Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's baseball team is set to conclude its 2024 regular season with a four-game series against Purdue Northwest. The Warriors, holding a record of 26-18 overall and 15-11 in the GLIAC, have previously defeated the Pride in all three encounters this season, with scores of 4-0, 9-1, and 6-2.

The series holds significance for Wayne State as they maintain a slim lead over Grand Valley State for second place in the league standings. With tournament seeding at stake, GVSU has secured a head-to-head tiebreaker by winning four out of six games against WSU. Meanwhile, Purdue Northwest sits at the bottom of the standings with an overall record of 17-25 and a conference record of 7-19.

Historically, Wayne State leads the all-time series against Purdue Northwest with a tally of 21 wins to seven losses. Notably, five out of those seven losses occurred in Detroit where Wayne State's record stands at six wins and five losses against PNW.

Purdue Northwest's team performance shows them hitting .248 collectively, placing them last in the conference. Cole Olson leads his team with an average of .299 and has driven in a team-high 28 RBIs. On the pitching front, their team ERA stands at 5.59, ranking third in GLIAC. Key pitchers include Conor Pangburn with an ERA of 3.51 over 33.1 innings pitched.

In terms of NCAA regional rankings released on Wednesday, Wayne State was positioned ninth. The top seven teams will qualify for regional play while only two will host matches.