Photo by: Ben Clemens
MSU Baseball Opens Spring Break Trip In Port Charlotte, Fla., At Snowbird Classic
2/22/2024 4:24:00 PM | Baseball
MICHIGAN STATE (1-3, 0-0 B1G) at 2024 SNOWBIRD BASEBALL CLASSIC) | |
Location | Centennial Park || Port Charlotte, Fla. |
Tickets | Snowbird Class Tickets |
Weather | High/Low -- Fri: 77° / 58° | Sat: 74° / 48° |
Game Notes | MICHIGAN STATE | INDIANA STATE | MARSHALL |
Social Media | ![]() ![]() |
Television | None |
Game 1 | Friday, Feb. 23 | 12 p.m. ET |
Probable Pitching Match-Up | ISU: TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #16 SO LHP Joseph Dzierwa (0-0, 3.60 ERA) |
Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live ($) | No Listen Live Options |
Game 2 | Friday, Feb. 23 | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Probable Pitching Match-Up | MU: #19 SR RHP Drew Harlow (0-1, 16.20 ERA) MSU: #28 SR RHP Aaron Mishoulam (0-1, 1.80 ERA) |
Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live ($) | No Listen Live Options |
Game 3 | Saturday, Feb. 24 | 4 p.m. ET |
Probable Pitching Match-Up | MU: #32 5th RHP Carter Lyles (0-0, 3.37 ERA) MSU: #46 SR LHP Nick Powers (0-1, 1.80 ERA) |
Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live ($) | No Listen Live Options |
• Michigan State opens its Spring Break trip by participating in the 2024 Snowbird Classic Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24 in Port Charlotte, Fla., at Centennial Park, playing Indiana State and Marshall. MSU will take on Indiana State in the opener on Friday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. and Marshall at 3:30 p.m. in the second game of the twinbill. On Saturday, Feb. 24, MSU meets Marshall at 3:30 p.m.
• Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com, with video streaming available for all three MSU games for a registration fee.
BOSS IN SWEET 16th SEASON WITH SPARTANS
• Head coach Jake Boss Jr. is in his 16th year at Michigan State and 17th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2024 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons ... Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins in 859 games.
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
• Between last season's 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the season-opener and last week's10-3 win over Merrimack, the Spartans have been victorious in their season-opener in five of the last six seasons ... overall, MSU is now 13-3 in the 16 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
LIGHTIN' UP THE SCOREBOARD ON OPENING DAY
• The Spartans' 10 runs on Opening Day last Friday in the 10-3 Victory for MSU was Michigan State's second-straight season-opener scoring 10+ runs after hanging 15 runs in 2023 opener ... MSU has now plated double-figure runs in its season-opener five times in the 16 seasons under Coach Boss, joining 2012 (W, 11-4 vs. St. Johns), 2016 (W, 11-5 vs. Presbyterian), 2020 (W, 15-3 vs. Morehead State), 2023 (W, 15-8 vs. Michigan) and now 2024 (W, 10-3 vs. Merrimack).
BIG INNING IN OPENER
• In the 10-3 win over Merrimack, MSU had a six-run ninth inning to break the game open, sending nine batters to the plate, scoring six runs on five hits, and taking advantage of two Merrimack errors.
• The big inning against Merrimack marked the second-straight opener that MSU plated four or more in the game, as the Spartans had two big innings in the 2023 opener, with a five-run sixth stanza and a 7-run eighth inning in the 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in Phoenix, Ariz.
DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS SPARK SUCCESS
• With MSU's 10 runs in the season-opener, the Spartans are 33-0 in the last four seasons and have won 35 in a row when scoring 10+ runs ... Michigan State is now 1-0 in 2024, after going 14-0 in 2023, 9-0 in 2022, 7-0 in 2021, 2-0 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, 1-0 in 2019 ... MSU was 3-1 in 2018, with the last loss coming in a 12-10 loss to Niagara on March 18, 2018, then starting the current streak by winning two other times in posting 10 or more runs.
