TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Sycamores are set to travel to Peoria, Illinois, for a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Bradley on April 18-19, with Friday's opener scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and Saturday's ESPN+ doubleheader slated for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET.

Indiana State (13-28, 7-9) enters the weekend ranked seventh in the Missouri Valley standings, just ahead of Bradley (18-24, 7-10), who sits in eighth place.

Last Time Out:
Indiana State fell to Evansville 4-2 in the series finale on Tuesday at Cooper Stadium, as the Purple Aces secured the series win, taking two out of three games. The Sycamores took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Evansville quickly answered with a solo home run, followed by a two-run homer in the third and another run in the fourth to lead 4-1.

Indiana State narrowed the gap in the fifth, but a double play ended their rally. Cassi Newbanks took the loss, while Megan Asher impressed in relief. Madison Poulson and Livi Colip each had two hits, with Brailey Mills driving in the lone RBI.

Sycamore Standouts:
Indiana State comes into the weekend with a team batting average of .254 over 41 games, tallying 278 hits, including 42 doubles, nine triples, and nine home runs, while driving in 118 runs.

Lauren Marsicek has been a standout performer for Indiana State this season, leading the team with a .311 batting average. She has recorded 32 hits in 103 at-bats, including eight doubles, and has driven in 12 runs. 

Madison Poulson is close behind, hitting .306 and leading the Sycamores in both hits (37) and at-bats (121). Her stat line includes four doubles, two triples, and eight stolen bases. 

Morgan Goodrich has been a steady presence in the lineup as well, batting .297 with 10 RBIs, drawing a team-high 19 walks, and going a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. 

Freshman Brailey Mills has made an impact in her 29 starts, hitting .268 with a strong .409 on-base percentage and contributing seven RBIs. 

Veteran Livi Colip has contributed 26 hits and 12 RBIs, while Hannah Welch stands out as the only Sycamore to start all 41 games this season. She has recorded 31 hits, 18 RBIs, and leads the team with nine stolen bases in 10 attempts, ranking seventh in the MVC.

In the Circle:
Hailey Griffin has anchored the Indiana State pitching staff this season, leading the team with a 2.90 ERA and 103.2 innings pitched. She holds a 7-7 record across 22 appearances and 18 starts, with seven complete games, three shutouts, and 99 strikeouts, which ranks fourth in the conference. Opponents are hitting just .205 against her, the second lowest average in the conference.

Megan Asher turned in one of her best performances of the season during Indiana State's midweek matchup at Evansville on April 15. The junior right-hander tossed 2.0 perfect innings in relief, retiring all six batters she faced and striking out three. Asher has now made 11 appearances this season, covering 20.0 innings of work.

Scouting Bradley:
Bradley enters the weekend hitting .238 as a team across 42 games, totaling 258 hits, including 42 doubles, eight triples, and 20 home runs, while driving in 136 runs.

Kierston McCoy leads Bradley this season, batting .308 with 40 hits in 130 at-bats, including 11 doubles, one triple, and six home runs. She has driven in 26 RBIs and leads the team with a .546 slugging percentage. McCoy has also gone a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts.

Sydney Kennedy ranks fourth overall in the MVC with a 2.31 ERA and third in strikeouts, having recorded 106 strikeouts in 154.2 innings of work. She holds an 11-13 record in 26 appearances and 23 starts, with 17 complete games.

The senior has allowed 132 hits and 70 runs (51 earned), walked 88 batters, and held opponents to a .225 batting average. She has given up 21 doubles, 2 triples, and 11 home runs.

Matchup History:
Indiana State and Bradley have met 113 times since 1983, with the Sycamores holding 39 wins to Bradley's 74. The series began with a 1-0 Indiana State win and most recently saw an 11-0 Bradley victory on March 17, 2024.

The Sycamores longest win streak is four games, and their biggest win was a 7-0 shutout in 2024. Indiana State is 18-29 at home, 16-36 on the road, and 31-64 in conference play, averaging just over three runs per game against the Braves. 

Up Next:
The Sycamores will play their final midweek non-conference game of the season on Tuesday, April 22, at Eastern Illinois, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ET.

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