Eastern Wayne Today

The Wayne State University softball team is set to begin its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) competition with two home doubleheaders this weekend. The Warriors, who hold an 8-13 overall record, will face Purdue Northwest on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Parkside on Saturday at 1 p.m.

In their series history with Purdue Northwest, Wayne State has met the Pride 21 times since 2018. The Pride holds a slight edge in GLIAC regular-season contests with a 12-8 advantage and also won their only postseason meeting in the 2021 GLIAC tournament fourth round. However, Wayne State snapped a nine-game losing streak against Purdue Northwest with a victory last April.

Wayne State leads the all-time series against Parkside with a narrow margin of 24-21. Both teams have split their last six doubleheaders evenly, with each side claiming one win per matchup.

The Warriors' top hitters include seniors Kiley Lewandowski and Abby Favela, along with junior Rylie Josephson. Freshman Logan Forman leads the team in RBIs, while Sydney Long has been effective as a freshman pitcher despite limited run support.

Purdue Northwest enters Friday's games with a 15-13 record after being swept by Grand Valley State last Sunday. Key players for PNW include freshman shortstop Kylie Dugan and senior pitcher Maddison Roop.

Parkside starts its GLIAC play against Saginaw Valley State on Friday before facing Wayne State. Graduate student Cassie Rutledge leads Parkside's batting lineup, while junior Olivia Masnica heads their pitching staff.

Wayne State will continue its season next Tuesday at Ferris State in a rescheduled twinbill from March 24. They will return to Gary Bryce Field on April 6 for another league doubleheader against Saginaw Valley State.