Tuesday, April 25
McLane Stadium at Kobs Field | East Lansing, Mich.
6:05 p.m.
Michigan State University
vs
Notre Dame
MSU Hosts Notre Dame Tuesday In Midweek Action
4/24/2023 7:42:00 PM | Baseball
Spartan open up four-game homestand this week.
| MICHIGAN STATE (24-13, 7-5 B1G) vs NOTRE DAME (23-15, 11-10 ACC) | |
| Location | McLane Stadium at Kobs Field || East Lansing, Mich. |
| Tickets | MSU Ticket Office |
| Weather | High/Low -- Tue: 47° / 32° |
| Game Notes | MICHIGAN STATE | NOTRE DAME |
| Social Media |  @MSUbaseball |  MichiganStateBaseball  @msu_baseball |
| Television | None |
| Game 1 | Tuesday, April 25 - 6:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | ND: #29 FR RHP David Lally Jr. (0-0, 5.40 ERA) MSU: #25 FR RHP Robert Klann (0-0, 4.50 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live |
• Michigan State opens a four-game homestand at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field by hosting Notre Dame in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, April 25 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch ... the Spartans and Irish are meeting for the second time this season after tangling in South Bend two weeks ago, with MSU emerging with a 7-6 11-inning victory.
• MSU's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
• Fans can follow this week's action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
• For the seventh-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis.
• Tuesday starts a four-game homestand at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field for MSU, as the Spartans will then welcome Northwestern to town for a three-game Big Ten Conference series, Friday-Sunday, April 28-30 ... this week is the latter part of a stretch MSU's schedule that features 12 "home" games in a span of 16 total games, despite three of them being played at Jackson Field due to flooding at Old College Field.
• The Spartans had matched their season-long win streak at six games, earlier winning six contests from March 10-22, before the April 8-15 win spurt ... last Wednesday's loss to Purdue Fort Wayne denied MSU a seven-game win streak, which would have been its longest since an eight-game win streak in 2016 (March 5-18).
SPARTAN STRONG
It has been just over two months since the mass shooting on the East Lansing campus on the night of Monday, Feb. 13, when three MSU students were killed and five were hospitalized. Michigan State University canceled classes the remainder of the week following the deaths of the three students – juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner and sophomore Brian Fraser.
Michigan State players are wearing "Spartan Strong" stickers on their helmets in a tribute of the three lives lost and for the five students still hospitalized, and several players have personal tributes as well.
Classes resumed on Monday, Feb. 20.
MEDIA ADVISORY (when discussing the events of Monday, Feb. 13)
• Can describe the shooting that happened on Feb. 13 as "The violence the Michigan State community experienced."
• Refrain from or be spare with the use of adjectives: Horrific, senseless, devastating, etc.
• Please use "students" instead of "victims."
• Referring to this event as "a tragedy" is okay. Saying "tragic loss of life" is also okay.
WINNING LIKE ITS 2016
Michigan State won its 20th game of the season on April 12, with an 8-3 win over Oakland, reaching 20 wins the fastest since 2016, when MSU was 20-5 after a win on April 8 ... the Spartans' current 24-13 (.649) record is also their best winning percentage through 37 games since 2016's 27-10 (.730) mark.
SPARTAN WINNING WAYS
Despite having its six-game win streak halted with last Wednesday night's loss, Michigan State has gone 7-3 in its last 10 games, winning 13 of the last 18 and 19 of the last 25, on the way to a 24-13 overall record ... MSU's win Sunday at Michigan was the Spartans 24th win of the season, matching last season's 24 wins in a 24-30 overall record ... Michigan State is also 7-5 in B1G action so far, just one league win from matching last year's 8-16 B1G record.
ONE OF HOTTEST TEAMS IN B1G
Michigan State's 7-3 record in the last 10 is among the best in the B1G in the last 10, behind Indiana and Rutgers going 9-1 and Penn State going 8-2, while matching Iowa at 7-3 in the last 10.
NOTRE DAME CONNECTIONS
• Michigan State assistant coach Graham Sikes spent three seasons (2008-10) as the volunteer assistant coach at Notre Dame ... While at Notre Dame, Sikes primarily coached the catchers and outfielders ... He also oversaw UND's expansive baseball camp operations and helped coordinate the program's annual Opening Night Dinner ... Sikes coached 14 players who were drafted during his three seasons at Notre Dame ... In working with the Irish catchers, Sikes tutored Cameron McConnell, who threw out 26 base stealers in 2009 - the most by an Irish catcher since 1996 and seventh most in the nation ... McConnell threw out 36.1 percent (26 of 72) of attempted base stealers on the season, which was the second-highest percentage for an Irish catcher since 1996, and followed that effort by throwing out 12 more runners in 2010 ... In addition, Sikes coached Will Harford, who was selected in the 45th round (No. 1,357 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.
MSU VS. INDIANA TEAMS
• Tuesday's game against Notre Dame is MSU's eighth game against a team from Indiana so far, part of a total of 11 games against five teams from the state of Indiana, with three more scheduled ... MSU is currently 5-2 against teams from the state of Indiana ... Michigan State has already played Indiana State, sweeping a condensed weekend series into a doubleheader, winning 8-2 and 10-7, on March 19 ... the Spartans then won a three-game B1G series vs. Purdue, winning two of three, falling in the opener on March 24, but then winning, 5-4 and 12-6, on March 26 ... Michigan State played the first of two games this season against Notre Dame on April 11, traveling to South Bend and returning with a 7-6 11-inning victory for MSU ... the Spartans were tripped up by Purdue Fort Wayne on April 19 in a 3-2 defeat, halting MSU's six-game win streak overall and its three-game win streak against teams from Indiana ... MSU also plays the second of the two Big Ten teams from the state of Indiana, playing the Hoosiers in the regular-season final weekend (May 18-20) ... Last season, MSU didn't play either of the two Big Ten teams from Indiana in Purdue and Indiana due to the league schedule but did play Notre Dame, Purdue Fort Wayne and Evansville.
SPARTANS FROM INDIANA
• Michigan State has one player from the state of Indiana: sophomore catcher Christian Williams (Carmel/Carmel HS).
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 19 players on its 2023 roster from the state of Michigan ... Notre Dame has four players on its roster from Indiana ... Michigan State has the one aforementioned player from Indiana on its roster, while Notre Dame has one Michigander on its roster in freshman pitcher David Lally Jr., (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc), Tuesday's probable starter.
DOUBLE DIP SUCCESS
• The Spartans' doubleheader on April 15 vs. Western Illinois was MSU's sixth twinbill this season, including a stretch of the fourth in the last five weekends ... the Spartans are now 10-2 in doubleheaders, winning the last three games after the loss in the first game vs. OSU on April 8 snapping a six-game win streak in double-dips, as MSU had swept its three previous doubleheaders.
