Wednesday, April 3
Jackson Field | Lansing, Mich.
6:05 PM
Michigan State University
at
Lansing Lugnuts
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Michigan State Tangles With Lansing Lugnuts In 16th-Annual Crosstown Showdown Wednesday
4/2/2024 5:05:00 PM | Baseball
Jackson® Field™ gates open at 5 p.m. and Wednesday’s pre-game festivities include the first 1,000 fans receiving giveaway jerseys presented by Delta Dental.
| MICHIGAN STATE (12-14, 3-3 B1G) at LANSING LUGNUTS (0-0) | |
| Location | Jackson Field || Lansing, Mich. |
| Tickets | Lugnuts Ticket Office |
| Weather | High/Low: 43° / 34° | |
| Game Notes | MICHIGAN STATE | LUGNUTS |
| Social Media |  @MSUbaseball |  MichiganStateBaseball  @msu_baseball |
| Television | None |
| Game 1 | Wednesday, April 3 - 6:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Match-Up | LL: #22 RHP Grant Judkins (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #8 SR RHP Harrison Cook (0-1, 6.52 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live |
• Michigan State baseball will play the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 3 at 6:05 p.m. from Jackson® Field™ ... the 16th-annual exhibition game between the Spartans and the High A-Affiliate of the Oakland A's will be a seven-inning contest.
• MSU's game at Notre Dame Tuesday was rained out and will be rescheduled at a later date.
• The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.
• Fans can follow this week's action with "Watch Live," "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, where available, at MSUSpartans.com.
• 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.
2024 CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN
• Michigan State baseball will meet the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown, presented by Delta Dental on Tuesday, April 4 ... First pitch from Jackson® Field™ is slated for 6:05 p.m. for the seven-inning exhibition game that does not count towards either team's record.
• Jackson® Field™ gates open at 5 p.m. and Wednesday's pre-game festivities include the first 1,000 fans receiving giveaway jerseys presented by Delta Dental ... selected MSU players will be available for autographs pre-game as well ... Sparty, the MSU Spirit Squad and MSU Marching Band will be in attendance.
• Wednesday is the 16th overall Crosstown Showdown, marking the third year in a row for the CTSD to be played after returning in 2022 for the first time since the fall of 2019 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.
• The 2019 match-up was the fourth-straight year of playing in the fall ... Wednesday is the 12th Crosstown Showdown played in the spring out of the 16 ... The Lugnuts won the inaugural CTSD on April 3, 2007, 4-3, in front of 6,223, as the Lugnuts held off a late Spartan rally, as the Green & White was down, 4-1, entering the ninth and rallied with two runs and placed the game-tying run on base and had the potential go-ahead run into the batter's box, but a strikeout ended the Spartan rally and the game ... Michigan State won its first victory in the series in 2009, 12-2, on April 16, 2009 in front of a record-setting crown of 12,992 ... The Lugnuts have won the last 10 in a row, including edging the Spartans, 3-2, in 2022 and taking 2023's meeting, 12-3.
COACH VAN AMEYDE AWAY FROM TEAM
• Michigan State will be without veteran pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde (VAN-uh-mead) for an extended amount of time, as he will be away from the team after undergoing a successful kidney transplant on March 20.
FIRST OF TWO AT JACKSON® FIELD™
• Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown is the first of two games that Michigan State is playing at Jackson® Field™ this season ... MSU will also play Western Michigan there on Wednesday, April 17 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown is the second different professional stadium, as part of seven games and one exhibition contests the Spartans play in.
The Spartans also played six games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive. MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2-3, playing Western Michigan and Florida State on Saturday, March 2. MSU beat WMU, 13-3 in 8 innings, before losing to FSU, 11-2, as the Seminoles were among others receiving votes in the national rankings at the time and are now ranked No. 14. The Spartans then lost to Illinois, 12-6, in a non-conference match-up on Sunday, March 3.
The following weekend, MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational II, squaring off with Western Michigan again on Friday, March 8, bucking the Broncos, 5-3. MSU then lost to Western Carolina, 9-5, on Saturday, March 9 and to VCU, 8-4, on March 10 to wrap up its Fluor Field stretch.
