Friday, April 25
Ann Arbor, Mich.
4:02 PM
Michigan State University
23-17, 9-10
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(RV) Michigan
25-17, 9-10
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Michigan State
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Michigan
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Photo by: MSU Baseball Social Squad
MSU Drops Series Opener Friday at UM
4/25/2025 11:08:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans topped in game one of series, after long weather and rain delay.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball was defeated in the series-opener of the three-game Big Ten Conference series at Michigan Friday evening at UM's Ray Fisher Stadium by an 8-2 final score.
After impending inclement weather moved the start time up from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, the game had a weather and rain delay that lasted an hour and 15 minutes in the middle of the sixth inning. Lightning and rain forced the delay, and once the game resumed, light rain fell the last few innings, falling gradually harder right after the completion of the game.
With Friday's loss, MSU slides to 23-17 overall and 9-10 in B1G play, and is now tied with UM in the conference standings with an identical record, while the Wolverines move to 25-17 overall.
It also snapped the Spartans' two-game win streak in Ann Arbor, winning there in the last game of the 2023 B1G series and the lone game there in 2024, the non-conference contest.
UM scored three in the second and three more in the fourth on a three-run home run to open a 6-0 lead, before MSU got on the board with a run in the fifth to close to 6-1, which is what the score was at the time of the weather delay. The Wolverines scratched across a run in each of the seventh and eighth frames, before the Spartans added a run in their last at bat for the final 8-2 score.
"As we as a team talked after the game, I didn't think we played poorly, we just didn't play good enough," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think the box score is a little deceiving, maybe, they had a three-run home run and, maybe a couple freebies before that. But, I thought we pitched it okay, they hit a couple balls hard, but not many, but they hit them where we weren't. And so that's how the game goes sometimes, and I thought we hit some balls hard, and happened to hit it right at guys, but we had a couple opportunities, and had a couple bad at-bats in what proved to be big spots in the game, and that's the difference tonight, so we're back at it tomorrow."
The Spartans out-hit the Wolverines until late in the game, as UM had a total of five hits in the seventh and eighth innings. MSU finished with nine hits, while UM had 12, with the Spartans leaving seven runners on base, while the Wolverines left six.
Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 3-for-4, with a double and a triple, with an RBI and a run scored. Picot adds to his team lead with his fifth triple of the season, which is now tied for the B1G lead.
Freshman infielder Dayton Murphy was 2-for-3, and junior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-4. Senior designated hitter Noah Bright was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while senior outfielder JT Sokolove was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, redshirt-sophomore starter Tate Farquhar scattered six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Graduate reliever Zach Maxey had a three-up, three-down frame in his lone inning of work, before the weather delay. Redshirt-junior Ryan Szczepaniak went 2.0 IP with two runs on five hits, while graduate George Viebrock III went 1.0 IP with one K.
After a scoreless first frame in the game, UM broke through with three runs on four hits in the second stanza. The Wolverines added to their lead with another three runs in the fourth inning on a three-run HR for a 6-0 lead.
MSU got on the board in the top of the fifth as Picot sparked the rally with a single through the left side. Murphy laid down a sac bunt to move Picot to second, and Sokolove laced a single to right-center and Picot scampered around to score, pulling the Spartans within, 6-1.
In the middle of the sixth, a weather delay started with lightning in the area, halting the game. Shortly after the field and stadium cleared, rain started falling and continued for a lengthy time, with varying levels of rainfall.
After a delay of nearly an hour and 15 minutes, the game resumed at 7:45 p.m.
Michigan added a run in each of the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to open an 8-1 advantage.
The Spartans didn't go quietly into the dark, rainy Ann Arbor night, as Bright drew a two-out walk and Picot followed by pelting his triple off the wall in right field to plate Bright, but a groundout ended the MSU rally and the game.
MSU and UM will play game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m., and will wrap up the weekend schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Spartans' schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
Following this weekend's series at Michigan, MSU has the week of April 28 off of games due to finals on campus, returning to action Friday-Sunday, May 2-4 vs. Oregon in a three-game Big Ten weekend series.
The series opens on Friday, May 2 at 6:02 p.m., before game two of the series on Saturday, May 3 at 3:32 p.m., and concludes on Sunday, May 4 at 11:32 a.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.
After impending inclement weather moved the start time up from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon, the game had a weather and rain delay that lasted an hour and 15 minutes in the middle of the sixth inning. Lightning and rain forced the delay, and once the game resumed, light rain fell the last few innings, falling gradually harder right after the completion of the game.
