Peoria, Ill. - Bradley Baseball will look to build off their win against Western Illinois as they end their homestand in a three-game weekend series against the Belmont Bruins. Friday's game will be the Mitch Janssen Memorial Game. On Sunday, following the game, the Braves will participate in the Pediatric Cancer Head Shaving in the Bradley vs. Cancer Game.

Bradley Braves Overview

The Braves (4-24) are coming off a hard-fought win on Wednesday that saw them fight back from a 2-0 deficit to win 5-2. Timmy O'Brien showcased his power with a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the sixth–his ninth home run and 22nd RBI. 

Mason Breidenbach has been a consistent performer all season, leading the team with a .340 batting average, 18 walks, and a .449 on-base percentage. He will need a big weekend for the Braves to keep up with the Bruins.

On the mound, Brayden Marks had a solid outing over the weekend, throwing five innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. Reece Clapp earned the save this weekend, pitching two scoreless innings, yielding a hit and a walk while striking out three.

Belmont Bruins Overview

Belmont (14-21) has had an up-and-down start to their season, losing 10 of their first 11 games before winning three of their next four. The Bruins are coming off a 5-4 loss to North Alabama after North Alabama rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off. Pete Daniel is currently leading Belmont with a 1.016 OPS, a .392 batting average, and a team-leading 10 doubles.

On the mound, Joe Ruzicka leads the team among qualified pitchers in ERA with a 4.34 while holding opponents to a .224 batting average. He has 35 strikeouts in  37 ⅓ innings pitched.

Matchup Outlook

The Braves are looking to have the solid pitching that they've had the past few games, as they have given up less than five runs in three of their last four games. A solid pitching performance will take the pressure off the hitters and can keep morale up this weekend.