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After starting the season with 24 consecutive games outside of Allendale, the Grand Valley State softball team will play its first home games of the season on Sunday afternoon (Apr. 3). GVSU welcomes in West Michigan rival Ferris State for an important GLIAC twinbill, with first pitch in game one scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
The Lakers' 2016 campaign began back on Feb. 26 indoors in Rosemont, Ill. and GVSU followed with a dozen games in warmer outdoor weather in Clermont, Fla. Grand Valley State proceeded to play four doubleheaders in a one-week span in between a pair of non-conference cancellations, leading to the home opener against the Bulldogs on Sunday.
 
At 18-6 overall, the Lakers are 3-3 in GLIAC play. Ferris State is 21-9 on the year and one of two conference teams that are 6-0 in league action. This is the only regular season meeting for the two West Michigan rivals.
 
GVSU faced the only other undefeated GLIAC team on Tuesday (Mar. 29) in Detroit, as #18 Wayne State prevailed with a pair of victories over the Lakers. Behind a pair of outstanding pitching performances from two-time GLIAC Pitcher of the Year Lyndsay Butler, the Warriors topped GVSU twice 4-0 and 8-1.
 
The Lakers were scheduled to travel to South Euclid, Ohio on Thursday (Mar. 31) for a non-league doubleheader against Notre Dame College, but those games were washed away due to the weather. It was Grand Valley State's second cancellation this season, as the original home opener slated for Mar. 16 against Aquinas was also cancelled.
 
Over the next month, GVSU will have an opportunity to get comfortable on its home field. The Lakers have 10 remaining doubleheaders - all against GLIAC opponents - and seven of those will be played in Allendale.
 
After Sunday's twinbill with FSU, the Lakers will host Northwood, Findlay, and Hillsdale in a five-day span next weekend. Grand Valley State will also close the regular season with three consecutive home contests against Lake Superior State, Malone, and Walsh from Apr. 19-23.
 
Offensively, Grand Valley State ranks in the upper half of the conference in most categories, including the fourth-most doubles (39) and extra-base hits (55), while placing fifth in runs (116), homers (10), RBI (104), and total bases (274). The Lakers' team batting average of .281 is ninth in the league.
 
In the circle, GVSU's team earned run average of 2.34 is fifth-best. Second-year head coach Dana Callihan has been able to spread out the innings for her pitchers pretty evenly in the season's opening six weeks. Senior Sara Andrasik leads the way with 49.0 innings pitched and a 6-2 record, while freshman Allison Lipovsky is close behind with 48.0 innings and a 6-0 mark. Sophomore Courtney Reinhold is 4-2 and has hurled 39.1 innings, while junior Ellie Balbach is 2-2 and has logged 34.1 innings. Andrasik, Lipovsky, and Balbach have all seen time in relief, as each player has a save this season.
 
In addition to her pitching duties, Balbach has been the Lakers' best hitter in the opening 24 games. She is connecting at a .372 clip with 10 doubles, three homers, 24 RBI, and a .593 slugging percentage, all of which are team-highs. Her 10 doubles are first in the GLIAC, while her 34 ribbies is sixth-highest.
 
Like Balbach, sophomore Kaylie Rhynard has started all 24 games and is hitting .363 while scoring a team-high 17 runs. She has a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases, the sixth-best mark in the league. Juniors Kelsey Dominguez and Jenna Lenza have also started in every game - as have corner infielders McKenze Supernaw and Shannon Flaherty - and both players are hitting above .300. Lenza has scored 16 runs and walked a GLIAC-high 18 times already this season.
 
Flaherty, a freshman third baseman is second on the team with 18 RBI, while Supernaw, the senior first baseman, has tallied 14 ribbies and smacked two homers.
 
Ferris State is the GLIAC leader with 19 homers, 47 doubles, and 85 walks, while ranking second in the league in runs, hits, RBI, extra base hits, and total bases. The Bulldogs' team average of .301 is fourth-best, while the .450 slugging percentage is the second-highest in the conference.
 
Eight FSU players have already homered this season, led by junior Casey Bias and sophomore Alexx Astorga with four roundtrippers apiece. Astorga has totaled 25 RBI and is one walk behind Lenza's league-leading total of 18 free passes. Junior Bailey Darwin has 22 RBI and leads the team with a .405 average; Astorga is hitting .400 on the year.
 
Senior Stacy Thompson is 7-3 in the circle with 56.0 innings pitched, while classmate Megan Vanderwal is a perfect 5-0. The Bulldogs have won all six of their GLIAC games, winning road sweeps at Lake Erie, Ashland, and Saginaw Valley State. FSU outscored those conference opponents by a combined score of 39-16.

After the twinbill with Ferris State, GVSU will stay at home for a GLIAC doubleheader against Northwood on Wednesday (Apr. 6). First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.