BIG B1G BEGINNING TO LEAGUE PLAY
• Michigan State has opened Big Ten action with a 7-5 record, the best start to conference action since 2016 when MSU started 7-2 ... the Spartans won three-straight series in as many weekends to open B1G play, after only winning one conference series in 2022, and also marking the first time since 2016 that MSU has won its first three series of league play, before dropping the series at Michigan last weekend ... Michigan State has won seven conference games already, which is only one shy of last year's B1G win total, as MSU was 8-16 in conference competition last year.
A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEKEND
• Michigan State battled Michigan in a hard-fought three-game Big Ten Conference weekend series, with the Wolverines winning the first two games to take the series, before the Spartans bounced back with a 14-2 Victory for MSU on Sunday, the Spartans' largest win over the Wolverines since 1969.
MSU was edged by UM, 5-3, Friday afternoon in the opener and Friday's match-up lived up to its billing as a clash of two top teams in the league standings. MSU had nine hits, but were denied of several others by the UM defense, with several line drives that were snared. The Wolverines had 12 hits, with several just barely finding open spaces in the shallow outfield. The defeat was only MSU's third loss on a Friday this season, as the Spartans had won their previous three Friday games in series-openers, and were 6-2 on Fridays this season before the loss in Ann Arbor, including beating Michigan in the season-opener on Friday, Feb. 17 at the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. Friday's loss also marked the first time that MSU has been dealt defeat in back-to-back official games since March 6 and 8.
Two Spartans had multiple hits, led by junior infielder Mitch Jebb going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while junior outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler were all 1-for-3, junior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-4 and redshirt-freshman pinch hitter Jacob Anderson was 1-for-1. Mayes and junior outfielder Brock Vradenburg had an RBI apiece, both coming on sacrifice flies. Kark added a run scored, with the game's lone double, while Jebb knocked the Spartans' lone triple, adding to his B1G lead with his fifth three-bagger of the season.
Freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa started and went 4.0 IP, scattering nine hits, five runs, with two walks and three strikeouts. Redshirt-sophomore Noah Matheny went 3.0 IP, yielding just two hits, with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Gavin Sitarz threw the final 1.0 IP, with only one hit, getting a pitcher's best friend with a double play to end the bottom of the eighth.
UM won game two of the series, 8-3, on Saturday afternoon. Michigan scored four runs in the first before MSU bounced back with two runs in the third and one in the fifth to pull within, 4-3. However, UM added three runs in the sixth and one more in the eighth for the final 8-3 score. MSU had seven hits Saturday, led by junior infielder Brock Vradenburg going 2-for-2 with an RBI, adding two walks to reach base in all four at bats and knocking a pair of infield singles. Fellow junior infielder Mitch Jebb was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, scooting around from second on a Vradenburg infield single.
Junior infielder Trent Farquhar was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while senior outfielder Casey Mayes was 1-for-3 and scored a run. Junior outfielder Jack Frank was 1-for-4, but was denied hits in the other three at bats by the UM defense and Mother Nature.
Redshirt-sophomore Harrison Cook started but was unable to make it out of the first inning, going just 0.1 IP with three hits, four runs, two walks and one strikeout. Sophomore Ryan Szczepaniak came on and put the clamps on the UM rally, going 5.0 IP, scattering three hits for two runs, one earned, with a walk and five strikeouts. Senior Andrew Carson (0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 B, 0 K) and freshman Nolan Higgins (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K) pitched the rest.
Brock Vradenburg was 3-for-4 with two HRs and five RBI to boost Michigan State to a 14-2 Victory for MSU at Michigan Sunday afternoon at UM's Ray Fisher Stadium, for the Spartans' largest margin of victory over the Wolverines since 1969.
Vradenburg belted a two-run home run in the first frame and a three-run homer in the seventh inning for his first two-HR game of not just this season, but also his collegiate career. The junior infielder now leads the team with 10 HRs on the season, becoming the first Spartan with double-digit homers since Ryan Krill with 13 round-trippers in 2015.
On the mound, junior Nick Powers went 8.0 IP and kept the UM bats in check throughout the day, auditioning for the role of Wolverine-tamer with his second career outstanding outing in games at Michigan.
Michigan State jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the fourth with two runs in the first, one in the second, then three each in the third and fourth. After UM got on the board with a run in the fourth, MSU added two in the fifth. The Wolverines scored a run on the sixth, but the Spartans plated three runs in the top of the seventh for the 14-2 final score, Michigan State's largest winning margin over UM since an 18-3 Victory for MSU on April 19, 1969.
Sunday's Spartan win denied the Wolverines the weekend series sweep after UM won Friday's game, 5-3 and Saturday's contest, 8-3, as MSU out-scored UM, 20-15 for the weekend. Michigan State also split the season-series with Michigan at two games apiece after the 15-8 Victory for MSU in the season-opener on Feb. 17 in the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Spartans scored 14 runs on 15 hits, for their 11th game this season with double-digit runs and hits in the same game, moving to 11-0 when doing so.
Along with Vradenburg's 3-for-4 with five RBI, four-run performance, redshirt-junior Greg Ziegler was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, also joining Vradenburg in the HR category with a solo homer to lead off the top of the seventh.
Three other Spartans had multiple hits, as junior infielder Mitch Jebb was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, redshirt-sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker was 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI, and junior outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Jebb also swiped the lone stolen base of the day.
Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch was 1-for-3 with two RBI and scored a run, while junior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, and senior outfielder Casey Mayes was 1-for-5 with a run scored. Frank and Mayes both knocked a double to join Vradenburg and Ziegler with extra-base hits.
On the mound, the Spartan southpaw Powers held UM to just two hits through five innings, finishing with just five hits allowed in 8.0 IP, with two runs, against just one walk and ringing up four strikeouts. Powers worked a 1-2-3 frame in the second, third and fifth frames. Along with Sunday, his Wolverine-tamer audition against UM in Ann Arbor also included a 7.0 IP outing with just four hits and no runs with three Ks in a 3-0 Victory for MSU on March 22, 2021.
Senior reliever Wyatt Rush came on in the ninth on Sunday and chalked up a pair of a punchouts before a lineout to end it and spark the Victory for MSU celebration.
ABOUT NOTRE DAME
• The Fighting Irish tote a five-game win streak and a 23-15 overall record into East Lansing for Tuesday evening match-up with the Spartans ... Notre Dame is coming off a three-game home sweep over Virginia, winning Friday's opener, 10-7, before taking Sunday's doubleheader, 10-2 and 5-4, moving ND's ACC record to 11-10 ... the Irish also beat in-state foe Valparaiso, 7-3, on April 18 and Western Michigan, 2-1, on April 19.
Graduate infielder Zack Prajzner leads Notre Dame with a .285 average, knocking a team-best 43 hits and lacing a team-high 10 doubles, adding five HR and 19 RBI ... graduate infielder Carter Putz adds a .282 average, registering a team-leading 22 RBI, with eight doubles and five HR ... sophomore infielder Jack Penney tops the Irish with nine home runs, notching 23 RBI.
