Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's baseball team, the Salukis, delivers a strong performance ahead of their upcoming series against Bradley in Peoria, Illinois, as part of the Missouri Valley Conference play. The Salukis, currently with a 17-7 record overall and 2-1 in conference play, will face the Bradley Braves in a weekend series. The weekend lineup has been adjusted to a Saturday doubleheader due to expected weather conditions. The schedule includes a Friday game at 6 PM, with Saturday's games yet to be determined.

Fans looking to follow the Salukis can watch on ESPN Plus or track live stats and updates on Twitter via @SIU_Baseball.

The Salukis are riding a winning streak, having claimed victories in four consecutive games, including a recent midweek series sweep over UT Martin. The team continues to perform well at home with a 12-3 record, coupled with a 5-4 performance on the road.

On the other hand, Bradley will enter the series with a record of 3-17, struggling with a four-game losing streak since defeating Saint Louis on March 19. The Braves' batting squad holds a .253 average, with Mason Breidenbach leading at .338. The pitching staff, however, is collectively managing a higher earned run average of 10.08 over 20 games.

In their historical matchups, SIU leads the series against Bradley 97-85-1. The Salukis were the recent victors in two of their last three encounters with the Braves, notably after recovering from a series opener loss in 2024.

The Salukis boast a powerful lineup, leading the Missouri Valley Conference with 43 home runs, maintaining a national rank of 12th in home runs per game. Offensively, Jordan Bach and Matt Schark spearhead the team's statistics, with Bach batting .376 and Schark topping with eight home runs. Alec Nigut continues to shine on the mound with an impressive 0.99 ERA.

Coach Lance Rhodes leads Southern Illinois, having recorded 176 wins across six seasons, with substantial achievements in conference play.

Fans and followers can keep updated on the team's progress and all news related to the Salukis via their social media channels and mobile app.