Friday, March 29
McLane Stadium at Kobs Field | East Lansing, Mich.
3:35 PM
Michigan State University
10-14, 1-3
2
vs
4
Rutgers
19-7, 1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Rutgers
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
4
11
3
Michigan State
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
6
2
Photo by: Jim Pivarnik - MSU
MSU Overtaken By Rutgers In Friday’s Series Opener
3/29/2024 8:42:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans take early lead before Scarlet Knights score in late innings.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State jumped out to an early lead only to be overtaken late by Rutgers in a 4-2 loss Friday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field in the Spartans' Big Ten baseball home opener.
The Spartans got on the board in their first at bat with two runs in the home half of the first frame and held the 2-0 lead until the eighth, when Rutgers tied it. RU then scored two more in the top of the ninth for the go-ahead and winning runs.
"We had a tough day; we lose another game late, so that's unfortunate," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we played well, but not well enough. I think we dropped the pop-up there in the eighth inning, and their guy goes on to have a good at bat and ends up hitting a home run, and in the ninth we walked a couple guys and gave up a big hit. Rutgers is a really good ball club, and you just can't make those kind of mistakes. We have to take advantage of the opportunities we got early in the game. We had a couple opportunities with runners in scoring position in the middle of the game, and we couldn't get it done there either, and those little things are the difference."
MSU slides to 10-14 overall and 1-3 in B1G action, while Rutgers has won nine of its last 10 in improving to 19-7 overall and 1-0 in league play as the Scarlet Knights were playing their conference opener.
RU is making its first trip to East Lansing since 2018, and with Friday's result, the Spartans and Scarlet Knights have now split their last four regular-season meetings after MSU won last year's series at Piscataway, two games to one. Michigan State has won three of the last five overall meetings, as the Spartans knocked off the Scarlet Knights in last season's B1G Tournament. MSU now leads the all-time series, 19-10.
Michigan State had six hits, led by freshman infielder Ryan McKay going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored during MSU's first-inning rally. Senior infielder Dillon Kark and sophomore infielder Jacob Anderson were both 1-for-3, while graduate catcher Sam Thompson was 1-for-4. Senior outfielder Jack Frank scored a run after drawing a walk and stealing second.
The stolen base was Frank's 45th of his career, moving up to tie for No. 8 on MSU's career stolen base list, tying Cam Gibson (2013-15).
On the mound, sophomore southpaw Joseph Dzierwa went 6.0 IP, scattering four hits without a run and ringing up two Ks and one walk, while battling illness.
"Joseph gave us everything he had. He's been sick all week, but I thought he threw very well," Boss said. "He came in after the sixth and said that was it, he was just kind of out of gas. It's understandable, he's been fighting illness all week long and has felt miserable all week, so I'm very pleased with the effort that Joseph gave us today."
Junior reliever Noah Matheny and sophomore reliever Tommy Szczepanski finished things out.
The Spartans wasted no time in getting on the board, as they scored both of their runs in their first at bat. Frank sparked the rally with a two-out walk and stole second. C.Williams followed by lacing a single to left to drive Frank in to put the Green & White on the board. That brought McKay to the plate and he followed suite with a single to left to bring C.Williams in to score for the 2-0 MSU advantage.
In the top of the fifth, the Spartans got some great defensive play as Kark snared a foul out for the second out, maneuvering around the corner of the MSU dugout for the catch.
After a two-out single by Johnny Volpe, RU's Jackson Natili followed with a double to the left-center gap, and Volpe scampered around the bases trying to score. Senior outfielder Greg Ziegler collected the ball off the wall and fired to the cutoff sophomore infielder Seymour, and he unleashed a laser to Thompson at the plate for the tag and the inning-ending out.
MSU's defense again flashed the leather in the seventh for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Rutgers tied it up in the eighth on a two-run home run by RJ Johnson Jr., and then took the lead in the ninth on a two-run single by Cameron Love.
The Spartans did not go quietly into the spring East Lansing evening, getting two on in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
MSU and Rutgers return to the diamond for game two of the B1G home-opening series, with first pitch slated for 3:35 p.m., before Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m.
Fans can follow this week's action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
The schedule is subject to change based on weather.
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For the first time ever, Michigan State baseball fans have the ability to purchase season tickets.
Season tickets packages are on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office. The MSU baseball season ticket package, which includes 24 home games at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, is available for $50.
All ticket levels for seniors, adults and children are the same price. Admission remains free for all Michigan State students by showing their MSU ID at the entry gate.
The 2024 Spartan baseball season includes Big Ten match-ups against Rutgers, Penn State and Nebraska, along with regional clashes with Central Michigan, Oakland and Notre Dame, in addition to giving fans admission to all three home games of baseball Rivalry Week against Michigan.
Individual game tickets will go on sale later this spring.
Fans can contact the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information. A direct link to purchase season tickets is here.
The Spartans got on the board in their first at bat with two runs in the home half of the first frame and held the 2-0 lead until the eighth, when Rutgers tied it. RU then scored two more in the top of the ninth for the go-ahead and winning runs.
"We had a tough day; we lose another game late, so that's unfortunate," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we played well, but not well enough. I think we dropped the pop-up there in the eighth inning, and their guy goes on to have a good at bat and ends up hitting a home run, and in the ninth we walked a couple guys and gave up a big hit. Rutgers is a really good ball club, and you just can't make those kind of mistakes. We have to take advantage of the opportunities we got early in the game. We had a couple opportunities with runners in scoring position in the middle of the game, and we couldn't get it done there either, and those little things are the difference."
