Softball 4/8/2024 7:25:00 PM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Softball to Continue GLIAC Slate by Visiting Ferris State and Hosting Grand Valley State

The Warriors are 4-4 through eight league match-ups this season.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (12-17 overall, 4-4 GLIAC) will play a pair of conference doubleheaders on back-to-back days at Ferris State and vs. Grand Valley State. The Warriors will travel to Big Rapids for a 2 p.m. start on Tuesday afternoon, before WSU and GVSU renew acquaintances beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon in Detroit.

Tuesday's action will be at the FSU Softball Complex in a twinbill that was twice postponed due to inclement weather. The games were originally scheduled for March 24, then pushed back to April 2 and finally to its Tuesday date. The match-ups against the Bulldogs and Lakers continue a stretch of 12 games in nine days for the Warriors, which started this past weekend vs. Saginaw Valley State.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State and Ferris State have played one another 138 times dating back to 1982, with the Tartars/Warriors having a 90-48 edge. Despite the large advantage all-time over the Bulldogs, FSU has claimed the past six meetings since the second game of a doubleheader on April 29, 2022. Prior to that, WSU tallied five wins in a row between the second game on May 4, 2021, and March 31, 2022.

The Tartars/Warriors have a 72-65-2 advantage in the all-time season series against Grand Valley State since 1982 (139 contests), but GVSU has triumphed in each of the last seven contests. Grand Valley State is also 19-4 vs. Wayne State since the first game of the NCAA Super Regional between the Warriors and Lakers on May 11, 2016.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
WSU scored 11 runs in its second game at Davenport on Sunday, which tied for the season-best with two other games (March 13 vs. D'Youville and March 30 vs. Parkside in Game 2).

Rylie Josephson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Walled Lake Central) is currently second in the GLIAC in batting average at .427 (38-of-89), while also pacing the squad in runs scored (17) and hits (38). The junior had six hits in two contests on Sunday at Davenport. Freshman Logan Forman (Brantford, Ont,) has 21 RBI through 29 games played, which is 11 more than any other Warrior. She also leads WSU with three triples and is one of five players to hit a home run this season. Senior Becky Hodder (Orangeville, Ont.) has shown strong patience at the plate with a team-leading 17 walks. She also leads the GLIAC and ranks fourth nationally in sacrifice bunts per game (0.36).

Senior Alexis Bonk (New Hudson, Mich. / South Lyon) secured the victory in the circle for the Warriors in the second game against the Panthers. It was her fourth victory of the season to tie freshman Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.) for the team best.

LEADING THE BULLDOGS
Ferris State split its doubleheader on Monday at Parkside, and will be on the playing the second of back-to-back days when the Warriors visit. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four contests, including a sweep at Purdue Northwest (1-0 and 4-2) this past Saturday. FSU is 17-18 overall and an even 5-5 within the conference.

A pair of freshmen have done much of the damage on offense for Ferris State this season. Alexis Kozlowski is hitting .370 (44-of-119) to lead the squad, while also pacing FSU in hits (44), doubles (15), triples (four), and RBI (36). She has five of the Bulldogs' 10 home runs in 2024. Emma Gillard is batting .340 (32-of-94) and has 15 steals along with 13 walks to lead FSU.

Second-year head coach Jake Schumann has primarily relied on Aryn Gallacher in the circle. The senior has started a team-best 13 of the 35 games and in 72.2 innings has a 2.22 ERA, along with 44 strikeouts. Other pitchers to start in five or more contests include freshman Ashley Webb (5-3, 2.64 ERA, 28 SO in 50.1 IP), sophomore Catherine O'Donohue (3-1, 1.73 ERA, 36 SO in 36.1 IP), and sophomore Izabella Regner (2-3, 4.01 ERA, 51 SO in 45.1 IP).

LEADING THE LAKERS
Grand Valley State, the ninth-ranked program in all of Division II via the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), swept Davenport (10-1 and 2-1) at home to open its weekend this past Saturday, before dropping both games on Sunday (3-1 and 4-0) vs. Saginaw Valley State. GVSU is 22-9 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC ahead of Wednesday's affair.

Hannah Hollister leads the team with a .371 batting average (36-for-97), and with 25 stolen bases (in 26 attempts) is the only GVSU player with more than nine steals. The senior has also scored a team-high 32 runs, walked a squad-best 20 times, and posted a team-best .475 on base percentage. Junior Kelsey Komorous leads Grand Valley State in many of the other major categories, including OPS (.974), doubles (11), home runs (three), RBI (33), total bases (54), and slugging percentage (.563). The Lakers are batting nearly .300 (.297) as a team, which is tied with the Warriors for best in the GLIAC.

Five pitchers have been used by 10th-year head coach Dana Callihan this campaign. While the Lakers may have lost three-time GLIAC Pitcher of the Year in Hannah Beatus over the offseason, Grand Valley State nonetheless has a 1.66 ERA as a team through 31 games. Freshman Kylie Swierkos has pitched to a 1.17 ERA in 47.2 innings for a 4-3 record. Sophomore Nevaeh Ingram (5-0, 1.39 ERA, 24 SO) has thrown 35.1 innings, while senior Genesis Eggart (8-2, 1.40 ERA) has struck out a team-best 59 in 65.0 innings. Senior Ashley Platek (4-4, 2.19 ERA, 30 SO) is the other GVSU player with more than 35 innings at 44.2 IP.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will head west for a pair of GLIAC doubleheaders at Parkside and Purdue Northwest. WSU and UWP will square off starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Case Softball Complex in Kenosha, Wis. The Warriors will then head to Hammond, Ind., and Dowling Park for a twinbill beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 14 versus the Pride.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Alexis Bonk: P; 5' 9"; 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

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

Players Mentioned

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

#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

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