Peoria, Ill. - Bradley Baseball will conclude their first homestand of the season on Tuesday against the Iowa Hawkeyes at 6 p.m.
Bradley Braves Overview
The Braves (3-20) struggled to start their first homestand against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The offense continued to show bright spots, as they scored 19 runs across the three games over the weekend. Cole Smith's bat came to life at Dozer, as he went 7-for-13 with two doubles, two walks, a stolen base, five RBI, and scored five times.
Bobby Atkinson (.303 BA) increased his team-leading OPS to .917 and currently leads the team among qualified hitters in slugging percentage with a .517 and RBI with 20. Mason Breidenbach continues to find ways to get on base, leading the team with a .337 batting average, a .456 on-base percentage, and 18 walks in the season.
On the mound, Bradley's struggles have continued, giving up 15 runs on average in this weekend's games. Jackson Horras made two solid outings this weekend in relief, pitching 2 ⅓ innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two. Horras currently has the lowest ERA on the team among all pitchers.
Iowa Hawkeyes Overview
The Hawkeyes (17-9) have been on fire, winning nine of their last 10 games, heading into their weekday match against the Braves. Iowa has seen contributions throughout the lineup with at least seven players hitting above a .300 batting average with at least 60 at bats. Reese Moore has led the way for Iowa, leading the team with a .385 batting average, 1.268 OPS, and nine home runs while also contributing a .791 slugging percentage in 91 at-bats.
On the mound, Cade Obermueller (2.95 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) leads his team in strikeouts while carrying a 2-2 record on the year. He has held his opponents to a .239 batting average while only walking 13 batters in the 39 ⅔ innings that he has pitched.
Matchup Outlook
The Braves will need to find some stability on the mound as their pitchers have struggled to go deep into games. Tuesday's match will be one of their toughest challenges in their upcoming stretch of games, so they will look for the bats to come alive and keep up with the offensive firepower of the Hawkeyes.
