NOTEBOOK (PDF)
MVC Roundup
With just three weekends remaining in regular-season league action, Indiana State (9-3 MVC) and Illinois State (9-3 MVC) are tied atop the MVC standings. DBU (8-4 MVC) and Evansville (8-4 MVC) sit in a tie for third, while Bradley (7-5 MVC) is also within two games of the league lead.
The Sycamores made up two games on the Redbirds over the weekend with a home sweep of Southern Illinois (1-11 MVC), while Illinois State dropped two of three in Dallas to the Patriots. Evansville gained a game in the standings with a series win at Valparaiso (2-10 MVC) and Bradley moved back into the hunt with a three-game sweep of Missouri State (4-8 MVC).
This weekend's schedule is highlighted by a matchup featuring the two teams at the top of the standings as Indiana State will travel to Illinois State. The Sycamores enter the series red hot, winning five straight games.
In other MVC action this weekend, DBU travels to Missouri State, while Evansville heads to Southern Illinois. The final series of the weekend features Bradley hosting Valparaiso.
Live On ESPNU
The DBU at Missouri State game on Thursday, May 2 (6:00 p.m. CT) will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Patriots vs. Bears game is the first game this season to be featured on ESPNU. The second and final game featured on ESPNU will be Indiana State at DBU on Saturday, May 11 (8:30 p.m. CT).
Historic Series
Bradley claimed their first-ever series sweep of more than two games in Springfield over Missouri State. Friday’s ninth-inning rally from a 9-6 deficit ended Missouri State’s streak of 163 consecutive games when leading after eight innings, dating to 2014, and snapped Bradley’s 10-game losing streak to the Bears in Springfield. With Saturday's win, Bradley secured its first series win in Springfield since 1993, when weather shortened that series to a Braves doubleheader sweep. Bradley completed its first-ever series sweep of more than two games at Missouri State by earning a 6-5 win Sunday.
Series Closers
Following Sunday's win over Illinois State, DBU is undefeated in series finales in 2019, including going 7-0 in Sunday games.
Patriot Profile
DBU enters the week with a perfect record of 15-0 against teams with an RPI of 100+. The Patriots join Louisville (15-0), Mississippi State (14-0), North Carolina (12-0), NC State (15-0), Kentucky (16-0) and Washington (10-0) as the only teams in Division I with zero losses to teams rated outside the RPI Top 100. The Patriots have a 15-13 record against the RPI Top 100 including seven wins vs. the Top 50.
High Percentage
Indiana State enters the week with the 7th-best winning percentage in the nation (.780). The Sycamores’ 32-9 mark features five losses which were by just one run.
Stopper of the Year List
Illinois State’s Jacob Gilmore listed among 45 student-athletes on the midseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award watch list, given to the top relief pitcher. Gilmore has 10 saves and a 3.32 ERA in 16 appearances this season, notching 30 strikeouts in 21.2 innings of work.
National Players of the Week
Bradley’s Andy Shadid earned a spot on this week’s Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week list. Shadid hit four doubles, two home runs and collected 11 RBI over a four game stretch last week against Illinois and Missouri State.
Strong Arms
Bradley currently boasts the nation’s fourth-best team ERA at 3.01. Indiana State’s staff is also enjoying a great season, sitting 8th nationally in team ERA (3.14).
Indiana State ranks 7th nationally with a 1.17 WHIP, while Bradley sits 18th (1.23 WHIP). Bradley sits 4th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.87), while the Sycamores sit 12th (7.35). Indiana State also ranks 13th with five shutouts.
21 and Counting...
With 21 victories, Evansville has bettered their win totals over the past two seasons. At 8-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play, UE has equaled it’s best win total over the past two seasons as well. During their previous two seasons the Aces have combined for 11 MVC wins and 30 wins overall.
