Friday, March 4
US Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn.
12 PM ET / 11 AM CT
Michigan State University
4-4
11
vs
2
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Kansas
3-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Kansas
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
6
2
Michigan State
0
2
2
2
5
0
0
0
X
11
14
1
Spartans Ground Jayhawks, 11-2, Friday In Cambria College Classic Opener
3/4/2022 6:34:00 PM | Baseball
Walker belts two-run HR as Spartans score in four-straight frames with a five-run fifth.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Michigan State baseball bolted out of the gates in the opening game of the 2022 Cambria College Classic, and went on to beat Kansas, 11-2, Friday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.
Junior outfielder Zaid Walker blasted a two-run home run to left field in the second inning to get the scoring started and MSU added two more runs in the third and fourth innings, before hanging a five-spot in the fifth to open an 11-0 lead after five frames. That remained the score until the ninth when KU scored a pair of runs with two outs for the final 11-2 score.
Michigan State leveled its season record at 4-4 with Friday's win, bouncing back from three losses last weekend, while Kansas suffered its third loss in a row and is now 3-5 on the young season.
"I'm very pleased with how we bounced back today and I thought we played a complete game in all facets. The starting pitching was outstanding, we played well defensively, and I thought the bullpen was great," MSU head coach Jake Boss said.
MSU also improved to 2-0 all-time vs. KU. After not meeting in the previous 135 years of Spartan baseball, Michigan State and Kansas were squaring off for the second time in the last three seasons, first meeting in 2020, with MSU winning, 8-7, on a Zach Iverson walk-off single during the 2020 MSU First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field. Friday was the first of back-to-back weekend match-ups between the Spartans and Jayhawks, as MSU and KU will meet in the 2022 edition of the MSU First Pitch Invitational back in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field next Sunday, March 13.
All nine starters had at least hit, as the Spartans rapped out 14 hits. Meanwhile, on the mound, sophomore starter Nick Powers and junior reliever Wyatt Rush stymied the Jayhawk bats. Powers went 6.0 complete innings with five Ks, yielding two hits and one walk, before giving way to Rush, who after a shaky first frame in the seventh, settled in and held KU without a run until two outs in the ninth.
Powers and Rush were aided by solid defensive play behind them, with sophomore infielder Trent Farquhar making a nice catch in shallow center in the second, and a double play in the third inning.
"I thought Nick Powers was just outstanding today, he threw a lot of strikes and was really in command the whole way. Wyatt Rush came in relief and really settled into the game and through well in the eighth and ninth inning," Boss said. "Defensively I thought we made the routine play and sprinkled in some high quality defensive plays in there as well during the course of the game."
Walker finished Friday's contest 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, adding a sacrifice fly in the third. He also singled and came around to score during MSU's five-run fifth, being driven in on an RBI single by redshirt-freshman catcher Bryan Broecker.
Sophomore infielder Brock Vradenburg was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-3 with a ribbie and run scored. Farquhar and fellow sophomore infielder Dillon Kark were both 2-for-4 and each had an RBI and scored a run. Broecker, sophomore infielder Mitch Jebb, junior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior infielder Peter Ahn all had one hit each, with Jebb notching two RBI, while Broecker and Ahn had one each.
"Offensively, it was again, just a very complete and a consistent performance up and down the lineup really for the whole game. We had a lot of really good at bats, I thought we took what we were given and capitalized on it, and it was good to see guys kind of break out of it again after a tough weekend last week," Boss said. "Zaid Walker got us going with the home run in the second and then I think everybody just kind of fed off of that and so from top-to-bottom, it was just a big day for a lot of guys."
After a scoreless first, Vradenburg led off the second with a single to center. Walker followed with his blast deep into the seats in left field for a 2-0 Spartan lead.
After Powers retired the Jayhawks in order in the third, boosted by a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame, Farquhar led off to complete the second half of the "make a nice play in the field to end the inning, lead off at the plate" baseball tradition. Farquhar singled to center and took second on a error by the KU center fielder. Mayes was next up and singled to right, bringing Vradenburg to the dish and he plated Farquhar with an RBI groundout. Walker followed with a sac fly to center to score Mayes and put MSU ahead, 4-0.
