Redbirds Open Valley Play Versus Bradley In Terre Haute, Ind.

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Mar. 20, 2014

NORMAL, Ill. - The defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Illinois State Redbirds (13-5, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference) carry a four-game winning streak into MVC play and will host Bradley (13-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference) in a three-game series this weekend. Due to unplayable field conditions at Duffy Bass Field, the series has been moved to Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Ind.

Friday will feature a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. CT. Both games will be nine innings. The series concludes Saturday with a 12:00 p.m. CT first pitch. Bob Warn Field is located at 931 N. 1st St. in Terre Haute, Ind. Click here for directions. Parking and admisison will be free. Please note that Terre Haute, Ind. is located in the Eastern Time Zone.

Pitching Probables
Fri. Game One
Dan Savas (ISU) RHP 5-0, 1.12 ERA
David Koll (Bradley) LHP 2-1, 1.93 ERA

Game Two
Dylan Craig (ISU) LHP 3-0, 1.74 ERA
Stephen Toma (Bradley) RHP 1-1, 6.52 ERA

Sat.
Jeremy Rhoades (ISU) RHP 1-1, 1.59 ERA
Cameon Roegner (Bradley) LHP 3-0, 1.35 ERA

The Opposition: Bradley University Braves (13-3, 0-0 MVC)
• Bradley University is a private, mid-sized university that is located in Peoria, Ill. The school was established in 1897 and currently enrolls just over 6,000 students.
• The Braves are guided by sixth-year head coach Elvis Dominguez. He owns a 116-157-1 record at Bradley and is 294-356-3 in 13 seasons as a NCAA head coach. Dominguez guided Bradley to a 17-32 record (2-19 in the MVC) in 2013.
• Bradley is currently in its 114th season of baseball and has 1,795 all-time wins.
• The Braves have won six regular-season MVC titles (1949, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1968), have advanced to six NCAA regionals (1950, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1968) and have appeared in two College World Series (1950, 1956).
• Illinois State is 107-99 all-time versus Bradley and went 4-0 versus the Braves last spring.
• ISU head coach Mark Kingston is 12-2 all-time versus Bradley, while Dominguez is 3-15 against the Redbirds.

Last Time Out
Illinois State swept a non-conference doubleheader at SIUE Tuesday afternoon in Edwardsville, Ill.

Daniel Dwyer tallied a career-high six RBI as Illinois State scored 17 unanswered runs in a 17-3 victory over SIUE Tuesday afternoon at Roy E. Lee Field. Illinois State collected season-highs in runs (17) and hits (19). Dwyer went 3-for-4 with one run scored, while Logan Leverett had a career-high four-hit effort. Sean Beesley reached base three times and scored three runs, Mike Hollenbeck added two hits and one RBI, Joe Kelch scored three runs and Dennis Colon reached base three times and scored three runs in the win.

Brock Stewart (1-1) secured his first-collegiate victory in relief. He worked 3.1 scoreless innings with a career-high six strikeouts and two walks.

In game two, Illinois State rallied for three runs in the top of the final inning (7th) to win, 6-5. Jeremy Rhoades (1-1) worked 1.2 scoreless innings, tallying three strikeouts, to earn his first victory this spring. Will Headean added three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to keep Illinois State in the game.

Illinois State rallied for three runs off Schuster in the final inning. Paul DeJong opened the frame with his second home run of the season, a towering shot that cleared the left field fence to make it 5-4. Hollenbeck reached on the third error in the game by Chase Green. Hollenbeck was removed from the game for pinch-runner Jack Czeszewski. Joe Kelch grounded out to third, advancing Czeszewski into scoring position with one out. Czeszewski then took third base on a wild pitch. Logan Leverett, who had four hits in game one, ripped a RBI-double to tie the game, 5-5. Rodemoyer followed with a RBI-single to give Illinois State the lead for good.

Redbirds Lead NCAA In K/9
Entering the week, the Illinois State Redbirds rank first in the NCAA in strikeouts-per-nine-innings. Following a midweek sweep at SIUE, Illinois State has amassed 166 strikeouts in 152.1 innings of work. Dyan Craig leads ISU with 35 strikeouts in 31.0 innings, while Dan Savas has added 27 strikeouts in 32.0 innings and Jeremy Rhoades has 28 strikeouts in 17.0 innings of work. Closer David Suarez has fanned 14 batters in 11.0 innings.

Savas Hits 15
Redbird starter Dan Savas (5-0) won his 15th-consecutive decision Saturday as Illinois State cruised past Western Illinois 11-2 at The Corn Crib. Savas, who went 10-0 in 2013, has won all-five of his starts this spring. The Preseason All-American is 15-0 in his last 20 starts and hasn't lost since 2011.

Streaking
Mike Hollenbeck extended his on-base streak to 18 games, meaning he has reached safely in every game this spring for Illinois State. Redbird infielder Paul DeJong currently has a 15-game hitting streak for Illinois State. The Redbirds are batting .305/.397/.430 as a team and have 42 doubles, six triples and eight home runs.

2013 In Review: Missouri Valley Conference Champions
The 2013 Illinois State Redbirds compiled its best regular season in school history, en route to its second Missouri Valley Conference championship over the last four years. ISU won a program-record 39 games, which included a school-best 12-game winning streak. The Redbirds posted a 16-5 MVC record and secured its first outright MVC title in school history. A Valley-record eight Redbirds were named First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and head coach Mark Kingston was named MVC Coach of the Year. Chris Razo became the first Redbird pitcher to earn MVC Pitcher of the Year honors and shortstop Brett Kay was named the league's defensive most valuable player. Despite sitting under .500 on April 1, the Redbirds won 24-of-its-final-28 games to secure a league title and advance to the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship.

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