Wednesday, April 17
East Lansing, Mich.
6:35 PM ET
Michigan State University
vs
Eastern Michigan
Photo by: Dale G. Young
Michigan State Hosts Eastern Michigan Wednesday In Coaching Reunion
4/16/2019 4:31:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans take on Eagles Wednesday night to open nine-game homestand.
| MICHIGAN STATE (8-25, 0-8 B1G) vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN (8-27-1, 3-9 MAC)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â |Â Â TICKETS | |
| Location | McLANE STADIUM at KOBS FIELD || East Lansing, Mich. |
| Weather | Wed. - Hi / Low: 58°/ 52°  |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Eastern Michigan |
| Social Media |   @statebaseball |    MichiganStateBaseball |    @statebaseballgogreen  |
| Game 1Â Â | Wednesday, April 17 - 6:35 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: TBA vs. EMU: TBA |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live |
Leading Off...
• Michigan State hosts in-state foe Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, April 17 in a coaching reunion to open a nine-game homestand ... Wednesday's showdown between the Spartans and Eagles, which is chock-full of coaching connections, is slated for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch under the lights at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field ... The in-state battle between MSU and EMU is the first of a nine-game homestand at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field for the Spartans ... Note: any schedule updates will be posted on MSUSpartans.com and on twitter @statebaseball.
• Wednesday's Spartans-Eagles battle is chock-full of coaching connections, including both teams' head coaches Jake Boss Jr. and Eric Roof, and pitching coaches, Mark Van Ameyde and A.J. Achter, as well as EMU assistant coach Jonathan Roof ... The Roof brothers were both players and coaches at Michigan State, while Achter was a Spartan player.
Boss was the head coach at EMU for one season in 2008, before becoming head coach at MSU in 2009 ... Van Ameyde left MSU after six years as an assistant (2009-14) to become head coach at EMU from 2014-17, before returning to MSU in 2018 ... The elder and head coach Roof was a three-year letterwinner at Michigan State (2007-09) and volunteer assistant under Coach Boss at MSU for two seasons (2013-14) ... The younger Roof was a three-year letterwinner at MSU (2008-10) and was student assistant coach for two seasons (2016-17) ... Achter was also a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans (2008-10), and was teammates with Jonathan Roof under Coach Boss ... Achter went on to have a three-year career in Major League Baseball as part of eight years in professional baseball ... Wednesday's coaching connection is one shy of what it started the season as after former Spartan volunteer assistant coach Jordan Keur left MSU to become head coach at Lansing Community College in late February ... Keur was also an assistant at Eastern Michigan for the 2015 season under Van Ameyde after playing for him at Michigan State (2010-13).Â
• Fans can follow this week's MSU action through "Live Stats," "Listen Live" and "Watch Live" links found at MSUSpartans.com ... Wednesday's in-state showdown between MSU and EMU will be video streamed on BTN2Go, and also carried on the Spartan Sports Network live audio stream, available exclusively at SpartanSportsNetwork.com and on the network's 24/7 app for mobile devices ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action alongside former MSU manager/bullpen catcher David Greenberg in select games.
• Wednesday night is the Spartans' second-ever home night game played at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, after MSU's lights project was completed in early March, playing the inaugural home night game on April 5.
• Michigan State baseball celebrated the first-ever night baseball game at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field in grand fashion with a suicide squeeze bunt 1-0 walk-off win over Indiana State in 10 innings ... Senior catcher Nic Lacayo perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt to drive in fellow senior, infielder Royce Ando with the winning run, sparking off a jubilant celebration as the Spartans stormed the field and dogpiled on the infield, and the newly installed lights flickered in celebration ... The MSU lights project was completed in early March and Friday was the Spartans' first game played under the lights in 135 years of Michigan State baseball, and MSU made it a memorable one with the thrilling victory.
• MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. has now been involved in all three Division I schools in the state of Michigan first night games, as he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan for their first night game in 2000 and an assistant at Michigan for their first night game in 2005, and now Friday night as head coach of Michigan State. With the April 5 victory for MSU over Indiana State, Boss is now 3-0 in those first night games at a Michigan school.
• The Spartans are tangling with the Eagles for the 160th all-time meeting, with Michigan State holding a 97-61-1 all-time record against Eastern Michigan ... Both of last season's two scheduled meetings were cancelled due to inclement weather, scheduled to play in East Lansing on April 4 and at Comerica Park in Detroit on April 24 ... MSU and EMU have split their annual meetings for the last three seasons that they have played ... Under head coach Jake Boss Jr., the Spartans are 13-6 against the Eagles, including winning seven of the last 10 ... Under Boss, MSU is 6-4 against EMU in games in East Lansing, as part of 55-32-1 all-time at home.
