NOTEBOOK (PDF)
Series Sweeps
Three Valley teams earned series sweeps over the weekend. Bradley, Evansville and Indiana State each claimed a 3-0 series sweep.
Evansville played its first games in Evansville this season and earned a three-game series sweep of Butler. The sweep was the first for the Aces since a three-game sweep of Bradley last March.
The Sycamores finished with 33 base hits (11 per game) in the three wins at Elon over the weekend. Five Sycamores recorded four or more hits during the series sweep.
Bradley’s three game sweep at Tennessee Tech was the Braves first non-conference series sweep since taking three at Belmont on March 2-4, 2018.
WarrenNolan.com Rankings
While it is still early in the season, WarrenNolan.com has the Missouri Valley Conference ranked as the No. 8 conference in league RPI.
Top 10 RPI
1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. ACC
4. Big Ten
5. West Coast
6. Pac-12
7. Big West
8. Missouri Valley
9. American
10. Conference USA
WarrenNolan.com also has four teams ranked in the RPI’s top-100, led by Illinois State (No. 40), Southern Illinois (No. 43), DBU (No. 53) and Indiana State (No. 93).
Closing at Home
With Sunday’s win over Arkansas State in the rubber-match of their three game series, DBU improved to 11-3 in series finale games that ultimately determined the series winner at Horner Ballpark since 2015.
National Players of the Week
Bradley’s Dan Bolt earned a spot on this week’s Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week list. During a three-game series at Tennessee Tech, Bolt hit 4 home runs as he went 4-for-12 with 8 RBI. He also drew 3 walks. Over Bradley’s last six games, Bolt has blasted 7 home runs.
Patriots Polling
The Patriots sit No. 21 in this week's Baseball America Top 25 poll and also appear in the NCBWA Top 25 at No. 22 and the D1Baseball.com Top 25 at No. 25.
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Player/Pitcher of the Week are Bradley's Dan Bolt and Indiana State's Tristan Weaver, respectively.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Dan Bolt, Sr., OF, Bradley
After hitting three home runs in four games at the SAF Dirt Classic in Tennessee last week, Bolt led the Braves to a three-game series sweep at Tennessee Tech by hitting four home runs in three games versus the Golden Eagles. By hitting at least one home run in each game of the series at Tennessee Tech, Bolt has blasted seven home runs in Bradley’s last six games. All four of Bolt’s hits at Tennessee Tech left the yard, as he went 4-for-12 (.333) with eight RBI. Bolt also drew three walks and was hit by a pitch, giving him a .500 on-base percentage for the series, as well as a 1.833 OPS.
Other Notable Performances: Jimmy Glowenke (DBU); Craig Shepherd (UE); Jordan Schaffer (INS); Drake Baldwin (MSU); Ian Walters (SIU); Riley Dent (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Tristan Weaver, R-Jr., LHP, Indiana State
Sycamore starting pitcher Tristan Weaver was phenomenal Friday as the Sycamores worked a combined shutout of Elon. The redshirt junior recorded a career high 12 strikeouts while tying a career long outing with seven innings pitched. Weaver allowed just three base hits and walked only one batter while holding the Phoenix to a .115 average against. With the win, the lefty improved to 1-0 on the year and dropped his ERA to just 0.46 after three starts.
Other Notable Performances: Matt Hamilton (BRAD); Ray Gaither (DBU); Shane Gray (UE); Forrest Barnes (MSU): Ryan Mintz (VALPO)