Preview: Southern Illinois at Bradley

PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — Two Missouri Valley Conference teams seeking momentum will meet Sunday when the Southern Illinois Salukis visit the Bradley Braves.

The series finale, scheduled for an afternoon start at Dozer Park, features teams with a combined 21-51 record. Southern Illinois (13-22) will look to secure a series victory after the first two games of the weekend set, while Bradley (8-29) aims to salvage a win on its home field.

A player to watch for the Salukis is catcher Mason Schwalbach, who provides a key power threat. He homered and drove in two runs in a midweek loss to Arkansas State and had three hits, including a home run, in a 16-3 win at Evansville on April 12. His bat will be central to the Southern Illinois offense.

The Braves will rely on pitcher Calen Scheider, who has shown recent flashes of effectiveness out of the bullpen. On April 15 against Western Illinois, he tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. His ability to provide length will be valuable for a Bradley staff looking for stability.

Both teams are coming off difficult midweek losses. Southern Illinois fell 11-5 to Arkansas State on Tuesday, despite Schwalbach’s home run. Bradley dropped a 10-4 decision to Western Illinois on Wednesday, though Scheider was a bright spot in relief.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the projected final score is Southern Illinois 4, Bradley 3.

Following Sunday’s contest, Southern Illinois will travel to face Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday. Bradley’s next game is also on the road Tuesday at Northwestern.

This preview was assembled using simulated data for the 2026 season.