• Michigan State has 19 players on its 2019 roster from the state of Michigan, while Eastern Michigan has 17 players from the Great Lakes State on its roster.Â
• In the last 15 games, the Spartan bullpen has 59 Ks (3.9 pg) in 55.1 IP, with a paltry .202 batting average against and a 2.77 ERA ... The MSU relievers have combined to not allow an earned run in five of the last seven games, including four-straight with all three of the Indiana State series and the Notre Dame game, as part of eight times during that 15-game spurt, while only yielding one earned run in three other games ... Over that 15-game span, MSU's bullpen has allowed just a total of 18 runs after the fifth inning.
• Michigan State has a No. 23 non-conference strength of schedule ranking, tops in the Big Ten ... MSU is the only team in the country to play the last two unbeaten teams in the country in NC State (29-4) and Arizona State (26-5).
Coaching Connections Galore
The Spartans-Eagles battle is chock-full of coaching connections, including both teams' head coaches and pitching coaches, and MSU's volunteer assistant coach. Spartan head coach Jake Boss Jr., was the head coach at EMU for one season in 2008, before becoming head coach at MSU in 2009. Michigan State assistant coach/pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde was head coach at EMU from 2014-17, before returning to MSU. Spartan volunteer assistant coach Jordan Keur was also an assistant at Eastern Michigan for the 2015 season under Van Ameyde after playing for him at Michigan State.Â
EMU head coach Eric Roof is in his fifth season at Eastern Michigan, after serving as a volunteer assistant under Coach Boss at MSU for two seasons (2013-14), and was a three-year letterwinner at Michigan State (2007-09), playing under Coach Boss.Â
The younger Roof was a three-year letterwinner at MSU (2008-10), earning All-Big Ten accolades in 2010 before bypassing his senior season and was drafted in the eighth round (No. 256 overall) of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers. Jonathan Roof later spent six seasons in the minor leagues, playing in the Boston Red Sox system, between their AA team, the Portland Sea Dogs and their AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox. Jonathan Roof was student assistant coach at Michigan State for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, before going becoming the volunteer assistant coach at Missouri for the 2018 season, then joining his brother's staff at EMU for this season.
Current EMU pitching coach A.J. Achter was also a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans (2008-10), and was teammates with the Roof brothers under Coach Boss. Achter went on to have a three-year career in Major League Baseball as part of eight years in professional baseball.Â
Wednesday's coaching connection is one shy of what it started the season as after former Spartan volunteer assistant coach Jordan Keur left MSU to become head coach at Lansing Community College in late February. Keur was also an assistant at Eastern Michigan for the 2015 season under Van Ameyde after playing for him at Michigan State (2010-13).Â
Friday Night LightsÂ
Thanks in large part to an anonymous contribution of near $1.4 million from a Spartan alum, Michigan State University announced in January that lights were to be installed at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field and Secchia Stadium in preparation for the upcoming 2019 season. The lights project was completed in early March and the Spartans played their first game played under the lights in 135 years of MSU baseball on Friday, April 5.
The LED lights are identical to the lighting system currently at Spartan Stadium, home of Spartan football, and DeMartin Stadium, home of Spartan men and women's soccer, as well the Breslin Center, home of MSU men and women's basketball, Munn Ice Arena, home of Spartan hockey, and the Duffy Daugherty Indoor Practice Facility, utilized by MSU football and a majority of MSU athletics teams. Michigan State will be the first baseball and softball teams in the Big Ten Conference with this type of lighting system by Musco Lighting.
MSU baseball is slated to host a total of host nine games starting at 5 p.m. or later in 2019.
Home Staters
Michigan State has 19 players on its 2019 roster from the state of Michigan, while Eastern Michigan has 17 players from the Great Lakes State on its roster.
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Michigan State vs. Eastern Michigan Series Breakdown
Overall: MSU 97-61-1 / H: 55-32-1 / A: 41-29 / N: 1-0 / Series Streak: MSU W1, MSU W7-of-10
First Met: June 5, 1896 - East Lansing, Mich. - EMU W, 12-11
Last Meeting: May 10, 2017 - East Lansing, Mich. - MSU W, 11-6
Series Notes: The Spartans are tangling with the Eagles for the 160th all-time meeting, with Michigan State holding a 97-61-1 all-time record against Eastern Michigan ... Both of last season's two scheduled meetings were cancelled due to inclement weather, scheduled to play in East Lansing on April 4 and at Comerica Park in Detroit on April 24 ... MSU and EMU have split their annual meetings for the last three seasons that they have played ... The home team has won the last six meetings, as well as EMU winning a neutral site game at Comerica Park in Detroit on May 11, 2016 ... Under head coach Jake Boss Jr., the Spartans are 13-6 against the Eagles, including winning seven of the last 10 ... Under Boss, MSU is 6-4 against EMU in games in East Lansing, as part of 55-32-1 all-time at home.
