WEDNESDAY PREVIEW
The Wayne State University baseball team (22-10, 14-6 GLIAC) will complete the second half of a home-and-home series with Hillsdale College (13-21, 9-11 GLIAC) on Wednesday at the WSU baseball field in Detroit at 2:00 p.m.

The second-place Warriors are coming off a four-game sweep of Ohio Dominican in which they scored 56 runs, posting double-digit run totals in four straight games for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Chargers earned two road victories over Northwood on Sunday and are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference.

The all-time series between Wayne State and Hillsdale dates back to WSU's inaugural 1941 season. The Warriors have won 25 of the last 30 meetings, including 14 of the last 16, with the Chargers. The teams split a doubleheader March 30 at Hillsdale.


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 79-56. 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.

Paul Noce, who earned his 300th career victory at the end of last season, is in his 18th year as the head baseball coach at Hillsdale.


PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In the 2011 GLIAC preseason coaches' poll released two weeks ago, the Warriors were picked to finish second, while the Chargers were slotted in tie for eighth with Findlay. Hillsdale finished the 2010 season with a 14-30 overall record and an 11-22 conference mark.


SCOUTING HILLSDALE
The Chargers are one win away from matching their overall 2010 total, and are in playoff contention as the conference schedule passes the halfway point. Hillsdale has not been to the GLIAC Tournament since 2003.

While the Chargers have lowered their team ERA by nearly a full run from 2010, they are last in the conference in team batting average (.245). Junior catcher Chris Stephens has a squad-best with a .295 average, while senior infielder Adam Connell leads the team in hits (31), runs scored (22), RBI (19) and stolen bases (14).

Sophomore Michael Keve and senior Brent Opland, two southpaws who each picked up a victory Sunday, have led the Hillsdale pitching staff this season. Sophomore right-hander Matthew Reck held the Warriors to one run on three hits in the March 30 opener between WSU and HC, has allowed 16 earned runs in his two subsequent starts (5.1 innings).


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
After scoring just two runs in last Wednesday's doubleheader at Saginaw Valley State, the Warriors scored 56 runs against the Panthers over the weekend. Most of the team's big scoring bursts came early in the games, as WSU totaled 36 of its 56 runs in the first and second innings.

Michael Wiseman homered in each game against ODU, while Ryan Buter went deep twice in Sunday's opener. The Warriors hit six home runs in the series, one more than they had hit in the previous 28 games this season.

Buter went 8-for-14 with five extra-base hits and a team-best nine RBI in the series.  Brad Guenther led the squad with a .600 average (9-15) and four doubles.

Wiseman continues his ascension in the WSU record books. Sunday's finale was his 187th career game, as he passed Ron Kochan (183; 2000-03) and Hall of Famer Frank Jeney (185; 2002-05) for fifth place over the weekend. Wiseman also moved into second place in several categories:

- HITS (220) – passed Jeney (215)
- RUNS (137) – passed Hall of Famer David Croskey (131; 1979-82) and Bobby Marten (134; 2002-05)
- WALKS (89) – passed Croskey (88)
- AT BATS (615) – passed Marten (606)

Wiseman was not the only one to impact the record books last week, however. Andrew Ciennik passed Marten for third place as he hit the 12th sacrifice fly of his career Saturday. With his one-hitter Sunday, Brett Shankin moved into the top 10 in career victories (16). Caleb Dalman, who set the career hit by pitch record Wednesday at SVSU, was hit five times last week (35).


BASS MAKES THIRD START
Former WSU right-hander and current San Diego Padres prospect Anthony Bass made his third start of the season Monday night for the San Antonio Missions, the Padres' Double-A affiliate in the Texas League.

Despite making a quality start, Bass took his first loss of the year as the Missions fell, 6-1, to the Tulsa Drillers. Bass, who defeated the Drillers in his previous start, allowed three runs on six hits in 6.0 innings, walking three and striking out two.

Bass is 2-1 on the season for the Missions with a 2.55 ERA.


LOOKING AHEAD
The WSU Police Department picnic, originally scheduled for Wednesday's doubleheader with Hillsdale, has been postponed to a later date. The Warriors will head on the road this Friday and Saturday to face Ashland in a four-game series. Wayne State will return home April 30-May 1 to open a four-game set on “W” Day with Grand Valley State.


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.