Spartans 🤝 Florida
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) February 22, 2024
MSU has arrived in Port Charlotte and practice is underway in prep for this weekend's @Snowbirdbasebal Classic!!#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/oXJjzXlUAi
SUMMER OLYMPIC YEAR MEANS SPARTANS IN SUNSHINE STATE
• Michigan State's previous two trips to Florida have come in recent summer Olympic Years of 2012, 2016 and 2020, as MSU is making it first trek to the Sunshine State since 2020, when the Spartans played in the Pensacola Cox Diamond Invite in Pensacola, Fla, at Blue Wahoos Stadium, going 1-2, after opening with a 1-0 win over Troy, the Spartans lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-3, and Samford, 5-3.
• MSU is also playing in Port Charlotte for the first time since 2016, which was also the last time that the Spartans played in the Snowbird Classic, winning five games ... Michigan State beat Illinois State, 15-0; Florida Gulf Coast, 7-6; Butler, 9-2; St. Joseph's, 8-7; and North Dakota State, 9-5 ... the Green & White also played in the 2012 Snowbird Classic, going 2-1 after beating Xavier, 8-5 and Seton Hall, 4-3, before losing to Pittsburgh, 3-1.
• The Spartans are 25-14 under Coach Boss in Florida between games in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, playing in the Snowbird Classic in 2012 and 2016, along with games at several Florida teams ... MSU has won six of its last eight and nine of its last 14 games played in Florida.
FRANK FLYING ON BASEPATHS AND IN RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank entered the 2024 season with 33 stolen bases, starting the season ranked No. 12 on MSU's career stolen bases list.
• Frank swiped four bases in the opening weekend to vault up to tie for No. 10 on the list, tying Danny Gleaves (2017-20), and just one from former teammate Mitch Jebb (2021-23) at No. 9 with 38 swipes.
• Of Frank's four stolen bases in the opening weekend, three came in the Opening Day win over Merrimack ... Frank became the first Spartan with three stolen bases in one game since Danny Gleaves swiped a trio of bases on May 5, 2018 at Penn State.
For the first time ever... Spartan Baseball season tickets are now on sale!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) February 5, 2024
Be part of the inaugural Spartan season ticket group:
🎟️: https://t.co/xvi0feX7pB
📰: https://t.co/GoailBn5oM#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/a4pyOtdBLN
CHALKIN' UP CAREER-HIGH STRIKEOUTS
• Two Spartan pitchers registered career-highs in the opening weekend:
-- Sophomore starter Joseph Dzierwa rang up career-high nine strikeouts in start vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 17, bettering previous career-best of eight Ks on March 19, 2023 vs. Indiana State.
-- Junior reliever Noah Matheny rang up six strikeouts in 4.0 IP vs. Lehigh on Feb. 17, striking out the side in two innings as part of retiring all 12 Mountain Hawk batters he faced ... Matheny's previous MSU career-high was five Ks in 5.0 IP vs. Arizona on Feb. 19, 2023 in Phoenix, Ariz.
-- Sophomore starter Nolan Higgins chalked up a career-best seven Ks in Opening Day start vs. Merrimack, topping previous career-high of six Ks vs. Oakland on April 12, 2023.
-- Sophomore reliever Robert Klann collected three Ks in 2.0 IP vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 17, for his first multi-strikeout outing of his career and bettering his previous career-best of one K vs. Wofford on March 8, 2023.
• Three other Spartan pitchers had smashing debuts:
-- Senior Aaron Mishoulam made first start in the Green & White and went 5.0 IP and chalked up seven strikeouts against Lehigh on Feb. 17.
-- Sophomore Tommy Szczepanski made MSU debut in the season-opener vs. Merrimack on Feb. 16, striking out the side to secure the 10-3 Victory for MSU ... Szczepanski also came on in relief in the game vs. Lehigh, adding a pair of punchouts in 1.1 IP.
-- Freshman Logan Pikur made his collegiate debut in the season-opener vs. Merrimack on Feb. 16, tallying two Ks in 1.0 IP ... Pikur also added one more K in 1.2 IP vs. Ball State on Feb. 18.
FIRST ROUND-TRIPPERS
• Two Spartans smashed their first home runs of their Green & White career in MSU's 10-3 win over Merrimack on Opening Day:
-- Junior transfer catcher Noah Bright bashed his first home run coming in his first ever game as a Spartan, smacking a solo shot to left field in the sixth inning, to tie it up at 4-all.