Tuesday's probable starter is the lone Michigander on Notre Dame's roster, freshman right-hander David Lally Jr., who has a 0-0 record in four starts with seven total appearances, and part of one combined shutout, tallying 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 13.1 IP, and the opposition is hitting .333 against him.
Notre Dame head coach Shawn Stiffler has 23-15 mark in his first season leading the Irish, and has a 363-213 overall record in his 11th year as a head coach, coming to South Bend after 10 seasons at VCU ... Coach Stiffler will be one of two former VCU Rams staffers in action Tuesday night, joined by MSU Athletic Communications intern Maggie Hudson, who came to MSU after graduating with her bachelor's and master's from VCU, and was a graduate assistant in the VCU Athletic Communications office last year.
MAPLE LEAFS UNITE
• Michigan State baseball PA announcer Dalton Shetler (2016) and Notre Dame Associate Athletics Communications Director Alyson Prigge (2020) are both alums of Goshen College.
NO STEALS FOR YOU
• Individually, sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker leads the B1G with 14 caught stealing by, six more than the No. 2 spot in the league, Thomas Bramley of Penn State and Riley Swenson of Minnesota, tied for second with eight apiece.
SPARTAN HOME RUNS AND RUNS GALORE
• Michigan State has hit multiple home runs in 10 games this season, including in five of the last nine games, after knocking three homers in the 14-2 Spartan victory at Michigan on Sunday, April 23, MSU's largest win over UM since 1969.
• The Spartans' three home runs on April 23 give them 41 HR for the 2023 season through 37 games, surpassing last year's 39 homers ... the 41 round-trippers this seaosn is MSU's most since bashing 47 in the 2017 season, and also just four shy of the single-season Top 10 for the team records, with 45 in 2015 and 1993.
• Michigan State blasted five round-trippers on the way to a 19-10 Victory for MSU at Charleston Southern on March 4.
• The five Spartan home runs was their most since knocking eight round-trippers on March 26, 2017 at Illinois.
• The 19 runs at CSU was MSU's most runs since scoring 22 vs. UNC Greensboro (W, 22-16) on Feb. 25, 2017.
• Michigan State bashed four home runs twice in a span of three games, doing so in the win at Notre Dame on April 11, including what proved to be the game-winner from junior infielder Brock Vradenburg in the top of the 11th, and again three days later with four against Western Illinois on April 14 in the rally from down 8-3 for the 10-9 win ... the four home runs at Notre Dame and vs. Western Illinois marked MSU's sixth and seventh games this season with multiple home runs, before adding two homers in each of the DH games on April 15.
• Prior to the four homers vs. Western Illinois, the previous four marks were all away from home ... the Spartans had a season-high five at Charleston Southern (March 4), four at Notre Dame (April 11), and three at Presbyterian (Feb. 26), vs. Wofford (March 8) in a neutral site game, and at Western Michigan (March 28), adding two at Rutgers on April 2, before the four round-trippers vs. Western Illinois (April 14)
• Junior outfielder Jack Frank leads all active Spartans with 16 career home runs, including 10 career solo home runs ... twice Frank has been the second half of back-to-back home runs with teammates, first doing so at Western Michigan on March 28 with teammate Sam Busch, smacking a solo shot after Busch blasted a two-run HR, then doing so again vs. Western Illinois in the second inning of the second game of the DH on April 15, following Bryan Broecker's solo homer with #FrankJack into the Red Cedar River over and beyond the right field wall ... Frank also had a solo homer in the first game of the Western Illinois DH for a two-HR day ... Frank had 11 home runs of the solo or two-run variety before the first three-run round-tripper of his career on March 4 at Charleston Southern.
• Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg knocked two homers in the Charleston weekend, vaulting him from fifth on the active HR list with six to temporarily tie for second with senior outfielder Casey Mayes with eight four-baggers ... Vradenburg is now only one behind Frank on the career homer list with 15 after his solo HR at Notre Dame on April 11 and his two HR outing at Michigan on April 23 ... despite the team-leading 10 HRs, none of Vradenburg's home runs have come at home ... Vradenburg is the first Spartan with double-digit homers since Ryan Krill with 13 round-trippers in 2015.
• Sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker leap-frogged his way up the HR team list in one week, blasting four in a span of four games from April 11-15, going from three HR to second on the team list with seven homers ... Broecker belted a solor homer at Notre Dame on April 11, before his first collegiate two-HR outing vs. Western Illinois on April 14, with a two-run homers in the fourth frame and a solo blast in the sixth, helping MSU rally from down 8-3 going into the bottom of the sixth for the 10-9 win ... Broecker finished off the four-HR week with a solo homer vs. WIU on April 15 in the second inning, the first half of a back-to-back with teammate Jack Frank.
• Junior infielder Dillon Kark crushed his third round-tripper of the season on March 19 at Indiana State, and his sixth career, but it was his first two-run homer ... Kark now has four homers, with a two-run round-tripper vs. Ohio State on April 8.
• Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter and East Lansing native Sam Busch bashed a two-run home run in the fourth inning of game two against Purdue on March 26, crushing a shot over the wall in right and into the Red Cedar River for his first home run at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field ... Busch now has four home runs on the season, with three of them going for the two-run variety, before knocking a solo homer at Rutgers on April 2.
• Senior catcher Sam Thompson belted his first HR as a Spartan and just his second collegiate home run with a solo shot at Western Michigan on March 28 ... Thompson is the eighth different Spartan with a round-tripper this season ... Thompson added a solo homer vs. Western Illinois on April 15.
• Junior outfielder Greg Ziegler cracked the first HR of his Spartan career in the Spartan win at Notre Dame on April 11 ... Ziegler added a solo homer to lead off seventh stanza vs. Western Illinois on April 14 and another at Michigan on April 23 for three HR in the last nine games.
• Junior infielder Trent Farquhar knocked his first HR of the season and the eighth of his Spartan career, leading off the top of the eighth.
• With Ziegler and Farquhar's first HRs of the season, a total of 10 different Spartans now have at least one HR this season, as MSU has 41 total home runs.
DOUBLE-DIGITS IN HITS AND RUNS AND HIIIIIIITTTS AND RUUUUUNNNNNSSSS COLUMNS
• MSU has posted double-digit runs in 12 games this season, having a season-long streak of three games in a row halted with single-digit runs in the loss to Purdue Fort Wayne on April 19 ... two of the Spartans' top four runs totals have come against Michigan in either a neutral or away contest.
•Michigan State is 11-0 when scoring double-digit runs.
