TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to Bob Warn Field as the Sycamores welcome Bradley University for a three-game Missouri Valley weekend series starting Friday night as ISU continues conference play. All three games are scheduled to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
Game times for the weekend series features a 6:30 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday night, a 2 p.m. ET first pitch on Saturday, and a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday afternoon to close out the series as the Sycamores welcome the Braves to The Bob for the first time since the 2019 season.
 
Indiana State Baseball Weekend Promotions

• April 12 - Trading card giveaway, set 3 of 5, sponsored by Refreshment Services Pepsi for the First 100 Fans
• April 13 – First Responders/Child Abuse Prevention Night
• April 14 - 90's Day (anyone with a valid ID with a birthday in the 1990's can get a $5 GA ticket) 

The Sycamores (24-7, 7-2) head into the weekend series looking to extend a 13-series conference winning streak dating back to the end of the 2022 season. Indiana State took two of three this past weekend on the road at Murray State as ISU rallied back after an extra-inning defeat in Friday's opener by sweeping the Saturday doubleheader to put the Sycamores tied atop the Valley standings through the first three weeks of conference play.
 
Indiana State enters the weekend winners of three consecutive games after taking Tuesday's midweek contest at Purdue as the Sycamores topped the host Boilermakers, 9-3, at Alexander Field. Indiana State scored seven runs over the final two innings to rally back against Purdue to sweep the season series and move to 5-1 against the Big Ten on the year.
 
Luis Hernandez started the eighth-inning rally with a leadoff single as the Sycamores worked the bases loaded for Mike Sears. The senior third baseman delivered with a two-run double to the center field wall scoring Hernandez and Parker Stinson, and Joe Kido followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Adam Pottinger to stake ISU to a 5-2 lead.
 
The Sycamores added four more runs in the top of the ninth inning to pull away from the Boilermakers with Kido connecting on a two-run single to highlight a three-RBI game. Simon Gregersen shut down the Purdue bats in the bottom of the frame to secure the 9-3 win over the Boilermakers.
 
Indiana State's midweek win over the Boilermakers continued ISU's ascent in the national rankings as the Sycamores enter the weekend ranked in the Perfect Game poll for the second consecutive week, while receiving votes in both the USA Today and the NCBWA polls. ISU clocked in at No. 18 in the Perfect Game NCAA Division I poll marking their second consecutive week inside the top 20 by the organization.
 
The Sycamores also debuted in the top 10 of the NCAA Division I Baseball RPI standings sitting No. 8 overall heading into the weekend. It marks ISU's highest ranking in the RPI this season as the Sycamores are lone team not in the ACC, SEC, or Big 12 sitting inside the top-eight after climbing four spots after their midweek win over Purdue. Indiana State finished the 2023 regular season at No. 9 in the RPI on their way to hosting the 2023 Terre Haute Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Indiana State heads back into Valley play this weekend looking to keep several trends going. ISU has posted a 33-5-1 overall record in the conference regular season dating back to the end of the 2022 season including sweeping UIC at home this year, while taking two of three each from Missouri State and Murray state.
 
The Sycamores have gotten it done at the plate with a .280 team batting average highlighted by Grant Magill's .375 mark at the plate, while the pitching staff has silenced opponent bats to the tune of a 3.35 ERA and .192 opponent batting average.
 
Dominic Listi (.343), Dom Krupinski (.308), and Randal Diaz (.300) are all hitting above .300 on the season in Missouri Valley play, while Mike Sears has connected on a team-high four home runs. Luis Hernandez is also among the team's hitting leaders with three doubles, two home runs, and an ISU-best 13 RBIs in conference competition.
 
Twelve different Sycamore pitchers have seen action in Missouri Valley play highlighted by the starting rotation which features Brennyn Cutts (1-0, 1.42 ERA) and Luke Hayden's (1-0, 5.79 ERA) consistency on both Saturdays and Sundays. Friday night starter Jacob Pruitt returned to the mound in the midweek contest against Purdue and could be back in the mix again this weekend.
 