-- Sophomore Jake Dresselhouse belted the first home run of his MSU career in the sixth inning to put the Spartans on top for good at 5-4.
JOINING IN THE DEBUT PARTY
• Junior transfer outfielder Nick Williams was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in his MSU debut.
BACK-TO-BACK TWICE
• Michigan State went back-to-back twice in the 10-3 Victory for MSU over Merrimack on Opening Day, with junior catcher Noah Bright and Jake Dresselhouse going back-to-back in the sixth inning, then junior infielder Sam Busch and sophomore infielder Jacob Anderson knocking back-to-back homers in the ninth.
FAMILIAR FACE AND FOE
• Along with Michigan State's returners being familiar with the Indiana State returning players having played the Sycamores in a weather-shortened two-game weekend series last season, MSU is also familiar with ISU redshirt junior pitcher Adam Berghorst, who transferred to Terre Haute in the offseason.
• Berghorst was a two-sport player at MSU, also playing on the Michigan State football team for three seasons (2019-21), and was a tight end and defensive end, seeing action in five games, including the Spartans' Pinstripe Bowl victory in 2019, playing in Yankee Stadium, and becoming the first Spartan to play games for both the football and baseball teams at the same time appears since 1990 when Duane Young in 1990... Berghorst played in six games of the 2021 football season to earn his second letter, before missing remainder of season with an injury.
• On the baseball diamond, Berghorst made 12 appearances with eight starts in 2023, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.94 ERA, with 36 Ks and 23 BB in 31.0 IP ... he fired career-high 11 strikeouts in 6.0 IP vs. Western Carolina (March 11) in Greenville, s, more than doubling his previous career-best of five Ks.
• In the classroom, Berghorst was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
On the road again… Spring Break in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina here we come! #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/DM237QXTdB
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) February 22, 2024
CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Once again as in seasons past, MSU's travel theme music for the first few weeks of the season is James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" as last weekend's opening weekend of the season is the first of three weekends out of the first four weekends that the Spartans will be playing in the Palmetto State, and this weekend's action in Florida is the only non-South Carolina weekends during MSU's first four weeks of the season.
MSU played in the Swig & Swine Classic last weekend, opening Friday, Feb. 16 vs. Merrimack and winning, 10-3. The Spartans then had twinbill on Saturday, Feb. 17, squaring off with Seton Hall and falling, 10-4, and Lehigh, dropping a 2-0 contest. MSU then wrapped up the weekend action on Sunday, Feb. 18 losing a battle against Ball State in a 4-1 ballgame.
Michigan State is participating in the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla., this weekend, playing Indiana State and Marshall, taking on Indiana State in the opener on Friday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. and Marshall at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 24, MSU meets Marshall at 3:30 p.m.
Following playing at Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Spartans return to their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., to play in the First Pitch Invitational I Friday-Sunday, March 1-3, taking on Western Michigan on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m., then facing Florida State on Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m., before finishing up the weekend playing Illinois on Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m.
After traveling back to East Lansing for classes, the Spartans return to Greenville for the First Pitch Invitational II Friday-Sunday, March 8-10, tangling with VCU on Friday, March 8 at 2 p.m. then playing Western Carolina in a twinbill on Saturday, March 9 starting at 10 a.m. MSU then wraps up not just the weekend, but action at both Fluor Field and its South Carolina swing on Sunday, March 10 at 10 a.m. against Western Michigan.
140TH SEASON OF MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL
Michigan State is playing its 140th season of baseball in 2024. The first season of Spartan baseball was 1884, going 4-2 in the six-game schedule, and baseball has been played every season since, with only no varsity in 1944 due to World War II. MSU currently has an all-time record of 2,453-2,022-30 (.548) in 4,504 games played.
70TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1954 MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES TEAM
Michigan State will be celebrating the 1954 Spartan team that won the Big Ten Championship en route to the College World Series, the first and only trip to the CWS by MSU.
The 1954 season was one for the ages as the Spartans won their first Big Ten Championship, ran through the NCAA tournament en route to a College World Series 3rd place finish, and completed the season with a then school-record 25-10-1 record behind the leadership of Spartan legend John Kobs. The '54 team featured three future Major League players in Ed Hobaugh, Bob Powell, and College World Series MVP Tom Yewcic, and future NFL quarterback and 1968 NFL MVP Earl Morrall.