Double Digit Runs In Order Of Occurrence:
--15 runs vs. Michigan on Feb. 17 in season-opener
--13 runs at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--Season-high 19 runs at Charleston Southern on March 4
--10 runs vs. Kansas on March 11
--10 runs at Indiana State in G2 of DH on March 19
--12 runs vs. Purdue in G2 of DH on March 26
--10 runs at Rutgers on April 1
--16 runs vs. Ohio State in G2 of DH on April 8
--10, 12 and 11 runs vs. Western Illinois in three-game series April 14-15
--14 runs at Michigan on April 23
Double Digit Runs By Total
--Season-high 19 runs at Charleston Southern on March 4
--16 runs vs. Ohio State in G2 of DH on April 8
--15 runs vs. Michigan on Feb. 17 in season-opener
--14 runs at Michigan on April 23
--13 runs at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--12 runs vs. Purdue in G2 of DH on March 26
--10, 12 and 11 runs vs. Western Illinois in three-game series April 14-15
--10 runs vs. Kansas on March 11
--10 runs at Indiana State in G2 of DH on March 19
--10 runs at Rutgers on April 1
• The Spartans had a streak of double-digits hits halted at seven-straight games with only seven hits in the game vs. Western Michigan on March 22 and then had their first back-to-back game with single-digit hits with only nine in game one of the series vs. Purdue, but then got back on track with 10 and 13 hits in games two and three, respectively, and added 11 hits at Western Michigan on March 28, before coming up one hit shy in each of the three contests at Rutgers March 31-April 2 ... after five games with single-digit hits, the Spartans got back to their double-figure hit ways and are currently on a six-game streak with double-digits in the hit column with 16 vs. Ohio State in G2 of the DH on April 8, 14 at Notre Dame on April 11, 10 vs. Oakland a day later, then 10, 12 and 14 hits in the three games vs. Western Illinois April 14-15 ... overall, MSU has had 10+ hits a total of 23 total times in the 37 games this season.
--Season-high 19 hits at Charleston Southern on March 4
--18 hits vs. Michigan on Feb. 17
--16 hits vs. Ohio State in G2 of DH on April 8
--15 hits (four times): vs. Fresno State on Feb. 19; at Grand Canyon on Feb. 20; vs. Wofford on March 8; at Michigan on April 23
--14 hits (four times): both games of DH at Indiana State on March 19; at Notre Dame on April 11; vs. Western Illinois on April 15
--13 hits vs. Purdue in G2 of DH on March 26
--12 hits at USC Upstate on Feb. 24; vs. Western Illinois on April 15
--11 hits (four times): at Presbyterian on Feb. 26; vs. Air Force on March 6 and vs. Kansas on March 11; at Western Michigan on March 28.
--10 hits (four times): vs. Western Carolina in both meetings on March 10 and March 11; vs Purdue in G1 of DH on March 26; vs. Oakland on April 12; vs. Western Illinois on April 14
--MSU is 19-3 when posting double-digit hits.
• Michigan State has posted both double-digit hits and runs in 11 games:
--15 runs on 18 hits vs. Michigan on Feb. 17 in season-opener
--13 runs on 12 hits at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--Season-high 19 runs on season-high 19 hits at Charleston Southern on March 4
--10 runs on 10 hits vs. Kansas on March 11
--10 runs on 14 hits in G2 of DH at Indiana State on March 19
--12 runs on 13 hits in G2 of DH vs. Purdue on March 26
--16 runs on 16 hits in G2 of DH vs. Ohio State on April 8
--10 runs on 10 hits vs. Western Illinois on April 14
--12 runs on 12 hits of G1 of DH vs. Western Illinois on April 15
--11 runs on 14 hits of G2 of DH vs. Western Illinois on April 15
--14 runs on 15 hits at Michigan on April 23
--Michigan State is 11-0 when posting double-digit runs and double-digit hits in same game.
MSU TEAM NOTES
• Michigan State is hitting .312 as a team, which leads the Big Ten and ranks 19th in the NCAA ... the Spartans are also third in the league and 26th in the nation in on-base percentage (.414) ... MSU is also third in the conference and 59th in the country in slugging percentage (.494).
• The Spartans are also fourth in the B1G and rank 52nd in the NCAA in hits with 399.
• MSU tops the B1G and ranks fifth in the NCAA in total triples (20), while also leading the league and ranking fourth in the nation in triples per game (0.54).
• The Spartans are third in the B1G and 69th in the country in stolen bases (57) and also third in the league and 60th in the nation in stolen bases per game (1.54).
• Michigan State ranks seventh in the conference in home runs (41), along with sixth in the league in total runs (281) and ninth in doubles (69).
• Michigan State is averaging 10.5 hits and 7.6 runs per game.
• MSU's pitching staff is third in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (4.29), while ranking sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.85) and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.9).
SPARTAN PLAYER NOTES
• MSU's bats are led by their infield, as first baseman Brock Vradenburg tops the team with a .430 average, while second baseman/shortstop Trent Farquhar is second at .368.
• Infielders also make up three of the top five leaders in runs scored in Vradenburg (1st-48) Farquhar (2nd-43) and junior shortstop Mitch Jebb (4th-29) ... Spartan infielders also have three of top five team marks for RBI, in Vradenburg (1st-50), back-up first baseman/DH Sam Busch (T-2nd-31) and Farquhar (5th-25) ... infielders also have three spots for total bases in Vradenburg (1st-115), Farquhar (2nd-73) and Jebb (5th-62).
• Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List member, junior first baseman Brock Vradenburg leads the B1G and ranks 10th in the NCAA in batting average (.430) ... Vradenburg also ranks tops in the B1G and ninth in the NCAA in hits per game (1.74), while also ranking tops in the conference and 20th in the country overall in hits (64) ... the Spartan first baseman also is second in the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.2889 ... Vradenburg also is first in the B1G and 26th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.517), along with ranking third in the league and 22nd in the nation in slugging percentage (.772), as well as tied for ninth in the conference in home runs (10) ... he also ranks third in the league and 19th in the nation in total bases (115) ... he is also third in the B1G and 28th in the NCAA in RBI (50), while ranking second in the league and 31st in the country in RBI/game (1.35) ... he also is second in the B1G and 41st in the NCAA in runs (48), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (43) ... Vradenburg is also eighth in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (8.3 AB per K on just 18 Ks in 149 AB) ... he also is second in the league and on the team in triples with four, ranking tied for 24th in the nation, trailing teammate Mitch Jebb (5), just ahead of teammates Sam Busch and Casey Mayes (3).
• Junior second baseman Trent Farquhar is third in the B1G and 71st in the NCAA in doubles (14), along with third in the league and 78th in the nation in doubles per game (0.38) ... Farquhar also is eighth in the league and 133rd in the nation in batting average (.368), and also ninth in the B1G and 142nd in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.471) ... additionally, he ranks ninth in the conference in runs (43), just behind teammate Brock Vradenburg (48), and also ranking sixth in the league in runs per game (1.16) ... Farquhar is also sixth in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (8.4 AB per K), with just 18 strikeouts in 152 ABs ... the Spartan second baseman is also sixth in the conference and 87th in the country in hits (56), while ranking sixth in the B1G and 66th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.51).