Ahn knocked a one-out single in the fourth, and Jebb followed with a triple to right center to plate Ahn, then Farquhar laced a single to left center to drive Jebb in and put the Spartans on top, 6-0.
Just like the second inning, Vradenburg sparked the Spartan rally with a double down the right field line. Walker single to left, before Frank singled to right to plate Vradenburg, chasing KU starter Cole Larsen. Broecker greeted new Jayhawk reliever Knolton Clark by singling to left and driving in Walker, then Kark followed with a single to center to drive in Frank. Ahn later drive Broecker in with a sac fly to center, and Jebb knocked Kark in with an RBI groundout to open up the Spartans' 11-0 advantage.
Powers rang up two of his five Ks in the sixth, sandwiching them around a flyout for his fourth and final three-up, three-down inning of the game in his six frames of work.
Rush came on in the seventh and KU threatened to get on the board, but Rush made a nice play at the plate with a tag, then later worked out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to leave the bags full of Jayhawks without a run.
MSU went 1-2-3 in the seventh and KU did the same in the top of the eighth, and the Spartans again went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Rush got the first two KU batters out, before the third reached on an error, then after a walk Reyce Curnane tripled off the wall in right, to the Jayhawks on the board at 11-2. Rush snubbed out any chance of a KU rally by inducing a groundout to end it.
Michigan State continues the Cambria College Classic on Saturday, March 5, taking on No. 12 Notre Dame at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT. Notre Dame improved to 6-1 after their opening win over Illinois by an identical 6-1 score.
The Spartans wrap up the weekend on Sunday, March 6 against West Virginia at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Fans can follow the action with links available at MSUSpartans.com.
Junior outfielder Zaid Walker blasted a two-run home run to left field in the second inning to get the scoring started and MSU added two more runs in the third and fourth innings, before hanging a five-spot in the fifth to open an 11-0 lead after five frames. That remained the score until the ninth when KU scored a pair of runs with two outs for the final 11-2 score.
Michigan State leveled its season record at 4-4 with Friday's win, bouncing back from three losses last weekend, while Kansas suffered its third loss in a row and is now 3-5 on the young season.
"I'm very pleased with how we bounced back today and I thought we played a complete game in all facets. The starting pitching was outstanding, we played well defensively, and I thought the bullpen was great," MSU head coach Jake Boss said.
MSU also improved to 2-0 all-time vs. KU. After not meeting in the previous 135 years of Spartan baseball, Michigan State and Kansas were squaring off for the second time in the last three seasons, first meeting in 2020, with MSU winning, 8-7, on a Zach Iverson walk-off single during the 2020 MSU First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field. Friday was the first of back-to-back weekend match-ups between the Spartans and Jayhawks, as MSU and KU will meet in the 2022 edition of the MSU First Pitch Invitational back in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field next Sunday, March 13.
All nine starters had at least hit, as the Spartans rapped out 14 hits. Meanwhile, on the mound, sophomore starter Nick Powers and junior reliever Wyatt Rush stymied the Jayhawk bats. Powers went 6.0 complete innings with five Ks, yielding two hits and one walk, before giving way to Rush, who after a shaky first frame in the seventh, settled in and held KU without a run until two outs in the ninth.
Powers and Rush were aided by solid defensive play behind them, with sophomore infielder Trent Farquhar making a nice catch in shallow center in the second, and a double play in the third inning.
"I thought Nick Powers was just outstanding today, he threw a lot of strikes and was really in command the whole way. Wyatt Rush came in relief and really settled into the game and through well in the eighth and ninth inning," Boss said. "Defensively I thought we made the routine play and sprinkled in some high quality defensive plays in there as well during the course of the game."
Walker finished Friday's contest 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, adding a sacrifice fly in the third. He also singled and came around to score during MSU's five-run fifth, being driven in on an RBI single by redshirt-freshman catcher Bryan Broecker.
