PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Baseball heads to Valparaiso to take on the Beacons in a three-game road series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
Bradley Braves Overview
Bradley enters the series hitting .243 as a team with 249 hits and 172 runs scored through 32 games. In their last game, the Braves had a lead over Purdue heading into the sixth inning, but one run in the bottom of the sixth and a six-run seventh inning ended any hope of an upset.
Michael Quick has been on fire, recording nine hits in his last five games, including eight RBI, one double, one home run, three walks, and three runs scored. Sohrab Rezaei has hits in each of his last four games and has scored twice from the leadoff spot.
Anthony Martinez is coming off two multi-hit games and has reached safely in his last six games. He has recorded four RBI in his last four games, with a home run and a walk. Landon Lowe has reached safely in his last 16 games, recording hits in 14 of them. In his last five games, he's recorded seven hits, two RBI, five walks, three doubles, and seven runs scored.
On the mound, Bradley has recorded 209 strikeouts in 257 innings. Davis Webb has been phenomenal in his last two outings. Over the past two games, he threw 5.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit while walking four and striking out five. Lou Levy is coming off a strong start against Evansville in which he pitched 4.1 innings while allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out two.
Josh Vaughn had a solid performance against Purdue, throwing two innings, striking out three, and allowing one baserunner via a hit-by-pitch.
Defensively, Bradley holds a .953 fielding percentage and has turned 19 double plays.
Valparaiso Beacons Overview
Valparaiso enters the matchup hitting .248 as a team with 227 hits and 151 runs scored over 28 games. The Beacons are 8-20 on the season and have lost five of their past six games, with their lone win coming against Washington. The Beacons have had one home series thus far this season, and they went 1-2 in that series.
Michael Kuska leads the team in batting average at .311. Cal Schembra has been a strong contributor, hitting .280 with 13 extra-base hits, which include seven doubles, two triples, and four home runs with a team-leading .495 slugging percentage.
Javin Gauthier leads the team among qualified hitters with a .902 OPS and a .412 on-base percentage. He has also recorded four home runs, 17 RBI, and a .490 slugging percentage.
On the mound, the Beacons are led by Connor Lockwood, who has a 3.25 ERA and has thrown two complete games over his eight starts. Over 52.2 innings, he leads the team with 35 strikeouts while only walking five. Nick Baffa is the only other qualified pitcher, who has a 6.19 ERA and a 2-2 record across eight starts. He has struck out 25 while walking 18, but has given up the longball this year, allowing 11 home runs.
Defensively, Valparaiso posts a .961 fielding percentage.
Matchup Outlook
The Braves' bats will need to stay hot as Valparaiso's pitching has been strong this season. The Beacons held their opponents to six runs or fewer in their last four games and have been strong all season. The Braves will need to capitalize on any momentum that they generate and make the most out of any opportunities that the Beacons give them.
On the mound, the Braves are going to need more consistency. The Beacons have not been one of the strongest offensive teams this season, so if the Braves can string together strong performances, it will give the offense a great chance to take control of the game.