MSU slides to 10-14 overall and 1-3 in B1G action, while Rutgers has won nine of its last 10 in improving to 19-7 overall and 1-0 in league play as the Scarlet Knights were playing their conference opener.
RU is making its first trip to East Lansing since 2018, and with Friday's result, the Spartans and Scarlet Knights have now split their last four regular-season meetings after MSU won last year's series at Piscataway, two games to one. Michigan State has won three of the last five overall meetings, as the Spartans knocked off the Scarlet Knights in last season's B1G Tournament. MSU now leads the all-time series, 19-10.
Michigan State had six hits, led by freshman infielder Ryan McKay going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored during MSU's first-inning rally. Senior infielder Dillon Kark and sophomore infielder Jacob Anderson were both 1-for-3, while graduate catcher Sam Thompson was 1-for-4. Senior outfielder Jack Frank scored a run after drawing a walk and stealing second.
The stolen base was Frank's 45th of his career, moving up to tie for No. 8 on MSU's career stolen base list, tying Cam Gibson (2013-15).
On the mound, sophomore southpaw Joseph Dzierwa went 6.0 IP, scattering four hits without a run and ringing up two Ks and one walk, while battling illness.
"Joseph gave us everything he had. He's been sick all week, but I thought he threw very well," Boss said. "He came in after the sixth and said that was it, he was just kind of out of gas. It's understandable, he's been fighting illness all week long and has felt miserable all week, so I'm very pleased with the effort that Joseph gave us today."
Junior reliever Noah Matheny and sophomore reliever Tommy Szczepanski finished things out.
The Spartans wasted no time in getting on the board, as they scored both of their runs in their first at bat. Frank sparked the rally with a two-out walk and stole second. C.Williams followed by lacing a single to left to drive Frank in to put the Green & White on the board. That brought McKay to the plate and he followed suite with a single to left to bring C.Williams in to score for the 2-0 MSU advantage.
Christian Williams with the RBI single to get the Spartans on the board!!#GoGreen | @christianaw34 pic.twitter.com/8m6o5IWWMX
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) March 29, 2024
In the top of the fifth, the Spartans got some great defensive play as Kark snared a foul out for the second out, maneuvering around the corner of the MSU dugout for the catch.
What a catch by Dillon Kark! MSU 2, RU 0.#GoGreen | @karkdillon pic.twitter.com/itDDM4LWIy
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) March 29, 2024
After a two-out single by Johnny Volpe, RU's Jackson Natili followed with a double to the left-center gap, and Volpe scampered around the bases trying to score. Senior outfielder Greg Ziegler collected the ball off the wall and fired to the cutoff sophomore infielder Seymour, and he unleashed a laser to Thompson at the plate for the tag and the inning-ending out.
MSU's defense again flashed the leather in the seventh for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
A double play from Seymour to McKay and Anderson to end sixth inning for Michigan State!#GoGreen | @RandySeymour14 | @Ryanmckay51 | @jacobdanderson5 pic.twitter.com/QBNEJbjiDJ
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) March 29, 2024
Rutgers tied it up in the eighth on a two-run home run by RJ Johnson Jr., and then took the lead in the ninth on a two-run single by Cameron Love.
The Spartans did not go quietly into the spring East Lansing evening, getting two on in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
MSU and Rutgers return to the diamond for game two of the B1G home-opening series, with first pitch slated for 3:35 p.m., before Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m.
Fans can follow this week's action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
The schedule is subject to change based on weather.
---------
For the first time ever, Michigan State baseball fans have the ability to purchase season tickets.
Season tickets packages are on sale through the Spartan Ticket Office. The MSU baseball season ticket package, which includes 24 home games at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, is available for $50.
All ticket levels for seniors, adults and children are the same price. Admission remains free for all Michigan State students by showing their MSU ID at the entry gate.
The 2024 Spartan baseball season includes Big Ten match-ups against Rutgers, Penn State and Nebraska, along with regional clashes with Central Michigan, Oakland and Notre Dame, in addition to giving fans admission to all three home games of baseball Rivalry Week against Michigan.
Individual game tickets will go on sale later this spring.
Fans can contact the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information. A direct link to purchase season tickets is here.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Donovan Zsak (1-0)
L: Matheny, Noah (1-2)
S: Joey DeChiaro (4)
Batting:
2B: Ty Doucette 1 ; Jackson Natili 1 ; Cameron Love 1
HR: RJ Johnson Jr. 1
RBI: RJ Johnson Jr. 2 ; Cameron Love 2
SH: RJ Johnson Jr. 1 ; Pete Durocher 1
Base Running:
RUNS: RJ Johnson Jr. 1 ; Pete Ciuffreda 1 ; Johnny Volpe 1 ; Jackson Natili 1
SB: Trevor Cohen 1
CS: Cameron Love 1
PO: Trevor Cohen 1
Batting:
2B: Anderson, Jacob 1
RBI: Williams, Christian 1 ; McKay, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frank, Jack 1 ; Williams, Christian 1
SB: Frank, Jack 1
HBP: Kark, Dillon 1 ; Williams, Christian 1 ; Anderson, Jacob 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballC
/ 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