After winning the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans defeated Ohio University to earn its first bid to the College World Series. Michigan State won its first two games of the CWS, beating Massachusetts, 16-5, then topping Arizona, 2-1, before dropping a close game to Rollins College, 5-4. The Spartans rebounded to beat Rollins in extra innings 3-2 before dropping the season finale to eventual champion Missouri, 4-3, on a controversial call late in the game on a foul tip that wasn't called and led to the winning run crossing the plate.
2024's RETURNING NUMBERS FROM 2023 ON THE MOUND
• Michigan State's pitching staff returns at least three of its top five leaders in five of six pitching categories:
ERA:
3. Nick Powers 4.21
5. Harrison Cook 5.40
Opposing Batting Avg.
1. Nick Powers .228
T3. Harrison Cook .250
T3. Gavin Sitarz .250
5. Nolan Higgins .257
Wins
1. Joseph Dzierwa 6
T2. Harrison Cook 5
T2. Nick Powers 5
5. Nolan Higgins 5
Innings Pitched:
1. Joseph Dzierwa 74.1
2. Nick Powers 62.0
3. Harrison Cook 58.1
Strikeouts:
1. Joseph Dzierwa 60
T4. Nick Powers 41
T4. Nolan Higgins 41
SO Looking:
2. Joseph Dzierwa 17
3. Nick Powers 14
4. Noah Matheny 12
OFFENSIVE NUMBERS RETURNING
• On the flip side, MSU's offensive numbers also have returners, with at least one returning in each of the 12 major offensive categories.
Batting Avg:
4. Christian Williams .333
Slugging Pct.:
5. Sam Busch .476
On-Base Pct.:
5. Jack Frank .418
Runs Scored:
3. Jack Frank 48
Hits:
4.Jack Frank 61
RBI:
2. Jack Frank 45
Doubles:
4. Jack Frank 11
Triples:
T4. Dillon Kark 3
T4. Sam Busch 3
Home Runs:
T3. Jack Frank 7
T3. Sam Busch 7
5. Dillon Kark 6
Total Bases:
4. Jack Frank 93
Hit By Pitch:
T1. Jack Frank 11
T3. Dillon Kark 9
Stolen Bases:
1. Jack Frank 19
4. Greg Ziegler 10
THREE SPARTANS TABBED TO B1G BASEBALL PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Three Michigan State baseball players earned Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch honors, as the conference announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Wednesday, ahead of Friday's 2024 season-opening action around the league.
The conference coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.
Senior pitcher Nick Powers, senior outfielder Jack Frank and sophomore Joseph Dzierwa collected preseason recognition for the Spartans.
Powers, a Flushing, Michigan native, now has two Big Ten honors, after collecting B1G All-Freshman Team accolades. He also has garnered B1G honors in the classroom, as he is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognition.
Last season, Powers finished third in the B1G in both fewest runs allowed (29) and WHIP (1.15); fifth in opposing batting average (.228), fewest earned runs allowed (29) and fewest hits allowed (51), seventh in fewest walks allowed (20) and 10th in ERA (4.21). In B1G-only action, Powers was fifth in fewest runs allowed (18), seventh in fewest walks allowed (10th), ninth in both ERA (4.12) and fewest earned runs allowed (18), as well as 10th in opposing batting average (.240).
Powers posted a 5-3 record with 11 starts in 15 appearances, logging 41 strikeouts in 62.0 IP. He fired three or more strikeouts in six appearances, including in four-straight outings, highlighted by season-high six Ks in the win over Northwestern (April 30).
Entering his senior season, Powers has 122 career strikeouts, needing 58 Ks to crack MSU's career top 10 strikeouts list.
Frank, a Strongsville, Ohio native, earns the first B1G accolade on the diamond. He earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District last season and is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree.
Last season, Frank started all 55 games, one of four Spartans to start and play in all 55 games, starting all 55 games in right field, and was one of three Spartans to start every game at same position (Brock Vradenburg at 1B and Casey Mayes at LF). Frank is the lone returning Spartan of those four that played in all 55 games.
