Wayne State University Athletics

Softball 4/25/2024 9:23:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Softball Concludes Regular Season With Senior Day

WSU to honor Bonk, Favela, Hodder, Lewandowski and Miller.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (16-27 overall, 8-14 GLIAC), which is still battling to qualify for the 2024 GLIAC Tournament, will play its final two regular-season games on Friday at home vs. Ferris State University (23-22 overall, 11-9 GLIAC). First pitch of game one is slated for 3:30 p.m. and will be preceded by the Senior Day ceremonies which get underway at 3:10 p.m.

Series History
The Bulldogs won both games earlier this month in Big Rapids to extend its series winning streak to eight games. Wayne State has a 90-50 edge in the all-time series since 1982, including a 27-4 mark in the first 31 meetings into the 1993 season. The Warriors had won five consecutive match-ups prior to FSU's current streak.

Leading the Warriors
Junior Rylie Josephson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Walled Lake Central) continues to lead WSU in batting with a .402 average (53-for-132) along with a team-best 10 doubles, and a .466 on-base percentage. Senior Abby Favela (Riverside, Ill. / Riverside-Brookfield) is hitting .345 (39-for-113) with a team-leading seven stolen bases. Graduate student Becky Hodder (Orangeville, Ont.) has team-best totals of 24 walks and 14 sacrifice bunts. Freshman Logan Forman (Brantford, Ont.) leads the squad with 14 extra-base hits (8 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR) and 25 RBI.

The WSU pitching corps consists of senior Alexis Bonk (New Hudson, Mich. / South Lyon), sophomore Sasha Buckberger (Oakville, Ont.) and freshman Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.). Bonk has a 6-12 record with a 4.88 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 109 innings. Meanwhile, Buckberger is 3-3 with a save along with a 4.20 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Long has a 6-12 mark with a 4.04 ERA and 77 strikeouts in a team-high 123 innings for third-year head coach Nicole Tines.

Leading the Bulldogs
Freshman first baseman Alexis Kozlowski has a team-high .385 batting average, while leading all GLIAC batters in doubles (19), triples (6) and total bases (103). Rookie shortstop Emma Gillard is hitting .331 with a team-best 20 stolen bases. Sophomore catcher Emily Killion has a .317 batting average.

Second-year head coach Jake Schumann has used seven pitchers this season. The FSU pitching corps is led by Aryn Gallacher, who has an 8-5 record with a 1.72 ERA and 61 strikeouts in a team-leading 105.2 innings. Ashley Webb is 6-5 with a 2.61 ERA 33 strikeouts in 72.1 innings. Veteran Catherine O'Donohue has not played since March 9 due to an injury but had a 3-1 record and a 1.73 ERA in 36.1 innings.

Senior Day Ceremony
Festivities are scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m. with the softball program honoring pitcher Alexis Bonk, left fielder Abby Favela, first baseman/catcher Becky Hodder, designated player Kiley Lewandowski, and shortstop Shelby Miller.

GLIAC Playoff Picture
With just two dates (Friday and Saturday) remaining on the GLIAC schedule for everyone but the Warriors and Saginaw Valley State, the league tournament playoff picture is still a cluster. The top four teams (Grand Valley State 13-7, SVSU 14-8, Purdue Northwest 12-8, Ferris State 11-9) have a clinched a spot in the conference post-season with Parkside (8-12 GLIAC), WSU and Davenport battling for the final two spots. The Warriors went 2-2 in the regular season against both the Rangers and the Panthers with those two squads meeting Friday in Kenosha, Wis., while Wayne State entertains FSU on Friday and GVSU enterains Purdue Northwest. Parkside is at Grand Valley State, while Davenport hosts Purdue Northwest and FSU visits SVSU to conclude the regular season on Saturday.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Alexis Bonk: P; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#14 Sasha Buckberger: P; 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R

#7 Abby Favela: LF/2B/SS; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#11 Logan Forman: C/UT; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

#16 Becky Hodder: 1B/C; 5' 3"; Graduate Student; L/R

#4 Rylie Josephson: RF; 5' 7"; Junior; L/R

#12 Kiley Lewandowski: DP/1B; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#6 Sydney Long: P; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

#8 Shelby Miller: SS/3B; 5' 7"; Senior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#15 Alexis Bonk
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Sasha Buckberger
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; R/R
: P

#7 Abby Favela
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: LF/2B/SS

#11 Logan Forman
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: C/UT

#16 Becky Hodder
: 5' 3"; Graduate Student; L/R
: 1B/C

#4 Rylie Josephson
: 5' 7"; Junior; L/R
: RF

#12 Kiley Lewandowski
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: DP/1B

#6 Sydney Long
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#8 Shelby Miller
: 5' 7"; Senior; L/R
: SS/3B