ollienanyes
Member
I talked to Coach Dominguez before the Valpo game (while the Chiefs were playing) and he was reasonably sure BU baseball scholarships would not be increased.
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What is going on with baseball?
- Thread starter ollienanyes
- Start date
A lot of schools will increase their number of scholarships from 11.7 to 34. That could mean 100 or more schools x 22.3 more baseball scholarships to hand out. That will greatly diminish the available talent for schools that do not increase their scholarships. Bradley already has a serious talent deficiency.
Has this been discussed elsewhere?
Bradley just found out that multiple upgrade projects at Dozer Field that start in September, including complete overhaul of the sub-surface drainage system - will almost certainly not be completed in time for Bradley to play their home games next spring.
There’s a scramble now to find facilities for Bradley Baseball 2026 season, with ICC & EastSide being the two current best options, with other options being studied.
I can’t find any reports in the media but this article mentions upcoming projects at Dozer.
…”a mix of upgrades on the way….”
www.wcbu.org
Bradley just found out that multiple upgrade projects at Dozer Field that start in September, including complete overhaul of the sub-surface drainage system - will almost certainly not be completed in time for Bradley to play their home games next spring.
There’s a scramble now to find facilities for Bradley Baseball 2026 season, with ICC & EastSide being the two current best options, with other options being studied.
I can’t find any reports in the media but this article mentions upcoming projects at Dozer.
…”a mix of upgrades on the way….”
Peoria Chiefs enter 2025 season with a safer ballpark for fans, more amenities for players
Peoria’s minor league baseball team enters the 2025 season with some upgrades to its downtown ballpark.
www.wcbu.org
ollienanyes
Member
I'd imagine that they would have to have the ball park open for the Chiefs season, which starts in April. So my guess is that only a few of the early games would be affected, no?
possibly, but you know how construction project go, especially outdoor projects through the winter.
The source I am quoting is very well connected, and cites that even the Chiefs may have to play some early season games
away from Dozer Park. If you check the Chiefs' schedule the past couple years, they only schedule a couple games before April 15.
They only played two dates this past April prior to April 15.
But Bradley baseball starts playing Feb 14 with home games by March 26-28. So they are already acting upon the probability that
they need to secure an alternate site for home games. I suspect we will hear more as time goes on.
btw- ICC had their field in excellent condition this past spring, and began playing home games at Thome Field on March 9, and played
20 games there by April 15. If Dozer field upgrades are completed by next April, 2026, the organization may want to limit how much
use the field can handle in early spring with all new surface and sod. Again, who knows? But we should hear some news by September.
I did just find this comment in an April 2 PJStar article:
"The Chiefs plan to replace the entire playing field after the 2025 season."
(click on image below)
The source I am quoting is very well connected, and cites that even the Chiefs may have to play some early season games
away from Dozer Park. If you check the Chiefs' schedule the past couple years, they only schedule a couple games before April 15.
They only played two dates this past April prior to April 15.
But Bradley baseball starts playing Feb 14 with home games by March 26-28. So they are already acting upon the probability that
they need to secure an alternate site for home games. I suspect we will hear more as time goes on.
btw- ICC had their field in excellent condition this past spring, and began playing home games at Thome Field on March 9, and played
20 games there by April 15. If Dozer field upgrades are completed by next April, 2026, the organization may want to limit how much
use the field can handle in early spring with all new surface and sod. Again, who knows? But we should hear some news by September.
I did just find this comment in an April 2 PJStar article:
"The Chiefs plan to replace the entire playing field after the 2025 season."
(click on image below)
Attachments
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ollienanyes
Member
bradleyfan124
Well-known member
I would advise the players to bypass everyone and go directly to James Shadid. If he doesn't respond then there is not much else they can do except go thru legal channels
There’s a whole ‘nuther side to this story that we’re not hearing due to HIPAA & privacy concerns. Elvis’ time was up & players were told nobody would clean house.
New coach hired, he calls every player to discuss their options and what he sees as their future under him.
He tells some he wants them to stay & he tells some they should go in the portal.
The main kid in the dispute admits he defied the coach’s recc and stayed anyway. Then he waits a month and claims he’s got no options.
