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WEDNESDAY PREVIEW
The Wayne State University baseball team (18-8, 10-4 GLIAC) will travel to Saginaw Valley State University (10-15, 6-8 GLIAC) for a Wednesday doubleheader. Live streaming audio will be available on Warrior All-Access starting at 1:55 p.m.

The Warriors remained in second place in the GLIAC after splitting a four-game series last weekend at Northwood. The Cardinals, who have a non-conference game against Alma this afternoon, lost three out of four games at GLIAC leader Grand Valley State.

Wednesday's twinbill will be the front half of a home-and-home series between WSU and SVSU which will be completed May 4 in Detroit. The Warriors and Cardinals last met in the first round of the 2010 GLIAC Tournament, which resulted in a 9-8 comeback victory for Wayne State.

The all-time series between the two schools dates back to 1978. The Warriors have won 11 of the last 15 meetings.


AT THE HELM
Ryan Kelley, the 2010 GLIAC Coach of the Year, is in his third season as the head coach of the WSU baseball program and has a career record of 75-54. Kelley guided the Warriors to 25 wins in 2009, the most by any first-year head coach in program history. Last season, Wayne State went 32-20 and won the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships, advancing to the NCAA Regional for the third time since 2005.

In his 29th season as the head baseball coach at SVSU, Walt Head became the 27th coach in NCAA Division II history to reach 800 wins, as the Cardinals swept a doubleheader March 27 against Hillsdale.


PRESEASON PREDICTONS
In the 2011 GLIAC preseason coaches' poll, the Warriors were picked to finish second, while the Cardinals were slotted fourth. Saginaw Valley State finished the 2010 season with a 22-23 overall record and a 16-15 conference mark, qualifying for the GLIAC Tournament after a two-year absence.


SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY STATE
Since starting a four-game winning streak March 27 at Hillsdale, the Cardinals have won just two of their last eight games.

Junior outfielder Ryan Ermers came into this week leading the Cardinals with a .384 batting average, having hit safely in seven straight and 11 of the last 12 games. Junior shortstop Matt Hunt had a .333 average with a team-best 18 runs scored through the weekend, while sophomore outfielder Kyle O'Boyle leads the squad with 19 RBI.

Aside from sophomore Carson Beauchaine, who improved to 3-2 with a 1.67 ERA following his complete-game 6-1 victory to open last weekend's series at GVSU, no SVSU starting pitcher has an ERA below 4.70 this season. Sophomore Mike Saunders and junior Colin Coulter are a combined 2-6 with a 6.29 ERA.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Junior outfielder #C.J. Maszal# led Wayne State with a .563 batting average, nine hits and three runs scored last weekend at Northwood. In three of the four games he had multiple-hit performances, including Sunday's finale when he went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs in a 7-1 victory. The conference's top hitter with a .488 average, Maszal is 15-for-24 with nine runs scored during his current seven-game hitting streak.

Senior right-hander Brett Shankin earned his second shutout of the season and third of his career in a 2-0 victory Saturday. Shankin allowed just five hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter. He improved to 4-1 on the year with a 2.12 ERA (sixth-best in the GLIAC) and a 6.60 strikeout/walk ratio.

Both losses last weekend against the Timberwolves were by a 3-2 margin, including Saturday's 10-inning result. The Warriors are 3-5 this season in one-run games in which the winning team scores three runs or less.

Off to a 6-0 start, junior righty Josh Wedesky is tied for the conference lead in wins. He is also fifth in strikeouts (29) and seventh in ERA (2.25).

Senior catcher Michael Wiseman, who had five hits including three doubles in the Northwood series, continues to advance in the WSU record books. He has 41 career doubles, tied with Hall of Famer Frank Jeney (2002-05) for fourth all-time. He is also tied with Jeney for third in extra-base hits (67) and needs to hits to tie Jeney for second all-time (215).


BASS TAKES MOUND AGAIN
Former WSU right-hander and current San Diego Padres prospect Anthony Bass will make his second start of the season Tuesday night for the San Antonio Missions, the Padres' Double-A affiliate in the Texas League. The Missions are on the road facing the Tulsa Drillers.

Bass was the Opening Day starter for San Antonio last Thursday against defending Texas League champion Northwest Arkansas. Bass allowed two runs on four hits over 6.0 innings, walking one and striking out one as the Missions won, 3-2.


LOOKING AHEAD
The Warriors begin a six-game homestand this weekend against Ohio Dominican, with doubleheaders at 1:00 on Saturday and 12:00 on Sunday. Wayne State will host Hillsdale at 2:00 on Wednesday and is hosting a WSU Police Department picnic. As part of the festivities, the Warriors will wear WSUPD caps and Chief Tony Holt will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.


SAVE THE DATES
The Wayne State baseball program has special alumni events scheduled next month and in September. Alumni are invited to come to the WSU athletic campus on Saturday, April 30, as the baseball team takes on Grand Valley State at 1:00 p.m. The alumni gathering is being held in conjunction with “W” Day, as Wayne State honors 36 years of women's athletics.

In addition, the annual Dugout Club Golf Outing and Alumni Game will take place Sept. 24-25. The golf outing will be held at Northville Hills on the morning of Sept. 24, with a gathering to follow in the evening at the Detroit Renaissance Marriott. The alumni baseball game is scheduled for Sept. 25 at the WSU baseball field.

More information will be announced at wsuathletics.com as it becomes finalized.