vs. Lake Erie Storm (8-23, 2-16 GLIAC)
Friday - 1:00 P.M
Live Stats l Game Notes 
Saturday - 1:00 P.M
Live Stats l Game Notes

Fresh off a mid week sweep of GLIAC foe Ashland, the Grand Valley State baseball team (19-13, 7-7 GLIAC) faces a very quick turnaround with a pair of road doubleheaders in Painesville, Ohio against Lake Erie College. The Storm are 8-23 on the season and just 2-16 in GLIAC play, having dropped six straight decisions and winning just one game in their last ten contests. The teams will play a Friday afternoon doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday afternoon doubleheader that is likely to begin at 1: p.m., depending on the local weather. 

Grand Valley State took full advantage of a struggling Ashland team on Wednesday, taking both games of the doubleheader with the Eagles rather handily. The Lakers were clean in the field, committing just one error on the day, and were sharp on the mound, walking just one batter and allowing six runs in the doubleheader. At the plate, the Lakers feasted on Ashland pitching, amassing 26 hits on the day and scoring 22 runs. Six Lakers had three or more hits on the day, and a squad that has vastly improved hitting with power at the plate notched eight extra-base hits (six doubles, two home runs) on the day. 

After a rough weekend series against Ohio Dominican in which the ball was flying all over the field for both sides, the Laker pitching staff needed to right the ship against a stuggling offense in Ashland, and the Lakers went above and beyond, holding the Eagles to a .217 average, 40 points below their season average. Juniors Tate Brawley and Noah Lamboley both hurled strong games on the mound to earn wins, with Brawley going the distance in the first game and allowing just two runs while striking out six batters. Lamboley was coasting in the nightcap until the seventh frame, when Ashland drove two home runs over the right field fence to spoil his gem. Nonetheless, the Laker bullpen hurled three strong innings in relief of Lamboley to preserve the win. 

Now the Lakers face the Storm, who remain mired in the bottom of the conference standings thanks to the GLIAC's second lowest scoring offense, and the highest team ERA. Issues on both sides of the ball have plagued the Storm this season, and a 2-8 record at Braggs Field this season does not work in their favor against the Lakers. Lake Erie's biggest problem is on the mound, where the team sports an earned run average of nearly eight (7.97) overall, and an average north of eight in conference games (8.87). 

At the plate, the Storm have some bright spots but have compiled just a .275 average as a team, the third lowest in the GLIAC. Junior infielder Wes Birchmeier had shown some pop, posting a .362 average with 38 hits (13 doubles) and five home runs, driving in a team high 28 runs. Freshman Samuel Browning has split time between pitching and playing the field to compile a .295 average with 33 hits (five home runs) and 21 RBI. Aside from the pair, just one other member of the Storm has driven in double digit runs, althought a few have eclipsed the 20-hit mark on the campaign.