NORMAL, Ill. – Bradley Baseball concludes their road trip with a weekend series against I-74 rival Illinois State.

Schedule

Game 1: Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field

Game 2: Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field

Game 3: Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Duffy Bass Field

Bradley Braves Overview

Bradley enters the series hitting .247 as a team with 327 hits and 213 runs scored through 41 games. Last year, the Braves swept the season series against the Redbirds, with each game being decided by one run.

Michael Quick is coming off a three-hit night against Northwestern on Tuesday, hitting a home run with one RBI and one run scored. Sohrab Rezaei continues to find ways to get on base, reaching safely in his last 23 games. He reached base at least three times in each of his last three games, helping him take over the MVC lead in walks with 30. 

Landon Lowe has been the Braves' biggest offensive threat, reaching base in each of his last 25 games while leading the MVC in doubles (15) and ranking second in batting average (.372) and third in on-base percentage (.482).

On the mound, Bradley has recorded 270 strikeouts over 333 innings. Davis Webb has been the most consistent arm out of the bullpen for the Braves. In his last outing, he pitched six innings while allowing just two earned runs on three hits with nine strikeouts. He currently ranks eighth in the MVC in strikeouts with 44 on the season.

Josh Vaughn has steadily stepped back into a starting role. In his last three outings, he has pitched 7.1 innings while allowing just two runs on three hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. He has held opponents to just a .115 batting average when he has been on the mound this season.

Defensively, Bradley holds a .956 fielding percentage and has turned 27 double plays.

Illinois State Redbirds Overview

Illinois State enters the matchup hitting .294 as a team with 408 hits and 248 runs scored over 40 games. The Redbirds are 23-17 this season and 9-3 at home. They are coming off a huge 13-6 win over Illinois, though they have struggled in conference, going 6-9 against MVC opponents.

Brayden Bakes leads the team and is third in the conference with a .371 batting average, and he ranks third in the MVC with 10 homers on the season. He also has a 1.101 OPS driven by a .647 slugging percentage, which ranks third in the MVC. Graham Mastros has also been a big offensive threat for the Redbirds, posting a .350 batting average with a .619 slugging percentage. He has 23 extra-base hits with nine homers.

Josh Outlaw is the final Redbird with a .300+ batting average, sitting at .303 with a .411 on-base percentage and a .833 OPS.

On the mound, the Redbirds are led by Michael Addari, who leads the MVC among qualified pitchers with a 1.52 ERA, though he has a 3-3 record across seven starts this season. He has held opponents to a .232 batting average while striking out 50 over 47.1 innings. 

Lucas Foley has been lights out from the bullpen, posting a 1.19 ERA across 22.2 innings with a perfect 5-0 record. He holds opponents to just a .169 batting average while striking out 25 and walking seven.

Defensively, Illinois State posts a .970 fielding percentage.

Matchup Outlook

The Braves will need to grab momentum early this weekend. Illinois State's pitchers have been strong all season, and an early onslaught of runs for the Braves could take some confidence from the Redbirds' pitchers. 

Bradley's pitchers will need to limit the longball as Illinois State has three hitters with at least nine home runs. Every hitter in the Redbirds' lineup is a threat, so the Braves will need efficient outings while looking for weak contact and strong defensive play.