The Wayne State University baseball team will travel to Hillsdale College for a non-conference matchup on April 14, according to an announcement from the university. The Warriors, who hold a record of 26-8 overall and 10-6 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), are scheduled to face the Chargers at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field.
This meeting is part of a home-and-home series between Wayne State and Hillsdale, with the return game set for April 21 at Harwell Field. Since 1992, Wayne State has played Hillsdale in 79 games, holding a record of 51 wins and 28 losses against their former conference rival. In their most recent encounter on February 18, Wayne State lost by a score of 8-6 but won three out of four games in that neutral site series.
Wayne State recently concluded an eight-game homestand by winning three out of four games against Saginaw Valley State. Strong pitching performances came from starters Gavin Nash, Will Lowery, Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, and Gabe Nazelli. Macio Miller earned his first save of the season during Sunday’s win. Offensively, Owen Tuccinardi hit his seventh home run during Saturday’s doubleheader victory.
Following these results, Wayne State is expected to move up from its current ranking as number twenty-one nationally by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The Warriors also rank third in the Midwest Region behind Grand Valley State and Illinois Springfield; typically only two teams host NCAA Midwest Regional contests each year.
Hillsdale College enters with a record of sixteen wins and nineteen losses overall under head coach Tom Vessella. Key players include sophomore Gaard Swenson—who leads in batting average—and junior Rocco Tenuta—who leads several offensive categories. Pitchers Patrick MacLean and Josh Novak have combined for five saves this season.
The Warriors compete in NCAA Division II within the GLIAC according to the official website. Home games are played in Detroit, Michigan according to the official website, where ‘W the Warrior’ serves as mascot for all athletics teams according to the official website. The program captured its most recent GLIAC Tournament title in 2010 according to the official website.
After facing Hillsdale away, Wayne State will travel to Illinois for additional non-conference matchups before resuming conference play.
