ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies enter their final week of the regular season, traveling to Bowling Green for a midweek matchup before hosting Youngstown State in the season finale this weekend.

Oakland suffered just its second series loss in conference play this past weekend, falling two games to one at Green Bay. Despite the series loss, the Golden Grizzlies secured a 10-7 win in the finale, anchored by a 3-for-5 performance from Brooklyn Plitz and a 2-for-5 game with a grand slam by Addison Caldwell. The win clinched Oakland a spot in the postseason, marking a strong bounce back from 2025, when the team missed the Horizon League Championship for the first time since 2016.

TUESDAY, APR. 28 at BOWLING GREEN STATE | 2 & 4 PM ET

The Golden Grizzlies and Falcons face off for the first time since 2022, when Oakland earned an early-season 6-0 win.

BGSU (18-26, 6-17 MAC) enters the doubleheader having lost five of its last six games and has not won a series since defeating Charleston Southern on March 6-7.
The Falcons have struggled at the plate, batting just .261 as a team, compared to Oakland's .315 average. BGSU is led offensively by Addie Martin, who is batting .300 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, and 32 RBIs.

Where BGSU thrives is in the circle, posting a team ERA of 4.16. The Falcons are led by ace Mackenzie Krafcik, whose 2.97 ERA ranks third in the MAC. She also leads the team with three shutouts and 51 strikeouts.

The Falcons have struggled at home, holding a 4-10 record. They have fared slightly better on the road, going 7-12 away from Meserve Field.

In a matchup between two teams with deep and talented pitching staffs, this doubleheader is expected to be a defensive battle.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 1-2 vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE | ESPN+

The Golden Grizzlies will close out their regular season with a clash of titans in a Horizon League matchup against the Penguins.

Both teams have had major bounce-back seasons from 2025, rising from the bottom to the top of the conference standings. The Penguins (29-17, 12-3 HL) enter the week in first place.

YSU is fresh off a series win over IU Indy and has posted a strong 7-2 road record, setting up a matchup with an Oakland team that is 16-2 at home this season.

Kennedy Kimball is one of the top pitchers in the conference for the Penguins, holding the third-lowest ERA (3.61) in the Horizon League, behind Oakland's Kama Skrek and Kenna Bommarito.

Kimball is holding opposing batters to a .236 average while leading the conference in innings pitched (139.2). She also has an impressive 17 wins on the season.

The Penguins are batting .336 as a team, led by catcher Kennedy Dean, who is hitting .367 with 51 hits, 13 doubles, 12 home runs, and 65 RBIs, all of which lead the team.
Oakland and YSU will face off in a single game on Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.