Bradley’s softball season is officially here and the Braves are ready to defy expectations and prove themselves with a replenished core under new head coach Sarah Willis.
Four mainstays of Bradley’s team for four years – Lucy Mead, Samantha Smith, Keeler van Breusegen and Camryn Monteer – were lost due to graduation, but seven newcomers joined a squad that returns multiple all-MVC selections and finished 26-26 and 13-14 in Missouri Valley Conference play last season.
“We have a lot of depth on our squad and I think people are going to be pretty surprised to see what we can bring to the table, even with all those people leaving,” sophomore pitcher Abbott Badgley said. “We have people that are willing and able to replace them right away.”
The offseason was a period of transition for the Braves, who saw 14-year head coach Amy Hayes leave for UC Santa Barbara and Willis coming over to Peoria after a seven-year stay at Bowling Green.
Willis led the Falcons to a National Invitational Softball Tournament bid last year and brings a high level of softball knowledge with her after starring for Texas Tech a little over a decade ago.
“[Willis] definitely has a very high softball IQ and that’s prevalent as she was a pitcher in college,” Badgley said. “But she knows a lot more in pretty much every aspect of the game outside of the circle, which is really cool and something you look for in a head coach.”
“[Both players and coaches] came in with an understanding that this is new for everybody and did a really good job of communicating and working together to get on the same page,” graduate utility player Grace French said. “No transition is ‘easy’, but I think it went very smoothly.”
After the hiring of Willis in June 2022, the Braves have wasted little time preparing for the upcoming season, which starts today against Colorado State at the Troy Cox Classic in New Mexico.
“I think the pacing of everything that we’ve done to prepare for our [non-conference] and obviously [MVC] season has been very fast paced,” Badgley said. “We’re here to get stuff done; that’s been the mentality of our practices so far.”
Badgley and French will be focal points for the Braves this year both in the circle and in the batter’s box. In her freshman season last year, Badgley batted .325 with six home runs to go with 10 pitching starts and a 4.09 ERA.
“You have to show up and perform for those games [in high school],” Badgley said. “When you’re a freshman in college, your mentality really does a 180 because nobody knows who you are. Nobody is expecting you to do some great thing starting right off the bat.”
A pressure-less perspective allowed Badgley to fly under the radar last year, but opponents will be well aware of her prowess this year.
“Once I got more realistic and knew no one was looking at me to do anything crazy, that’s when I was really able to push my boundaries and see how good a season could go for me,” Badgley said.
French is back for a fifth season with the Braves as a graduate student after leading the Braves with seven home runs to go with a .288 average. She also led the team in the circle with 22 starts, 11 wins and a 3.18 ERA, earning Second Team all-MVC honors in the process.
“Once COVID hit, I knew that I wanted to finish out playing,” French said. “That’s what I came here to do. Education-wise, I was on track to graduate in four years so I didn’t want to extend it for unnecessary reasons so I decided to start a master’s program.”
The most experienced Brave on the roster is eager to lead as she did last year, albeit alongside a new group of more experienced players.
“It’s helpful that I have an understanding of how to lead the way and help other people develop into leaders as well,” French said. “I want to see this team win as much as possible; I know that we have all those pieces. I’m excited to see how we put it all together when the season rolls around.”
Despite the loss of all-MVC selections Mead, Monteer and Smith, the Braves return six starters, including sophomore first baseman Katie Pederson and sophomore shortstop Addie Welsh. Both players were defensive standouts in their first season on the Hilltop and provide stability in the infield.
Senior speedster Olivia Bradley is the lone returning starter in the outfield, but she’s joined by sophomore Angela Cirone, a transfer from Akron and freshman Lauren DeRolf. That group could very well include more, as the Braves have more than a handful of players that can play multiple positions.
“Personally, it’s fun to help out wherever it’s needed and there’s a value in that, especially in having so many people that can do that on the team,” French said. “If somebody goes down, we’re not throwing an outfielder in at third base, we have people that are versatile and can play multiple positions.”
Potentially the brightest spot for the team, the Braves return all of their pitching depth, with juniors Raegan Branon and Camryn Schaller returning alongside Badgley and French. A new format in the MVC’s conference season eliminated scheduled doubleheaders, meaning the Braves won’t have to worry about saving pitchers as much.
“That’s going to bring a different mentality,” Badgley said. “When you’re showing up and you don’t have to worry about saving someone for the next game, you’re there to win that one game.”
New to the fold are five freshmen and three transfers, including sophomore outfielder Bailey Sample who played under Willis at Bowling Green, and freshman utility player Kierston McCoy. McCoy was high school teammates with Welsh and both players led the Tigers to IHSA 1A state titles.
Bradley was picked ninth out of 12 teams in the MVC, a ranking that does not matter to the Braves, aside from giving them an even better reason to prove the preseason poll wrong. Those underclassmen could be a key factor in that.
“We have some really good young talent that I don’t think anyone sees coming,” Badgley said. “I think that’s why we were ranked where we were in the polls. They’re all doing really well and are very competitive.”
“I’d say what separates the powerhouses in the Valley from those vying for one of the top spots is how much are your underclassmen able to step up and produce,” she added. “If you have girls that don’t need a full season to dip their foot in and test the waters, that can set you apart.
Until the weather warms up in central Illinois, the Braves will play their first 29 games on the road until their home opener on March 24 at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. With a few mainstays gone but multiple players ready to step up, the season will be an exciting new era for the Braves.
“It comes down to consistency,” French said. “You’re not going to succeed every time; this is a game of failure. In terms of consistency, it’s going to be ‘Who’s going to be ready when it really matters and keep everything moving in the right direction as a unit and work together.’”
The first pitch of the Braves’ season comes at 12 p.m. today against Colorado State.
