Spartans Set Sights on Maverick Invitational
2/14/2024
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State aims to bounce back this weekend in Arlington, Texas playing five games over three days at the Maverick Invitational hosted by UT Arlington. MSU opens the invitational on Friday, Feb. 16 with games against DePaul and Kansas City before facing Boise State and UT Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Spartans conclude the weekend with an additional game against Boise State on Sunday, Feb. 18. It will be the first-ever meeting between Michigan State and Kansas City. Saturday's game against UT Arlington will stream on ESPN+.
WHO'S UP NEXT?
Follow along live with the Spartans this weekend
Sep 26, 2025 at 5 pmvs NorthwoodEast Lansing, Mich.
Sep 28, 2025 at 12 noonat ToledoToledo, OH
Oct 3, 2025 at 5 pmat Detroit MercyDetroit, MI
Oct 4, 2025 at 1 pmvs HillsdaleEast Lansing, Mich.
Oct 5, 2025 at 5:30 pmvs Lansing Community CollegeEast Lansing, Mich.
NOTES TO KNOW
ABOUT DEPAUL
The Blue Demons went 0-5 at UNCW last weekend losing games to Furman (6-3), UNCW (7-1), Queens (3-0), Northern Kentucky (8-5) and North Dakota State (3-2).
Brooke Cwick is hitting .389 to start the year to lead the team, following by .395 hitting for Addison Talbot and .333 hitting for Brooke Johnson. Johnson leads the team with two home runs and five RBI.
DePaul pitchers combined for a 3.28 ERA last weekend, with Bella Nigey and Katey Pierce each starting two games. Brenna Smith leads in ERA at 2.63 through 8.0 innings in the circle.
Former Spartan Bibianna Rodriguez plays for DePaul. The Blue Demons were picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST.
ABOUT KANSAS CITY
Kansas City went 0-6 at Hawaii last weekend falling to BYU (17-8), Nevada (2-1), Ole Miss (9-1), Hawaii (5-0), Nevada (5-1) and BYU (3-0).
Briona Woods hit .417 to pace the Roos last weekend following by Lexy Smith who hit .333 and Kadin Vire hitting .300. Kansas City hit .211 as a team.
Camryn Stickel led in the circle with a 1.84 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP over 26.2 innings of work. Stickel made four starts for Kansas City in six games striking out 10.
Sydney Nichols and Camryn Stickel were selected as players to watch in the Summit League.
ABOUT BOISE STATE
Boise State went 4-1 at the Kajikawa Classic last weekend defeating No. 20 Northwestern (4-3), St. Thomas (7-4), Arizona State (6-4) and Grand Canyon (3-1). The Broncos lone loss came against Wisconsin (9-0).
Pitcher Taylor Caudill was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week and NFCA National Pitcher of the Week. Caudill won each of her four appearances (three in relief) with a 0.33 ERA, 0.33 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Sophia Knight was named Mountain West Player and Freshman of the Week, batting .632 with 12 hits (three extra-base).
Boise State had three players (Taylor Caudill, Jordyn Hutchins, Mykenzie Hanna) selected for the preseason All-Mountain West team.
ABOUT UT ARLINGTON
UT Arlington went 2-4 at the Mardi Gras Mambo defeating Louisiana Monroe (1-0) and Southern (14-8). The Mavericks fell to Eastern Illinois (1-0), Southeastern Louisiana (3-0) and Nicholls (8-4).
Emma Lopez posted a team-best .438 batting average last week following by Lindsey Franklin's .412. Franklin leads the team with two home runs and eight RBI.
Gracie Bumpers threw a team-high 11.0 innings and leads with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP along with five strikeouts. Jessica Adams has a 2.71 ERA entering this weekend.
Marley Neises was named to the All-WAC preseason team for UT Arlington.
Back in action this weekend in Arlington, Texas!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/URv77OsyCp
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 12, 2024
SERIES HISTORY
DePaul
- Michigan State is 3-6 against DePaul with all games being played at a neutral site. MSU has not faced the Blue Demons since 2009.
- The Spartans last defeated DePaul, 4-2, on March 21, 1990.
Kansas City
- This marks the first meeting between MSU and Kansas City.
Boise State
- MSU is 0-2 all-time against Boise State, falling to the Broncos last season, 3-2, at Arizona State.
UT Arlington
- Michigan State is 1-2 against the Mavericks and have not faced UT Arlington since a 2-1 victory on Feb. 26, 1993.
LAST WEEKEND UPDATE
- The Spartans dropped games to Ohio, Marshall, FAU and then ranked No. 12/16 Arkansas at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida last weekend.
- MSU was in it late against Arkansas, FAU and Marshall losing closely contested battles.
