Wayne State University Athletics

Softball 4/24/2026 10:07:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Softball Begins Stretch Run With Two Home Doubleheaders This Weekend

Senior Day will be on Saturday, April 25.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team (16-25 overall, 8-12 GLIAC) will play four home games this weekend before concluding the regular-season with a home-and-home series with Saginaw Valley State. WSU will host Purdue Northwest (23-19 overall, 9-9 GLIAC) on Saturday for Senior Day, then entertain Grand Valley State (22-20 overall, 12-8 GLIAC) on Sunday. Saturday's Senior Day ceremony will begin at 12:40 PM with first pitch slated for 1 PM. Sunday's twinbill against the Lakers is scheduled to start at Noon.

SERIES HISTORY
WSU trails 20-11 in the all-time series with Purdue Northwest. The Pride have won 16 of the last 20 match-ups, however the Warriors did earn a split in Hammond, Indiana, earlier this month (7-4, 5-7). Wayne State is 8-6 all-time at home vs. PNW.

The Warriors and the Lakers have met 149 times previously on the softball diamond dating back to 1982. WSU holds a slim 75-72-2 advantage in the all-time series. GVSU has won four in a row and seven of the last eight meetings. Wayne State is 27-24-1 at home vs. Grand Valley State starting in 1988.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Freshman Ellery Garver (Weidman, Mich. / Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart) has started the last 13 contests, and is hitting .385 (15-for-39) over her last 11 games played. Sophomore Elly Koopman (Hudsonville, Mich.), who currently leads the squad with a .380 batting average, has an active 17-game on-base streak (19-for-41 [.463] with 11 walks and six multiple-hit affairs). Koopman and sophomore shortstop Hunter Near (Coopersville, Mich.) are tied for the team lead with 19 walks, and both have on-base percentages over .410. Freshman Marin McCullough (Battle Creek, Mich. / Lakeview) is hitting .375 (6-for-16) during her last six starts. A balanced offensive attack, six different Warriors have at least 12 RBI each with Koopman having a team-high 21 RBI.

Junior Sydney Long (Grand Blanc, Mich.) leads the pitching corps with nine wins and a 3.44 ERA. She has struck out a team-best 73 batters. Offensively, Long is hitting .328 (22-for-67) with nine extra-base hits and 14 RBI. Junior Kyra Shadduck (DeWitt, Mich. [Lansing C.C.]) has a 2-3 record in 16 appearances with a 4.25 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. Senior Hayden Batton has compiled a 3-7 mark with a 5.76 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 58.1 innings, while Koopman is 2-5 with a 6.24 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 55 innings.

Nicole Tines is her fifth season leading the Warrior softball program.

LEADING THE PRIDE
Freshman shortstop Gracie Jensen leads PNW with a .391 average (50-for-128), 11 doubles, 38 RBI and a .431 on-base percentage. Sophomore center fielder Kylie Madura is second in batting (.353, 41-for-116) with a team-leading six home runs. Junior second baseman Kylie Dugan has team-high totals of 19 walks and 22 stolen bases. Senior third baseman Amanda DeBoer is hitting .344 (43-for-125) with 12 walks and 11 stolen bases.

Six pitchers have thrown at least 18 innings each for first-year head coach Claire Schapker. The Pride pitching corps is led by senior Hailie Charmat (6-8, 3.14 ERA, 70 SO), sophomore Abbey Bond (6-5, 4.07 ERA, 33 SO) and sophomore Jordyn Roop (3-3, 5.29 ERA, 12 SO).

LEADING THE LAKERS
Grand Valley State will come to Detroit after a doubleheader at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday. Freshman Camryn Hall leads GVSU in batting .453 (62-for-137), on-base percentage (.497) and stolen bases (13). Sophomore Grace Usher is second in both RBI (30) and hitting (.353, 48-for-136). Junior Faith Edwards has a team-best 10 doubles and is batting .323 (41-for-127). Freshman Kylee Hoebeke has a team-high 31 RBI.

Dana Calihan, who is in her 12th season guiding the Lakers, has used seven pitchers this season. Sophomore Karli Dorr is 9-4 with a 2.06 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 102 innings, while junior Kylie Swierkos is 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. Senior Nevaeh Ingram has a 3-9 record with a 3.40 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.

UP NEXT
Following the games against Purdue Northwest and Grand Valley State, WSU will finish the regular season with four games vs. Saginaw Valley State - May 1 at SVSU, and May 2 at WSU.

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Players Mentioned

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

#7 Ellery Garver: OF/SS; 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R

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

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

#16 Marin McCullough: 2B/PR; 5' 8"; Freshman; 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

#7 Ellery Garver
: 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R
: OF/SS

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

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

#16 Marin McCullough
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: 2B/PR

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

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