It’s that time of year for postseason softball. In the regular season, we saw a tight race that came down to the final two games to sort the top four seeds entering this year’s tournament. Looking at this year’s bracket, there’s no question that this tournament might be as entertaining as any of the previous tournaments since 2020. Here’s a look at the round-by-round bracket matchups:

 

Day 1 -- Thursday, May 2 

Game 1                11 A.M. CT / 12 P.M. ET              No. 4 Ferris State vs. No. 5 Wayne State

Game 2                1:30 P.M. CT / 2:30 P.M. ET     No. 3 Purdue Northwest vs. No. 6 Parkside

Game 3                4 P.M. CT / 5 P.M. ET    Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (loser eliminated)

 

Day 2 -- Friday, May 3

Game 4                11 A.M. CT / 12 P.M. ET              No. 1 Grand Valley State vs. Winner Game 1

Game 5                1:30 P.M. CT / 2:30 P.M ET       No. 2 Saginaw Valley State vs. Winner Game 2

Game 6                4 P.M. CT / 5 P.M. ET    Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5 (loser eliminated)

 

Day 3 -- Saturday, May 4 

Game 7                11 A.M. CT / 12 P.M. ET              Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Game 8                1:30 P.M. CT / 2:30 P.M. ET     Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 6 (loser eliminated) 

Game 9                4 P.M. CT / 5 P.M. ET    Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 (loser eliminated)

 

Day 4 -- Sunday, May 5

Game 10             11 A.M. CT / 12 P.M. ET              Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9 

Game 11             1:30 P.M. CT / 2:30 P.M. ET     Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9 (if necessary)

 

With some intriguing matchups in the opening rounds, here’s a breakdown of the teams based on their regular season:

 

No. 1 Grand Valley State

The Lakers were the preseason favorite to notch the top spot, but it wasn’t by much. Edging out Saginaw Valley State by one vote overall and one first place vote, Grand Valley finished the regular season with a 33-14 record. There 16 conference wins were their lowest since 2016, but the Lakers have certainly proven themselves as a regional contender. Behind an elite pitching staff of Platek, Ingram, Eggart and Swierkos, Grand Valley owns the league’s best E.R.A. with an astounding 1.86 mark. The Lakers also play great defensively as the best fielding team in the conference and have two great bats in Hannah Hollister and Kelsey Komorous. Grand Valley have struggled on the road this year, but It’s fair to say the Lakers will be the favorite to take home the trophy in revenge of last year’s early exit.

 

No. 2 Saginaw Valley State 

Sharing the regular season crown this season with the Lakers, the Cardinals under GLIAC Coach of the Year Ryan Schalk are peaking at the right time. They have won five of their last six games entering the trip to Rosemont, Ill. his weekend. Saginaw Valley led the league in offense with a .302 batting average, .373 on-base percentage, and a .444 slugging percentage. Combine that with GLIAC pitcher of the year Emily DePew: this team is a dangerous number two seed. If they can avoid extra-inning games and an early trip to the bullpen, the Cardinals can certainly run it back from last year’s title run.

 

No. 3 Purdue Northwest

The Pride finished one game behind both team from the Valley, but they have certainly put the league on notice since their 2022 breakout season. The bats have been a big source of their success this season, as they roster both the top individual in batting average with Kylie Dugan and the regular season home run champion in Selena Michko. Northwest only rolls with two pitchers in Gabby Paliska and Maddison Roop to start on the mound, but both have had top-tier seasons in 2024. As one of the most momentous teams in the league, they are a team that loves stringing extra base hits; however, they can also get cold and don’t prefer stealing many bases to make up for it. 

 

No. 4 Ferris State

The hometown Bulldogs have continued to improve in year two under head coach Jake Schumann. As a team that was at one point in the running for the top seed, Ferris has taken down every team in the league. The reason for falling to the fourth spot: they have also lost to every team in the league. Consistency is the worry with the group but there is a lot of upsides entering the tournament. Top ace Aryn Gallacher has pitched with inspiration in her final season with a 1.16 WHIP, GLIAC Freshman of the Year Alexis Kozlowski has 47 RBI’s batting clean up this year, and middle infield duo Jadyn Joseph and Emma Gillard are two of the top base stealers in the league with a combined 35 successful attempts in 37 tries. While the team holds a low amount of experience, the Bulldogs have shown they can play small ball and make some big plays with a group of mostly first- and second-year players. 

 

No. 5 Wayne State

While the Warriors finished with nine losses in their last 12 games, Wayne State enters tournament play with some optimism. Rylie Josephson, Abby Favela, Shelby Miller, and Kiley Lewandowski have provided a sturdy offensive core four with a combined .346 average. Wayne doesn’t have the speed as other teams in the conference, but they rely on fundamental hitting, a good defense, and pitchers that can sit down batters on strikes. The team out of Detroit will have their hands full with top seeds, but making the tournament this year might provide the spark they need to exit this slump. 

 

No. 6 Wisconsin-Parkside

As the last team in the tourney, the Rangers enter the tournament as the Cinderella hopeful. Parkside loves to play in high scoring affair, especially as a team to score and give up a lot of runs. While their lineup and rotation aren’t as deep as other teams, the Rangers do have the player of the year in Mia Johnson and fellow first team honoree behind the dish in Megan Medlin. Coach Ortman has the Rangers in their highest conference finish during her tenure in the regular season. While Parkside may not look like a threat on the stat sheets, this group made the GLIAC tournament title game in 2023 and upset top-seed Grand Valley State twice. 

 

For more tournament information, visit https://www.gliac.org/tournaments/sball/2023-24/index.