-game series against Valparaiso.

Bradley has 15 complete game efforts this season, which ranks third in the MVC behind only Southern Illinois (18) and Evansville (17), for the team's most complete games in a season since 25 complete game efforts in 2019. With 15 complete games in 29 outings, Bradley is looking to have complete game outings in at least 50 percent of its contests for the first time dating back to 2019 (25 out of 50) and just the second time going back to 2013 when the Braves had 33 complete games in 52 outings. Senior Grace French has a team-best seven complete games and needs just one more complete-game effort to match the highest total by a Bradley individual since Alyson Spinas-Valainis tossed 17 complete games in 2015.

Bradley has played a league-high 29 games and the Braves have a league-high 13 wins away from home (two road & 11 neutral). In fact, Bradley already has more victories away from home (13) this spring than the Braves had during the entire 2021 campaign (7) and sit two wins short of the team's highest win total away from home dating back to 2019 (21). Bradley plays the next six games on the road, before a season-long eight-game home stand.

Currently in her 14th season as Head Coach at Bradley and 21st as a collegiate head coach, Amy Hayes is closing in on 500 career wins. She currently has 496 victories during her coaching career, which includes stints at Portland State (2006-08) and Boston (2001-04), sitting four short of the 500-win mark. Hayes is the all-time wins leader in program history at 283 and is now 11th in MVC history in overall victories, passing Megan Bryant for 11th in league history with the series-opening win at Indiana State last weekend. Hayes ranks 10th in Valley history with 129 career league wins, four behind Meredith Bakley (UNI - 1979-00) for ninth all-time in league history. During her time at Bradley Hayes has coached 668 contests, which ranks third in school history behind only Dewey Kalmer (1,616 games - baseball) and A.J. Robertson (907 games - football, basketball & baseball).

Bradley closes out the nine-game road swing April 9 & 10 with a three-game series at Drake.

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Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French: P/UT; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

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

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: P/UT

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

Softball Heads To Valparaiso For Weekend Series

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#4 Lucy Mead

Players Mentioned

#32 Grace French

#4 Lucy Mead