• Junior infielder Mitch Jebb leads the B1G and tied for seventh in the NCAA in triples with five, ahead of teammate Brock Vradenburg (4), and teammates Sam Busch/Casey Mayes (3) and Jacob Anderson (2) ... Jebb also leads the league and ranks fifth in the nation in triples per game (0.16) ... Jebb is also third in the B1G and 67th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout (9.7 AB per K on 14 K in 136 AB) ... the Spartan shortstop is also tied for 12th in the league in stolen bases per game (0.34), with 11 swipes in 32 games played, ranking 11th in the B1G in total stolen bases (11).
• Senior outfielder Casey Mayes is tied with teammate Sam Busch for second on the team and third in the B1G in triples (3), while ranking tied for seventh in the league in triples per game (0.09) ... Mayes also is ninth in the conference in stolen bases (13) and tied for 11th in stolen bases per game (0.35).
• Behind the plate, Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List honoree sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker tops the B1G in caught stealing by (14), six more than the No. 2 spot ... at the plate, Broecker is also just outside the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories, including 23rd in on-base percentage (.442), 17th in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.013, and 18th in slugging percentage (.571) ... the Spartan catcher is also tied for 21st in the league in home runs (7).
• Junior outfielder Jack Frank is tied for fourth in the B1G in stolen bases (15) and sixth in stolen bases per game (0.41) ... Frank also is tied for 11th in the league in getting hit by a pitch (9) ... additionally, he is 15th in on-base percentage (.458), 24th in hits (45), tied for 25th in RBI (31) and tied for 25th in home runs (6).
• Freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa, junior Nick Powers and redshirt-sophomore pitcher Harrison Cook are all tied for ninth in the B1G in wins with four.
• Dzierwa, who was the B1G Freshman of the Week on April 10, is also 11th in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (2.64), along with 12th in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.73) and 13th in BAA (.261) ... he also is tied for seventh in the league in innings pitched (51.0), and is 21st in the conference in strikeouts, leading the Spartan staff with 41.
• Senior pitcher Andrew Carson is also tied for 11th in the league in batters SO looking (14).
• Senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush leads the B1G and ranks tied for 21st in the NCAA in saves (7).
RUSH-ING UP RECORD LISTS
Senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush currently has seven saves, which is second in the Big Ten and ranks tied for 21st in the NCAA.
Rush posted just two saves in 21 appearances in all of 2022 as part of only two total saves in 38 previous appearances through his first three years on the Spartan staff ... Rush registered five saves in eight appearances in March of 2023 season alone, and now with seven saves on the year, has cracked MSU's single-season top 10 list … the five saves would've led the Big Ten in saves overall and the five saves in the month would lead the Big Ten overall on its own at that point of the season.
Now with nine career saves, Rush has also moved into MSU's career top 10 saves list, joining former teammate Indigo Diaz as part of a seven-way tie for the No. 10 spot ... Diaz is currently in the NY Yankees minor league program and pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
BROECKER AND FRANK EARN WEEKLY AWARD RECOGNITION
• Michigan State baseball players Bryan Broecker and Jack Frank collected weekly award recognition on April 17 for their performances in MSU's 5-0 ledger in the week of action.
Broecker was tabbed to Collegiate Baseball's Players of the Week list, while Frank garnered Big Ten Conference Player of the Week accolades.
A sophomore catcher/third baseman from Chicago, Ill., Broecker picked up his first weekly award of the season by being named to the 11-player Collegiate Baseball's Players of the Week list. The accolade is his second national honor, accompanying being named to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List earlier this season.
Frank, a junior outfielder from Strongsville, Ohio, collected the first Big Ten award of his career.
Broecker posted a slash line of .467 / .556 / 1.267 and knocked four home runs on the week, including two in the comeback win on April 14 for his first career two-HR game, helping MSU rally from down 8-3 in sixth inning for a 10-9 win over Western Illinois.
He was also 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in second game of the DH on April 15, as the Spartans swept the twinbill and the weekend series over the Leathernecks, winning the doubleheader, 12-2 in seven innings and 11-1 in eight innings. The game included an hour and four-minute weather delay in the top of the eighth inning. The Spartan sophomore finished the weekend going 6-for-9 with half of his hits going for home runs, driving in five and scoring seven runs, drawing three walks. For the week, Broecker was 7-for-15 with six RBI and eight runs scored in playing in four of the five games.
Broecker played both catcher and third base last week, playing both in the Notre Dame game on Tuesday, while playing catcher in Friday's contest, and game two of the DH vs. Western Illinois on Saturday, including throwing out a potential base stealer, adding to his Big Ten lead for runners caught stealing, now at 14, six more than the No. 2 position.
Frank tallied a slash line of .588 / .682 / 1.118, logging 10 total hits in the five games, helping MSU go 5-0 as part of a six-game winning streak, averaging 2.0 hits, 1.6 RBI and 1.6 runs per game, boosted by going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored in game one of Saturday's 12-2 seven-inning run-rule victory over Western Illinois, hitting a HR in each game of the twinbill.
The junior outfielder notched at least one hit in each game, including multiple hits in three of the five games, highlighted by three hits in both games of Saturday's twin bill.
Frank started the week going 1-for-3 with two runs in MSU's win at Notre Dame Tuesday night, then went 2-for-3 with two RBI vs. Oakland on Wednesday, followed by 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored in Friday's comeback win over Western Illinois, helping MSU rally from down 8-3 in the sixth for a 10-9 win. He then went 6-for-8 with five RBI and five runs scored, belting a HR and a double in each game of Saturday's DH sweep of WIU. Frank was 3-for-4 with a HR and a double in each game with three RBI and two runs scored in game one's 12-2 seven-inning win, followed by 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in game two's 11-1 eight-inning run-rule shortened game.
Broecker and Frank jacked back-to-back HRs in the second inning of game two of Saturday's DH. Frank also drew two walks and was hit by a pitch three times, along with a stolen base.
BOSS EARNS 400TH VICTORY FOR MSU IN SPARTANS' WIN ON APRIL 7
• Michigan State baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. earned his 400th Victory for MSU in the Spartans' 7-1 win over Ohio State on April 7 at Jackson Field.
Boss becomes just the third Michigan State baseball coach to reach 400 Victories for MSU.
Boss joins John H. Kobs (576 wins; 1935-63) and Danny Litwhiler (489 wins; 1964-82) as the only Spartan baseball head coaches with 400 wins at Michigan State.