Frank finished sixth on the team with a .299 average, adding a .456 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage. He led MSU and ranked sixth in the B1G with 19 stolen bases. Frank was also second on MSU and 29th in the B1G in RBI (45), as well as third on team and 26th in B1G in runs scored (48), along with fourth on MSU and 32nd in the B1G in hits (61)
With 19 stolen bases last season, Frank is No. 17 on MSU's single-season stolen bases list. Now with 33 career stolen bases, Frank enters his senior season No. 12 on the Spartans' career stolen base list, needing just four swipes to enter the top 10.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, collects his second Big Ten accolade in as many opportunities, earning preseason 2024 honors after being named to the 2023 Postseason B1G All-Freshman Team list.
In 2023, Dzierwa finished tied for eighth in the B1G overall in wins (6), while ranking tied for third in B1G only for wins (4). He also tied for fourth in the B1G regular-season in wins (6), while also tying for fourth in the conference in walks allowed per nine innings (2.45), along with just outside the top 10 in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84) and tied for 23rd in BAA (.271). He was also 11th in the league in innings pitched (69.2), and 21st in the conference in strikeouts.
Dzierwa led the Spartan staff in wins (6), starts (13), innings pitched (74.1) and strikeouts (60), while ranking second in strikeouts looking (17). He had a smashing gem of a Spartan and collegiate debut in season-opener vs. Michigan (Feb. 17) at MLB Desert Invite in Phoenix, chalking up five strikeouts in 4.2 IP, holding UM to just three hits without a run, to earn first collegiate win in first appearance for the Green & White.
He was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 10 for his performance in a 7-1 win over Ohio State (April 7), as the Spartan southpaw went 6.0 solid innings, yielding just three hits while allowing only one run, with four walks and four strikeouts to earn the win in Michigan State's 7-1 triumph over Ohio State, and helped lead the Spartans to head coach Jake Boss Jr. winning his 400th Victory for MSU.
SZCZEPANSKI NAMED TO NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Michigan State baseball sophomore pitcher Tommy Szczepanski has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Szczepanski was one of six players from the Big Ten on the 73-player list for the 19th Annual NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball.
This is the second-straight season a Spartan has been on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, as last year's senior closer Wyatt Rush was named to the Midseason List, and went on to ring up 10 saves to finish third in the B1G and tied for 19th in the NCAA in saves in his final season in the Green & White.
Szczepanski, a native of Bay City, Michigan, is in his first season at MSU after transferring from Virginia Tech. At VA Tech, Szczepanski was rated No. 122 in Perfect Game's USA's Top 500 Incoming Freshman entering the 2023 season.
He made six appearances with one start, including coming on in relief for two combined shutouts for the Hokies. Szczepanski fired 10 strikeouts in 6.0 IP (15.0 K/9 innings), yielding just five hits while holding the opposition to a .217 average against him. He also chalked up a season-high three strikeouts twice, striking out the side in his collegiate debut on Feb. 26, 2023 vs. Bryant, then adding three punchouts in 2.0 IP shutout frames vs. Bowling Green on May 6, 2023.
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan ... MSU does not have any Florida or South Carolina natives on its roster, but the Spartans have one Georgia native in graduate catcher Sam Thompson is from Bremen, Georgia.
SPARTAN MEDIA NETWORK
• For the eighth-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 for home games.
UP NEXT
• Michigan State plays at Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in a 6 p.m. first pitch in Athens, Ga.
The Spartans then return to their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., to play in the First Pitch Invitational I Friday-Sunday, March 1-3, taking on Western Michigan on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m., then facing Florida State on Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m., before finishing up the weekend playing Illinois on Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m.
After traveling back to East Lansing for classes, the Spartans return to Greenville for the First Pitch Invitational II Friday-Sunday, March 8-10, tangling with VCU on Friday, March 8 at 2 p.m. then playing Western Carolina in a twinbill on Saturday, March 9 starting at 10 a.m. MSU then wraps up not just the weekend, but action at both Fluor Field and its South Carolina swing on Sunday, March 10 at 10 a.m. against Western Michigan.
OTHER NOTES FROM 2023 SEASON
WINNING LIKE ITS 2016
• Michigan State's 32 wins in 2023 were the most since 2016 when the Spartans won 36 games.
