GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University baseball team (24-13, 15-9 GLIAC) will play its final road series of the regular season this weekend at Grand Valley State University (30-10, 20-6 GLIAC).  The third-place Warriors and first-place Lakers will meet Saturday at 1:00 and Sunday at noon in Allendale.

Wayne State took three out of four games against Ashland last weekend in Detroit, including a pair of shutouts.  Grand Valley State extended its winning streak to 15 games by sweeping Findlay on the road.

The Warriors have four home games and six road games remaining before the GLIAC Tournament begins May 9 in Chillicothe, Ohio.  The top six teams in the conference qualify for the postseason.


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 116-80.

In 14 seasons as the head coach at Grand Valley State, Steve Lyon has a record of 539-199-2.  His career record, which includes five years at Oakland University, is 652-300-3.  Lyon has guided the Lakers to eight GLIAC titles and 10 NCAA Regional appearances.


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State and GVSU were picked to finish second and first, respectively, in the 2012 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll.  The Lakers are ranked eighth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll and 16th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll.  The Warriors received votes in the NCBWA  poll.

GVSU and Wayne State were also first and fifth in the NCAA Midwest Regional rankings released Tuesday afternoon.


RECAP - SATURDAY, APRIL 21
GAME 1- ASHLAND 7, WAYNE STATE 2: The Eagles confined all of their scoring to the fifth inning, during which they accumulated six of their 12 hits (all singles).  Adam Urbania drove in two runs in the inning with one of his three hits in the game.

Wayne State opened the first inning with three straight singles, including a bunt by Andrew Ciennik, who went 2-for-3.  After Justin DeFrancis scored on an error, Zach Botjer escaped a bases-loaded jam when his defense converted a triple play.

Botjer (6-3) allowed just one hit over the next five innings before WSU tacked on a run in the seventh.

Josh Wedesky took the loss (4-3), allowing 10 hits and four walks over 4.1 innings.  Ethan Vasiliauskas threw 2.2 scoreless innings in relief.

GAME 2 - WAYNE STATE 4, ASHLAND 0:  Greg Spiess (3-1) threw just 81 pitches in a two-hitter for his second straight victory.  He issued no walks and struck out four as Wayne State recorded its first-ever shutout over Ashland.

Aaron Hilt (6-5) also went the distance and allowed only three hits outside of Wayne State's three-run fourth inning.  Two of the four runs surrendered by Hilt were unearned as Ashland committed three errors in the game.

Alex Trojan, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth, later scored on an RBI single by Chris Gebara.  Kasey Koster drove in two runs with a double, the only extra-base hit for either team in the doubleheader.

An RBI single by Kenny Davis made it a 4-0 game in the sixth.


RECAP - SUNDAY, APRIL 22
GAME 3 - WAYNE STATE 5, ASHLAND 1: Brad Guenther went 2-for-3 with two RBI in Sunday's opener.  He also scored one of three WSU runs in the bottom of the first, as the Warriors benefitted from a pair of Ashland errors.

Ashland scored its lone run in the second, but managed just two hits over the final five innings.   Guenther drove in Koster with a double in the bottom of the second, and did it again with a single in the fourth.

Chris Waha allowed four hits over five innings.  He walked five but struck out four to earn his second win of the season.  Kyle Zimmerman fanned three over two innings and picked up his first collegiate save.  Brad Thomas, the first of three AU pitchers in the game, took the loss (6-2).

GAME 4 - WAYNE STATE 2, ASHLAND 0:  Alex Pierse (4-1) threw the second two-hitter in a 24-hour span in the series finale and tied his season-high with six strikeouts.  He did not allow a runner past second base after the second inning and recorded his first complete-game shutout of his career.

Wayne State took the lead in the third when J.J. Ciennik, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, scored on a single by Davis.  The Warriors doubled their lead on Trojan's sacrifice fly in the fifth, scoring Guenther.

Pierse induced a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth inning and struck out the side in the seventh.

Shayne Herold (1-3) gave up five hits and two walks in four innings.  Joe Malfara worked two shutout frames in relief.


SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
The Lakers have outscored their opponents, 98-32, during their 15-game winning streak.  Leading the GVSU offense is senior Steve Anderson, who is batting .381 and entered this week ranked first in the GLIAC in hits (53) and total bases (91), second in runs batted in (32) and third in runs scored.  Anderson, along with senior Jared Cowan and freshman Mike Nadratowski who are each batting .389, make up three of the top seven players in the conference in batting average.

GVSU pitchers posted three shutouts last week against Findlay and allowed only 12 hits while striking out 26 in the four-game series.  Senior Kyle Schepel (8-2, 1.35 ERA, 70 K) fanned nine in a one-hitter, and junior Brad Zambron collected three saves in the series and broke his own GVSU single-season record (12).

Wayne State lost all eight meetings with GVSU last year, including four postseason meetings as GVSU defetaed Wayne State in the NCAA Midwest Regional championship game to advance to the Division II Championship tournament.  The Warriors won three out of five games against the Lakers in 2010 and eight out of 16 matchups from 2008-10.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Guenther and Spiess were selected as the GLIAC Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.  Guenther scored a team-high six runs and went 5-for-16 at the plate in WSU's six games last week.  He drove in two runs in Sunday's 5-1 victory over Ashland, and scored three times in a win Wednesday against Hillsdale.  Guenther had three walks and two sacrifices last week, and an on-base percentage of .450.  He also played errorless defense behind the plate, catching both two-hitters over the weekend.

On Saturday, Spiess only allowed two baserunners on singles in the third and fifth innings.  He improved his record to 3-1 on the year.

Spiess and Pierse threw the second and third shutouts of the season by a Warrior.  Pierse, who has thrown a combined 12 shutout innings over his last two starts, tied his season-high with six strikeouts Sunday against the Eagles.

Andrew Ciennik, who earlier this season broke the WSU career record for sacrifice flies, set two more marks over the weekend.  He tallied his 27th sacrifice bunt, passing Dan Laethem (1973-76) and Bobby Marten (2002-05) for the top spot.  Ciennik also passed Frank Jeney (2002-05) for the all-time record in infield assists (432).  He ranks in the top 10 at Wayne State with 186 games played (sixth) and 179 hits (tied for eighth).

Eric Cunningham had a team-best eight hits last week and Koster, who homered twice at Hillsdale, drove in eight runs in the six games.  Koster has a team-high seven multiple-RBI games 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 fourth consecutive start for the San Diego Padres on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Replacing Dustin Moseley who is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, the former WSU right-hander is 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 19 strikeouts in five 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 April 17 in Colorado.  Bass struck out a career-high seven over five innings of work, and matched that total in his first win of the year Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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.  LaPensee went 2-for-7 in five games with the Aces before being reassigned to the Visalia Rawhide (A-Adv.) on April 15.

Brett Shankin, a 28th-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners, is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA and seven strikeouts over four appearances (two starts) with the Clinton LumberKings (A).  Shankin pitched in 16 games for the Pulaski Mariners (R) last season, his first year as a pro.


ALUMNI WEEKEND
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 also have a road doubleheader at Saginaw Valley State next Wednesday, May 2.  The GLIAC Tournament is May 9-12 at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.