Friday, April 26
East Lansing, Mich.
3 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Rutgers
Softball To Celebrate Seniors in Home B1G Finale
4/24/2024 10:15:00 AM | Softball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball will celebrate its six-person senior class following Sunday's game as the Spartans prepare to host Rutgers for MSU's final B1G home series of the season on April 26-28 at Secchia Stadium. Game one of the three-game series is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26.
All games will be streamed live via B1G+. Fans can listen in on the action via the Spartan Media Network on MSUSpartans.com.
Among those seniors to be honored prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. game include AJ Militello, Anna Fox, Liv Grey, Jenae Wash, Alexis Ross and Ashlyn Roberts.
ABOUT RUTGERS
Rutgers is 29-19 overall and 10-7 in B1G play this season. The Scarlet Knights rank No. 90 in the latest NCAA RPI with their best win coming against Nebraska (9-3).
Rutgers ranks #58 nationally in batting average (.299), #85 in ERA (3.06), #137 in fielding (.963), #59 in home runs per game (.90), #44 in OBP (.389), #22 in scoring (6.21) and #61 in SLG (.464).
Morgan Smith plays both ways with a 3.59 ERA in 113.0 innings pitched. Smith is dangerous with the bat, ranking #35 nationally in average (.422), #28 in hits (62), #4 in home runs (19), #65 in OBP (.489), #3 in RBI (64) and #6 in SLG (.925). Smith has walked 25 times with just 10 strikeouts.
Mattison Boyd leads the B1G in starts (24) and complete games (17), while ranking #3 in ERA (2.19), #1 in innings (156.1) and #7 in strikeouts (134). Opponents hit .211 against her.
Kyleigh Sand is #58 nationally in average (.409), #13 in hits (65), #53 in OBP (.495) and #10 in runs per game (1.17). Sand has drawn 29 walks to just eight strikeouts. Katie Wingert has hit 12 home runs this season (4 in B1G play).
SPARTANS TAKE ONE AGAINST ILLINOIS
Michigan State went 1-2 against Illinois over the weekend, taking game two of the series in dramatic fashion, 6-5.
MSU's offense hit .284 over the weekend led by junior Mik Anthony who hit .750 (3-for-4) with a pair of walks to reach base at a .833 clip. Sophomore Britain Beshears hit .500 with two homers and a team-high six RBI.
Sophomore Hannah Hawley hit .429 with three hits, three walks and two hit by pitches. Senior Jenae Wash hit .375 and homered. Sophomore Sydney Doloszycki hit an even .300 and tripled twice.
Junior Madison Taylor led the pitching staff with a 3.71 ERA over 11.1 innings. Opponents hit .261 against her in her two appearances.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 44 home runs through 44 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (44 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 42 nationally in home runs per game (1.00).
Britain Beshears (13) and Hannah Hawley (11) mark the first Spartan duo since 2017 to hit double-digit home runs in the same season. Four Spartans hit that mark in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland).
The Spartans are now tied for #5 in program history for single season home runs.
#1 - 66, 2017
#2 - 53, 2011
#3 - 50, 2007
#4 - 46, 2009
#5 - 44, 2024/2019
TAYLOR TURNING IT UP A NOTCH
In her last 12 appearances, junior pitcher Madison Taylor has posted a 3.35 ERA over 54.1 innings of work, far lower than her season-long ERA of 4.39. Taylor had a 6.00 ERA over her first 35.0 innings this season. Opponents are hitting .269 against Taylor during this current stretch.
Taylor has tossed three complete games during that stretch and twice has struck out a career-high eight batters (at Northwestern, vs. Indiana). On April 21, Taylor pitched 7.0 innings of relief after entering the game in the first inning.
SEEING DOUBLE
Sophomores Hannah Hawley (11) and Britain Beshears (13) have each hit double digit home runs this season. They are the first Spartan duo to hit 10+ homers in the same season since 2017. Four Spartans hit 10+ home runs in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland). Beshears' 13 homers are tied for third alltime for single season home runs at MSU. Hawley's 11 homers are tied for fifth all-time for single season home runs at MSU.