Seven Weekend Sweeps
Indiana State has recorded seven weekend sweeps during the 2019 season, including four sweeps away from home (at Jacksonville, at UNCW Tournament, at Mercer and against Rutgers in Fort Myers). ISU has swept The Citadel, Valparaiso and most recently Southern Illinois at home. The 2018 Sycamores recorded just two road sweeps (at The Citadel and Valparaiso). The Sycamores took both games from Austin Peay earlier this season, but the finale was canceled due to weather.
Valley RPI Ranks No. 6
According to the latest RPI update from WarrenNolan.com (April 29), the Missouri Valley Conference ranks No. 6 amongst 31 leagues. Four of the Power-Five conferences (SEC, Big 12, ACC, Pac-12) hold four of the top five positions, while the American sits fifth just ahead of The Valley.
The last time the MVC finished a season rated 6th in conference RPI was in 2015 when the league sent Bradley, DBU and Missouri State to the NCAA Tournament.
Elite Company
The Valley has four teams ranking in the Top 50 of the RPI, joining four other leagues in the club. The SEC leads the nation with 12 teams in the RPI top 50, while the ACC (8), Big 12 (6), Pac-12 (7) and MVC (4) round out the elite club.
Road Success
Entering this week’s schedule, Illinois State is tied for second in the NCAA in road wins. The Redbirds have 17 road wins on the season which ranks tied for second with Creighton. Bryant leads the NCAA with 21 road wins this season. The Redbirds’ 32 road games are tied with Xavier, Western Michigan and Oakland as the second-most nationally, trailing only Lafayette (33).
Projected NCAA Field
Baseball America has two MVC teams in the projected NCAA field of 64 as of April 24. The publication has DBU as a No. 2 seed in the Fayetteville (Arkansas) Regional. Illinois State makes its first appearance in the projected field as the No. 3 seed in the Atlanta (Georgia Tech) Regional. Indiana State is currently listed among the “First Four Out”, while Evansville is in the “Next Four Out.”
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Player/Pitcher of the Week are Bradley's Andy Shadid and Indiana State's Collin Liberatore, respectively.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Andy Shadid, Sr., OF, Bradley
Shadid led the Braves to a 3-1 week by batting .438 with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. Shadid had a .474 on-base percentage and 1.063 slugging percentage in the four games, giving him a 1.537 OPS this past week. Shadid did most of his damage late, going 5-for-8 with three doubles, two home runs, a sacrifice fly and nine RBI from the seventh inning on in the four games. In Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Illinois in 10 innings, Shadid hit a game-tying (1-1) home run in the seventh inning and a game-tying (2-2) sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. In Friday’s 10-9 win against Missouri State, Shadid hit a RBI double in the ninth inning and came around to score the tying run. In Saturday’s 16-9 win at Missouri State, Shadid hit a go-ahead (6-5), three-run double in the seventh inning, added a second double in the eighth inning and then capped Bradley’s late-game outburst with a three-run home run in the ninth inning. Shadid then opened Sunday’s scoring with a 2-run double in the second inning, sparking Bradley’s 6-5 win to complete the sweep against the Bears.
Other Notable Performances: Bryce Ball (DBU); Nate Reeder (UE); Jordan Libman (ILS); Jarrod Watkins (INS); Dakota Kotowski (MSU); Will LaRue (SIU); Jeremy Drudge (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Collin Liberatore, Jr., RHP, Indiana State
Indiana State junior Collin Liberatore set a new career high with 10 strikeouts as he helped clinch the series with a 7-2 victory over Southern Illinois Saturday. Liberatore held the Salukis to just two hits over eight innings on the mound. The right-hander retired seven-straight batters to close out his day while retiring the Salukis in order in four different innings. Liberatore issued just one free pass in the win of the 27 hitters he faced as he improved to 8-0 on the year.
Other Notable Performances: Sam Lund (BRAD); MD Johnson (DBU); Michael Parks (UE); Brent Headrick (ILS); Matt DeSomer (SIU); Zach Fricke (VALPO)