Michigan State University
33-21
Rutgers
33-23
Michigan State Moves On In B1G Tournament With 6-4 Victory For MSU Over Rutgers
5/25/2023 8:06:00 PM | Baseball
Eighth-seeded Spartans register first upset of 2023 tourney; MSU’s first tournament win since 2016.
MSU's victory was the first upset of the tournament, as the previous games had all been won according to seeding. The win was also the Spartans' first B1G Tournament win since 2016, as MSU had gone 0-2 in its last tourney appearance in 2018. Overall, Michigan State is making its eighth appearance under head coach Jake Boss Jr., and the Spartans have won at least one game in six of those eight visits, as well as two games in four of the eight.
The win moves Michigan State to not just 33-21 on the season, but also advances the Spartans to Game 10 of the Tournament on Friday at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT vs.fourth-seeded Nebraska. The Huskers lost to top-seeded Maryland, 2-1 in 10 innings on a walk-off HR in a game that also included a weather delay of approximately an hour and a half.
That movin' on feeling!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
MSU advances in the @B1Gbaseball Tournament bracket with the 6-4 Victory for MSU over Rutgers!!#VictoryForMSU | #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/QVdJehiaTP
"I'm just really proud of our guys. We're excited that we get to hang around another day and do it again tomorrow. This is a great atmosphere and a beautiful ballpark," Boss said. "You really enjoy seeing these guys have success, and they're such a good group, and such a high-character group. They work hard and it's fun to watch them enjoy it, and that's just about as simple as its gets. They compete their tails off."
Rutgers is eliminated from the B1G Tournament, sliding to 33-23 with the loss. Thursday was the first-ever meeting in the B1G Tournament between the Spartans and Scarlet Knights, to complete MSU's B1G Tournament record against the other league opponents.Â
MSU took three of four from RU this season after winning the regular-season series, two games to one, in Piscataway on March 31-April 2, and the Spartans now lead the all-time series, 19-9.Â
Rush is the Spartans' closer, with 10 saves on the season, and had only pitched more than 2.0 IP in five of his 25 previous appearances this season. He came on in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out, and after yielding a sacrifice fly, rang up a strikeout to end the Scarlet Knights' rally and keep MSU within one at 4-3.Â
"Wyatt was unbelievable today. I asked him to do something that we haven't asked him to really do all year, and he came through for us," Boss said.
Rush went on to finish the game, going a career-high 4.2 IP with four Ks, spraying three hits and walking one while not allowing any runs in facing a career-high 19 batters, earning the win to improve to 5-0 on the season. It was Rush's second-straight outing without allowing a run and his 16th overall outing of the season without a run.
"That was a really, really good offense that we faced, and our defense is just lights out every single day. They work their tails off, day-in-and-day-out and my job is to throw it over home plate and make them put it in play," Rush said. "So it makes it really easy on me to have that many people on back behind you, and don't have to worry about punching anybody out, just let them hit the ball and let those guys pick it up."
While Rush was stymieing the Scarlet Knight bats, the Spartans' sticks got going, with a run in the fifth to tie it up and two in the eighth for the go-ahead and insurances runs.
Junior infielders Mitch Jebb and Brock Vradenburg combined for five hits, three RBI and two runs, with Jebb going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Vradenburg was 2-for-3 with two ribbies and scored a run. Vradenburg's first hit of the day was a double, posting his 22nd double of the year to tie the MSU single-season doubles record. Vradenburg is now tied with Blaise Salter (2014) and Chris McCuiston (2002) for the top spot on the double list.
Vradenburg for 2!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
Brock Vradenburg ties the MSU single-season doubles record with his 22nd #VradenDouble of the year! He ties Blaise Salter (2014) & Chris McCuiston (2002) for the top spot!#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @VradenburgBrock pic.twitter.com/1MtRqGsEnr
Sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch, junior infielder Dillon Kark, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler all had a hit apiece, with Ziegler drawing three walks, scoring two runs and driving in one. Kark and Mayes each scored a run. Redshirt-sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker had an RBI and also threw out a runner trying to steal, his B1G-leading 20th of the season.Â
MSU's batters drew seven walks and one hit by pitch, while posting 10 hits.
"I thought we did a really good job today just seeing different pitches and kind of working counts more than we would like to and that's kind of what we tried to come into today, especially with different pitchers and reading scouting reports," Vradenburg said. "We were just being selective and sitting in different zones and follow up with what we wanted to do at the plate. We did a good job today of tracking pitches and then giving feedback in the dugout with what we were seeing, and what sides of the plate they were working."