Cam Edmonson (2-0, 0.00 ERA) is one of four Indiana State pitchers to post a 0.00 ERA in conference competition, while eight pitchers have posted sub 2.50 ERAs over the nine Valley games. Five different Sycamore pitchers have recorded double-digit strikeouts in conference play with the Sycamores leading the Valley in both total strikeouts (111) and strikeouts looking (31).
 
Listi (.368) has been Indiana State's hitting leader in the 2024 season and has reached base safely in 30 of the 31 games this year. The redshirt senior is second in the Valley with a .517 on-base percentage while leading the team with eight doubles.
 
Hernandez (.344) recorded a team-best 24-game hitting streak on the year, while Diaz (.310) is second on the team with 40 hits from the leadoff position in the lineup. Parker Stinson (.297) has been among the team's leaders throughout the year with nine home runs and a team-high two triples to go with a .613 slugging percentage. Sears is tied for the conference lead with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs.
 
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have combined to post a 4.34 team ERA in the 2024 season over 274.0 innings pitched. The Sycamores have posted a 326:135 strikeout-to-walk ratio while holding opponents to a .239 batting average at the plate. ISU's pitching staff sits among the national leaders in ERA (4.34), shutouts (3), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.41), strikeouts per nine innings (10.7), and WHIP (1.40).
 
The Sycamore staff has also allowed five of fewer hits in each of their last three contests marking the longest such streak since the 2021 season. ISU posted a six-game streak from April 16-24, 2021, allowing five or fewer hits against Valparaiso (four games) and Dallas Baptist (two games).
 
Scouting the Braves
Bradley enters the weekend with a 10-19 overall record with a 4-5 mark in Missouri Valley play to date this season. The Braves are coming off a midweek _-_ loss to Lindenwood at home as they return to MVC play.
 
Bradley took the opening conference series against Illinois State winning the first two games, while falling to both Valparaiso and Missouri State on the year. The Braves are 4-15 away from Dozer Park this season, but picked up the conference series victory over the Redbirds on March 22-24 at Duffy Bass Field winning by scores of 9-8 and 12-6, before falling 12-3 in the finale.
 
The Braves were selected 10th overall in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by the league's head coaches finishing with 20 total points. Bradley entered the season featuring one of the more dynamic players in the Valley in outfielder Ryan Vogel, while starting pitcher Jacob Kisting was named the third-highest MVC prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.
 
Beau Durbin (.379) and Logan Delgado (.347) have been Bradley's leading hitters on the season as the Braves offense has combined to hit .281 from the plate over the first 29 games of the season. Timmy O'Brien has been the team's primary RBI threat with 30 on the year, while Tyrese Johnson (13) and Vogel (10) have both hit double-digit stolen bases on the year.
 
Fifteen different Bradley pitchers have combined to post a 6.90 ERA on the mound over 231.0 innings. The Braves' staff has posted a 187:115 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season while allowing opponents to hit .300 from the plate.
 
Noah Edders (4-3, 4.38 ERA) and Travis Lutz (2-4, 5.59 ERA) have been Bradley's primary weekend arms on the year with eight starts apiece, while Jack Stellano (0-5, 10.30 ERA) has six starts over nine appearances.
 
Series History
Indiana State holds the 96-66 all-time edge over Bradley dating back to the inaugural contest against the Braves in the 1907 season. The Sycamores hold the 48-26 edge in Terre Haute against Bradley including taking two of three against the Braves in their last contest at Bob Warn Field in 2019.
 
The Sycamores and Braves have not faced off against each other in Terre Haute since the 2019 season with the 2021 series canceled due to COVID. Due to MVC scheduling, Indiana State traveled to Dozer Park in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
ISU swept the series against Bradley last season in Peoria as the Sycamores took 6-1, 2-0, and 8-3 wins over the Braves. It marked ISU's first sweep over Bradley since the 2017 season and featured complete-games on the mound by both Matt Jachec (Friday) and Connor Fenlong (Saturday) to secure the series win.
 
Overall, four different Sycamores homered in the series against the Braves to pace the offense, while the ISU pitching staff combined for a 0.67 ERA over 27.0 innings in the win.

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