Last Meeting - MSU 11, EMU 6 - East Lansing, Mich. - May 10, 2017
Michigan State baseball erupted for an 11-6 win over Eastern Michigan on May 10, 2017 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field. The Spartans plated all their runs in three innings, scoring three in the third, five in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Senior second baseman Dan Durkin drilled his team-leading seventh home run of the season with a smash into the Red Cedar River in right for a three-run round-tripper for MSU's three runs in the third, ending 1-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Junior designated hitter Chad Roskelly, who had the walk-off RBI the night before in a win over WMU at Comerica, continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-3 outing with two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Freshman outfielder Bryce Kelley was also 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. Kelley was a home run shy of the cycle.
Brothers McGuire
Of the 17 Michigan natives on EMU's roster, one has strong Spartan ties in sophomore pitcher Luke McGuire, who is the younger brother of former Spartan first baseman Zack McGuire, who was a four-year letterwinner, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and two-time Academic All-District Honoree. The McGuire brothers are natives of Sterling Heights, Mich., where they attended Stevenson HS.
Quick Look At EMUÂ
The Eagles are 8-27-1 overall and have a 3-9 MAC mark. EMU hosts Dayton Tuesday night before coming to East Lansing on Wednesday. Last weekend, Eastern Michigan dropped a series at Ball State, losing in Friday's opener, 3-2, before splitting Saturday's doubleheader, falling 11-5 in game one then bouncing back in the twinbill, 7-5.
EMU has a team batting average of .256, led by junior infielder Zachary Owings at .364. Owings has a team-leading 24 RBI, four HR, five triples and nine stolen bases, while sharing the team-lead with 10 doubles. Sophomore outfielder Jiff Timko is hitting .333 with three HR and 19 RBI.
On the mound, the Eagles have a team ERA of 8.18 with 218 strikeouts (6.1 pg). While Wednesday's probable starter is TBA, senior southpaw Mitchell Sparks and sophomore righty Thomas House lead the staff with 15 appearances apiece. Both Sparks and House have a save apiece, as well as sophomore right-hander Holden Cook. Sparks has a 5.64 ERA with an 0-3 record, with 17 Ks and just two BB in 22.1 IP, yielding a .343 average to the opposition. House has an 8.14 ERA and an 0-3 record, posting 15 strikeouts and 13 walks in 26.1 IP, with a .381 batting average against.
EMU head coach Eric Roof is in his first full year as head coach after serving as interim head coach last season. Roof has a 30-61-1 record in his two seasons leading the Eagles. Roof was a three-year letterwinner at Michigan State (2007-09), playing under Coach Boss. He also served as a volunteer assistant under Coach Boss at MSU for two seasons (2013-14).
Common Opponents
The Spartans and Eagles have one common opponents, with MSU and EMU both playing Notre Dame. Michigan State topped the Irish, 3-2, last Tuesday, April 9, at Notre Dame. Eastern Michigan split two games with Notre Dame in San Antonio, Texas at the Alamo Irish Classic, losing 11-3 on Feb. 21, before bouncing back to win, 4-2, the next day.
About Michigan State
The Spartans are 8-25 overall, after being defeated in all three games at Rutgers over the weekend, falling 4-2, 6-3 and 8-0, after MSU had won two of the previous three and four of the previous six games. Last week, the Spartans continued their winning ways with a 3-2 victory for MSU at Notre Dame Tuesday night, before the trip to Piscataway for the weekend.
Junior outfielder Bryce Kelley leads the Spartans with a .307 average, and also leads the Spartans with 14 stolen bases, including eight in the last nine games. Kelley leads the B1G with the 14 swipes.
Junior infielder/outfielder Justin Antoncic is hitting .264, followed by senior infielder Royce Ando at .259. Senior infielder Marty Bechina is hitting .259 and tops the team with 19 RBI and 12 doubles. Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor has belted five home runs, while Bechina has three round-trippers and freshman outfielder Casey Mayes has two.Â
On the mound, MSU's bullpen has been stellar of late. In the last 15 games, the Spartan bullpen has 59 Ks (3.9 pg) in 55.1 IP, with a paltry .202 batting average against and a 2.77 ERA. The MSU relievers have combined to not allow an earned run in five of the last seven games, including four-straight with all three of the Indiana State series and the Notre Dame game, as part of eight times during that 15-game spurt, while only yielding one earned run in three other games. Over that 15-game span, MSU's bullpen has allowed just a total of 18 runs after the fifth inning.