Sophomore infielder Brock Vradenburg was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-3 with a ribbie and run scored. Farquhar and fellow sophomore infielder Dillon Kark were both 2-for-4 and each had an RBI and scored a run. Broecker, sophomore infielder Mitch Jebb, junior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior infielder Peter Ahn all had one hit each, with Jebb notching two RBI, while Broecker and Ahn had one each.
"Offensively, it was again, just a very complete and a consistent performance up and down the lineup really for the whole game. We had a lot of really good at bats, I thought we took what we were given and capitalized on it, and it was good to see guys kind of break out of it again after a tough weekend last week," Boss said. "Zaid Walker got us going with the home run in the second and then I think everybody just kind of fed off of that and so from top-to-bottom, it was just a big day for a lot of guys."
After a scoreless first, Vradenburg led off the second with a single to center. Walker followed with his blast deep into the seats in left field for a 2-0 Spartan lead.
After Powers retired the Jayhawks in order in the third, boosted by a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame, Farquhar led off to complete the second half of the "make a nice play in the field to end the inning, lead off at the plate" baseball tradition. Farquhar singled to center and took second on a error by the KU center fielder. Mayes was next up and singled to right, bringing Vradenburg to the dish and he plated Farquhar with an RBI groundout. Walker followed with a sac fly to center to score Mayes and put MSU ahead, 4-0.
Ahn knocked a one-out single in the fourth, and Jebb followed with a triple to right center to plate Ahn, then Farquhar laced a single to left center to drive Jebb in and put the Spartans on top, 6-0.
Just like the second inning, Vradenburg sparked the Spartan rally with a double down the right field line. Walker single to left, before Frank singled to right to plate Vradenburg, chasing KU starter Cole Larsen. Broecker greeted new Jayhawk reliever Knolton Clark by singling to left and driving in Walker, then Kark followed with a single to center to drive in Frank. Ahn later drive Broecker in with a sac fly to center, and Jebb knocked Kark in with an RBI groundout to open up the Spartans' 11-0 advantage.
Powers rang up two of his five Ks in the sixth, sandwiching them around a flyout for his fourth and final three-up, three-down inning of the game in his six frames of work.
Rush came on in the seventh and KU threatened to get on the board, but Rush made a nice play at the plate with a tag, then later worked out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to leave the bags full of Jayhawks without a run.
MSU went 1-2-3 in the seventh and KU did the same in the top of the eighth, and the Spartans again went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Rush got the first two KU batters out, before the third reached on an error, then after a walk Reyce Curnane tripled off the wall in right, to the Jayhawks on the board at 11-2. Rush snubbed out any chance of a KU rally by inducing a groundout to end it.
Michigan State continues the Cambria College Classic on Saturday, March 5, taking on No. 12 Notre Dame at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT. Notre Dame improved to 6-1 after their opening win over Illinois by an identical 6-1 score.
The Spartans wrap up the weekend on Sunday, March 6 against West Virginia at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Fans can follow the action with links available at MSUSpartans.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Powers, Nick (1-1)
L: Larsen, C. (0-2)
S: Rush, Wyatt (1)
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Batting:
3B: Ahuna, M. 1 ; Curnane, R. 1
RBI: Curnane, R. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Gerety, T. 1 ; Castonguay 1
CS: Allen, P. 1
Batting:
2B: Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Frank, Jack 1
3B: Jebb, Mitch 1
HR: Walker, Zaid 1
RBI: Jebb, Mitch 2 ; Farquhar, Trent 1 ; Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Walker, Zaid 3 ; Frank, Jack 1 ; Broecker, Bryan 1 ; Kark, Dillon 1 ; Ahn, Peter 1
SF: Walker, Zaid 1 ; Ahn, Peter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Farquhar, Trent 1 ; Mayes, Casey 1 ; Vradenburg, Brock 2 ; Walker, Zaid 2 ; Frank, Jack 1 ; Broecker, Bryan 1 ; Kark, Dillon 1 ; Ahn, Peter 1
CS: Farquhar, Trent 1
HBP: Ahn, Peter 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF/OF/RHP
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INF
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INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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