GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University baseball team (21-12, 12-8 GLIAC) will host Ashland University (22-14, 14-8 GLIAC) in a four-game series this weekend in Detroit.  Saturday's doubleheader, which will be highlighted by an alumni reunion honoring the 30th anniversary of the 1982 GLIAC Championship team, will start at 1:00.  Sunday's twinbill will begin at noon.

Wayne State has split its last two doubleheaders, including Wednesday's games at Hillsdale.  The Chargers took game one, 11-5, and the Warriors won the nightcap, 17-9.  Ashland had won nine out of 10 games before being swept in a doubleheader Wednesday at Tiffin including a 2-1 loss in eight innings in the opener.

Just past the midway point of its conference schedule, Wayne State is in fourth place in the GLIAC while Ashland is in third.  The Warriors have eight home games and six road games remaining.


AT THE HELM
Ryan Kelley is in his 10th season overall at WSU and fourth as the head baseball coach in 2012.  The Warriors set a school record for wins (35) and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Midwest Regional for the second time in program history last season.  His 2010 squad won 32 games and earned the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships, while in 2009 he set a program record for wins by a first-year head coach.  Kelley's career record stands at 113-79.

John Schaly is in his 15th season at Ashland, where he has led the Eagles to the NCAA playoffs 11 times including four trips to the Division II World Series.  He has over 900 victories in a head coaching career which also includes stints at St. Leo (1992-97) and Berry (1988-91).


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State and Ashland were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in the 2012 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll.  The Warriors also received votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II national poll.


RECAP - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18
GAME 1- HILLSDALE 11, WAYNE STATE 5: The Chargers confined their scoring efforts to two big innings, including their six-run fourth inning.  Wayne State made it a 6-5 game on Kasey Koster's three-run homer in the top of the sixth, but Hillsdale pulled away with five runs in the bottom half.

Eric Cunningham and Kyle Vesey each went 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Five Chargers had two-hit games including Brad Hayden who doubled twice and scored two runs.

A two-run single by Chris Gebara gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead in the top of the second.  Pat O'Hearn's two-run double was one of eight Hillsdale hits in the six-run fourth inning.

Consecutive walks to Brad Guenther and Andrew Ciennik set up Koster for a three-run shot to center, his third homer of the year which pulled the Warriors within one.

A triple by Scott Lantis drove in two runs as part of the Chargers' five-run sixth inning.  Wayne State was retired in order in the seventh by Michael Keve, who pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Colin Gerish.

Kyle Zimmerman, the first of five pitchers used by Wayne State, took the loss (0-2) after allowing four runs on five hits in 3.1 innings.  Gerish (1-3) surrendered five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 5.1 innings.

GAME 2 - WAYNE STATE 17, HILLSDALE 9:  The nightcap saw the Warriors and Chargers combine for 22 hits and nine errors in a wild game.  Vesey went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.  J.J. Ciennik and Cunningham also had three-hit performances, and Koster hit his second three-run homer of the day.

Alex Trojan drove in three runs and scored twice, while Guenther and Andrew Ciennik each scored three times.

Wayne State established a 13-1 lead after its seven-run third inning.  Hillsdale scored seven times in the fourth and once in the fifth, but the Warriors' four-run sixth inning provided sufficient insurance.

Vesey drove in two runs in the second inning with a base hit, as did Gebara in the third with a double.  Wayne State totaled six hits in the third and benefitted from two Hillsdale miscues.

Moments after clearing the bases with a double, O'Hearn scored on a double by Lantis to end HC's seven-run fourth inning.  A bases-loaded walk to Mike Blanchard made it 13-9 after the fifth, but in the sixth Guenther scored on an error prior to Koster's three-run homer to right.

Hillsdale used six pitchers in the game.  Starter Charlie Fisher took the loss (0-3) after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in just one inning of work.

Keaton LeBlanc earned his first victory in relief of Justin Sylvester, who gave up five earned runs on six hits in his second career start.  LeBlanc (1-0), Chris Waha and Matt Mahalak combined for 3.1 hitless innings.


SCOUTING ASHLAND
The Eagles swept a four-game series last weekend against Saginaw Valley State, including two extra-inning walkoff wins, before falling twice to the Dragons on Wednesday.

Ashland entered this week ranked second to Grand Valley State in the conference in both team batting average and earned run average.  Among the offensive leaders is sophomore Tyler Gray, who is hitting .316 with team-highs in home runs (8) and RBI (29).  Classmate Wade Kaido (.350) has a team-best 43 hits, while junior Austin Erb has put together a .357 batting average with 27 RBI and 25 runs scored.