Along with Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown, the Spartans will also play Western Michigan at Jackson® Field™ on Wednesday, April 17.
PUTTIN' THE SWEET IN HOME SWEET HOME
• Michigan State is off to an early 5-3 ledger at home after winning the home-opening series over Evansville March 15-17, winning two of three, and beating Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19, before losing to Oakland on March 27 ... MSU went 17-4 at home last season and the Spartans have now won 28 of their last 38 home games (28-10) in their last 38 home games dating back to the 2022 season.
GRINDING OUT SERIES WIN OVER SCARLET KNIGHTS
• Michigan State took two of three from Rutgers over the weekend, as the Spartans won their B1G home opening series, and MSU did so boosted by solid pitching and defense, with timely offensive hits.
• The Spartan pitching and defense stymied the Scarlet Knight bats, who entered the weekend leading the B1G and ranking second in the nation in hits at 12.3 pg and leading the conference and ranking second in the conference in runs at 9.1 pg ... The MSU pitchers and defense held RU to 9.3 hits and 2.7 runs per game for the weekend.
• MSU's pitchers posted a season-low 2.67 ERA for the three games, the lowest in a weekend series this season by over a run, bettering the previous low of 3.72 against Evansville (3/15-17) ... Michigan State's pitchers also yielded a season-low eight runs, bettering the previous low mark of 13 runs also against Evansville.
• The Spartan defense also had solid glovework all weekend, including ringing up three double plays.
POWERS NO. 125 ON D1BASEBALL'S TOP 150 STARTING PITCHERS
• Senior left-handed starting pitcher Nick Powers is No. 125 on D1Baseball.com's Top 150 Starting Pitchers and is the lone Spartan representative on the publication's mid-season player rankings.
• Powers leads MSU with a 2.57 ERA, logging a 4-2 record in seven starts, including one complete game ... he has 36 strikeouts to just seven walks, yielding 16 runs, 14 earned, in 49.0 IP.
• Powers is fifth in the B1G and 61st in the NCAA in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.14), while ranking third in the league in both wins (4) and walks allowed per nine innings (1.29), along with fourth in WHIP (1.08).
FRANK-ING FAST ON THE BASEPATHS
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank swiped two stolen bases over the weekend against Rutgers, giving him 13 for the season and 46 stolen bases for his career ... the 46 swipes moves Frank up to tie for No. 6 on MSU's career stolen base list, joining Steve Money (1991-94) and Steve Preston (1986-88).
• Frank is also fourth in the B1G and 52nd in the NCAA with the 13 stolen bases ... he also is fourth in the conference and 62nd in the country in stolen bases per game (0.50).
• The 13 swipes is just six shy of his single-season career-high of 19 stolen bases last season.
LIGHTING UP SCOREBOARD LIGHT A LITE BRITE
• A deluge of runs by Michigan State before and after a rain delay propelled the Spartans to a 16-6 Victory for MSU at Michigan last Tuesday ... MSU plated seven runs in the top of the ninth, tying the season-high for most runs in an inning, matching a 7-run frame in the fifth inning at Georgia on Feb. 28 during the Spartans' 19-6, 7-inning, run-rule rout of the Bulldogs.
• The Spartans have beaten the Wolverines in the last two meetings overall, while Michigan State has scored 14 or more runs in its last three wins over Michigan, opening the 2023 season with a 15-8 win out in Phoenix at the MLB Desert Invite. MSU then won the series finale, 14-2 on April 23, avoiding a sweep after UM had won the first two games of the Big Ten weekend series, 5-3 and 8-3.
• Along with matching the second-high for most runs in a frame, MSU's 7-run ninth inning at UM on Tuesday was the Spartans' second 7-run inning in the last two seasons against Michigan and the third big inning of four or more runs, as the Spartans plated seven runs in the eighth after a 5-run sixth inning in the aforementioned 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the 2023 season-opener.
