DETROIT -- The 2025 road continues for the Wayne State University baseball team (18-18 overall, 7-4 GLIAC) this week as it will travel to Grand Valley State (28-9 overall, 11-5 GLIAC) for a four-game series on Thursday through Saturday prior to Easter on Sunday.  Thursday's game one will begin at 3 p.m. while Friday's doubleheader and Saturday's finale will both commence at 1 p.m.

Grand Valley State head coach Jordan Keur (58-34 overall, 29-17 GLIAC) is in his second season at the helm as the eighth head coach in program history.  Keur guided the Lakers to a 30-25 record during his first year, including a GLIAC Tournament Championship (first since 2016) and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, also the school's first since 2016.  The Lakers finished 18-12 in league play and went 4-0 in the GLIAC Tournament to earn the NCAA Tournament berth.

So far this season, GVSU ranks second in the conference for batting average (.314), behind only Parkside's .323, and first in ERA (3.58).  That 3.58 team ERA is good for fourth in all of Division II.  Starting at the plate though, nine everyday Lakers are above the .300 mark or just below it.  Those eight batters are Ryan Dykstra (.356), Jonas Gulbrandsen (.348), Evan Morrison (.348), Evan Morrison (.338), Brendan Guciardo (.336), Ayden VanEnkevort (.330), Jovan Gill (.321), Ryan Stimac (.297), and Caleb Estrada (.286).

Gulbrandsen boasts an OPS of 1.043 while also leading the squad in home runs (10), RBI (41), total bases (92), slugging percentage (.652), and hit-by-pitches (8).  Aside from average, Dykstra is also on top for at-bats (146), hits (52), doubles (13), triples (tied, 3), and stolen bases (13-of-14).  Morrison has scored more runs than any other Laker with 48 and has swiped nine bases in 13 attempts.  As a team, Grand Valley State's speed has been impressive with 20 triples (tied-for-fourth in D2) and 54 stolen bases in 68 attempts.

Switching gears to pitching, five GVSU throwers have tossed at least 25 innings with an ERA below 4.00 to show for them.  Those five hurlers are Jayden Dentler (56 IP, 2.57 ERA), Collin Bradley (50 IP, 1.98 ERA), Owen Avery (43.1 IP, 3.95 ERA), Allan Thorington (40.1 IP, 3.12 ERA), and Colby Phipps (26.1 IP, 3.08 ERA).  Dentler is a perfect 7-0 in his nine starts, Phipps and Will Goebel each have three saves, and Avery has struck out 58 batters to just seven walks.  Bradley's batting average against is only .199 while the team's sits at .242.

Wayne State and Grand Valley State have faced off 195 times in the all-time series with the Lakers holding a 116-79 edge, a .405 winning percentage for the Warriors.  Under head coach Ryan Kelley, WSU has gone 31-45 against GVSU including 10-12 in true road contests.