IOWA CITY, Iowa – Bradley Baseball travels to Iowa to wrap up their five-game road trip on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m.
Bradley Braves Overview
Bradley enters the series hitting .254 as a team with 289 hits and 194 runs scored through 35 games. The Braves won their series against Valparaiso over the weekend, taking games two and three after dropping the first.
Hayden Miller has caught fire this weekend, recording a hit in each of the three games while crushing two home runs for his eighth and ninth homers of the season. He is tied for third in the MVC in home runs. After a rough start to the series, Michael Quick turned his game around, recording seven hits across the past two games, including a double, two RBI, and three runs scored while hitting 7-for-11.
Landon Lowe has been one of the best players in the conference, ranking second in batting average at .372 while leading the team with a .933 OPS. This past weekend, he hit 9-for-14 with three doubles, one homer, four RBI, and three runs scored. He has also reached safely in 19 straight games heading into this weekday matchup.
On the mound, Bradley has recorded 228 strikeouts in 283 innings. Davis Webb has continued to be one of the strongest pitchers in the MVC over his recent stretch. In his last three appearances, he has allowed three earned runs over 9.2 innings while striking out nine and allowing just four hits.
Josh Vaughn has not allowed a hit this season. In his two appearances last week, he threw 4.1 innings while allowing no hits, one walk, and striking out seven. He earned his first win against Valparaiso on Sunday after entering the game with two outs in the seventh and pitching lights out for the rest of the game.
Defensively, Bradley holds a .955 fielding percentage and has turned 21 double plays.
Iowa Hawkeyes Overview
Iowa enters the matchup hitting .306 as a team with 344 hits and 248 runs scored over 33 games. The Hawkeyes are 18-15 on the season and have gone 2-4 in their past six games after their win over Bradley.
Gable Mitchell has been the best player for the Hawkeyes, leading the team in batting average (.381) and OPS (1.065). He has started all 33 games this season and has 18 walks compared to seven strikeouts. Caleb Wulf has also been a strong contributor for Iowa, totaling a .370 batting average and a .864 OPS over 33 games.
Miles Risley ranks second on the team among qualified hitters in OPS at .997. He has found ways to get on base all season, leading the team with a .491 on-base percentage, which includes a team-leading 19 walks and nine hit-by-pitches.
On the mound, the Hawkeyes are led by Maddux Frese, who leads the team with a 3.40 ERA. Over nine appearances, he has a 1-2 record with one save, walking 10 and striking out 25. Jaron Bleeker leads the team in strikeouts with 32 while walking just 13. He has a 3-4 record over 10 appearances and has held his opponents to a .285 batting average.
Defensively, Iowa posts a .983 fielding percentage.
Matchup Outlook
The last time these two teams faced off against each other, the two teams matched each other in the first inning with five runs apiece, but the Hawkeyes fired off seven more in the second to take control of the game. The Braves will look for a strong start from their pitchers, and the offense must repeat their strong offensive performance.
The Braves have a long week ahead, playing five games over the next six days, so they will need quick innings and strong contributions across the lineup to stay prepared for their matchup against Southern Illinois this weekend.
