Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's softball team is gearing up for a critical week as they strive to secure a spot in the GLIAC Tournament. The team, with an overall record of 15-26 and 7-13 in the conference, will play three doubleheaders this week.

The Warriors start their week on Tuesday with a non-conference matchup against Cedarville at Gary L. Bryce Field, beginning at 2:30 p.m. On Wednesday, they face Davenport, another league rival, with the first game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday marks Senior Day with ceremonies starting at 3:10 p.m., followed by a conference doubleheader against Ferris State.

In previous encounters, Wayne State has only faced Cedarville twice, splitting those games in March 2021. Against Davenport, WSU holds a home record of 6-4 since the series began in the 2017-18 season. Earlier this month, both teams won one game each during their meeting in Caledonia.

Key players for Wayne State include junior Rylie Josephson leading with a .400 batting average and senior Abby Favela who has seven stolen bases. The pitching lineup includes senior Alexis Bonk with six wins and sophomore Sasha Buckberger contributing to the team's efforts under head coach Nicole Tines.

Cedarville's Kaley Clark leads her team offensively while Casey Bertke anchors their pitching staff with a 2.03 ERA over 162 innings. For Davenport, Hayley Kreiger leads in batting averages despite an eight-game losing streak.

Wayne State will conclude their regular season on Friday after taking Thursday off before facing Ferris State again.