OPRAH-LIKE DISTRIBUTION OF HITS, RUNS AND RBI
• Michigan State rapped out 19 hits in the win at Michigan, with all nine starters plus the lone pinch hitter knocking at least one hit, while seven Spartans had multiple hits ... All nine starters plus the one pinch hitter all scored at least one run each and eight of the nine starters in addition to the lone pinch hitter had at least one RBI ... Eight of the nine starters also drew at least one walk, as the Spartans earned a season-high 13 free passes and their second double-digit walk outing of the season.
RACKING UP THE STRIKEOUTS
• MSU's pitching staff has been racking up the strikeouts to the tune of 9.0 Ks/nine innings, ranking sixth in the conference and 101st in the country.
• Individually, sophomore southpaw starter Joseph Dzierwa is fifth in the B1G and 73rd in the NCAA in strikeouts with 46, while senior lefty Nick Powers is 11th in the league with 36 punchouts ... Dzierwa is also fifth in the conference in Ks/nine innings at 10.80.
FRESHMEN DRIVING IN THE WINNING RBI
• Three of MSU's last four official game-winning RBI have been driven in by freshmen, most recently with freshman infielder Ryan McKay's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in Sunday's 3-2 Victory for MSU over Rutgers.
• Spartan freshman outfielder Landen Lozier drove in the Spartans' two winning runs with official game-winning RBI in the wins over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19 and at Michigan on March 26 ... Lozier drew a bases-loaded walk for the Spartans second run in the 11-1 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19, and laced an RBI single in the seventh for Michigan State's seventh run at Michigan for the difference-maker run in the 16-6 deluge of runs in the win over the Wolverines.
RED CEDAR RIVER BUSCH BLAST AND FRANK JACK
• Junior infielder Sam Busch blasted his team-leading fourth home run for his first homer at home and belted it over the wall in right field and into the Red Cedar River on March 19 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank hit a three-run jack into the Red Cedar River in the third inning of Saturday's win over Rutgers ... it was Frank's third HR of the season, but first of the year in a home game.
RANDY SEY-MORE HOME RUNS
• MSU sophomore infielder Randy Seymour belted the first two home runs of his career, and both came not only at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., but they both were against Western Michigan ... He hit his first career home run in MSU's 13-3, 8-inning run-rule walloping of WMU on March 2, smacking it over the Green Monster in left field ... Seymour then smacked a 375-foot blast to left center in the 5-3 Victory for MSU over WMU on March 8.
• Seymour smacked his third homer of the season for his first homer at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, knocking a three-run opposite-field round-tripper over the wall in right field and into the Red Cedar River on March 15 in the loss to Evansville.
SHOE ON BOTH FEET
• MSU senior pitcher Aaron Mishoulam made two appearances last week, with one as a starter and one as a reliever.
• Mishoulam earned a save and started with a solid performance, going 4.0 IP at Michigan in Tuesday's non-conference win and added a save in Saturday's 5-2 Victory for MSU over Rutgers for his first career save as a Spartan.
• He started at Michigan and went 4.0 IP with four strikeouts on Tuesday.
• Mishoulam then came on and sealed the win over Rutgers on Saturday, chalking up three strikeouts with just one hit in 2.0 IP, working a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, then working around a single and error, with all three strikeouts coming in the ninth, ringing up third and final K to seal the victory for MSU.
DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS SPARK SUCCESS
• With MSU's 10 runs in the season-opener, the Spartans improved to 33-0 in the last four seasons and had won 35 in a row when scoring 10+ runs, before that streak was snapped in the 20-10 loss to Marshall on Feb. 23 ... Michigan State is now 6-1 in 2024 when plating 10 or more runs, 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 previous loss coming in a 12-10 loss to Niagara on March 18, 2018, then starting the 35-game streak by winning two other times in posting 10 or more runs.
