ALLENDALE—The Grand Valley State softball team has a loaded weekend ahead, hosting Davenport for Senior Day at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader, then heading to Detroit to take on Wayne State on Sunday for a 1 pm. doubleheader.
 
The Lakers are a combined 4-0 against the Panthers and Warriors this season. GVSU comes into the weekend riding a 15-game winning streak after beating Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday, 7-0.
 
GVSU will honor seven players graduating before the games on Saturday and will honor its senior class between games as well with a ceremony.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Gabby Palazzolo leads the way for Davenport in the batter's box. She is hitting .388 this season and is a threat on the base paths with a team-leading 10 stolen bases. Hayley Krieger provides power to the Panthers' lineup, hitting five home runs and driving in 27 runs.
 
Emma Miller and Kelsey Byers lead the pitching staff. Miller has a team-best 4.61 ERA and Byers has a team-high 75 strikeouts.
 
Davenport is on a five-game skid and was swept in its two most recent doubleheaders against Ferris State and Saginaw Valley State.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Becky Hodder leads the Warriors in batting average, hitting .408 on the season. She also leads Wayne State with 24 RBI and six stolen bases. Taryn Peru leads Wayne State in home runs with five home runs on the season.
 
Hayden Batton leads the way in the circle for Wayne State. She leads the team with a 3.38 ERA. Sasha Buckberger has also thrown over 70 innings for Wayne State, holding a 4.71 ERA on the season and leading the Warriors with 55 strikeouts.
 
Wayne State is 2-2 since their trip to Allendale on April 12. The Warriors split a doubleheader with Purdue Northwest on Tuesday. Wayne State also split last weekend with Parkside. 
 
The Warriors are 15-23 with a 4-12 record in GLIAC play. They will take on Saginaw Valley State on Saturday before facing GVSU on Sunday.
 
GLIAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK… AGAIN
Hannah Beatus was named the GLIAC Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.
 
The Illinois native claimed her fifth GLIAC Pitcher of the Week award of the season.
 
Beatus tossed a combined 15 innings last week and won all three of her starts. She totaled 15 strikeouts, growing her conference leading season total to 100 strikeouts. Beatus did not allow a run in her three starts.
 
To begin the week, Beatus tossed a five-inning complete game shutout against Northwood on Tuesday as the Lakers won via run-rule, 8-0, in five innings. She allowed three hits and struck out three batters against the Timberwolves.
 
She then tossed a five-inning complete game shutout against Wayne State on Wednesday, leading the Lakers to an, 8-0, run-rule victory in five innings. Beatus gave up just one Warrior hit and struck out five batters.
 
To cap off the week, she was dominant again beating Ferris State with a five-inning complete game shutout in GVSU's, 10-0, run-rule win against the Bulldogs. She allowed just three hits and struck out seven Bulldogs in her 15th victory of the season.
 
Beatus is the nation's leader in ERA with a 0.46 mark on the season. She is also third in the country, allowing 0.68 walks/hits per inning pitched (WHIP).
 
TOP-10 LAKERS
GVSU is one of the best teams in the nation when you look at a few major statistical categories.
 
The Lakers rank eighth in the country in batting average, hitting .355 on the season. The pitching staff is fourth in the country in ERA with a mark of 1.44. The Lakers are also ninth in the country with a 1.01 WHIP this season. In the field, GVSU is third in the nation with a .979 fielding percentage.
 
GVSU has also remained steady in the NFCA Coaches Poll, headed into the season 10th and have stayed in the top 10 all season. The Lakers have come in ranked seventh in the past six polls.