MSU's probable starter for Wednesday's game is also TBA. Out of the bullpen, senior southpaw Evan Flohr has a team-high 17 appearances, ranking tied for fourth in the B1G, and has a 2-0 record with 25 strikeouts and 18 walks. Flohr earned his first win for the Green & White against Western Michigan on March 27. Junior righty Indigo Diaz has 37 Ks in 27.2 IP, earning his first save of his MSU career against Western Michigan on March 27, after recently shifting from the starting rotation to the bullpen. Diaz also picked up the save in the win over WMU on April 2 at Comerica and at Notre Dame on April 9, ending both contests with strikeouts. Diaz is tied for seventh in the B1G with 14 strikeouts looking.
Weather With The Win
MSU has now had five games so far either postponed or cancelled, as well as adjusting the start time on several others due to Mother Nature.
Carolina In My Mind And Travel Itinerary
Michigan State has had the James Taylor tune on repeat, as the Spartans' trip to Greenville on March 15-17 was the third and final of three trips to the Palmetto State for the Spartans this season ... MSU was in Conway, S.C. Feb. 22-24 playing in the Coastal Carolina-hosted Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach ... The Spartans were in Greenville March 8-10 on the second half of Spring Break trip, hosting the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, which was originally scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but inclement weather condensed the schedule to Saturday-Sunday ... MSU traveled home to East Lansing on the night of March 10 for class and practice Monday-Wednesday, returning to Greenville on the evening of Thursday, March 14, then playing UConn in a four-game series at Fluor Field Friday-Sunday, March 15-17.
Road WarriorsÂ
Michigan State is one of 19 teams in the nation who have played 18 or more consecutive games away from home to open the season, and MSU's 21 games is tied for the sixth-most ... After the Spartans' original home opener was postponed due to inclement weather, MSU had played 21 games away from home before Wednesday's home opener vs. Western Michigan ... Ironically, WMU leads the nation currently with 31 games away from home until their first home game on April 12, as the Broncos also had their original home game on March 12 postponed due to weather ... The Spartans are the only Big Ten team on the list, as MSU is the northernmost team in the B1G.
Team   No. of Games
Western Michigan   31
North Dakota State   26
Oakland   24
Eastern Michigan   23
Dartmouth   23Â
Central Michigan   22
Lafayette   22
Toledo   22
Hofstra   21
Michigan State   21
Milwaukee   21
South Dakota State   21
UConn   21
UMass   21
Canisius   20
Gonzaga   20
Niagara   20
Fairfield   19
Bradley   18
Hit Parade
MSU rapped out a season-high 14 hits in the April 7 win over Indiana State, bettering their previous season-high of 12 hits, done twice, on March 9 vs. Ohio State and March 15 vs. UConn, both games at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. Sunday was MSU's eighth game this season with double-digit hits.
After posting 12 hits at Rutgers on April 13, the Spartans now have nine games with double-digit hits.
Shutout Spurt
Michigan State had a pair of shutouts in winning the weekend series with Indiana State, with a 1-0 win in 10 innings on Friday and a 6-0 blanking on Sunday over Indiana, for the Spartans' first two shutouts of the season. MSU's last shutout was a 6-0 win over Rutgers on April 1, 2018, one of two shutouts last season. The Spartans also had two blankings in 2017. The last time that Michigan State had a pair of shutouts so close together was in 2016 when MSU had three-straight shutouts, March 5-8.
Antoncic Four-ce At PlateÂ
Junior infielder/outfielder Justin Antoncic was 4-for-4 vs. Indiana State April 7, the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 at the plate since Danny Gleaves on April 1, 2018. Antoncic now has six hits in his last eight at bats after going 2-for-4 at Notre Dame
Hey Oh Lacayo
Senior catcher Nic Lacayo hit .500 (6-for-12) in the five games during the week of April 2-7, including driving in the game-winning run on a walk-off suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 1-0 win over Indiana State in MSU's inaugural game under the lights, ending the game with career-high three hits on 3-for-4 with the one RBI. Lacayo followed that with a 1-for-3 outing in the 2-1 loss on April 6, then capped the week with a 2-for-4 game Sunday in the 6-0 win to clinch series, with a double and a run scored. He added seven putouts playing catcher in both Friday and Saturday's games, before being MSU's designated hitter on Sunday.
