Chicago, Ill. – Bradley Baseball will travel to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames in a three-game weekend series that begins on Friday, April 25 and concludes on Sunday, April 27. 

Bradley Braves Overview

The Braves (8-27) were supposed to take on the SIUE Cougars on Tuesday, but the game was canceled due to inclement weather. Timmy O'Brien has been on fire, hitting four home runs in his last four games while leading the team in homers, RBI, and slugging percentage.

Bobby Atkinson has also been solid recently, hitting three extra-base hits in the three-game series sweep over the Illinois State Redbirds. He leads the team in doubles (12), batting average (.341), on-base percentage (.455), and OPS (1.050). In the last series, he went 7-for-10 with three walks, two doubles, and a home run. 

On the mound, Bradley's pitching staff has started to put together some consistent outings, thanks in large part to Reece Clapp, who has the lowest ERA on the team. Clapp has become a reliable option out of the bullpen for the Braves, and over the weekend, he allowed two runs on 5 ⅓ innings pitched while earning his second save and second win of the season.

UIC Flames Overview

The Flames (11-27) have struggled as of late, winning just two of their last six games. In their most recent game, the Flames were snuffed by Northwestern, 7-6, on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. Luke Nowak has been an all-around great hitter for the Flames, leading the team in batting average, slugging, hits, extra-base hits, and RBI.

On the mound, Tommy Egan has emerged as a consistent starter for UIC, leading the team with an ERA of 3.34 and recording 25 strikeouts in just 29 ⅔ innings pitched. While he hasn't been a pitcher who can go deep into games, he has been a reliable arm capable of throwing a few effective innings, as shown by opponents' batting average of just .216 against him.

Matchup Outlook

As in their recent games, the Braves are going to need to come out firing in this one. UIC is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Northwestern, and the last thing that Bradley needs is for the Flames to build momentum early in their weekend series. If the Braves can take an early lead, it will make it even harder for the Flames to build momentum.