Wednesday, March 12
East Lansing, Mich.
4:02 PM
Michigan State University
12-4
7
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11
(RV) Michigan
10-6
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9
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Michigan
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9
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Michigan State
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Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
MSU Baseball Topped By UM In Home Opener Wednesday
3/12/2025 10:42:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans take early lead, overtaken in middle innings.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State baseball's 2025 home opener started with a bang, as the Spartans took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, only to be overtaken in the middle frames by Michigan, and MSU's late rally wasn't enough in an 11-7 final score, Wednesday at newly renamed Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium.
MSU slides to 12-4 with Wednesday's non-conference loss, while UM moves to 10-6, winning its last three in a row.
Michigan State opened a 3-0 lead in the second inning after an two-run double by junior infielder Randy Seymour and an RBI single by senior outfielder JT Sokolove. However, UM countered with two in the fourth before a nine-run top of the fifth inning broke the game open with an 11-3 lead.
"That's kind of been the theme in our losses," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It's been one bad inning, we've got four losses, and I think we've given up nine runs in one inning in two of those games, and six runs in another two games, and all in one inning, you're just not going to win when that happens. We walk four guys in the inning and hit one, and that turns the base hits into RBI base hits. When you give up nine in an inning you're not going to win."
The Spartans rallied with a four-run bottom of the fifth to close to 11-7, but couldn't cut the gap any further.
MSU had seven hits on the day, coming from seven different Spartans. Seymour was 1-for-4 with the two RBI and a run scored. Sokolove was 1-for-3 with the RBI and a run scored. Senior infielder Jacob Anderson, senior catcher Noah Bright and junior outfielder Jake Dresselhouse were also all 1-for-3. Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 1-for-4, while sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-5. Senior outfielder Nick Williams had an RBI and scored a run, as did senior infielder Sam Busch.
On the mound, sophomore starter Logan Pikur went 2.0 IP, followed by sophomore Gannon Grundman, redshirt-sophomore Tate Farquhar, senior George Viebrock and sophomore Garrett Brewer.
"I think we competed, they made some big pitches when they needed to also, but I am proud of the way our guys competed," Boss said. "I think if you put seven up you should feel pretty good about winning. At the same time, there are days where we're going to have to have more than that, and there are days where we may have to score more than that. There are days we may have to put up 12 to win, and there are also days when we may only need to score two to win. So, our guys are figuring out ways to get on base. The team batting average probably aren't the gaudiest numbers, but we're figuring out ways to get on base. Our on-base percentage is very good, so we are figuring out ways to score."
The Spartans got on the board with three runs in the home half of the second. Dresselhouse ignited the rally with a one-out walk. Bright followed with a single through the left side to put two Spartans on the bases.
Seymour strode the plate and smacked a line drive double to center, that the UM centerfielder dove for, but bounced in front of him and spun away, allowing Dresselhouse and Bright to scamper around the bases to touch home for the first two runs at home of the 2025 season and a 2-0 lead.
Two batters later, Sokolove laced a single to drive in Seymour and put the Spartans ahead, 3-0.
Michigan closed within 3-2 with two runs in the top of the fourth, then broke through with nine runs on five hits, taking advantage of one MSU error, to open an 11-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
The Spartans countered in the home half of the fifth with a rally. Anderson sparked it by leading off with an infield single, then Sokolove drew a walk to move Anderson to second. After a groundout moved both Spartans up a base, N.Williams reached on an error by the UM first baseman, driving in Anderson.
After a Michigan pitching change, Busch drew a walk to load the bases, forcing another Wolverine pitching change. Picot then knocked a high fly ball to his counterpart in right field, but the Wolverine misplayed it, for a bases-clearing rally to pull MSU within 11-7. It was Picot's second bases-loaded, bases-clearing play in as many games, also doing so in Sunday's game vs. UAB in Greenville.
The Spartans threatened in the late innings, but were unable to push any more runs across.
MSU opens Big Ten Conference play on the road, heading to Iowa City, Iowa for a three-game weekend series, Friday-Sunday, March 14-16. Friday's B1G and series opener is slated for first pitch at 5:05 p.m. ET/4:05 p.m. CT. Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 3:05 p.m. ET/2:05 p.m. CT start time, before Sunday's series finale at 2:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. CT.
The week's schedule is subject to change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats."
MSU returns to Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium to host Oakland on Wednesday, March 10 at 4 p.m.
Michigan State baseball tickets are available online at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information.
MSU slides to 12-4 with Wednesday's non-conference loss, while UM moves to 10-6, winning its last three in a row.
Michigan State opened a 3-0 lead in the second inning after an two-run double by junior infielder Randy Seymour and an RBI single by senior outfielder JT Sokolove. However, UM countered with two in the fourth before a nine-run top of the fifth inning broke the game open with an 11-3 lead.