Every other kid quoted is also a disgruntled kid who is transferring - some who announced within minutes of the new coach being named, because he wasn’t the choice they were hoping for.
Recall Danny Granger, Joah Tucker, Tyrone Cole Scott- always someone who’s disgruntled, altho most don’t become social media crybabies.
There’s more to the story & some of it is what we’ve discussed here for years that from Dr. Reynolds on down, the people left in the Athletic Dept are not getting the job done in an era where now the athletes have all the leverage from NIL to transferring to going public with hit pieces. They don’t even need Kirk Wessler to do their hit pieces for them.
New coach hired, he calls every player to discuss their options and what he sees as their future under him.
He tells some he wants them to stay & he tells some they should go in the portal.
The main kid in the dispute admits he defied the coach’s recc and stayed anyway. Then he waits a month and claims he’s got no options.
Every other kid quoted is also a disgruntled kid who is transferring - some who announced within minutes of the new coach being named, because he wasn’t the choice they were hoping for.
Recall Danny Granger, Joah Tucker, Tyrone Cole Scott- always someone who’s disgruntled, altho most don’t become social media crybabies.
There’s more to the story & some of it is what we’ve discussed here for years that from Dr. Reynolds on down, the people left in the Athletic Dept are not getting the job done in an era where now the athletes have all the leverage from NIL to transferring to going public with hit pieces. They don’t even need Kirk Wessler to do their hit pieces for them.
bradleyfan124
Well-known member
You are correct. This is no different than any coach in any other sport having an idea on what kind of team he wants to create and that some of the carry over players dont fit.
I don't believe Anthony Edge was a baseball player on the Bradey roster before the end of the season.
There is a reason he used the word "fired" when he put out this screed. Elvis retired, as the Scout article and players confirmed. But he wanted to get one last pot shot in on the coach that "recruited, believed, and supported"him....
There is a reason he used the word "fired" when he put out this screed. Elvis retired, as the Scout article and players confirmed. But he wanted to get one last pot shot in on the coach that "recruited, believed, and supported"him....
Anthony Edge was a pitcher on the roster as a freshman in 2024. He missed all of the 2025 season recovering from injury and apparent surgery.
Bio- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/baseball/roster/anthony-edge/13579
A second player, Tate Roley, also joined in on social media claiming the same thing happened to him. He pitched in 2024, but was injured and missed all of 2025 as a redshirt.
Bio- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/baseball/roster/tate-roley/13589
2024 stats page shows both players-
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/...idearmsports.com/stats/base/2024/pdf/cume.pdf
Note the 2025 stats page does not show either, because they were redshirting-
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/...idearmsports.com/stats/base/2025/pdf/cume.pdf
And note in the long article written in the Bradley Scout, the last line sums things up-
"The Bradley Athletics department is reportedly working with Edge to solve his problem."
Bio- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/baseball/roster/anthony-edge/13579
A second player, Tate Roley, also joined in on social media claiming the same thing happened to him. He pitched in 2024, but was injured and missed all of 2025 as a redshirt.
Bio- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/baseball/roster/tate-roley/13589
2024 stats page shows both players-
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/...idearmsports.com/stats/base/2024/pdf/cume.pdf
Note the 2025 stats page does not show either, because they were redshirting-
https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/...idearmsports.com/stats/base/2025/pdf/cume.pdf
And note in the long article written in the Bradley Scout, the last line sums things up-
"The Bradley Athletics department is reportedly working with Edge to solve his problem."
The Scout article also says two other important things...
it clearly states (and quotes Edge as confirming) that the new coach DID call Edge (as he also did call & discuss with every other players)- while Anthony Edge claims literally in the same breath that there was ...“no explanation,” “no conversation....I had no other way to voice my frustrations"
So which is it? I would say the coach calling you on the phone to discuss your future with the program is at least equal to a "conversation".
Then he literally quotes the new BU baseball coach Dedman as saying "I’m going to advise you to hit the portal,....would still advise me to transfer.”
Note Coach Dedman was offering advice - he never said "you must leave", he never said "I am forcing you to leave", and never said "if you don't leave I will make life difficult for you"...
