Eastern Wayne Today

The Wayne State University baseball team, currently holding a 20-21 overall record and 8-7 in the GLIAC, will return to Harwell Field for a four-game series against Davenport University. Davenport, leading the league with a 15-1 GLIAC record and ranked 21st nationally, stands at 30-11 overall. The series is scheduled from Friday through Sunday, with the first pitch on Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday’s game will both begin at 1 p.m.

The series will showcase two accomplished head coaches, Ryan Kelley of Wayne State and Kevin Tidey of Davenport, who together boast 1,011 career wins. Kelley, in his 17th year, has a record of 504-325-1 and was named GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2023. Tidey, in his 14th year, has a 507-244 record and earned the same title in 2021 and 2022.

For Davenport, redshirt senior pitcher Keegan Batka stands out with a 2.48 ERA over 65.1 innings. Batka, with a 7-1 record, boasts a 1.03 WHIP and 72 strikeouts, which are notable contributions to his team's 4.17 ERA. Also contributing to the team’s success are pitchers Austin VanderMarkt, Adam Berghorst, James Geshel, and notable reliever Brandon Skorupski with a 2.40 ERA.

Offensively, Davenport holds a team batting average of .303, with notable contributions from players like Xander Reisbig and Justin Johnson, among others.

Their upcoming opponent, Wayne State, recently came back from a seven-run deficit to defeat Findlay 11-7, thereby winning the season series. Key plays included a three-run inside-the-park home run by Aidan Arbogast and multi-RBI contributions from Drew Hill and Caleb Sanders.

Wayne State will look to carry this momentum into the series against Davenport, with a mix of determined hitting and a solid pitching lineup, including Ethan Getting’s strong relief performances.