With Friday's loss, MSU slides to 23-17 overall and 9-10 in B1G play, and is now tied with UM in the conference standings with an identical record, while the Wolverines move to 25-17 overall.
It also snapped the Spartans' two-game win streak in Ann Arbor, winning there in the last game of the 2023 B1G series and the lone game there in 2024, the non-conference contest.
UM scored three in the second and three more in the fourth on a three-run home run to open a 6-0 lead, before MSU got on the board with a run in the fifth to close to 6-1, which is what the score was at the time of the weather delay. The Wolverines scratched across a run in each of the seventh and eighth frames, before the Spartans added a run in their last at bat for the final 8-2 score.
"As we as a team talked after the game, I didn't think we played poorly, we just didn't play good enough," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think the box score is a little deceiving, maybe, they had a three-run home run and, maybe a couple freebies before that. But, I thought we pitched it okay, they hit a couple balls hard, but not many, but they hit them where we weren't. And so that's how the game goes sometimes, and I thought we hit some balls hard, and happened to hit it right at guys, but we had a couple opportunities, and had a couple bad at-bats in what proved to be big spots in the game, and that's the difference tonight, so we're back at it tomorrow."
The Spartans out-hit the Wolverines until late in the game, as UM had a total of five hits in the seventh and eighth innings. MSU finished with nine hits, while UM had 12, with the Spartans leaving seven runners on base, while the Wolverines left six.
Sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 3-for-4, with a double and a triple, with an RBI and a run scored. Picot adds to his team lead with his fifth triple of the season, which is now tied for the B1G lead.
Freshman infielder Dayton Murphy was 2-for-3, and junior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-4. Senior designated hitter Noah Bright was 1-for-3 with a run scored, while senior outfielder JT Sokolove was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, redshirt-sophomore starter Tate Farquhar scattered six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Graduate reliever Zach Maxey had a three-up, three-down frame in his lone inning of work, before the weather delay. Redshirt-junior Ryan Szczepaniak went 2.0 IP with two runs on five hits, while graduate George Viebrock III went 1.0 IP with one K.
After a scoreless first frame in the game, UM broke through with three runs on four hits in the second stanza. The Wolverines added to their lead with another three runs in the fourth inning on a three-run HR for a 6-0 lead.
MSU got on the board in the top of the fifth as Picot sparked the rally with a single through the left side. Murphy laid down a sac bunt to move Picot to second, and Sokolove laced a single to right-center and Picot scampered around to score, pulling the Spartans within, 6-1.
In the middle of the sixth, a weather delay started with lightning in the area, halting the game. Shortly after the field and stadium cleared, rain started falling and continued for a lengthy time, with varying levels of rainfall.
After a delay of nearly an hour and 15 minutes, the game resumed at 7:45 p.m.
Michigan added a run in each of the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to open an 8-1 advantage.
The Spartans didn't go quietly into the dark, rainy Ann Arbor night, as Bright drew a two-out walk and Picot followed by pelting his triple off the wall in right field to plate Bright, but a groundout ended the MSU rally and the game.
MSU and UM will play game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m., and will wrap up the weekend schedule on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Spartans' schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
Following this weekend's series at Michigan, MSU has the week of April 28 off of games due to finals on campus, returning to action Friday-Sunday, May 2-4 vs. Oregon in a three-game Big Ten weekend series.
The series opens on Friday, May 2 at 6:02 p.m., before game two of the series on Saturday, May 3 at 3:32 p.m., and concludes on Sunday, May 4 at 11:32 a.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: Kurt Barr (5-3)
L: Farquhar, Tate (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Picot, Parker 1
3B: Picot, Parker 1
RBI: Sokolove, JT 1 ; Picot, Parker 1
SH: Murphy, Dayton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bright, Noah 1 ; Picot, Parker 1
CS: Seymour, Randy 1
Batting:
2B: Benjamin Casillas 1 ; Mitch Voit 1 ; Jonathan Kim 1 ; Greg Pace Jr 1
HR: Greg Pace Jr 1
RBI: Benjamin Casillas 2 ; Colby Turner 1 ; Matt Spear 1 ; Greg Pace Jr 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Benjamin Casillas 1 ; Jonathan Kim 3 ; Matt Spear 2 ; Greg Pace Jr 2
SB: Benjamin Casillas 1
CS: Greg Pace Jr 1
HBP: Brayden Jefferis 1 ; Jonathan Kim 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
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Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
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