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ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Golden Grizzlies gear up for a jam-packed week, with five games of action planned.
Oakland was last on the diamond last Wednesday, when they nearly pulled off an upset at Michigan, falling 6-5 in a game where they matched the Wolverines with nine hits apiece.
The bats have been on fire for Oakland in their recent stretch of games, tallying five or more runs in five of their last six games, while recording nine or more hits in all of those contests.
Another area where the Golden Grizzlies have been exceptional is in the field, as they boast the fewest errors (26) and the highest fielding percentage (.964) in the Horizon League.
TUESDAY, APR. 6 vs. ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN | 3 PM
The Warriors and Golden Grizzlies will face off for the third time this season, with all three meetings coming on Oakland’s home field.
They last met on Feb. 27, when Oakland outscored RCU 13-2 in a doubleheader. In the first game, Oakland earned a 10-1 win, as Autumn Liebhauser and Kayla Turmell combined for eight RBIs on two home runs.
In the doubleheader finale, Oakland secured a 3-1 win, with Kama Skrek earning her first career victory in the circle, allowing just three hits and striking out six batters.
The Warriors are struggling coming into this week’s matchup, holding an 8-23 record and currently riding a 14-game losing streak.
Their last win came on Mar. 14 against Brevard, where they earned a 9-4 victory at home. RCU has struggled in the circle, allowing six or more runs in every game during their losing streak, and they have surrendered double-digit runs 10 times this season.
Batting .301 as a team and having hit 19 home runs, Oakland will look to take advantage of a favorable matchup against RCU.
WEDNESDAY, APR. 7 at MICHIGAN STATE | 5 PM
Oakland will turn right around and face Michigan State at Secchia Stadium on Wednesday.
The Golden Grizzlies will be searching for their first win in East Lansing since 2022, when they defeated the Spartans 10-5. In last year’s meeting between the in-state foes, Oakland fell 7-5 in a closely contested game, with Brooklyn Wyczalek hitting a three-run home run.
MSU enters the week with a 14-22 record. With a subpar mark at home (1-6) and an 0-13 record on the road, the Spartans have won most of their games at neutral sites.
The Spartans are coming off a 12-6 loss to Illinois. They also recently suffered a 5-4 defeat to Detroit Mercy on Apr. 1 against the Horizon League opponent.
At the plate, MSU is led by Zoie Bernard, who paces the team with a .347 batting average, 1.015 OPS, and 42 hits.
In the circle, the Spartans rely on a pitching-by-committee approach, with Autumn Behlke, Jacey Schuler, and Alex Starr all carrying ERAs near 4.00.
Oakland will look to secure its fifth-ever road win against the Spartans in a matchup primed for a Golden Grizzlies upset bid.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, APR. 10-11 at IU INDY
Oakland returns to Horizon League play with a road series against the Jaguars.
Entering the week, IU Indy (5-28, 2-4 HL) sits last in the conference standings. After losing its most recent series at Detroit Mercy two games to one, the Jaguars have struggled early in conference play.
Last in the conference in ERA (9.40), IU Indy has allowed double-digit runs in 15 games and has been run-ruled 13 times.
Senior Molly Kable leads the Jaguars in batting average (.330), hits (31), home runs (4), and RBIs (18). She is one of three Jaguars hitting above .300.
The Golden Grizzlies have four batters hitting above .300, with two above .400, as Maggie Murphy and Addison Caldwell continue to dominate at the plate.
The series starts on Friday, Apr. 10 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., with the finale on Saturday, Apr. 11 at 1 p.m.