• MSU started the season with 10 runs in the season-opener, then added 10 runs in the loss to Marshall on Feb. 23, before bouncing back with a three-game win streak when plating 10 or more runs, starting with double-digit runs in back-to-back games with 19 runs in 7-innings at Georgia on Feb. 28 and 13 runs in 8-innings two days later vs. Western Michigan on March 2 at Greenville ... the Green & White then scored 11 runs in the home and series opener vs. Evansville on March 15, and added 11 runs in the 11-1 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19 in the first home midweek game of the season ... the Spartans erupted for a 16-6 Victory for MSU at Michigan on March 26.
DOUBLE THE BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Michigan State baseball players Nick Williams was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week while Ryan McKay was tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week, announced on March 4 by the conference office.
• Williams and McKay both collect the first B1G accolades of their MSU careers. It also marks the first time that two Spartans earned B1G weekly awards in the same week since last season's first week of the awards, when Brock Vradenburg collected Player of the Week honors and Dominic Pianto was the Co-Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21, 2023 after the opening weekend of the season. Overall, it is the eighth time in program history that two or more Spartans earned conference weekly accolades in the same week.
B1G Co-Player of the Week Nick Williams • #10 • JR • OF
Racine, Wisc./Union Grove HS/Wabash Valley CC
• Posted a .556 average, hitting 10-for-18, averaging over two hits per game, with multiple hits in three of the four outings, posting games of two hits, four hits, one hit and three hits.
• Logged a .579 on-base percentage and an .833 slugging percentage.
• Went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored at Georgia, helping the Spartans to a 19-6 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU, as the Spartans posted their first win over an SEC team since 2016, and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season.
• Went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, with a double and adding a walk in MSU's 13-3 8-inning run-rule win over Western Michigan ... Was 1-for-4 with a double vs. Florida State.
• Wrapped up week going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored on a 79-foot blast w/ 100mph exit velocity home run over the Green Monster at Fluor Field, which is the high A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has same dimensions as Fenway Park.
B1G Freshman of the Week Ryan McKay • #1 • FR • INF
Clarkston, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
• Hit .588 (8-for-15) with a .733 slugging percentage and a .588 on-base percentage in four games, averaging two hits per game, with multi-hit outings in three of the four games, for first three multiple hit games of Spartan career.
• Started week off going a career-high 3-for-4 with a triple, adding an RBI and scoring career-high three runs in MSU's 19-6 7-inning run-rule rout at Georgia, leading the Spartans to their first win over an SEC team since 2016 and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season. The three runs scored were first career runs scored in an MSU uniform.
• After Georgia took a 2-0 lead after the first frame, sparked the Spartan rally in the second to get the offense going with a leadoff triple and later scored MSU's first run of the night, knocking not just the first three-bagger of his Spartan career, but the first triple of the season for MSU.
• Came up again later in the second as MSU batted around, drawing a bases-loaded walk for an RBI ... Added singles in the fifth and seventh innings.
• Started weekend off going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, tying career-high for second-straight game, and an RBI, adding a stolen base and a walk in the 13-3 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Western Michigan in Greenville.
• Went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI vs. Florida State, then wrapped up week going 1-for-4 vs. Illinois.
EARLY HOME OPENER
• MSU's March 15 home-opener date was tied for 2018 for the earliest home openers in program history ... Evansville was only the third out-of-state opponent for the Spartans in their last 10 home openers, playing Niagara in 2018 ... the home-opener game-time temperature was 54 degrees, making it the warmest home-opener in the last 10 years.
Last 10 Years Of Home-Openers
Year Date Result Game-Time Temp
2024 March 15* MSU 11, Evansville 3 54
2023 March 21 MSU 8, Western Michigan 3 50
2022 March 18 MSU 4, Houston Baptist 3 48
2021 March 26 (B1G-only ledger due to COVID) Indiana 8, MSU 2 49
2020 No home-opener due to COVID --
2019 March 20 (scheduled date but postponed) / March 27 MSU 3, Western Michigan 2 52
2018 March 15* MSU 10, Niagara 1 34
2017 March 21 MSU 11, Central Michigan 2 52
2016 March 23 MSU 4, Central Michigan 1 38
2015 March 24 MSU 8, Central Michigan 3 40
* = tied for earliest home-opening date in program history
BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS
• Michigan State hung 19 runs on the scoreboard at Georgia in a 19-6, 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU on Feb. 28, then turned around and plated 13 runs in a 13-3, 8-inning run-rule walloping of Western Michigan on March 2, for MSU's first back-to-back games with 10+ runs of the season ... it was the first time the Spartans had consecutive games with double-digit runs since April 23 and 25, 2023, when MSU won at Michigan, 14-2, on April 23, then beat Notre Dame, 12-5, on April 25.
