Wayne State University Athletics

Softball 3/18/2026 9:00:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Softball To Begin GLIAC Play On The West Side Of Michigan

WSU to play at Davenport and Ferris State this weekend.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (8-9 overall) will commence GLIAC play this Saturday (at Davenport) and Sunday (at Ferris State) with a trip to the west side of Michigan.

The Warriors just concluded their eight-game spring break trip with a 4-4 record in Florida at the Space Coast Games.

SERIES HISTORY
WSU is 13-17 all-time against Davenport, but won both match-ups (5-1, 11-3) in Caledonia last year. Wayne State has a 5-9 mark in games at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex. DU has won seven of the last 11 match-ups overall.

The Warriors have a 94-53 all-time record vs. Ferris State after winning three of the four meetings a season ago. The Bulldogs and the Tartars first met on the softball diamond in 1982. WSU has won four of the last six meetings, after FSU posted nine consecutive victories (April 2022-April 2024) in the series.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Sophomore shortstop Hunter Near (Coopersville, Mich.) is hitting a team-best .400 (22-for-55) with seven extra-base hits. She leads the squad with eight walks, a .493 on-base percentage and a .655 slugging percentage. Sophomore third baseman Kate DeWitt (Grand Blanc, Mich.) is batting .357 (20-for-56) with four doubles, while sophomore first baseman/pitcher Elly Koopman (Hudsonville, Mich.) is tied with Near for the team lead in RBI with 10 and is batting .356 (16-for-45). Senior second baseman Maddie Hool (Allen Park, Mich.) is hitting .345 (20-for-58) with two doubles and two triples. Hool has a six-game hitting streak after going 8-for-14 in the final four games in Florida.

Junior Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.) leads a quartet of WSU hurlers with a 4-5 record, a 3.19 ERA and 30 strikeouts. Koopman (2-2, 5.48 ERA, 21 SO) and junior Kyra Shadduck (2-1, 3.23 ERA, 17 SO) both have thrown over 30 innings this spring. Senior Hayden Batton allowed just one run in five inings vs. Minot State in her latest appearance in the circle for fifth-year head coach Nicole Tines.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Davenport is 4-18 overall and carries an eight-game losing skein into Saturday's twinbill.

First-year head coach Brad Koch's squad is led offensively by freshman Chloe Bruman, who is batting .333 (14-for-42) with a team-best .417 on-base percentage. Sophomore Alaina Schwanke is hitting .313 (21-for-67) with a team-high 13 RBI. Senior Ally Prasnjak leads DU with nine walks and is batting .297 (19-for-64).

Six different pitchers have thrown at least 10 innings for DU led by sophomore Hannah Tahaney (1-6, 3.76 ERA, 36 SO). Junior Hailey Whisman (0-7, 7.09 ERA, 14 SO), freshman Jordan Empie (0-0, 5.25 ERA, 18 SO) and Schwanke (2-3, 6.14 ERA, 16 SO) have each thrown at least 21 innings.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Ferris State will take a 14-11 overall record into Saturday's GLIAC opener vs. Saginaw Valley State.

FSU is led offensively by freshman Emma Herremans, who is batting .394 (26-for-66) with 15 walks for a .500 on-base percentage. Sophomore Breanna Blair is hitting .389 (14-for-36), while freshman Ava Gardner is batting .384 (28-for-73) with four home runs and 19 RBI, which is tied for the team lead with juniors Alexis Kozlowski and Emma Gillard.

Davenport transfer Cecelia Bell leads the Bulldogs pitching corps with a 4-5 mark and a 4.13 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. Freshman Katie Shuboy is 6-2 with a 3.19 ERA and 32 strikeouts. Two other pitchers have tossed over 24 innings - Sally Leask (2-1, 5.18 ERA, 17 SO) and Addison Gillard (2-3, 5.39 ERA, 13 SO) - for fourth-year head coach Jake Schumann.

UP NEXT
After this weekend's four-game road trip, Wayne State will return home to host Parkside on Saturday, March 28th for the GLIAC Home Opener Presented By Boost Mobile.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#2 Maddie Hool: 2B; 5' 5"; Senior; 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

#2 Maddie Hool
: 5' 5"; Senior; R/R
: 2B

#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