- Michigan State fell 6-5 to the ranked Razorbacks after pulling within one run on a three-run home run by Britain Beshears. Hannah Hawley also homered in the contest as MSU out-hit Arkansas, 9-7.
- The Spartans got five shutout innings from Liv Grey against FAU on Sunday, but a late rally by the Owls sent MSU back to East Lansing.
- Jenae Wash, Hannah Hawley and Jaeya Butler all hit .333 for MSU last weekend.
Introducing Spartan softball season tickets!
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 5, 2024
Make your way to Secchia Stadium for all 12 of our home games this season!
???: https://t.co/aCowAlQD7Y#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/ohmhY0Mmnn
MSU WELCOMES 11 NEWCOMERS FOR 2024
- There are plenty of new faces on the Spartan roster in 2024 with 11 players set to make their MSU debuts.
- The 2024 class of newcomers includes seven transfers and four freshmen. MSU returned 12 players from 2023 to make up the 23 player roster.
- Alexis Ross (FIU), Liv Grey (Portland State), Kaelin Cash (Saint Joseph's), Sam Sutton, Mik Anthony (Salt Lake CC), Sierra Baldwin (North Carolina A&T) and Hannah Hawley (South Carolina) join the team as transfers.
- MSU's freshmen class is made up of infielders Jaeya Butler and Payton Conroy, and pitchers Makayla Huddleston and Ava Mullen. Butler ranked as the No. 46 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Innings Softball. Mullen was named Miss Softball for the state of Michigan in 2023.
WHO'S BACK?
- Michigan State's returners are highlighted by junior battery mates catcher Macy Lee and starting pitcher Faith Guidry.
- In total, The Spartans return eight players that made 15 or more starts a season ago.
- Guidry saw improvement across the board as a sophomore setting new career bests in innings pitched (107.0) and complete games (8), while making 27 appearances in the circle for MSU.
- Lee hit .297 as a sophomore along with a .388 on-base percentage which each ranked second on the team a season ago. Behind the plate Lee successfully caught six baserunners stealing.
In case you missed it, take a look back at Jaeya Butler's first career long ball!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/jw7RZTJWsM
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 11, 2024
SOFTBALL ADDS ONE TO MSU HOF
- Nance Lyons became the seventh member of the Michigan State softball program inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame this year, joining Gloria Becksford, Carol Hutchins, Deanna Moore, Patti Raduenz, Diane Spoelstra and Kathy Strahan.
- Lyons was a member of the 1976 AIAW National Championship team along with Becksford, Hutchins, Spoelstra and Strahan, defeating Northern Colorado, 3-0, in the eighth ever Women's College World Series.
SPARTANS SIGN EIGHT FOR 2025
- Ava Coffinger (Richland, Mich.), Carsyn Cassady (Pataskala, Ohio), Ella Cunningham (Cleveland, Tenn.), Hannah Herman (Buchanan, Mich.), Jacey Schuler (Antioch, Ill.), Jordan Credeur (Georgetown, Texas), Natalia Kenyatta (Madison, Ala.) and Sophia Holverstott (Byron Center, Mich.) will join the Spartans next season.
- Michigan State's recruiting class ranked No. 23 nationally via Extra Inning Softball and is ranked second among current B1G programs (Northwestern, No. 21).
- Coffinger, Schuler and Kenyatta all ranked in the EIS Top 100.
First home runs of the season today for Hannah Hawley and Britain Beshears!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/t5G33JseNr
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 10, 2024
SPARTANS ADD ASSISTANT COACHES
- MSU hired Bethaney Wells as its hitting coach in June 2023. Wells joins the Spartans from UNC Greensboro where she coached seven seasons under head coach Janelle Breneman.
- Wells helped UNCG to six SoCon regular season championships, three SoCon Tournament championships and three NCAA regional appearances, amassing an overall record of 233-124 in that span.
- Under Wells' guidance UNCG posted five of the program's top 10 seasons in total team runs, six of the top 10 seasons in total team home runs, six of the top 10 seasons in total team RBI and seven of the top 10 seasons in total team slugging percentage.
- After serving as a volunteer assistant coach for MSU last season, Destini England was elevated to a full-time assistant coaching role for 2024.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Next week Michigan State travels to Arlington, Texas for the Maverick Invitational hosted by UT Arlington.
- The Spartans are set for five games from Friday, Feb. 16 through Sunday Feb. 18, facing DePaul, Kansas City, Boise State (x2) and UT Arlington. It will be the first ever meeting between MSU and Kansas City (formerly UMKC).
- Former Spartan Bibianna Rodriguez plays for DePaul. The Blue Demons were picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST.
- Boise State had three players (Taylor Caudill, Jordyn Hutchins, Mykenzie Hanna) selected for the preseason All-Mountain West team.
- Marley Neises was named to the All-WAC preseason team for UT Arlington.
