The Wayne State University baseball team, ranked 14th nationally, will begin its postseason campaign as the second seed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament. The Warriors, who finished the regular season with a 35-12 record, are set to face fifth-seeded Parkside on Thursday, May 7 at 11 a.m.
The tournament holds significance for Wayne State as the team aims to capture its third GLIAC Tournament Championship and first since the 2023 season. Last year, Wayne State reached the finals but lost to Davenport in an extra-inning game. The Warriors compete in Detroit and play their home games there, according to the official website.
Head coach Ryan Kelley said, “This tournament embraces everything the GLIAC conference represents … toughness, competitiveness and student-athletes striving to be the best. We look forward to the challenge ahead while embracing the opportunity to compete together as one. A sincere thank you to the USPBL and support staff for hosting this year’s tournament. The USPBL is a great league and the GLIAC Tournament will showcase excellent players from our conference who will one day suit up at UWM Field following their NCAA tenure.” Kelley leads Wayne State in his eighteenth season with a career record of 546-344-1.
The upcoming schedule includes matchups between other top seeds: Grand Valley State versus Purdue Northwest and Davenport versus Saginaw Valley State. Team statistics show that Wayne State has a .296 batting average and a pitching earned run average of 4.04 this season.
Wayne State’s men’s baseball program competes at NCAA Division II level within the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; their teams are known as ‘the Warriors’ with ‘W the Warrior’ serving as mascot according to information from the official website. The program previously won GLIAC titles including one in 2010.
Looking ahead, regional rankings indicate that Grand Valley State currently holds first place while Wayne State sits second among teams vying for postseason advancement.
