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Grand Valley State enters the 2016 GLIAC Softball Tournament with the longest winning streak in the conference and the #2 seed, earning an opening round game against the tournament's host school. The Lakers will match up with seventh-seeded Findlay at noon on Friday (Apr. 29), as the Oilers will play on their home field in Findlay, Ohio.
 
The tournament is being held at two fields at the Marathon Diamonds Complex in Findlay for the fifth consecutive season; this will be the third time in the last four years that GVSU and Findlay have met in the tournament. Grand Valley State won 3-0 in the 2013 opening round game and topped the Oilers 8-4 in the second game of the 2014 tourney. Overall, the Lakers are 4-1 against Findlay in GLIAC Tournament play.
 
Heading into Friday's contest, Grand Valley State is 36-8 overall and the Lakers clinched the #2 seed in the tournament with a 21-5 GLIAC record. GVSU actually won the same number of games as top-seed Wayne State, but the regular season champion Warriors finished with a 21-3 mark.
 
The Lakers have won 13 consecutive games - including six straight GLIAC doubleheader sweeps - ironically with their last loss coming to Findlay back on Apr. 14 in Allendale. GVSU dropped the opener to the Oilers in a 2-1 pitcher's duel before bouncing back to win the nightcap 5-3 and begin the season-long 13-game winning streak.
 
Despite having lost four straight games and going 3-7 in its last 10 games, Findlay is 29-19 overall and the Oilers went 15-11 in conference play. UF scored just three total runs in four losses to Hillsdale and Ferris State on the final weekend of the season. GVSU and Findlay's doubleheader split in mid-April was the only meeting of the year between the two schools.
 
After splitting with the Oilers on Apr. 14, the Lakers swept Ohio Dominican and Tiffin on the road, then returned to Allendale to sweep Lake Superior State, Malone, Walsh, and Hillsdale, earning the runner-up finish in the regular season.
 
Grand Valley State had won five consecutive opening round GLIAC Tournament games before falling to Walsh (2-1) in last season's opening game. The Lakers went 1-2 last season, following the defeat to Walsh by topping Tiffin 4-3 in eight innings. GVSU was eliminated with a 3-1 loss to Ashland on the second day of the tournament.
 
Here is the schedule for the opening round of games on Friday (Apr. 29):
 
#1 Wayne State (42-7, 21-3 GLIAC) vs. #8 Tiffin (27-17-1, 12-10-1 GLIAC) - 10:00 a.m.
 
#4 Ferris State (34-16, 19-7 GLIAC) vs. #5 Ashland (25-21-1, 15-10-1 GLIAC) - 10:00 a.m.
 
#3 Hillsdale (26-10, 19-7 GLIAC) vs. #6 Saginaw Valley State (31-15, 15-11 GLIAC) - 12:00 p.m.
 
#2 Grand Valley State (36-8, 21-5 GLIAC) vs. #7 Findlay (29-19, 15-11 GLIAC) - 12:00 p.m.
 
The winning and losing teams of both sets of games will play each other in the next rounds on Friday, meaning Grand Valley State will face either #3 Hillsdale or #6 Saginaw Valley State in its second game of the afternoon. That game will take place at either 2:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. The rest of the double elimination tournament will play out on Saturday or Sunday, with the championship game and the 'if necessary' game being scheduled for Sunday (May 1).
 
Grand Valley State has competed in all 30 GLIAC Softball Tournaments that have been played (both the 2004 and 2010 tournaments were cancelled due to inclement weather) and the Lakers own a 71-57 all-time record in the league tourney. Either of GVSU's opponents in Friday's second game will be a relatively new foe in tournament play; the Lakers have not faced Saginaw Valley State in the GLIAC Tournament since 2006, while GVSU and Hillsdale haven't met since the 2000 tournament.
 
The last time Grand Valley State captured the GLIAC Tournament title was in 2006 and the Lakers took a strange path to winning the tournament. After falling to Ashland (2-1) in the opening game, GVSU rattled off six consecutive victories in two days. The Lakers topped Saginaw Valley State (4-3) and Northwood (7-0) on May 5, 2006 after losing to Ashland earlier in the day.
 
Continuing its run on May 6, Grand Valley State earned revenge by beating Ashland (6-1) and taking down Gannon (4-1) to reach the tournament championship game. The Lakers needed to beat Wayne State twice and they did; GVSU won 5-3 in eight innings and 4-3 to capture the 2006 GLIAC Tournament title. All four of those victories came on May 6, as the Lakers won six straight games to become league tournament champions.
 
The 2016 Lakers have tossed 11 shutouts (second-most in the league) and own a team earned run average of 2.09, third-best in the GLIAC. Grand Valley State ranks fifth in the conference in batting average (.300) and on-base percentage (.359), but bump up to third in slugging percentage (.431). The Lakers have totaled 102 extra-base hits, third-most in the conference.
 
Findlay is tied with GVSU with 11 pitching shutouts and rank just behind the Lakers with a 2.19 ERA, fifth-best in the league. However, the Oilers rank 12th in the GLIAC in batting average (.261) and seventh in runs scored (192), despite having the second-most doubles (70) in the GLIAC.