PEORIA, Ill. - Bradley student-athletes will be busy in the community during the next week, beginning with a State Farm "Just Read" visit Friday morning and highlighted by the "Basketball at the Ballpark" event Friday night at Shea Stadium.

Bradley runners Katie Nowak and Andrew Wieser will discuss the importance of reading with grade school students at Franklin Edison School (807 W. Columbia Terrace) from 10-11 a.m. Friday as part of the Missouri Valley Conference's State Farm "Just Read" program.  Later in the day, women's basketball senior Jenny Van Kirk and men's basketball senior Dodie Dunson will discuss the college student-athlete experience at 2 p.m. as guest speakers at Harrison School (2702 W. Krause Avenue).

Friday's activities will culminate with the appearance of both the men's and women's basketball teams at the "Basketball at the Ballpark" event at O'Brien Field during the Bradley Baseball team's Missouri Valley Conference series opener versus Creighton.  The players from both teams will be available for autographs on the concourse beginning at 5:45 p.m.  Both Division I-AAA Scholar All-Americans, Sam Maniscalco and Van Kirk both will throw out ceremonial first pitches before the game's six o'clock start.  In addition, the student-athletes from both teams will distribute prizes and participate in fan interactive activities between selected innings, including the traditional singing of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch.

Admission to all Bradley Baseball home games is $6 for adults, $3 for youth (K-12) and free for Bradley University students, faculty and staff.  Friday's game versus Creighton also is Military Appreciation Night:  all active members of the military and immediate family members will receive half-price admission to the game.

Next Thursday, April 22, Maniscalco and men's basketball teammate Dyricus Simms-Edwards will visit Franklin-Edison School at 9 a.m. as guest readers in a classroom.