WILL-IAMS POWER
• Junior designated hitter/catcher Christian Williams went 4-for-4 on one double and three singles, with three RBI and one run scored in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall on Feb. 24.
• C. Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State.
• C. Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish.
• He then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
• Junior outfielder Nick Williams added a 4-for-4 outing vs. Western Michigan on March 2, with three RBI and two runs scored, with a double and adding a walk in MSU's 13-3 8-inning run-rule win.
• N. Williams was 1-for-4 with a double vs. Florida State in Saturday's second game.
• N. Williams wrapped up week going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored on a 79-foot blast w/ 100mph exit velocity home run over the Green Monster at Fluor Field, which is the high A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has same dimensions as Fenway Park.
FIVE-FOR-FIVE FRANK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank was 5-for-5 in the 13-3, 8-inning, run-rule win over Western Michigan on March 2, becoming the first Spartan to have five hits in five at bats since Bailey Peterson on Feb. 21, 2020, going 5-for-5 vs. Merrimack.
SIX RIBBIE FRANK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank also knocked out six RBI in the 19-6 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU at Georgia on Feb. 28.
• Frank finished 3-for-4 with six RBI, becoming the first Spartan with six RBI since Bryan Broecker had half-a-dozen ribbies on April 1, 2023 at Rutgers.
• Frank had two doubles and a single, with all three hits driving in two runs at a time.
FIVE KARK SPECIAL
• Senior infielder Dillon Kark finished 4-for-4 with five RBI in the 13-3, 8-inning, run-rule win over Western Michigan on March 2, becoming the first Michigan State player with five RBI since Brock Vradenburg knocked five ribbies on April 23, 2023 at Michigan.
• Kark had an RBI single in the first, then added a sac fly in the sixth before a 3-run "walk-off" home run in the eighth to hit the run-rul Victory for MSU.
FRANK-ING THE BASES UP
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank made the basepaths sound like a remake of Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "Frank... Frank... Frank... Frank," as the Spartan speedster reached base in eight consecutive at bats, reaching base in his final three at bats in the Georgia game on Feb. 28, then went 5-for-5 in the Western Michigan game on March 2.
• The eight-straight at bats reaching base streak is MSU's longest since Brock Vradenburg did so on March 10-11, 2023.
GEORGIA HIT AND HIGH SCORE PARTY
• Some news and notes from Michigan State's 19-6 win at Georgia on Feb. 28:
-- It was the Spartans' first win over an SEC team since beating Auburn, 3-0, on March 5, 2016.
-- The win was also MSU's first victory over an SEC team on their home field since March 9, 2013, winning at Kentucky.
-- MSU knocked out a season-high 21 hits in the seven-inning run-rule game, with six total extra-base hits on two home runs, two triples and two doubles.
-- All nine Spartans in the line-up had at least one hit.
-- MSU's 21 hits were its first time over 20 hits since rapping out 22 hits on Feb. 14, 2020 vs. Morehead State (W, 15-3).
-- 14 of the 19 runs came with two outs, as MSU hit .650 (13-for-20) with two outs.
-- The Spartans' 7-run fifth inning was their most in an inning since scoring seven in a 15-8 Victory for MSU vs. Michigan in Phoenix in the 2023 season-opener on Feb. 17, 2023.
-- Michigan State had three innings of four or more runs, the first time with three big-inning frames in the same game since March 2, 2014 when the Spartans had a innings of four, four and seven-run rallies in an 18-13 win over Eastern Illinois.
-- MSU's last run-rule win was April 15, 2023 vs. Western Illinois-G2 (W, 11-1).