Over the last 10 games, Lacayo is leading the team hitting .350 (7-of-20) with a .400 slugging percentage and a .435 on-base percentage. He has one double and two RBI in that span.
Hurlin' Erla
Sophomore right-hander Mason Erla was dealing against Indiana State on April 5, going 9.0 innings and stymieing the Sycamore bats to just two hits, as ISU entered the game hitting .282 as a team and had four players hitting over .300. Erla limited the Sycamores to just two hits while striking out six and walking just three, in firing a career-long outing as well as his second-fewest hits in his career. Erla is also the Spartans' second 9.0 inning outing of the season, joining junior Mike Mokma's complete game vs. Ohio State in Greenville, S.C. on March 9. Erla's previous career-long outing was 7.0 IP done twice in his career, most recently April 1, 2018 vs. Rutgers.
Tough Tyranski
Junior lefty Mitchell Tyranski went a career-long 7.0 IP on April 6 vs. Indiana State. He chalked up six strikeouts, one shy of his season-high, while scattering just three hits, including none after the third inning. At one stretch, Tyranski had a streak of 15 batters set down in conventional and non-conventional order, working around a single in the third with a double play. The Sycamores scored their two runs in the first inning, before Tyranski settled in and was rolling.
Tyranski continued his solid pitching in his next outing, last Saturday at Rutgers, as he struck out a career-high 10 in throwing a career-high tying 7.0 IP, while scattering nine hits and yielding two earned runs. Tyranski's 10 Ks is the second double-digit strikeout total this season for a Spartan pitcher, joining junior Mike Mokma's 11 Ks vs. Ohio State on March 9 in Greenville, S.C.
Slingin' Sleeman
Junior right-hander Caleb Sleeman earned two wins on the week during April 2-7, in both a reliever role and a starter role, ending the week with 9.2 IP with 0 ER and nine strikeouts and just four hits. He threw 3.0 IP of relief on the night of April 2 vs. Western Michigan at Comerica Park in Detroit, leading MSU to a 5-2 victory, limiting WMU to just one hit while striking out four.Â
On Sunday, April 7 against Indiana State, Sleeman made his first start of the season and his first since freshman season of 2017 and went a career-long 6.2 IP, tying career-high with five Ks and stymieing Indiana State to just three hits in a combined shutout, for MSU's second shutout win of the weekend, and second in three days after not having a shutout since April 1, 2018, which was also a 6-0 victory. The Sycamores came into the weekend hitting .282 as a team and had four players hitting over .300, but Sleeman kept them quiet on the way to a 6-0 split shutout win. In the top of the sixth inning, Sleeman got a strikeout for the first out, then worked around a walk and hit by pitch by fielding his position on a come-backer, spinning and firing to second to start the Spartans' third double play of the game, their season-high third of the day.
Dealing Diaz
In his last nine appearances, junior reliever Indigo Diaz has 12 strikeouts, including three that ended games, highlighted by the third of striking out the side in the ninth on April 9 at Notre Dame. Diaz has yielded just four hits without a run in 8.2 IP, while limiting the opposition to a .111 average. In that span, Diaz has earned three saves and one win.Â
Silence Of The Sycamores
MSU's pitching staff limited Indiana State to just 11 hits in the three games, stymieing the Sycamore bats to the tune of a .122 batting average (11-of-90), only yielding two runs for a 0.64 ERA, while ringing up 21 strikeouts. Indiana State entered the weekend with a .282 average as a team and had four players hitting north of .300.
Bull-ish Pen
MSU's bullpen had a standout outing in the win over Western Michigan on March 27, as freshman Colten Panaranto, junior Caleb Sleeman, Flohr and Diaz collectively kept the Broncos at bay. Sleeman registered four strikeouts, while Panaranto posted a pair of punchouts and Flohr rang up one K, while limiting the hot WMU bats to just six hits in the final eight innings, as the Broncos entered the game ranking 24th in the NCAA with a .298 team batting average.
The first WMU match-up was the Spartan pen's season-long outing of the season at 7.1 IP, and was the group's second outing without yielding a run, both coming in the last three games joining March 22 at Nebraska in game two of the twinbill. The second strikeouts was the second-most behind eight Ks in 4.0 IP vs. UConn on March 17.
In the last 15 games, the Spartan bullpen has 59 Ks (3.9 pg) in 55.1 IP, with a paltry .202 batting average against and a 2.77 ERA. The MSU relievers have combined to not allow an earned run in five of the last seven games, including four-straight with all three of the Indiana State series and the Notre Dame game, as part of eight times during that 15-game spurt, while only yielding one earned run in three other games. Over that 15-game span, MSU's bullpen has allowed just a total of 18 runs after the fifth inning.
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