"That's kind of been the theme in our losses," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It's been one bad inning, we've got four losses, and I think we've given up nine runs in one inning in two of those games, and six runs in another two games, and all in one inning, you're just not going to win when that happens. We walk four guys in the inning and hit one, and that turns the base hits into RBI base hits. When you give up nine in an inning you're not going to win."
The Spartans rallied with a four-run bottom of the fifth to close to 11-7, but couldn't cut the gap any further.
MSU had seven hits on the day, coming from seven different Spartans. Seymour was 1-for-4 with the two RBI and a run scored. Sokolove was 1-for-3 with the RBI and a run scored. Senior infielder Jacob Anderson, senior catcher Noah Bright and junior outfielder Jake Dresselhouse were also all 1-for-3. Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 1-for-4, while sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-5. Senior outfielder Nick Williams had an RBI and scored a run, as did senior infielder Sam Busch.
On the mound, sophomore starter Logan Pikur went 2.0 IP, followed by sophomore Gannon Grundman, redshirt-sophomore Tate Farquhar, senior George Viebrock and sophomore Garrett Brewer.
"I think we competed, they made some big pitches when they needed to also, but I am proud of the way our guys competed," Boss said. "I think if you put seven up you should feel pretty good about winning. At the same time, there are days where we're going to have to have more than that, and there are days where we may have to score more than that. There are days we may have to put up 12 to win, and there are also days when we may only need to score two to win. So, our guys are figuring out ways to get on base. The team batting average probably aren't the gaudiest numbers, but we're figuring out ways to get on base. Our on-base percentage is very good, so we are figuring out ways to score."
The Spartans got on the board with three runs in the home half of the second. Dresselhouse ignited the rally with a one-out walk. Bright followed with a single through the left side to put two Spartans on the bases.
Seymour strode the plate and smacked a line drive double to center, that the UM centerfielder dove for, but bounced in front of him and spun away, allowing Dresselhouse and Bright to scamper around the bases to touch home for the first two runs at home of the 2025 season and a 2-0 lead.
Two batters later, Sokolove laced a single to drive in Seymour and put the Spartans ahead, 3-0.
Michigan closed within 3-2 with two runs in the top of the fourth, then broke through with nine runs on five hits, taking advantage of one MSU error, to open an 11-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
The Spartans countered in the home half of the fifth with a rally. Anderson sparked it by leading off with an infield single, then Sokolove drew a walk to move Anderson to second. After a groundout moved both Spartans up a base, N.Williams reached on an error by the UM first baseman, driving in Anderson.
After a Michigan pitching change, Busch drew a walk to load the bases, forcing another Wolverine pitching change. Picot then knocked a high fly ball to his counterpart in right field, but the Wolverine misplayed it, for a bases-clearing rally to pull MSU within 11-7. It was Picot's second bases-loaded, bases-clearing play in as many games, also doing so in Sunday's game vs. UAB in Greenville.
The Spartans threatened in the late innings, but were unable to push any more runs across.
MSU opens Big Ten Conference play on the road, heading to Iowa City, Iowa for a three-game weekend series, Friday-Sunday, March 14-16. Friday's B1G and series opener is slated for first pitch at 5:05 p.m. ET/4:05 p.m. CT. Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 3:05 p.m. ET/2:05 p.m. CT start time, before Sunday's series finale at 2:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. CT.
The week's schedule is subject to change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats."
MSU returns to Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium to host Oakland on Wednesday, March 10 at 4 p.m.
Michigan State baseball tickets are available online at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Josh Kasner (2-0)
L: Grundman, Gannon (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Benjamin Casillas 1 ; Mitch Voit 1
HR: Colby Turner 1
RBI: Benjamin Casillas 1 ; Mitch Voit 4 ; Jeter Ybarra 1 ; Cade Ladehoff 1 ; Cole Caruso 1 ; Colby Turner 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Benjamin Casillas 2 ; Jonathan Kim 1 ; Mitch Voit 1 ; Cade Ladehoff 1 ; Cole Caruso 2 ; Matt Spear 1 ; Colby Turner 2 ; AJ Rausch 1
SB: Mitch Voit 1 ; Cade Ladehoff 1
HBP: Cade Ladehoff 1 ; AJ Rausch 1
Batting:
2B: McKay, Ryan 1 ; Picot, Parker 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1
RBI: Sokolove, JT 1 ; Williams, Nick 1 ; Picot, Parker 1 ; Seymour, Randy 2
SF: Picot, Parker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sokolove, JT 1 ; Williams, Nick 1 ; Busch, Sam 1 ; Dresselhouse, Jake 1 ; Bright, Noah 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1 ; Anderson, Jacob 1
SB: Sokolove, JT 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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