Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University's softball team is set to begin the second half of its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) schedule with upcoming games against Parkside and Purdue Northwest. The Warriors, currently holding a 14-19 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the GLIAC, will face Parkside on Saturday at 1 pm ET and Purdue Northwest on Sunday at the same time.

The series history between Wayne State and Parkside dates back to 1992, with Wayne State leading the all-time series 26-21. The Warriors have also maintained a slight edge in GLIAC regular-season contests since Parkside joined the conference in 2019. In their last encounter in March, Wayne State swept Parkside in two high-scoring games held in Detroit.

Against Purdue Northwest, Wayne State has faced more challenges historically, trailing with a 9-14 record in their all-time meetings. Their last match-up saw each team securing one win apiece.

Leading Wayne State's efforts this season is junior Rylie Josephson from West Bloomfield, Michigan. She boasts an impressive .561 batting average through league play. Freshman Logan Forman from Brantford, Ontario contributes significantly with a .394 batting average and nine RBIs. Graduate student Becky Hodder from Orangeville, Ontario leads her team with eight walks and six sacrifice bunts.

Parkside enters this weekend's game after breaking an eight-game losing streak by going 2-2 in their last four outings. Cassie Rutledge leads their offense with a .383 batting average while Olivia Masnica heads their pitching staff with a record of 4-4.

Purdue Northwest comes into the doubleheader against Saginaw Valley following a three-game winning streak that was halted by Parkside earlier this week. Freshman Kylie Dugan stands out for PNW with her .496 batting average.

Following these matches, Wayne State will host Ohio Dominican for an in-region non-conference doubleheader before continuing its road schedule against Saginaw Valley and Grand Valley State later this month.