Rush finished off the game that began with senior starter Andrew Carson going 4.1 IP, scattering six hits, two runs, no walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Joseph Dzierwa and sophomore Harrison Cook bridged the gap between Carson and Rush.
The Spartans put a one up on the scoreboard in their first at bat, as Vradenburg laced a two-out double down the left field line that was just a few blades of grass fair. Jebb followed by knocking an infield single and an error on the throw allowed Vradenburg to scamper around and score and give MSU an early 1-0 lead.
Rutgers scored a run in the second on three singles to tie it up at 1-all.
Jebb nearly single-handedly manufactured a run in the fourth, leading off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, all with Broecker at bat. Broecker then hit a fly ball to deep left field for a sacrifice fly to drive in Jebb for a 2-1 Spartan advantage.Â
Mid 4th |
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
MSU 2
RU 1
Jebb leads off w/ single, steals 2nd, takes 3rd on wild pitch and scores on Broecker sac fly.
Carson back to bump for B4.#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @jebb_mitch | @BryanBroecker pic.twitter.com/SIZxFLbNxz
Ziegler sparked a run-manufacturing frame in the fifth, leading off with a walk and taking second on a wild pitch, and Frank later walked. Two batters later, Vradenburg knocked a single to right to plate Ziegler to put the Green & White ahead, 3-1.Â
Mid 5th |
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
MSU 3
RU 1
Spartans add insurance run as Vradenburg knocks RBI single up middle, plating Ziegler who led off frame w/ a walk.
Back to work goes Carson for B5th.#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @GKZ27 | @VradenburgBrock pic.twitter.com/ukoVOLDlVG
Rutgers put together a rally in the home half of the fifth, with two hits and aided by MSU issuing two walks and a hit batter, before Rush came on and after inducing a sac fly, chalked up a strikeout to end the rally, keeping the Scarlet Knights within striking distance at 4-3.
Mayes laid down a two-out bunt single in the sixth, and took second on a throwing error on the play. Ziegler followed with an RBI single to left and Mayes darted around third and home to knot the game up again, this time at 4-4.
Mid 6th |
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
MSU 4
RU 4
Spartans tie it back up on Ziegler RBI single, driving in Mayes who reached on bunt single and went to 2nd on error.
Rush back to work in B6th.#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @caseymayes3 | @GKZ27 pic.twitter.com/BAHytv2P4j
In the eighth, Kark sparked the Spartan rally with a single, two batters later Ziegler drew a walk, preceding an RU pitching change. After a strikeout, Farquhar drew a walk to fill the bases full of Spartans, and Vradenburg followed with an RBI walk to bring Kark in with the go-ahead run. Following another Scarlet Knight pitching change, Jebb drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Ziegler in and put the Spartans on top, 6-4.
Rush ensured that MSU didn't relinquish the lead it worked to get, with a 1-2-3 inning, with two strikeouts and flyout.
The Spartans were retired in order as well in the top of the ninth, setting up the bottom of the ninth, and a hit by pitch preceded a one-out walk and intensified the drama. However Rush put the clamps on a Scarlet Knight rally by inducing a flyout and a groundout to Farquhar at second to spark the Victory for MSU celebration.
VICTORY FOR MSU!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 25, 2023
Final score of @B1Gbaseball Tournament game:
Michigan State 6, Rutgers 4
High fives and handshakes all around as Spartans survive and advance with first tourney win since 2016!!! #VictoryForMSU | #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/RX2XEIMQwt
Friday's MSU game and all of the 2023 B1G Baseball Tournament will be televised on Big Ten Network, and MSU's games will also be carried on the Spartan Media Network, and "Listen Live" links, as well as "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" will be available on MSUSpartans.com.
MSU's and the B1G Tournament schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rush, Wyatt (5-0)
L: Marshall, Jake (5-2)
Batting:
2B: Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1
RBI: Vradenburg, Brock 2 ; Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Broecker, Bryan 1 ; Ziegler, Greg 1
SH: Farquhar, Trent 1
SF: Broecker, Bryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Kark, Dillon 1 ; Mayes, Casey 1 ; Ziegler, Greg 2
SB: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Ziegler, Greg 1
HBP: Vradenburg, Brock 1
Batting:
2B: Kuroda-Grauer, Josh 1
RBI: Sleight, Evan 1 ; Axelson, Andy 1 ; Cohen, Trevor 1 ; Sweeney, Jordan 1
SH: Cohen, Trevor 1
SF: Cohen, Trevor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kuroda-Grauer, Josh 1 ; Lasko, Ryan 1 ; Brito, Chris 1 ; Axelson, Andy 1
SB: Lasko, Ryan 1
CS: Sleight, Evan 1
HBP: Lasko, Ryan 1 ; Axelson, Andy 2
