PEORIA, Ill. – Trips to the south, doubleheaders and an 11-game homestand highlight the 56-game 2024 Bradley Softball Schedule unveiled by second-year head coach Sarah Willis on Wednesday.

The Braves begins the season with four tournaments throughout the first month, beginning with the Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., hosted by UNLV on Feb. 16-18. The Braves will face host UNLV, UC Santa Barbara and Iowa State across the weekend.

The Braves then travel to Birmingham, Ala., for the Green and Gold Classic, hosted by UAB on Feb. 23-25. The Braves will face Western Carolina as well as three Alabama schools throughout the tournament, facing North Alabama, host UAB and Alabama.

Bradley's final two season-opening tournaments see the team travel to Tennessee on back-to-back weekends, beginning with the Middle Tennessee State Invitational on March 1-3. The Braves will compete against Detroit Mercy, host MTSU and Army in Murfreesboro. The final tournament of the spring sees the team head to Clarksville for the Governors Classic, hosted by Austin Peay. Akron, host Austin Peay and Rhode Island will face off against the Braves.

Just before conference play begins, the Braves travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for a non-conference doubleheader against SEMO on March 12. 

The beginning of the Missouri Valley Conference slate sees the Braves travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the a three-game series against the Indiana State Sycamores on March 15-17.

The Bradley home opener at OSF Healthcare Field at the Louisville Slugger Complex comes on March 20 when the Braves host a doubleheader former MVC foe Loyola Chicago. Bradley then hosts Missouri State in a three game series on March 22-24.

The Braves close out March with a five game road trip, beginning with two games against Illinois State in Normal, Ill., on March 26-27. The month concludes with a trip up to Valparaiso, Ind., for a three-game series, featuring a doubleheader, against Valpo on March 29-30.

A mix of non-conference and conference games make up a lengthy 11-game homestand spanning two weeks in the beginning of April. The homestand kicks off with a week of games against Southern Illinois schools, beginning with a non-conference doubleheader against SIU Edwardsville on April 3 before the Braves host MVC foe Southern Illinois on April 5-7.

The homestand continues with a midweek doubleheader against Northern Illinois on April 10. Northern Iowa then travels to Peoria to face the Braves on April 12-14. The final game of the homestand comes on April 16, as Bradley plays host to Illinois State to conclude the regular season series against the Redbirds.

Bradley begins its final stretch of the season with a three-game set in Des Moines, Iowa, against Drake on April 19-21 before returning home for the final non-conference game of the season against Eastern Illinois on April 24. The team closes out the month with its final road series of the season, traveling to Nashville to face off against Belmont on April 26-28.

The final regular season series of the season sees the Braves host UIC in Peoria on May 3-5, with Senior Day following the final game of the series.

The MVC Tournament will be hosted by Illinois State on May 8-11 at Marian Kneer Stadium.