• MSU 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' 25 wins on April 25 were its most wins at that point of the season since 2016, when MSU was 27-10 ... the Green & White won its 30th game of the season with the 9-2 win over Central Michigan on May 16, the first 30-win season since 2016 ... along with the most wins since 2016, the Spartans' current .604 winning percentage through 53 games is also the best winning percentage since 2016's 35-18 (.660) mark through 53 contests.
PUTTING THE SWEET IN HOME SWEET HOME
• MSU finished its home portion of the 2023 schedule with a 17-4 record at home, the Spartans' most home wins since 2004, topping 2012 when they also registered 15, and the Green & White also won 15 in 2010 ... Michigan State's best home record was 21-5 in 2004.
SPARTAN WINNING WAYS
• Michigan State had a five-game winning streak snapped with a loss at Illinois on May 5 ... that was the Spartans' fourth winning streak of at least five games in the 2023 season ... MSU won 15 of its last 25 and 27 of the last 40, going 25-12 since March 8 when MSU was 5-7 ... the Spartans topped the 2022 season's win total of 24 wins with their 25th win of the season on April 25 vs. Notre Dame.
BIG B1G IMPROVEMENT
• Michigan State finished Big Ten action with an even 12-12 B1G ledger, the Spartans' bestB1G record since 2016 when the Green & White posted a 13-11 B1G mark.
• 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.
• Overall, MSU won five of its eight B1G series ... MSU opened by winning series against Purdue, at Rutgers, and against Ohio State, in a "home" series relocated to Jackson Field in Lansing, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, the A-affiliate of the Oakland A's, due to flooding around McLane Stadium at Kobs Field ... after dropping the series at Michigan, the Spartans swept Northwestern, before losing the Illinois and Iowa series, but then bouncing back to knock off Indiana to clinch a B1G Tournament berth.
• Michigan State won 12 conference games in 2023, topping the 2022 season's B1G win total, as MSU was 8-16 in conference competition ... the Spartans' 12 B1G wins was also the their first double-digit league win total since 2021, when MSU won 17 in the B1G-only season due to COVID ... the 12 B1G wins was the first time in double-digit league wins in a non-COVID impacted schedule since 2018, when MSU was 11-12 in B1G action ... the Spartans registered their best B1G record since 2016 when the Green & White posted a 13-11 B1G mark.
DOUBLE DIP SUCCESS
• MSU's doubleheader against Northwestern on April 29-30 was MSU's seventh twinbill in 2023 season, including all four home weekend series, in addition to a stretch of the fifth in the last seven weekends ... with the sweep over Northwestern last weekend, the Spartans are now 12-2 in their seven doubleheaders, winning the last five games after the loss in the first game vs. OSU on April 8 snapped a six-game win streak in double-dips, as MSU had swept its three previous doubleheaders.
HIGH-SCORING SUCCEESS
• All but two of Michigan State's wins came come from scoring less than six runs, as the Spartans were 30-6 when scoring six or more runs in a game ... MSU's only two wins when scoring five runs or less came in a span of less than a week, as the Spartans won, 5-4, over Purdue on March 26 in game two of the series with the Boilermakers, and a 3-2 win at Rutgers on March 31 in the series-opener.
SPARTAN PLAYER NOTES
• Outfielder Jack Frank enters the 2024 season leading all active Spartans with 17 career home runs, including 10 career solo home runs ... Frank bashed his seventh of the season with a two-run homer to straight-away center field on May 10 vs. Eastern Michigan, a 406-foot blast ... 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 career 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.
• 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 added a two-run round-tripper vs. Ohio State on April 8 and adding a home run on April 30 in the win over Northwestern, part of his three extra-base hit day adding a pair of triples ... the Spartan third baseman now has six HR this season and nine for his career, recently adding to that total with a solo homer vs. Eastern Michigan on May 10.
• Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter and East Lansing native Sam Busch also has seven homers on the season, knocking one home run at Illinois on May 5 ... 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 bashed a round-tripper vs. Notre Dame on April 25, knocking a three-run home run down the right field line and into the Red Cedar River, for his sixth homer of the season, including third into the Red Cedar River ... it was also Busch's first career three-run homer.
• 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.
Players Mentioned
Pursuit 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