Isn't it the coach's prerogative - even OBLIGATION to give ADVICE - to offer a fair assessment of what the kid should do?
So by the kid's own words, he clearly is attacking Dedman for things he apparently did not do.
Then lastly - after claiming Bradley never gave the kid any chance, wasn't working with him for a solution and wasn't giving him any options,
in the same breath again the article says:"The Bradley Athletics department is reportedly working with Edge to solve his problem."
This whole column is allowing the kid to make unfair slams that seem to be unfounded and unfair.
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bradleyfan124
Well-known member
I bet Edge will run for a political office.
Getting back to Elvis, his career MVC record was 119-224, never really competing for an MVC title.
He is still just 61 y/o, considerably younger than most people who retire permanently, so will he look for another job coaching somewhere?
We just passed a significant milestone - on May 31, 2025, we hit the 10 year anniversary of the end of the dark ages at Bradley.
Hopefully, just as we are seeing in basketball, maybe we can have a resurgence to prominence in BU baseball.
and just a mention of another 10-year anniversary...
Both Koch Bar and Nate Kennell, two of my favorite Braves, verbally committed to Bradley in July of 2015.
He is still just 61 y/o, considerably younger than most people who retire permanently, so will he look for another job coaching somewhere?
We just passed a significant milestone - on May 31, 2025, we hit the 10 year anniversary of the end of the dark ages at Bradley.
Hopefully, just as we are seeing in basketball, maybe we can have a resurgence to prominence in BU baseball.
and just a mention of another 10-year anniversary...
Both Koch Bar and Nate Kennell, two of my favorite Braves, verbally committed to Bradley in July of 2015.
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Has this been discussed elsewhere?
Bradley just found out that multiple upgrade projects at Dozer Field that start in September, including complete overhaul of the sub-surface drainage system - will almost certainly not be completed in time for Bradley to play their home games next spring.
There’s a scramble now to find facilities for Bradley Baseball 2026 season, with ICC & EastSide being the two current best options, with other options being studied.
I can’t find any reports in the media but this article mentions upcoming projects at Dozer.
…”a mix of upgrades on the way….”
Peoria Chiefs enter 2025 season with a safer ballpark for fans, more amenities for players
Peoria’s minor league baseball team enters the 2025 season with some upgrades to its downtown ballpark.
another week passes since the news was first posted HERE that Bradley won't have any access to use Dozer Field from September
all the way thru possibly mid-April of 2026 - not even for practices but certainly not for games, and maybe/likely not at all for their
entire spring 2026 Baseball season.
This has been known since before this past baseball season was even played but not mentioned publicly.
And still no mention in the media or by anyone at Bradley what their plans are for Bradley Baseball 2025-26 and beyond.
I have heard from inside sources that Bradley is already fully consigned to having to find another option for a home field,
and that BOTH EastSide and ICC are the two main alternatives. No other field within 40 miles has the quality
or availability of facilities as those two options. I would expect some public announcement soon, since not only is there already some wild
public (largely false) speculating & rumoring, but also - the coach has a roster to fill quickly with new recruits who are asking where they're going to be playing next year. This needs resolution asap.
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ollienanyes
Member
Fall October 4 at Illinois, October 11 at Kansas.
Fields: I guess the Corn Crib is a bit too far away?
Fields: I guess the Corn Crib is a bit too far away?
Yeah
They maybe won’t play any fall games at home or just use a high school field since fall games are just exhibitions
But the only conceivable reason they’d consider playing in Bloomington at the Corn Crib is if they figured maybe to draw several thousand- which of course wouldn’t happen. How many BU loyal fans would even go the 80 mi round trip for a “home” game? Doubt they’d draw 100, unless we played ISU.
They maybe won’t play any fall games at home or just use a high school field since fall games are just exhibitions
But the only conceivable reason they’d consider playing in Bloomington at the Corn Crib is if they figured maybe to draw several thousand- which of course wouldn’t happen. How many BU loyal fans would even go the 80 mi round trip for a “home” game? Doubt they’d draw 100, unless we played ISU.