DOLOSZYCKI DOING DAMAGE
Sophomore outfielder Sydney Doloszycki has been a bright spot in the Spartan lineup over the last 14 games, reaching base in 12 of the last 14. Over her last 14 games, Doloszycki is second on the team hitting .341 (15-for-44) with three home runs, two triples, a double, nine runs scored, and eight RBI. In that span, Doloszycki is second on the team in SLG (.659) and OPS (1.067), and third on the team in OBP (.408).
HAULING IN HITS
Sophomore Hannah Hawley leads the Spartans with a .346 batting average, a .462 on-base percentage, a .692 slugging percentage and a 1.154 OPS. Hawley is #5 in the B1G in slugging percentage and #5 in OPS.
Hawley leads the team with 45 hits, 28 runs scored, 22 extra-base hits and 22 walks drawn. Hawley also leads the Spartans with 12 multi-hit games (five three-hit games, seven two-hit games) and is second with five multi-RBI games (Britain Beshears, 8). Hawley is currently on a nine-game reached base streak, her second longest streak of the year (10).
BASHING BESHEARS
Sophomore Britain Beshears ranks #38 nationally in home runs (13) and #46 home runs per game (0.29). Beshears is #4 in the B1G in home runs and her 13 home runs, which ranks tied for third in program history for a single season (Brett Williams, Stacey Phillips). Prior to Beshears, no Spartan had hit 13 home runs in a season since 2011.
Beshears ranks #7 in the B1G and leads the team in RBI with 37. Beshears has been on fire over her last 12 games, leading the Spartans with a .368 (14-for-38) batting average over that stretch alongside a .429 OBP and a .711 SLG and 14 RBI.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The 2024 B1G Softball Tournament is being hosted at Iowa this season, May 8-11.
12 of the 14 teams in the B1G make the tournament. Michigan State is fighting for a spot in the tournament over the final three weeks of the season with a 3-14 record in conference play.
Team Conference Record
#11 Illinois 5-11
#12 Iowa 4-13
Maryland 4-13
MSU 3-14
All games will be streamed live via B1G+. Fans can listen in on the action via the Spartan Media Network on MSUSpartans.com.
Among those seniors to be honored prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. game include AJ Militello, Anna Fox, Liv Grey, Jenae Wash, Alexis Ross and Ashlyn Roberts.
ABOUT RUTGERS
Rutgers is 29-19 overall and 10-7 in B1G play this season. The Scarlet Knights rank No. 90 in the latest NCAA RPI with their best win coming against Nebraska (9-3).
Rutgers ranks #58 nationally in batting average (.299), #85 in ERA (3.06), #137 in fielding (.963), #59 in home runs per game (.90), #44 in OBP (.389), #22 in scoring (6.21) and #61 in SLG (.464).
Morgan Smith plays both ways with a 3.59 ERA in 113.0 innings pitched. Smith is dangerous with the bat, ranking #35 nationally in average (.422), #28 in hits (62), #4 in home runs (19), #65 in OBP (.489), #3 in RBI (64) and #6 in SLG (.925). Smith has walked 25 times with just 10 strikeouts.
Mattison Boyd leads the B1G in starts (24) and complete games (17), while ranking #3 in ERA (2.19), #1 in innings (156.1) and #7 in strikeouts (134). Opponents hit .211 against her.
Kyleigh Sand is #58 nationally in average (.409), #13 in hits (65), #53 in OBP (.495) and #10 in runs per game (1.17). Sand has drawn 29 walks to just eight strikeouts. Katie Wingert has hit 12 home runs this season (4 in B1G play).
SPARTANS TAKE ONE AGAINST ILLINOIS
Michigan State went 1-2 against Illinois over the weekend, taking game two of the series in dramatic fashion, 6-5.