Junior right-hander Zach Botjer, who ranks second in the GLIAC with 59 strikeouts, was named GLIAC Pitcher of the Week after winning all three appearances and allowing just three earned runs in 14 innings.  Fellow junior righty Brad Thomas is 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 25 strikeouts.

Saturday will be the first meeting between Wayne State and Ashland since the Warriors earned a 12-inning 7-6 victory against the Eagles in the 2011 GLIAC Tournament.  The two teams have met seven times in the postseason since 2008.  The Warriors have won nine of the last 12 meetings overall (regular season and playoffs).


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
WSU and Hillsdale split the season series, as each team earned a 5-4 win March 28 in Detroit. Wayne State has won 29 of its last 36 meetings with Hillsdale since 2003.

Vesey led Wayne State with a .455 batting average (5-for-11) and four runs scored last week against SVSU and Ohio Dominican.  On Sunday he became the 18th player in school history to score 100 runs in a career.  Vesey had five hits Wednesday and extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Wednesday's second game marked WSU's highest scoring output since a 19-5 win against Minnesota-Crookston on March 16, 2011.  Wayne State's 16 hits in the nightcap also established a season-high.

Andrew Ciennik, who had two hits against the Chargers in game two, moved into the top 10 all-time at Wayne State.  He has 175 career hits, ninth-most in program history.

Guenther, who scored four times in the Hillsdale series, entered this week tied for second in the GLIAC in runs scored.  He has scored at least once in 11 of the last 12 games.

Justin DeFrancis continues to lead the Warriors offensively with a .403 batting average, fifth-highest in the GLIAC.  He has reached base in 22 straight games, the longest streak by a Warrior this season.

Billy Hurley (3-0, seven saves) earned either a win or a save in his first 10 relief appearances this season.  He is three saves away from matching the WSU single-season record (10 - Jon Venuto, 2000), while his 15 career saves has him three away from tying the career record as well (18 - Venuto, 1999-2002).


WARRIORS IN THE PROS
Anthony Bass will make his third consecutive start for the San Diego Padres on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies at PETCO Park in San Diego.  Replacing Dustin Moseley who is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, the former WSU right-hander is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in four appearances with San Diego.

Bass, a 2008 fifth-round pick of the Padres, was on the other side of 49-year-old Jamie Moyer's historic victory Tuesday in Colorado.  Bass struck out a career-high seven over five innings of work.

Ryan LaPensee, playing his second professional season in the Arizona Diamondbacks system, debuted for the Reno Aces (AAA) on April 5 and had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning of a 5-2 victory over Colorado Springs on Opening Day.  He went 2-for-7 in five games with the Aces before being reassigned to the Visalia Rawhide (A-Adv.) on Sunday.

Brett Shankin, a 28th-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners, made his first professional start for the Clinton LumberKings (A) last Saturday.  Shankin allowed just one run on three hits over five innings, walking one and striking out two in a no-decision.  He pitched in 16 games for the Pulaski Mariners (R) last season, his first year as a pro.


ALUMNI EVENTS
WSU will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the 1982 GLIAC Championship team this Saturday.  The 1982 squad completed a “three-peat” of conference titles for the Tartars and won 29 games, a school record which held until 1999.  The team also had three WSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees - David Croskey, Mark Limback and head coach Angelo Gust.

The Wayne State baseball program is also proud to present the annual Dugout Club Golf Outing and Alumni Game on Sept. 22-23. The golf outing will be held at Northville Hills on the morning of Sept. 22.  The alumni baseball game is scheduled for Sept. 23 at the WSU Baseball Field.


SUMMER CAMP
Wayne State will host its annual summer camp July 20-21 at the WSU baseball field in Detroit. Campers will receive fundamental instruction on all aspects of the game, plus have a chance to meet players from the Detroit Tigers.

Clinicians for the camp will include Kelley and Detroit Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones, as well as local high school coaches and Wayne State baseball student-athletes and coaches.  Detroit Tigers expected to attend will be announced at a later date.  Past Tigers guests have included Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge, Austin Jackson, Victor Martinez, Rick Porcello, Pudge Rodriguez, Jose Valverde and Justin Verlander.

The camp costs $70 per day for registrations received before July 16. Campers should be dressed prepared for baseball practice and are advised to bring their own equipment, if possible.  Registration can be completed online or by mail.


LOOKING AHEAD
Wayne State's final home weekend is May 5-6 vs. Lake Erie.  The Warriors have a road series at GVSU (April 28-29) and a doubleheader at SVSU (May 2).  The GLIAC Tournament is May 9-12 at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.