WEEKEND PREVIEW
The Wayne State University baseball team (16-6, 8-2 GLIAC) will hit the road this weekend to take on Northwood University (10-10, 5-5 GLIAC) in a four-game series Saturday and Sunday.

In their home-opening series last weekend, the Warriors took three out of four games from the Tiffin University Dragons. WSU is currently in second place in the conference behind Grand Valley State. Northwood split a doubleheader Thursday at Saginaw Valley State.

Wayne State is 26-8 against Northwood since 2002. The Warriors scored 56 runs and totaled 69 hits in last season's four game sweep of the Timberwolves. The 21-5 win in game three of last year's series marked WSU's highest run total in nearly two years and its highest hit total of the decade (24).


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 73-52. 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.

Joe Di Benedetto, who led the Timberwolves to their first-ever appearance in the GLIAC Tournament in 2009, is in his 12th season at Northwood. He has over 500 career victories including stints at Northwood (Fla.) and Lynn.


PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In the 2011 GLIAC preseason coaches' poll, the Warriors were picked to finish second, while the Timberwolves were slotted fifth. Northwood finished the 2010 season with a 23-26 overall record and a 13-20 conference mark.


SCOUTING NORTHWOOD
The Timberwolves have alternated a win and a loss over the last six games. In yesterday's 3-0 eight-inning victory at SVSU, Mark Heard pitched a five-hitter and struck out three. Heard leads a pitching staff which came into this week with the third-lowest ERA in the conference (3.60).

Jake Oard has been one of the offensive leaders for Northwood, as he came into the week with a team-best 23 hits and 21 runs scored. Jake Labrecque had a .362 average through Wednesday with 15 RBI.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Junior outfielder #C.J. Maszal# continues to lead WSU in most offensive categories: batting average (.470), slugging percentage (.758), on-base percentage (.573), hits (31), runs (23), doubles (9), triples (5), total bases (50), and walks (15). The first-year Warrior and Ohio University transfer has 10 multiple-hit games this season, second only to senior catcher Michael Wiseman (12).

Andrew Ciennik is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, the longest active streak on the team. The junior second baseman is batting .438 (7-16) with four doubles, three RBI and three runs scored during that stretch.

Senior right-hander Brett Shankin matched his career-high with nine strikeouts in Saturday's 8-5 win. He is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA this season, and has a 5.40 strikeout/walk ratio.

After being shutout out at home for the first time since 2005 on Saturday, 12-0, the Warriors outscored the Dragons, 25-11, over the last three games of the series.


BASS WINS FIRST START
Former WSU right-hander and San Diego Padres prospect Anthony Bass won his first start for the San Antonio Missions, as he was the team's Opening Day starter 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.

Bass gave up two hits in the first inning including a solo home run by Christian Colon, but settled in and allowed just one baserunner over the next four innings. Colon's RBI single in the sixth produced the only other run surrendered by Bass.


LOOKING AHEAD
Wayne State will play the front half of a home-and-home series at Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday. Free streaming audio of the doubleheader at SVSU will be provided on Warrior All-Access, with Tom Gorman and Matt Cunningham on the call. The Warriors begin a six-game homestand next weekend against Ohio Dominican.