400 FOR BOSS
• MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. earned his 400th win at Michigan State in the Spartans' 7-1 win over Ohio State on April 7, 2023 at Jackson Field ... Boss picked up career win No. 400 on April 24, 2022 with the Spartans' 11-7 Victory for MSU at Northwestern ... Boss now has 432 career wins with 407 in his 14th year at MSU (2009-pres.) after 25 wins in his lone season at Eastern Michigan (2008) ... at the time of winning his 400th career win in 2022, Boss became the seventh active Big Ten head coach to reach 400 career wins and is now one of eight active B1G head coaches with 400+ career wins, becoming just the third B1G active head coach with 400 wins leading their current B1G team ... Boss also became the second active NCAA Division I head coach in the state of Michigan, joining close friend and former assistant coach Billy Gernon at Western Michigan, now with 422 (265 in his 13th season at WMU (2011-pres.) and 157 in nine seasons at Purdue Fort Wayne (2000-08), and is now one of three in the state, joined by first-year Michigan head coach Tracy Smith ... Boss also became the 103rd active Division I head coach to reach 400 career wins.
The 2023 season-opener vs. Michigan under Tracy Smith was the first of four B1G opponents this season under the leadership of a head coach with over 400 career wins, as MSU played at Rutgers and Steve Owens (March 31-April 2), at Michigan and Smith again (April 21-23) ... MSU will also play at Iowa and Rich Heller (May 12-14), at Illinois and Dan Hartleb (May 5-7) ... Michigan State doesn't play Minnesota and the Dean of the B1G coaches in John Anderson, nor playing Penn State and Rob Cooper.
Current Big Ten Head Coaches By Career Wins (as of 4/24/23)
John Anderson - Minnesota 1,357
Steve Owens - Rutgers 1,009
Rich Heller - Iowa 995
Tracy Smith - Michigan 826
Dan Hartleb - Illinois 525
Rob Cooper - Penn State 482
Jim Foster - Northwestern 436
Jake Boss Jr. - Michigan State 432
Current Big Ten Head Coaches By Wins At Current B1G Team (as of 4/24/23)
John Anderson - Minnesota 1,357
Dan Hartleb - Illinois 525
Jake Boss Jr. - Michigan State 407
Rich Heller - Iowa 305
Rob Cooper - Penn State 195
Rob Vaughn - Maryland 166
Jeff Mercer - Indiana 129
Steve Owens - Rutgers 95
Will Bolt - Nebraska 85
Greg Goff - Purdue 71
Tracy Smith - Michigan 21 (287 at Indiana (2006-14)
Bill Mosiello - Ohio State 20
Jim Foster - Northwestern 6
• With his 400th win at Michigan State, Boss became just the third Spartan head coach to reach 400 Victories for MSU.
Michigan State Baseball Coaches By Wins (as of 4/20/23)
John H. Kobs 576 1935-63 (39)
Daniel W. Litwhiler 489 1964-82 (19)
Jake Boss Jr. 407 2009-pres. (14th)
Thomas W. Smith 377 1983-95 (13)
Ted Mahan 256 1996-2005 (10)
SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE AND IT GAVE IN THE SPARTANS' FAVOR
• Michigan State entered the opening weekend of B1G play leading the league with 12 caught stealing by, while Purdue led the league in stolen bases, with 50 (2.6 per game) ... when the dust settled, the Spartan pitchers, catchers and defense didn't allow a stolen base to Purdue, with zero in three games ... meanwhile, the Spartans were 6-of-7 swiping bases, including two each by junior infielder Mitch Jebb, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Jack Frank.
DOUBLE THE WALK-OFFS FOR KARK
Junior infielder Dillon Kark has a walk-off inside-the-park home run to complete Michigan State's comeback in a 6-5 Victory for MSU over Western Carolina on March 10 in the opening game of the 2023 First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field in Greenville.
• Kark smacked his second walk-off home run in as many seasons, with a walk-off over-the-fence home run variety on March 18, 2022 for a 4-3 win over Houston Baptist, and Kark was also the last Spartan with a walk-off home run, and the last walk-off Victory for MSU was two days later, also over Houston Baptist, and matching Friday's score of 6-5.
MAYES AND JEBB TRIPLING WAY UP RECORD LIST
Senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior infielder Mitch Jebb have tripled their way into the Spartan record books and are both on the MSU career triples list.
Mayes currently has 12 triples for his career, tying for the No. 3 spot with Dave Veres (1991-94), with his third of the season and 12th of his career coming in the Western Illinois game on April 14.
Jebb knocked the 10th triple of his career, recently doing so at Michigan on April 21, joining a four-way tie for No. 10, joining Chris Roberts (2007-10), Alex Gagin (1989-92) and Abe Eliowitz (1931-33).
VRADENBURG ON 2023 GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
• Michigan State baseball's Brock Vradenburg has been named to the 2023 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, announced April 5 by USA Baseball, continuing the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country ... The list features 45 of the nation's best athletes from both college and high school baseball ... Vradenburg is one of only two players from Big Ten Conference teams on the 45-player list, joined by Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht.
Twenty-four athletes have played their way onto the list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on February 10. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue maintaining a rolling list of athletes throughout the season, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before the announcement of the semifinalists on May 22.
Vradenburg, a junior infielder from Pasadena, Calif., leads the B1G and ranks 12th in the NCAA in batting average (.442) ... Vradenburg also leads the B1G and ranks fifth in the NCAA in hits per game (1.84), while also leading the conference and 23rd in the country overall in hits (46) ... the Spartan first baseman also leads the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.294 ... Vradenburg also tops the B1G and ranks 29th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.525) along with ranking second in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.769), as well as tied for sixth in the conference in home runs (7) ... he also ranks fourth in the league and 39th in the nation in total bases (80).
He is also fourth in the B1G and 62nd in the NCAA in RBI (34), while ranking fourth in the league and 39th in the country in RBI/game (1.36) ... he also is third in the B1G and leads the team in runs (33), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (29) ... Vradenburg is also third in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (10.4 AB per K) ... he also is tied for fifth in the league in triples (2), matching teammate Casey Mayes and trailing co-league leaders teammates Sam Busch and Mitch Jebb (3).
DZIERWA TABBED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
• Michigan State's Joseph Dzierwa collected the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award, the league office announced on April 10.
A native of Haskins, Ohio, Dzierwa picked up the first B1G weekly honor of his MSU career. The Spartan southpaw went 6.0 solid innings, yielding just three hits while allowing just one run, with four walks and four strikeouts to earn the win in Michigan State's 7-1 triumph over Ohio State on April 7 at Jackson Field. With the win, Dzierwa improved to 4-1 on the season, and helped lead the Spartans to head coach Jake Boss Jr. winning his 400th Victory for MSU.
Dzierwa was boosted by a pair of three-up, three-down frames, working a non-conventional 1-2-3 opening inning, yielding a one-out single, before inducing a 5-4-3, two-outs, one-play to end the opening frame. Dzierwa then book-ended the fourth inning with strikeouts, sandwiched around a flyout to Dresselhouse in center, who made a nice running shoe-top catch.
With the four wins, Dzierwa leads the MSU pitching staff in victories, as well as tied for fifth in the B1G in wins with four. He also is seventh in the league in innings pitched (42.2), and is just outside the top 10 in the conference in strikeouts, leading the Spartan staff with 35.
