Deserted, barren, desolate.
Each word could describe Bradley baseball’s roster last season which was plagued by injuries that stretched the team thin, especially in the pitching department. Like a pendulum on an old grandfather clock, with each tick, the team rode the wave of success, but when the tock came, another Brave went down to further thin the roster.
“We played last year very shorthanded,” Bradley head coach Elvis Dominguez said. “I mean we had six pitchers on the staff [at one point] and ended the year with 22 healthy players out of 36.”
Even though the highlight of the Braves’ season came during a series-victory against nationally ranked Dallas Baptist, there was a feeling that the Red and White were just as unlucky with their health as their past few seasons combined.
With the new season at the doorstep, there’s a determination to swing the pendulum back in their favor.
“I think we handled it unbelievably well last year,” junior Ryan Vogel said. “You never knew where your next innings were going to come from [so] I think that we’re going to be a lot more comfortable this year.”
Being slotted fifth in the MVC Preseason Poll for the fourth straight year, Bradley retains seven position starters and among them is Vogel.
The outfielder and leadoff man started 48 games and used his speed to make him a hard out each time he connected with the ball. Vogel brings back a consistent bat, and is one of the more important pieces to Bradley’s roster.
Joining Vogel, among other veteran returnees like juniors Carson Husmann and TJ Manteufel, is Preseason All-Conference selection Connor O’Brien.
The senior returns after starting 48 games for Bradley – which finished last season 20-29 and 11-10 in conference play – and brings with him his team leading 1.080 on-base plus slugging (OPS).
“I would say we have a good shot this year, especially with the talent and depth we have,” O’Brien said on Bradley’s ceiling this season. “We always seem to play well in conference and I think that this year, being a more balanced team, we have a really good opportunity.”
Dominguez agrees that his squad has some fireworks in his starting lineup for him to use advantageously.
“Going into this year I feel a bit more optimistic and have a lot more options than I did at this time a year ago,” Dominguez said. “Everybody that was hurt is back and [that] gives us a little bit more of an older ballclub.”
The main concern for Braves’ fans is whether the pitching staff can take a step in the right direction after a troublesome performance on the mound in 2022 – albeit because of the vast amount of injuries.
Bradley sported a 6.49 ERA last year, which occupied the cellar spot in the MVC. The bullpen was stretched thin in just about every game so it was hard to find a groove when tired arms from the day before were needed to return to the bump. Now back and healthy, Dominguez says that they’ve looked much better during the leadup to the season.
“A lot of credit goes to Coach Andrew Werner, our pitching guy,” Dominguez said. “He’s taking a proactive approach and tried to get those guys up to par and so far, it’s worked out and everybody that was hurt is now up to their potential.”
Among the pitching staff who the Braves hope to rely on is right-handed sophomore hurler Jacob Kisting. Kisting was heavily utilized on the hill during his first year with the team. The righty started 15 games and ended the year with a modest 4.88 ERA. Those numbers as a freshman and in the situations Kisting was thrown into could turn out to be a cornerstone for his growth in year two.
“He’s mentally prepared to have a tremendous year,” Dominguez said. “He [was] our most consistent [pitcher] last year and to pitch in this league and Division I baseball as a freshman [is amazing].”
While the Braves continue to get reps in before the season begins, the schedule plays the role of dealing out big-time series both at home and away. Leading the way for the Braves’ challenging schedule is battles with Big 10 foes Iowa and Illinois, along with a three-game set at Michigan.
As Dallas Baptist departs for Conference USA – the Valley’s three additions of Murray State, Belmont and Illinois-Chicago pushes the league up to 10 teams. A deeper field will strengthen the league, even with the loss of the Patriots.
“I still firmly believe that [this league] is still firmly in the top five in the country,” Vogel said. “It has been for my entire time here and it will be in the future too. There was always an extra little boost when we played DBU so I’ll definitely miss that.”
With the sun beginning to set later and trees beginning the process of returning to their leafy-green state, there can be no clearer sign that baseball is upon us. While Bradley won’t be in action at home until March 21, they’ll celebrate the return of America’s pastime by playing their first 16 games on the road in sunny environments.
O’Brien says that the outside, warm environment will be a good change for the Braves who have only practiced inside so far.
“Since we’ve been playing indoors, whenever we go down south [at] the beginning of the season the ball looks like a beach ball which is always exciting from a hitters’ standpoint,” O’Brien said.
Kisting will kick things off on the mound when the Braves begin a three-game series with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks tonight at 6 p.m. Sophomore righty Travis Lutz is expected to start game two Saturday while Dominguez has yet to figure out the game three starter for the finale Sunday.
Healthy and hopeful, Bradley baseball is ready to take the field.
