Among the overhaul that Bradley’s Athletic Department has endured the past two months, it’s exceptional to see that those who remain are still proving that the previous tenure did not end in complete disaster.
Last weekend, Bradley Baseball has just finished off their series against Wichita State, which is monumental for a few reasons:
It was their first win against Wichita State since 2007.
It was their first series win against Wichita State since 2003.
This season will be the first time the team has finished over .500 since the 2011-2012 season, where the team had a record of 27-27-1.
Now, I know there’s cause for concern with this team.
Last year brought a similar feeling for the Braves, as they started 15-5 before losing 22 of their last 31 games.
This year’s fast start made it feel like a similar end result was unavoidable.
However, if this past series against the Shockers is any indication, the team has proven that it’s not about to have history repeat itself.
Last year’s team got pummelled by the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), as they only mustered one series win against MVC opponents, taking two out of three against Southern Illinois.
And it’s not like this team is or was short of any talent.
Juniors Chris Godinez and Tyler Leffler, and sophomore Spencer Gaa were all Louisville Slugger freshmen All-American selections, and the latter two were chosen as preseason All-MVC selections before the 2015 season.
The 2015 Braves are doing exactly what the 2014 Braves could not, and that’s beating the teams they need to.
But I’m not going to keep speculating why the club faltered in the previous year, as what’s in the past is done and there’s no point in looking into what went wrong.
However, I only say that because this year is evidence that last season does not matter anyway, because the present team is sitting tall with a legitimate chance to make the College World Series (CWS).
For those keeping track, Bradley baseball has not made the CWS since 1956, which was also the last time the Braves recorded a win in the NCAA regionals, where they have not been since 1968.
How’s that for a throwback?
Of course, to get to the regionals the Braves will have to be crowned the champions of the MVC, which will probably include a rematch with the defending MVC champions, the baseball powerhouse known as the Dallas Baptist Patriots.
A lot can happen between now and the MVC conference tournament, which is scheduled to play May 20-23 in Wichita, Kansas, but this team has the kind of talent to take them as far as they want.
The pitching rotation’s top starter is Elliot Ashbeck, one of the MVC’s top pitchers, and while the team’s batting average is not exactly a point of pride, what they lack in hitting, they make up in defense.
While it will definitely take more than pitching and defense to sink Dallas Baptist and the upper rung of the MVC, it certainly puts the Braves above the majority of MVC teams.
And, if you’d like to get technical, then it’s interesting to point out the Braves standing in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which measures a team’s worth based on different factors, including strength of schedule and opponent’s strength of schedule.
The Braves are currently sitting at 14th in the current RPI, which is above the fifth, ninth and 13th ranked teams in the country.
That said, Bradley’s rank of 14th is still behind Missouri State and, of course, Dallas Baptist, who claims the top overall spot.
No one said it would be easy, but the Braves could very well be a team you see on ESPN in the early parts of June on the CWS.
Wouldn’t that be a cherry on top of a tumultuous year for the Bradley Athletics Department?
