Peoria, Ill. - Bradley Baseball will look to change their momentum as they take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m..
Bradley Braves Overview
The Braves (3-24) are coming off a frustrating performance against the Murray State Racers that saw the bats go silent while the pitching gave the team a chance to win two of the three games. Gavin Thompson threw five scoreless innings to close out the second half of the doubleheader, allowing just one walk while striking out five.
Mason Breidenbach (.351 BA, .892 OPS) was named the Busey Bank Scholar-Athlete of the Week after hitting 5-for-11 with two doubles over the weekend against the Racers. Timmy O'Brien has been a solid power bat in the lineup this season, hitting a team-leading eight home runs while also leading the team among qualified hitters with a .516 slugging percentage.
On the mound, Bradley's pitching showed some fight this weekend, holding the Racers to less than six runs in two of the three games. Eli Lehrman had a solid showing, throwing four scoreless innings, yielding two hits and two walks while striking out five, lowering his ERA to 8.49 on the season.
Western Illinois Leathernecks Overview
The Leathernecks (7-20) are coming off an 8-1 win over Tennessee Tech after dropping their last eight games. Liam Bushey has been a star for Western Illinois so far this season, leading the team with a .367 batting average and a .926 OPS while driving in 24 runs and walking 16 times.
On the mound, Eric Rawlings has been a consistent arm out of the bullpen as he currently boasts a 3.48 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. In the 20 ⅔ innings he has pitched this season, he has allowed just four extra base hits while holding opponents to a .250 batting average.
Matchup Outlook
The Braves are going to need to see some results from both sides of the game. The hitters and pitchers have both shown signs of promise in recent games, but one usually flourishes while the other is struggling. A solid performance on both sides of the ball should lead to a Braves win.
