Valparaiso (9-15, 1-5 MVC)
April 2 - Bradley (14-15, 2-4 MVC) - 11 a.m. DH
April 3 - Bradley - noon
Next Up in Valpo Softball: After playing its first 24 games of the season away from home, the Valpo softball team finally will take to the field at the Valpo Softball Complex this weekend as the Beacons welcome Bradley to town for a three-game MVC series. Saturday's first pitch has been moved up one hour to 11 a.m.
Previously: Valpo dropped a three-game series at Missouri State last weekend, and most recently stepped out of conference play briefly on Tuesday afternoon, falling 3-0 at Western Michigan.
Looking Ahead: The Beacons continue a lengthy homestand next weekend with a three-game series versus Southern Illinois.
Following Valpo Softball: All three of this weekend’s games will be broadcast live on ESPN3, the first live broadcasts from the Valpo Softball Complex since the move to the MVC. Todd Ickow will be on play-by-play Saturday and Brian Jennings Sunday, and both will be joined by analyst Kathy Levandoski. Live stats for all three games will also be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Amanda Eberhart: Amanda Eberhart was hired as head coach of the Valpo softball program in July of 2021. She brings seven years of head coaching experience at the Division I level, most recently spending the last three years as the head coach at Omaha and previously leading the IUPUI program for four seasons. Eberhart, who owns 140 career victories as a head coach, also has eight seasons of experience on staffs at Big Ten programs.
Series History: Valpo owns a 6-8 record all-time against Bradley and has a slim 5-4 advantage since joining the MVC. Last season, Bradley won two of the three games in the series contested in Peoria. The last time the Braves visited the Valpo Softball Complex, it was a three-game series sweep for Valpo in 2018 by scores of 2-1, 4-1 and 1-0.
Scouting the Opposition: The Braves come to Valpo with a 14-15 overall mark so far this season and a 2-4 record in MVC play. Most recently, Bradley dropped two of three games at Indiana State, as after winning the series opener via run rule by a 9-1 final, the Braves fell in back-to-back one-run games, 7-6 and 5-4. Abbott Badgley leads the Braves with a 1.042 OPS, while Samantha Smith has scored a team-high 23 runs and Grace French has tallied a team-best 19 RBIs. In the circle, French has seen the most work and owns a 3-7 record with a 2.73 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 66.2 innings, while Badgley has a 6-2 record and a 2.70 ERA in 44 innings of action.
What’s Back: Valpo returns 14 of 19 letterwinners from last season’s squad for the 2022 campaign. In all, 77.6% of Valpo’s plate appearances are back for this season and 89.8% of last season’s inning pitched return as well.
Who’s New: After redshirting due to injury last season, Kylie Millhorn looks for her first collegiate action this spring. In addition, four true freshmen - Addi Weaver, Cheyenne Nietz, Kaiah Fenters and Lauren Sena - round out Valpo’s 19-player roster.
Finally Home: After 24 games over a span of 47 days in eight different locations, Valpo finally opens its home slate this weekend at the Valpo Softball Complex. The April 2 home opener matches last year for the latest home opener since the 2003 campaign. Now, the script flips, as the Beacons are slated to play 13 consecutive home games over nine dates in a 19-day stretch. Should Mother Nature cooperate to allow all the games to be played as scheduled, it would be the longest homestand by number of games since the 2014 team played 14 straight at home.
Running Around: Valpo had a pair of stolen bases last time out at Western Michigan, with Taylor Herschbach swiping her fifth base in as many attempts this year and Lauren Kehlenbrink registering her first career steal. On the season, the Beacons are now 25-for-27 on the basepaths, led by Jaina Westphal’s 6-for-6 performance so far. Skapyak joins Herschbach with five steals on the campaign, while Peyton Moeder has stolen four.
Slowing Down the Opposition: While Valpo has been super-efficient when it comes to stealing bases, it has turned the tables on the opposition when they attempt to run. The Beacons’ opponents this year are just 24-for-38 attempting to steal bases, compared to last year, when opponents were 66-for-80 on the basepaths. Valpo currently ranks third in the conference in caught stealing percentage as a team, led by Addi Weaver, who has thrown out eight of 20 runners attempting to steal on her.
Delivering in the Clutch: To put it simply, when the Beacons picked up hits with runners in scoring position this year, they have won more often than not. So far this year, Valpo is hitting .352 with runners in scoring position in its nine wins, but just .176 in the same situations in its 15 losses. There is a similar, but less pronounced, delineation for the Beacons’ pitching staff as well, as Valpo is allowing opponents to hit just .246 with RISP in wins versus .338 in losses. In the four losses over the last week, Valpo was just 1-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
Solid Outings: Junior pitcher Easton Seib has put together solid performances in the circle in each of her last two starts. Seib allowed just five hits and three runs in both complete-game outings - last Saturday’s nightcap at Missouri State and the midweek game at Western Michigan. Seib, who leads the team in innings pitched, ERA, wins and strikeouts, has surrendered three or fewer earned runs in seven of her 10 starts.
One is Enough: Valpo earned its second 1-0 win of the season with Cheyenne Nietz’s effort in the series finale at Indiana State, as Easton Seib tossed a shutout in a 1-0 win over Charleston earlier this year. Prior to this year, the program’s last 1-0 win had come in April 2018, and the team had last won multiple 1-0 games in the same season in 2013.
Reeling Off Wins: Valpo won each of its first four games at the Charleston Invitational earlier this season en route to posting the tournament’s best record. Combined with the tournament-closing win over Western Michigan on opening weekend, the Beacons won five in a row - the program’s longest winning streak since a six-game winning streak late in the 2018 season. Valpo’s first three wins at Charleston were all by a single run, the first time since late 2013 the program has won three in a row, all by one run.