MSU's offense hit .284 over the weekend led by junior Mik Anthony who hit .750 (3-for-4) with a pair of walks to reach base at a .833 clip. Sophomore Britain Beshears hit .500 with two homers and a team-high six RBI.
Sophomore Hannah Hawley hit .429 with three hits, three walks and two hit by pitches. Senior Jenae Wash hit .375 and homered. Sophomore Sydney Doloszycki hit an even .300 and tripled twice.
Junior Madison Taylor led the pitching staff with a 3.71 ERA over 11.1 innings. Opponents hit .261 against her in her two appearances.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 44 home runs through 44 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (44 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 42 nationally in home runs per game (1.00).
Britain Beshears (13) and Hannah Hawley (11) mark the first Spartan duo since 2017 to hit double-digit home runs in the same season. Four Spartans hit that mark in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland).
The Spartans are now tied for #5 in program history for single season home runs.
#1 - 66, 2017
#2 - 53, 2011
#3 - 50, 2007
#4 - 46, 2009
#5 - 44, 2024/2019
TAYLOR TURNING IT UP A NOTCH
In her last 12 appearances, junior pitcher Madison Taylor has posted a 3.35 ERA over 54.1 innings of work, far lower than her season-long ERA of 4.39. Taylor had a 6.00 ERA over her first 35.0 innings this season. Opponents are hitting .269 against Taylor during this current stretch.
Taylor has tossed three complete games during that stretch and twice has struck out a career-high eight batters (at Northwestern, vs. Indiana). On April 21, Taylor pitched 7.0 innings of relief after entering the game in the first inning.
SEEING DOUBLE
Sophomores Hannah Hawley (11) and Britain Beshears (13) have each hit double digit home runs this season. They are the first Spartan duo to hit 10+ homers in the same season since 2017. Four Spartans hit 10+ home runs in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland). Beshears' 13 homers are tied for third alltime for single season home runs at MSU. Hawley's 11 homers are tied for fifth all-time for single season home runs at MSU.
DOLOSZYCKI DOING DAMAGE
Sophomore outfielder Sydney Doloszycki has been a bright spot in the Spartan lineup over the last 14 games, reaching base in 12 of the last 14. Over her last 14 games, Doloszycki is second on the team hitting .341 (15-for-44) with three home runs, two triples, a double, nine runs scored, and eight RBI. In that span, Doloszycki is second on the team in SLG (.659) and OPS (1.067), and third on the team in OBP (.408).
HAULING IN HITS
Sophomore Hannah Hawley leads the Spartans with a .346 batting average, a .462 on-base percentage, a .692 slugging percentage and a 1.154 OPS. Hawley is #5 in the B1G in slugging percentage and #5 in OPS.
Hawley leads the team with 45 hits, 28 runs scored, 22 extra-base hits and 22 walks drawn. Hawley also leads the Spartans with 12 multi-hit games (five three-hit games, seven two-hit games) and is second with five multi-RBI games (Britain Beshears, 8). Hawley is currently on a nine-game reached base streak, her second longest streak of the year (10).
BASHING BESHEARS
Sophomore Britain Beshears ranks #38 nationally in home runs (13) and #46 home runs per game (0.29). Beshears is #4 in the B1G in home runs and her 13 home runs, which ranks tied for third in program history for a single season (Brett Williams, Stacey Phillips). Prior to Beshears, no Spartan had hit 13 home runs in a season since 2011.
Beshears ranks #7 in the B1G and leads the team in RBI with 37. Beshears has been on fire over her last 12 games, leading the Spartans with a .368 (14-for-38) batting average over that stretch alongside a .429 OBP and a .711 SLG and 14 RBI.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The 2024 B1G Softball Tournament is being hosted at Iowa this season, May 8-11.
12 of the 14 teams in the B1G make the tournament. Michigan State is fighting for a spot in the tournament over the final three weeks of the season with a 3-14 record in conference play.
Team Conference Record
#11 Illinois 5-11
#12 Iowa 4-13
Maryland 4-13
MSU 3-14
Players Mentioned
3B
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
3B/C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
OF
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