MSU'S BROECKER ON BUSTER POSEY NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CATCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST
• Michigan State catcher Bryan Broecker was tabbed to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List, announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
Broecker, a sophomore from Chicago, Ill., is one of four Big Ten catchers on the 65-player list, joined by Ohio State senior Cole Andrews, Nebraska sophomore Josh Caron, Indiana senior Matthew Ellis, as well as only one of 10 sophomores on the list.
"Bryan is an outstanding leader, and he is an extremely hard worker, who just continues to get better and better," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Last season, he led the Big Ten by throwing out 22 potential base-stealers, and had a very good year behind the plate for us last year and we expect that to continue into the 2023 season."
Last season, Broecker was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and was the Spartans' primary catcher all season, leading the B1G in caught stealing by nabbing 22 stolen base attempts, six more than the second spot. In B1G only action, Broecker threw out 11 base stealing attempts, also leading the league and posting three more than the number two spot.
At the plate, Broecker hit .271 overall, ranking tied for fifth on the team, as well as fourth on the team in runs scored (31) and fifth in hits (48), along with third in hit by pitch (7).
This season, Broecker already leads the B1G with nine caught stealing, including two at Charleston Southern on March 4 and three more vs. Air Force on March 6. The nine caught stealing by is four more than the next-best mark in the B1G. Broecker is also hitting .302 at the plate with two HR, one triple and one double, logging eight RBI.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• The Spartans played in their fourth different professional stadium on the night April 4 at Jackson® Field™ home of the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's in the 2023 Crosstown Showdown, and were topped in a seven-inning exhibition by a 12-3 final score.
The 2023 season opened with three games of the MLB Desert Invitational for MSU's first games played in two different professional stadiums ... overall, MSU is slated to now play seven official games and one exhibition contest in four different professional stadiums.
The Spartans also played four games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, taking on Wofford (March 8), then hosting the 2023 First Pitch Invitational on March 10-12 against Western Carolina and Kansas, having the final game vs. Kansas on March 12 rained out.
Last season, MSU played in five different professional stadiums, and playing 15 official games, along with one exhibition contest.
DANNY LITWHILER ELECTED TO MICHIGAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
• Legendary Michigan State baseball head coach Danny Litwhiler, the all-time winningest head coach in Spartan baseball history, will be joined by the all-time winningest head coach in Western Michigan baseball history, Fred Decker as the Class of 2023 for the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Decker and Litwhiler will be inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame at Jackson® Field™ on Friday, July 7, during the Lansing Lugnuts' game against the Lake County Captains.
The Class of 2023 was determined by vote of a nine-member committee comprising Joe Block, Mark Ditsworth, Fred Heumann, Mario Impemba, Bill Killian, Rich Maloney, Tim Staudt, Mark Uyl and Clyde Weir.
Originally founded on January 28, 2015, and housed at Jackson® Field™, the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame's mission is to honor the state's baseball heroes of yesterday, celebrate the national pastime today, and inspire the baseball fans and ballplayers of tomorrow. The Hall of Fame celebrates all levels of baseball, from youth to high school to college to the Major Leagues.
A special pre-game ceremony will see Decker's and Litwhiler's Hall of Fame plaques revealed beyond the left field wall. The full Western Michigan and Michigan State baseball families are invited to attend.
A native of Colon, Mich., Fred Decker first made his name at Western Michigan University as a two-time All-American outfielder, taking the Broncos to the 1963 College World Series. After coaching for two seasons at Portage Central, Decker returned to Kalamazoo to join the WMU staff. He was named Western Michigan head baseball coach in 1976, going on to win 791 games, 401 in the Mid-American Conference – both marks set MAC records. Over the course of his 29 years steering the Broncos, Decker's teams produced 95 MLB draftees. He led the Broncos to the 1982 and 1983 MAC West Division titles and the 1989 MAC championship, when he was named the MAC Coach of the Year and the Mideast Regional Coach of the Year.
Danny "Skip" Litwhiler made a name for himself through both success and invention during his 29 seasons at MSU. Following the end of his playing career, he turned to coaching, arriving in East Lansing from Florida State in 1964. Litwhiler went on to win 489 games and two Big Ten titles, making three NCAA Tournament appearances and producing 13 Major Leaguers, including Kirk Gibson, Rick Miller and Steve Garvey. He further impacted baseball by conducting clinics in over 10 countries and introducing the radar gun to gauge pitching velocity, Diamond Grit to dry wet fields and a special bat to hone bunting technique among more than 100 innovations. His coaching theory resonates to this day: Teach baseball, and then win.
For more information, visit michiganbaseballhall.org or call (517) 485-4500.
EARLY HOME OPENER
• Michigan State's March 22 home opener date was among the earliest home-openers in program history, as the fourth-earliest date for the first home game ... March 22 trails 2018's first home game of March 15, last season's March 18 date, and the 2009 season's March 20 opener, which was also the scheduled start date for the 2019 opener, but was postponed due to weather.
HOME OPENER SUCCESS
• With MSU's 8-3 win over Western Michigan on March 22, Michigan State has now won 10 of its last 11 home openers and the Spartans improved to 13-2 in their first game of the year played at McLane Stadium under head coach Jake Boss Jr. ... The 2021 season's home opening loss to Indiana snapped MSU's eight-game home opener winning streak.
OPENING WEEK IN THE DESERT
• MSU started the season at the 2023 MLB Desert Invitational in the Phoenix, Arizona area, beginning with a 15-8 win over Michigan in the season-opener on Feb. 17, then split a day-night doubleheader with Fresno State, winning 7-4, and Arizona, losing 7-1, to wrap up the Desert Invite action ... the Spartans then wrapped up the extended weekend with a 7-1 win at Grand Canyon on Monday, the same GCU team that upset No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday night ... MSU playing its third game in 24 hours, after playing a day-night doubleheader on Sunday that started at 1 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. ET, beating Fresno State, 7-4, Sunday afternoon before losing to Arizona, 7-1, in the night cap, then taking on Grand Canyon in an 11 a.m. MT / 1 p.m. ET start time, before MSU flew home to East Lansing Monday evening.
CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• MSU's travel theme music for three-straight weeks from Feb. 24-March 12 was James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" as the Spartans played three-straight weekends in the Palmetto State.
Michigan State started its South Carolina trips in Spartanburg, S.C. area, playing in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, facing three different teams in three days, rotating with fellow visiting teams Northwestern and Toledo in playing at USC Upstate, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian ... MSU opened the weekend in an all-Spartans clash vs. USC Upstate, winning, 13-6, followed by heading to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on Gardner-Webb on Feb. 25, dropping a 7-3 contest in the first-ever meeting between MSU and GWU ... Michigan State concluded the weekend in the Spartanburg area with an 8-6 loss at Presbyterian on Feb. 26, in MSU's first visit to Clinton since 1948.
