Grand Valley State softball has a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title to defend and is looking to get back to the final round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship, too. 

The Lakers’ opponents in GLIAC play this week, Davenport and Saginaw Valley State, have their own goals they’re each trying to reach in the meantime.

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Last year’s national runner-up to North Georgia, GVSU can boost its start in conference play this season to as strong as 7-1 by sweeping the Panthers and the Cardinals this weekend.

First up, Davenport (10-14, 2-0) visits Allendale for a Saturday doubleheader (at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern), before SVSU (16-11, 3-1) follows with more of the same Sunday. All games will be streamed live, and exclusively, on FloSoftball.

Grand Valley State (20-7 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) is one of the gold standards of success in Division II softball over the past decade-plus, including five trips to the final round of the Division II Softball Championship since 2013. 

Now the No. 9-ranked team in the country according to the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, Grand Valley State definitely has a chance to once again be among the eight teams that will head to Longwood, Florida, to compete for the 2024 national championship from May 19-25.

The Lakers opened conference play this year with road doubleheaders against Purdue Northwest and arch-rival Ferris State. GVSU defeated Purdue Northwest 11-5 and 4-0 and then left Big Rapids, Michigan, following a split with Ferris State. Both games against the Bulldogs ended 2-1.

Davenport comes into this weekend as the only unbeaten team in GLIAC play after sweeping Ferris State last Saturday, whereas SVSU won the GLIAC Tournament and made the Midwest Regional final last season, parlaying that into a solid start against GLIAC competition this time around.

After this weekend, Saginaw Valley State will get right back to work in the GLIAC, as the Cardinals are scheduled to play Purdue Northwest in a doubleheader Monday, followed by Grand Valley State and Davenport doing the same in two-fers against Wayne State and, ironically, SVSU, respectively, Wednesday.

Grand Valley State Softball Scores

• March 7: GVSU 9, Missouri-St. Louis 1
• March 7: GVSU 9, Saint Rose 0
• March 8: GVSU 8, California (Pennsylvania) 0
• March 8: Missouri-St. Louis 4, GVSU 3
• March 9: Minnesota Duluth 7, GVSU 4 
• March 9: GVSU 7, Indiana (Pennsylvania) 0 (4 innings)
• March 24: GVSU 11, Purdue Northwest 5
• March 24: GVSU 4, Purdue Northwest 0
• March 27: GVSU 8, Lewis 5
• March 27: Lewis 2, GVSU 1
• March 29: Ferris State 2, GVSU 1
• March 29: GVSU 2, Ferris State 1

Davenport Softball Scores

• March 7: Davenport 11, Walsh 1 (5 innings)
• March 7: Davenport 5, Walsh 2
• March 8: Davenport 11, Mercy 6
• March 8: Nova Southeastern 3, Davenport 2
• March 9: Cedarville 2, Davenport 1
• March 9: Holy Family 6, Davenport 2
• March 30: Davenport 12, Ferris State 5
• March 30: Davenport 9, Ferris State 4

Saginaw Valley State Softball Scores

• March 8: SVSU 8, Franklin Pierce 2
• March 9: Barry 4, SVSU 2
• March 9: Nova Southeastern 4, SVSU 2
• March 16: SVSU 6, Findlay 0
• March 16: Findlay 8, SVSU 4
• March 17: Tiffin 4, SVSU 3
• March 17: SVSU 9, Tiffin 2
• March 18: SVSU 5, Ohio Dominican 3
• March 18: Ohio Dominican 6, SVSU 2
• March 25: SVSU 6, Ferris State 3
• March 25: Ferris State 1, SVSU 0
• March 29: SVSU 9, Parkside 0
• March 29: SVSU 8, Parkside 2

How To Watch Grand Valley State Softball Vs. Davenport And Saginaw Valley State Softball 2024

Watch the Grand Valley State Lakers softball play against the Davenport Panthers and the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on FloSoftball and the FloSports app.

FloSoftball will be streaming GLIAC softball all season.

Player To Watch

Hannah Hollister, OF, Grand Valley State

Hannah Hollister etched her name in Grand Valley State softball lore when she scored the winning run in the national semifinal of last year’s NCAA Division II Softball Championship against Central Oklahoma – sending the Lakers to the championship series – and she’s back to build onto her legacy in her senior season, which has gotten off to a terrific start. 

GVSU’s leading hitter (as of this writing Wednesday evening) with a .405 batting average to rank fifth in the GLIAC, Hollister is the most dangerous leadoff option in the league, not only due to her efficiency at the plate but also due to her blistering speed.

Hollister has more than twice as many stolen bases (25) as anyone in the GLIAC, and she hasn’t been caught once this season.

On pace for a career year in just about every major statistical category on offense, the three-time All-GLIAC nominee looks bound to return to the all-conference first team for the first time since her freshman season, and if GVSU makes another deep postseason run with her leading the charge, some All-America and/or other major honors may come her way in the near future, too.

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