DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball squad (22-4 overall, 2-0 GLIAC) returned to game action yesterday after a 16-day layoff and recorded a pair of wins (3-0 and 4-2 in eight innings) over visiting Hillsdale to commence GLIAC play.  The Warriors, ranked sixth in the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) poll released earlier today, began the year playing 24 games in a 37-day span.

WSU will travel to GLIAC rivals Tiffin (13-6 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) and Ohio Dominican (10-18 overall, 6-0 GLIAC) for twinbills on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
 

Setting the Stage	Wayne State University Softball at Tiffin & at Ohio Dominican
Dates	Saturday, April 5  |  Sunday, April 6
Time	1:00 PM and 3:00 PM on Saturday  |  Noon and 2:00 PM on Sunday
Location	Tiffin, Ohio (Paradiso Athletic Fields)  |  Columbus, Ohio (Panther Softball Field)
Web	Twitter: @WayneStWarriors  |  #WarriorSB
Live Stats	at Tiffin  |  at Ohio Dominican
Opponent Information	Tiffin Softball  |  Ohio Dominican Softball

GAME STORYLINES
WSU is 9-1 in its last 10 games with the only blemish being a 1-0 setback to Florida Southern despite a near perfect game and a no-hitter by redshirt freshman pitcher Lyndsay Butler.

SCOUTING TIFFIN
The Dragons compiled a 10-5 non-conference record heading into today's doubleheader at Ohio Valley.  Junior Madison Yanek leads Tiffin in hititng at .423 (22-for-52) with six doubles and six walks for a team-high .483 on-base percentage.  Sophomore Jena King is batting .413 (19-for-46), while Caitlin Houk has a team-high 16 RBI.  Sixth-year head coach Jeff Nickerson has used three pitchers this year with Yanek (4-3, 2.14 ERA, 26 SO) and sophomore Kelsey Yaratch (5-2, 2.17 ERA, 23 SO) each having seven starts in 2014.  Freshman Taylor Spang (4-1, 2.39 ERA, 24 SO) has the lowest opponent batting average at .202.  TU is averaging two doubles per game and is hitting .326 as a team.

SCOUTING OHIO DOMINICAN
The Panthers began the year with a 1-9 mark, but has a 9-9 record since prior to today's home twinbill against Indianapolis.  Freshman Kelly Wallace is batting .417 (10-for-24) in limited action, while senior Caitlin Jividen is hitting .404 (19-for-47) and is tied with junior Taylor Thomas for the team lead in RBI at 16.  Thomas has seven doubles and three home runs, while batting .392.  Jividen has walked 13 times for a .525 on-base percentage.  Junior Rachael Stanzel has made 14 starts compiling a 5-10 record with a 3.20 ERA and 49 strikeouts.  Junior Brandis Fishel is 2-3 with a 3.53 ERA and 11 strikeouts for 19th-year head coach Marcella Vanlandingham.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wayne State holds a 16-10 edge in the all-time series against Tiffin, which began in 2001.  WSU has a 6-4 mark in games played in Tiffin.  The teams split a four-game set at Paradiso Fields on April 6-7, 2012.  The Warriors have an 8-3 lead in the all-time series with Ohio Dominican that began in 2011.  WSU is 3-1 in Columbus against the Panthers with all four contests coming in 2011 (April 2-3).

LAST TIME OUT
WSU swept a doubleheader from visiting Hillsdale College on April 1 to start league play after having the first three conference dates postponed.  Butler was the star of game one recording her seventh shutout of the season and improving to 10-3 by striking out 13 Charger batters.  She allowed just two hits (a two-out sixth inning single by Ainsley Ellison, and leadoff single in the seventh by Jessica Knepper) before striking out the final three HC hitters to end the contest.  WSU pounded out six singles and a double by Jade McGarr, one of her two hits in the contest, off HC hurler Sarah Grunert (0-3).  The Warriors tallied singles runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

In the nightcap, WSU's first two runners in the eighth reached on errors, and after a wild pitch, Shelby Spano delivered a two-run double giving Wayne State a 4-2 extra-inning triumph.  Butler notched the win in relief of Briana Lee.  Butler struck out five of the 11 batters she faced.

NEXT UP
After the four-game road swing, the Warriors return home to host Findlay on Wednesday, April 9 for a pair of league contests starting at 3:30 PM.

PRESEASON POLL
WSU was predicted to finish second in the GLIAC as voted on by the league's coaches announced in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.  Wayne State, the two-time GLIAC tournament champions, received six first-place votes and 156 points to finish just behind Grand Valley's six first-place votes and 159 points.  Ashland garnered the other two first-place votes and 147 points.  Rounding out the poll were Ferris State (122 points), Ohio Dominican (113), Northwood (111), Tiffin (101), Findlay (98), Saginaw Valley (73), Hillsdale (65), Walsh (52), Lake Superior (36), Malone (26) and Lake Erie (16).

NATIONAL LEADERS
In the national stats released by the NCAA on Tuesday, Wayne State was second in Division II in ERA at 0.59, trailing Tampa's 0.48.  The Warriors were ninth in winning percentage (.833) and 14th in fielding percentage (.971).  Individually, junior hurler Briana Lee was fourth in hits allowed (3.27), fifth in ERA (0.32), and 10th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.2).  Butler was eighth in ERA (0.57), hits allowed (3.61), and strikeouts per seven innings (10.8), and ninth in shutouts (7). Offensively Butler was ranked fourth in triples with five and sixth in triples per game at 0.21.

WARRIOR BENCH BOSS
Gary Bryce, who is in his 33rd season as Wayne State's head softball coach, is closing in on 1,100 career wins.  Bryce enters the weekend with an all-time mark of 1,093-663-7.  With seven more wins, Bryce will become the 17th coach in NCAA Softball history (all three Divisions combined) to reach the 1,100-win plateau.  Assistant coach Pat Kent, who played four years (1980-1983) at WSU, is in her 31st season as an assistant coach.  Nicole Abel, a four-year Warrior letterwinner (2007-2010), is in her third season on the staff.

WSU SOFTBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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