The Spartans opened their Spring Break week in South Carolina in Charleston, S.C., losing at College of Charleston, 11-3, on Friday, March 3, before sinking the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, 19-10, on Saturday, March 4, then losing, 10-3, back at College of Charleston on Sunday, March 5 ... Air Force played those two teams on the other days that MSU was playing them, and the Spartans and Falcons met at scenic Shipyard Park on Monday, March 6 with AF winning, 7-4.
After the game on March 6, the Spartans bussed from Charleston to Greenville, arriving there Monday night at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox ... MSU played Wofford and lost in 12-9 thriller on Wednesday, March 8, as MSU rallied from being down 9-1 in the third, including a 5-run ninth inning and had the tying run in the on-deck circle when the game ended.
The Spartans hosted the 2023 First Pitch Invitational Friday-Sunday, March 10-12 at Fluor Field, opening action with a 6-5 Victory for MSU over Western Carolina on junior infielder Dillon Kark's walk-off inside-the-park home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth, as MSU rallied from down 5-3 after the seventh inning with two runs in the eighth to tie it before Kark's heroics for the win ... the Spartans then played a split twinbill on Saturday, March 11, beating Kansas, 10-6, in the opener, knocking three triples in the first inning as part of a 5-run first frame adding a run in the second for a 6-0 lead, only to see Kansas come back and tie it with six runs in the fourth, before pulling away with a 3-run seventh and a run in the eighth ... in the nightcap, MSU got a gem from sophomore pitcher Adam Berghorst with a career-high 11 Ks in 6.0 IP, more than doubling his previous career-best of five Ks, most recently done in his last outing on March 6 vs. Air Force, and first done on March 27, 2021 vs. Indiana ... the 11 strikeouts by Berghorst was the first MSU pitcher with 10 or more Ks since Nick Powers rang up 10 strikeouts against the same Western Carolina and almost a year to the day on March 12, 2022 ... Sunday's finale vs. Kansas was rained out and won't be made up.
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
• The 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the season-opener marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Spartans were victorious in their season-opener, getting back on the winning track after dropping last year's lid-lifter at UNLV following winning the previous three openers ... overall, MSU is 12-3 in the 15 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
TWO MSU BASEBALL PLAYERS EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Michigan State baseball players Brock Vradenburg and Dominic Pianto both collected weekly award honors from the Big Ten Conference, the league office announced on Feb. 21 for the opening week of the season. Vradenburg garnered Player of the Week accolades, while Pianto was tabbed Co-Pitcher of the Week.
Both Vradenburg and Pianto collected their first career weekly B1G honors for their performances over the weekend in Phoenix, helping MSU to a 3-1 record, marking the third-straight season that the Spartans have opened 3-1 or better. Vradenburg is MSU's first B1G Player of the Week Award since Mitch Jebb collected the honor on March 16 of last season, while Pianto is the first Spartan to earn B1G Pitcher of the Week since Sam Benschoter on April 27, 2021.
Vradenburg, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., hit .556 (10-for-18) for the weekend with four RBI, seven runs scored, with a double and triple, and also drawing two walks. He posted a .600 on-base percentage for the weekend, along with a .722 slugging percentage, logging three hits in three of the four games and had two RBI each in a pair of games, along with scoring at least two runs in three of the four games, adding three runs in the win over Fresno State.
The Spartans' first baseman started the season and the weekend going 3-for-5 with two ribbies and two runs scored in MSU's emotional win over Michigan, the Spartans' first game after the shooting on campus at MSU, as the Spartans rallied from down 5-1. He knocked in MSU first run of game with an RBI single in the first inning, then after drawing a walk in the third frame, roped a triple to the right-center gap in the fifth to spark the Spartan comeback, later scoring a run as well. In the eighth, he again sparked the rally leading off the inning with a single to center and two batters later scored the Spartans' first run of the inning, and later batted again in the inning, reaching on an RBI fielder's choice, part of a seven-run stanza.
Vradenburg went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the 7-1 Victory for MSU over Fresno State, including giving MSU the 3-2 lead when he scored in the third after a walk. He also sparked a Spartan rally in the fifth with a single to lead off the frame, coming around to score from first on a double by Jack Frank, then knocked a ground-rule double in the seventh into the bullpen down the right-field line. In the ninth, he laced a single and later came around to score MSU's final run of the game to secure the 7-4 win.
In the loss to Arizona, Vradenburg knocked his lone hit in the game with a single in the sixth.
He wrapped up the weekend going 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in the 7-1 win over Grand Canyon, the same team that beat No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday. Vradenburg got MSU's scoring going with an RBI single in the third inning for the Spartans' first run of the day, and came around to score the second and last run of the inning as the Spartans took a 2-0 lead. He started the Spartan rally in the seventh by leading off with a single and came around to score on a sac fly, and capped weekend with an RBI single in the eighth.
Pianto, a redshirt-sophomore relief pitcher from Hendersonville, Tenn., came on with two on and two outs in the first inning with MSU already down 2-0 to Fresno State in Sunday's game. He then went the remaining 8.1 innings of relief for a new career-long outing, ringing up a career-high tying four strikeouts, with just three hits and only yielding one earned run without a walk, as MSU rallied for a 7-4 triumph
The Spartan hurler rang up a total of five 3-up, 3-down innings in the eight innings he started the frame, starting with opening the second with back-to-back strikeouts, then worked around a one-out single in the fourth, another in-order inning in the fourth and fifth, ending with another K, before some defensive miscues led to Bulldog base runners in the sixth and scoring two runs, one earned, before getting out of the jam by fielding position on a comebacker and starting a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning. After retiring Fresno State in order in the seventh and eighth, he worked around a one-out single in the ninth, getting a popup and flyout to end the game and seal the Victory for MSU.
DOUBLE THE SPARTAN B1G AWARDS
• With Brock Vradenburg winning B1G Player of the Week and Dominic Pianto winning B1G Pitcher of the Week, it marked the first time since April 29, 2013 that two Spartan players collected weekly honors in the same week, when Blaise Salter collected Freshman of the Week accolades and Andrew Waszak was tabbed Pitcher of the Week ... it was the first time since Feb. 28, 2011 that two Spartans won both the Player and Pitcher awards in the same week, when Brandon Ecklerle was named the Player of the Week, while Kurt Wunderlich was the Pitcher of the Week.
MICHIGAN STATE ONE OF 10 SCHOOLS WITH A CFP, MF4 AND CWS APPEARANCE
• Michigan State is one of 10 schools in the country with a College Football Playoff, Men's Basketball Final Four appearance and a College World Series appearance, including one of three Big Ten Conference schools:
Michigan State
Florida State
Georgia
LSU
Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oregon
Washington
UP NEXT
• Michigan State resumes Big Ten action hosting Northwestern in a three-game B1G weekend series, Friday-Sunday, April 28-30 ... the series between the Spartans and Wildcats opens on Friday at 6:05 p.m., followed by Saturday's middle game of the series at 3:35 p.m., before Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11