-- The 19 runs was the most scored by the Spartans since a 19-10 win at Charleston Southern on March 4, 2023.
-- Michigan State improved to 3-5 on the young season, while the Spartans dealt the Bulldogs their first loss of the year, now 8-1.
-- MSU has now won the last two meetings at Georgia, as the Spartans won the last meeting back in 1958, and have now won six of the last seven overall meetings and have an 11-7 all-time series lead, including 11-5 in Athens.
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 the 2024 season-opening 10-3 win over Merrimack on Feb. 16, 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 on Feb. 16 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.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• The previous two weekends in Greenville, S.C., the Spartans played six of their eight total official games and one exhibition contest in two different professional stadiums.
• The Spartans also played six games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive. MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2-3, beating Western Michigan, 13-3 (8 innings), before losing to Florida State , 11-2, on March 2, and losing to Illinois, 12-6 on March 3.
• MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational II, again beating Western Michigan, 5-3, on March 8, before falling to Western Carolins (9-5) on March 9 and to VCU (8-4) on March 10 to wrap up its Fluor Field stretch.
• Michigan State will take on the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 3 at Jackson Field in an exhibition game.
• The Spartans will also play Western Michigan at Jackson Field on Wednesday, April 17.
POWER OUTAGE
• Senior pitcher Nick Powers fired a complete game in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall in Port Charlotte, Fla. on Feb. 24.
• Powers rang up nine strikeouts and scattered six hits, but didn't allow a Marshall base runner to safely reach second after the first inning, while getting help from his defense that turned a season-high three double plays.
• After allowing two runs on two hits in the opening frame, Powers settled in and had three-up, three-down innings for the next seven stanzas, facing four batters in the ninth, but ringing up his ninth and final strikeout for the last out to secure the Victory for MSU.
• A day after Marshall knocked out 18 hits and 20 runs vs. MSU on Friday evening, Powers stymied the same Marshall lineup to just six hits and two runs, with only four hits and no runs after the first inning.
• It was his first career complete game and also was the first complete game in the Big Ten this season and the first CG in the B1G since May 27, 2022 when Indiana's Bradley Brehmer when 9.0 vs. Illinois.
• Powers is the first Spartan pitcher to throw a complete-game since 2019 when Mike Mokma went the distance vs. Ohio State on March 9, 2019 in Greenville, S.C.
WHERE THERE'S A WILL-IAMS THERE'S A WAY
• Michigan State has two Williams on its roster, but they are not related ... junior designated hitter/catcher Christian Williams is in third season with the Spartans and is from Carmel, Indiana ... junior outfielder Nick Williams is in his first season with the Green & White and is from Racine, Wisconsin.
WILL-IAMS POWER
• Junior designated hitter/catcher Christian Williams went 4-for-4 on one double and three singles, with three RBI and one run scored in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall on Saturday.
• C. Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State.
• C. Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish.
• He then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
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), leaving him just one from former teammate Mitch Jebb (2021-23) at No. 9 with 38 swipes ... Frank passed Jebb with two stolen bases at Georgia on Feb. 28 and added two more stolen bases the next game vs. Western Michigan on Feb. 2.
• Frank now has nine stolen bases this season for 42 career stolen bases, holding the No. 9 spot on MSU's stolen bases list, just three from tying Cam Gibson (2013-15) with 45 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.
16 FOR 16
• Sophomore pitcher Joseph Dzierwa matched his jersey number of 16 with 16 strikeouts in 10.0 IP in his first two starts of the season, adding nine more Ks in his third outing, before posting six Ks in outing number four and eight in his fifth and most recent outing on March 15.
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.
140TH SEASON OF MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL
Michigan State is playing its 140th season of baseball in 2024 and was the first varsity sport on campus. 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 has played over 4,500 games in program history.
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 lone 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.
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).
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.
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
• The Spartans return home to host Niagara in a three-game non-conference series, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. Friday's series opener is at 6:05 p.m., before Saturday's game two at 3:35 and Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m.
• Fans can follow this week's action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
• Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
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