LANSING, Mich. -- Following a thrilling run in the GLIAC Tournament, the Wayne State University baseball team's (27-28 overall) 2025 season came to an end on Championship Sunday against No. 16 Davenport (41-13 overall).  The Panthers walked off the Warriors 7-4 with a one-out, three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Wayne State struck first thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the opening inning.  With Bennett Hitzelberger (Richmond, Mich.) standing on third base, Mason McGuire (Lyon Twp., Mich. / Brighton [Mott CC]) on second and Jacoby Dale (Roseville, Mich. [Spring Arbor/Henry Ford CC]) on first, Aidan Arbogast (Livonia, Mich. / Livonia Stevenson [Mid-Michigan C.C. / Kellogg C.C. / Eastern Michigan]) stepped into the batter's box.

Arbogast hit a ground ball to the Davenport shortstop who tried to start a 6-4-3 double play, but the second baseman's throw to first was errant.  Hitzelberger scored from third easily before the throwing error allowed McGuire to touch home plate as well.

The Panthers scored their first run in the fourth before the Warriors made it 3-1 the next half inning.  That score was tallied when Tony Hatzigeorgiou (Oxford, Mich.) hit a solo home run to left, his second of the season.  Hatzigeorgiou also homered in WSU's last game of the 2024 season at the GLIAC Tournament, a solo blast in the third against Saginaw Valley State.

DU again slimmed the margin to one (3-2) in the home half of the fifth before Wayne State had another response in the top of the sixth.  With Arbogast on second after a two-out double, Drew Hill (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) tripled to the gap in left center and brought him in.

Once more, Davenport cut the deficit to one (4-3) in the seventh, which led to fireworks in both the ninth and 11th frames.  In that ninth inning, the bases were loaded with one out before the game-tying run came in on a passed ball.  Then in the 11th, the Panthers' Sam Clay walked it off for DU.

Wayne State utilized six pitchers as Davenport left 17 runners on base.  The starter Miles Jamieson (Grosse Pointe, Mich. / Grosse Pointe South [Mid Michigan / Davidson]) turned in his longest outing in the Green and Gold with six innings of work.  Jamieson gave up two earned runs on three hits with three walks, three strikeouts and 105 pitches.

Will DeMasse (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) was first out of the bullpen and retired a pair of batters.  Then, Coy Plummer (New Hudson, Mich. / South Lyon) and Ethan Getting (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Northern [Purdue Northwest]) combined to surrender just one unearned run in one and one-third and two frames, respectively.

TJ McAllister (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / South Lake) entered to commence the bottom of the 11th and struck out one batter, but allowed to others to reach before Gabe Nazelli (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) conceded the three-run shot.

All-Tournament Team
C    Dylan Pawenski, Davenport
1B    Jovan Gill, Grand Valley State
2B    Sam Clay, Davenport    
SS    Evan Morrison, Grand Valley State
3B    Austin Cicerone, Saginaw Valley State
OF    Coltrane Rubner, Davenport    
OF    James Berry, Roosevelt
OF    Ethan Scheib, Saginaw Valley State 
DH    Xavier Reisbig, Davenport
UT    Aidan Arbogast, Wayne State (.333, 5-for-15)
UT    Mason McGuire, Wayne State (.316, 6-for-19)
SP    JJ Arbini, Saginaw Valley State
SP    Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, Wayne State (1 GS, 8 IP, 1 ER, 1.12 ERA)
SP    Collin Bradley, Grand Valley State
SP    Mason Hill, Davenport
RP    Ethan Getting, Wayne State (4 APP, 6 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 W, 2 SV)