Friday, May 5th vs. Saginaw Valley State
Allendale, Michigan
Live Stats l Game Notes
Watch ESPN3:  Game one l  Game two

Sunday, May 7th at Saginaw Valley State
Saginaw, Michigan
Live Stats l Game Notes

Fresh off a second straight split series, the Grand Valley State baseball team has not made any progress in the GLIAC baseball standings as of late, and now heads into the final series of the season in need of a strong effort to close out the regular season and solidify their spot in the GLIAC Tournament. The weekend's opponent, Saginaw Valley State, is mired in a far less promising situation, having posted a 17-27 record this season, including an 11-17 conference record. The teams will play a split series, with the first doubleheader to be played at GVSU Baseball Field in Allendale, Michigan on Friday, before the teams play a second doubleheader in Saginaw on Sunday, May 7th. 

Friday's home games will be shown on ESPN3, with play-by-play man Tom Cleary calling all the action for both games of the doubleheader. Fans can follow along with the games via the live stats and watch links above.

The Lakers have posted nearly the opposite record of the Cardinals up to this point, as they are 28-18 overall, and 16-12 in GLIAC play. A series split with second-place Wayne State last weekend followed a split the weekend before against Hillsdale College, and the Lakers are 4-4 over their last eight. The Cardinals are coming off an important split with third-place Walsh, but are 3-7 in their past 10 games and are currently eighth in the conference standings. 

Consistency has been the biggest obstacle for the Lakers this season, as the team has put up some impressive offensive numbers this season but at times have found themselves completely shut down by an opponent. The Warriors posted two shutouts over the Lakers last weekend, and nearly had a third before a late rally by GVSU prolonged the game and turned it into a 6-1 win in extra innings. Despite that, GVSU still ranks third in runs (318), batting average (.318), hits (480), triples (11) and RBI (274), while ranking fourth in home runs (42) and second in doubles (103) among GLIAC schools. 

On the mound, the Cardinals present a welcome matchup for the Laker hitters, as the Cardinals are second to last in the GLIAC with a 7.30 ERA as a team, and have surrendered the third-most runs of any team in conference play. Additionally, the Cardinals are ranked just ninth in strikeouts (276) and have allowed the second highest numbers of walks among GLIAC pitching staffs. No Cardinals pitcher has an ERA below 4.90 this season, and four of the Cardinal starters are true freshmen. 

At the plate, the Cardinals rank sixth in runs (287) and hits (441), fifth in batting average (.310) and home runs (40). 2016 Freshman of the Year Jordan Swiss leads the Cardinals in RBI, with 34, and is third in home runs, with five. Senior Chad Carson has a team-high 60 hits and 40 runs scored, while also driving in 28 runs on 17 doubles and three home runs. Freshman Cole Brooks leads the team in home runs, with seven, and has also driven in 32 runs this season.

The Lakers rank fifth in the GLIAC in ERA at 4.81, but have surrendered the third-least walks and struck out the fourth-most batters among GLIAC schools. Tate Brawley (5-22) and Ryan Arnold (4-2) have both had a solid second half of the season, while Jake Mason and Mitch Ashcraft have both had excellent moments as well, despite sporting somewhat higher ERAs. In relief, Brendan Nearing has been stellar in 10.1 relief innings this season, striking out 19 batters without surrendering a run, while Evan Koning and Troy Dykhuis have each been consistent in relief as well. Closer Matt Williams is having a quieter season in relief than last season, due to the improved Laker offense, but needs jus two more saves to own the Division II career mark, and currently has 38 career saves. Williams has posted 47 strikeouts and walked just nine batters this season in 25 innings pitched.