Wayne State University Athletics

Softball 3/12/2026 12:58:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Softball To Begin Spring Break Trip On Friday

WSU will play eight games in five days in Florida.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (4-5 overall) will embark on an eight-game spring break trip starting tomorrow (Friday the 13th). All eight games will be part of the Space Coast Games in Melbourne, Fla.

WSU lost two games to Division 1 Oakland University (2-0, 6-2) on Monday during its home opening day.

The Warriors will face Mercy University (0-0 overall) at 2:30 PM on Friday, followed by a 4:45 PM match-up with in-region foe Thomas More University (7-9 overall). On Saturday, Wayne State will play Franklin Pierce (5-1 overall) at 12:15 PM and in-region opponent Ohio Dominican (6-8 overall) at 4:45 PM.

SERIES HISTORY
WSU has played Mercy just once previously with the Warriors prevailing 5-4 on March 13, 2016.

Wayne State has never played Thomas More in softball.

The Warriors have faced Franklin Pierce twice before. WSU won 5-0 in 2013 at the Charger Chillout in Decatur, Ala., and claimed a 6-1 victory in Clermont, Fla. in 2016.

Wayne State and Ohio Dominican have played 24 times previously with WSU holding a 14-10 edge. Eighteen (18) of those match-ups came as GLIAC rivals (2011-17), plus an additional two contests in the GLIAC Tournament (2013 and 2014). The Warriors played three times at ODU in 2023, winning just once, while Wayne State prevailed 3-1 a year ago in Florida.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Sophomore shortstop Hunter Near is hitting a team-best .429 (12-for-28) with four extra-base hits. She leads the squad with six walks, a .514 on-base percentage and a .714 slugging percentage. Sophomore third baseman Kate DeWitt is batting .360 (9-for-25) with three doubles, while sophomore first baseman/pitcher Elly Koopman has a team-high nine RBI and is batting .357 (10-for-28).

Junior Sydney Long leads a quartet of WSU hurlers with a 3-3 record, a 2.31 ERA and 19 strikeouts. Koopman (1-0, 4.11 ERA, 12 SO) and junior Kyra Shadduck (0-1, 4.30 ERA, 12 SO) both have thrown over 14 innings this spring. Senior Hayden Batton has made two appearances in the circle for fifth-year head coach Nicole Tines.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Mercy had four games canceled last weekend and will play its first game of 2026 at 10 AM vs. Minnesota State-Mankato before facing the Warriors at 2:30 PM.

MU was tabbed for third in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Preseason Poll after compiling a 23-22 overall record a season ago with a 12-8 mark in ECC play. The Mavericks earned the No. 2 seed for the ECC Tournament last season. Mercy recorded its most wins since 2019 last season and won an ECC Tournament game for the first time since 2021.

MU returns two Second Team All-ECC selections in Allison Murphy and Dylan Reyer. The Mavericks return two veteran pitchers in Mackayla Secoda (4-6, 4.09 ERA, 45 SO) and Lauren McSweeney (6-2, 4.67 ERA, 33 SO). Jaime Lorenzo is in her fifth season leading the Mavericks.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Thomas More enters today with a 7-9 overall record. The Saints face Ferris State and Minnesota State-Mankato this afternoon, before playing the Warriors at 4:45 PM tomorrow.

Thomas More is led offensively by senior center fielder Ashtyn Elbe (.326, 9 RBI, 5 SB), sophomore second baseman/third baseman Brooklynn Couch (.318), freshman pitcher/designated player Alisha Fox (.310, 10 RBI) and sophomore first baseman/second baseman Haylee Palmer (.306 and a team-leading 14 RBI). In the circle, Fox has a 4-3 record with a 2.42 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. Junior Kylie Ropp is 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 34.2 innings for 18th-year head coach Lindsay Eagan.

SCOUTING THE RAVENS
Franklin Pierce enters Friday's competition with a 5-1 overall record. FPU will play Midwest Region schools Lake Erie College and Grand Valley State on Friday, before playing Molloy (10 AM) and Wayne State (12:15 PM) on Saturday.

Freshman shortstop Alicia Ott is hitting .529 (9-for-17) with three extra-base hits and a team-leading 10 RBI. Sophomore catcher Delaney Duford has nine RBI, four extra-base hits and is batting .421 (8-for-19). Freshman left fielder Camryn Van Valkenburgh is hitting .400 (6-for-15), while senior Savannah Arreguin has a team-best three stolen bases.

Junior Georgia Clough has logged the most innings in the circle (12.0) out of the five hurlers used by eighth-year head coach Andrew Klaus. Clough is 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA and 20 strikeouts.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Ohio Dominican will take a 6-8 record into Saturday's match-up with Wayne State.

Junior first baseman Addie Triplett is hitting a team-best .389 (14-for-36) with seven walks for a .477 on-base percentage. Senior second baseman Kendrick Sterling is batting .361 with five doubles, while junior left fielder Erica Massey has a team-high eight RBI and six stolen bases.

Head coach Marcella Vanlandingham, who is in her 31st year at ODU, has primarily used two pitchers this spring in freshman Alyvia Lawrentz (2-4, 3.45 ERA, 40 SO) and sophomore Emma Grau (4-3, 3.68 ERA, 25 SO).

UP NEXT
Wayne State will take Sunday off before facing Minnesota State-Mankato and Saint Michael's at 10 AM and 12:15 PM, respectively on Monday.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Hayden Batton: P; 5' 9"; Senior; L/L

#20 Kate DeWitt: 3B; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#21 Elly Koopman: P/1B/DP; 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R

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

#8 Hunter Near: SS; 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R

#9 Kyra Shadduck: P; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#18 Hayden Batton
: 5' 9"; Senior; L/L
: P

#20 Kate DeWitt
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: 3B

#21 Elly Koopman
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; L/R
: P/1B/DP

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

#8 Hunter Near
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R
: SS

#9 Kyra Shadduck
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: P