The Grand Valley State baseball team is headed to the NCAA tournament.
The Lakers (30-23) defeated Saginaw Valley State 5-3 on Sunday to win the GLIAC title and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament.
The Lakers have the sixth seed and will play third-seeded Maryville (Mo.) on Thursday in the first round. GVSU enters the tournament on an eight-game wins treak.
The win is the first GLIAC title for the Lakers since 2014 and the 21st title in program history.
The GVSU offense got rolling early as the first four hitters singled. Second baseman Ayden VanEnkevort singled to right, centerfielder Kyle Nott singled to center, left fielder Ryan Dykstra provided an RBI single to right and designated hitter Jonas Gulbrandsen singled home Nott. Catcher Brendan Guciardo moved up Dykstra and Gulbrandsen up on a ground out and right fielder Nate Logan pushed across Dykstra on a fielder's choice. Shortstop Connor Schuman singled to center to score Gulbrandsen and GVSU led 4-0 after the top half of the first inning.
The Lakers up their lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth when VanEnkevort reached on an error and Nott executed a perfect drag bunt for a single. Gulbrandsen walked to load the bases and Guciardo came through with a sac fly to left to score VanEnkevort.
Saginaw Valley State scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and one in the bottom of the ninth. Junior relief pitcher Will Goebel came in after a leadoff walk and got two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Following a double off the wall to left center the Lakers executed a perfect relay from Nott to Schuman to Guciardo that was the first out of the inning to prevent a run. A lineout to left was the second out and leading 5-3 with the bases loaded, senior relief pitcher Logan Wynalda, entered the game to face GLIAC Player of the Year, Hayden Jatczak. Wynalda induced a ground out to Jake Rydquist at 3B and the celebration began.
Starting pitcher Mike Riley was sensational en route to picking up the win on the mound, yielding two runs on five hits, getting 14 ground outs and seven flyouts in 8.0 innings. Goebel was able to get two outs and Wynalda picked up his first save of the year in getting the final out.
Nott was 2-5 with a run scored, while Schuman was 2-5 with an RBI. Dykstra was 1-4 with an RBI and run scored and Gulbrandsen was 1-3 with an RBI and run scored. Guciardo and Logan each recorded an RBI and Logan Anderson recorded a hit.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
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