Preview: Southern Illinois at Bradley

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

The Salukis (13-22) and Braves (8-29) are coming off midweek non-conference losses. Southern Illinois fell 11-5 to Arkansas State on Tuesday, while Bradley dropped a 10-4 decision to Western Illinois on Wednesday.

A player to watch for Southern Illinois is catcher Mason Schwalbach. He homered and drove in two runs in the loss to Arkansas State and is 4 for 12 with two home runs over his last five games played.

For Bradley, right-hander Calen Scheider is a key arm out of the bullpen. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings against Western Illinois in his last outing. In his previous appearance on April 12, he threw 4 1/3 innings of relief to earn a win over Valparaiso.

The Salukis took the series opener Friday, shutting out the Braves.

According to Interstat, Southern Illinois is projected as a significant favorite with a 70.5% probability to win. The service’s game simulator predicts a 4-3 victory for the Salukis.

Following Saturday’s contest, the series concludes Sunday at Dozer Park. Southern Illinois will visit Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday, while Bradley travels to face Northwestern.