Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Dzierwa Named B1G Pitcher Of The Year Leads MSU’s All-B1G Honors
5/20/2025 12:01:00 PM | Baseball
Spartan southpaw becomes second Michigan State hurler to garner B1G Pitcher of the Year award.
OMAHA, Neb. -- Michigan State baseball player Joseph Dzierwa was named the 2025 Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year to lead the Spartans' All-Big Ten awards announced Tuesday by the conference office ahead of the 2025 B1G Tournament.
Dzierwa also garnered First Team All-B1G accolades, and was the only player that was a unanimous selection to the First Team.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten, while senior Sam Busch was MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
Dzierwa becomes the second Spartan to be named B1G Pitcher of the Year, joining Kurt Wunderlich in 2011. He is the sixth Spartan player to earn a major player award from the B1G, joining Player of the Year Award winners Bob Malek in 2002 and Jeff Holm in 2011, along with B1G Freshman of the Year Ryan Sontag in 2005 and Ryan Jones in 2010. MSU Baseball has also won three Coach of the Year Awards with Tom Smith in both 1988 and 1992, and Jake Boss Jr. in 2011.
The B1G Player of the Year Award adds to Dzierwa's growing award collection, which also includes a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.
{VOTE FOR DZIERWA FOR GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD HERE}
A Haskins, Ohio native, Dzierwa currently has an 8-3 record with a 2.31 ERA, firing 98 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched in 14 starts with a 0.96 WHIP. He has thrown one complete game shutout, as part of four combined shutouts, in holding the opposition to .193 against him. The Spartan southpaw is also second in the conference in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.41)
Dzierwa continues to establish new program top marks, as he is the first Spartan player in program history to be a four-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, doing so in back-to-back weeks twice. No MSU player had picked up back-to-back B1G weekly honors of any kind before Dzierwa did it the first two weeks of the season, earning the award Feb. 17 and 24, and he's now done it again on May 5 and 12.
By earning B1G Pitcher of the Week four times this season, Dzierwa is the first B1G pitcher to earn the award four times in a season since 2009 when Ohio State's Alex Wimmers was a four-time winner.
These two B1G honors in 2025 give Dzierwa four career Big Ten accolades, as he garnered Second Team All-Big Ten accolades as a sophomore in 2024 after earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team recognition in 2023.
McKay, a native of Clarkston, Michigan, currently leads the Spartans and ranks 24th in the B1G with a .322 average, as well as leading MSU and ranking tied for third in the B1G with 19 doubles. Additionally, McKay, along with leading the Spartans and ranking 21st in the league in walks.
Busch, a local product from East Lansing, Michigan, leads MSU and ranks tied for 13th in the B1G with 15 home runs, the most by a Spartan since 2002, tying for No. 5 on the Spartans' single-season home runs list. Busch has also kissed the ball goodbye with 29 career home runs, tying for fourth on MSU's career HR list.
This is Busch's third career B1G honor, but first on the diamond, as he's earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades in both 2023 and 2024, and is on track to earn them again in 2025 when they're announced this summer.
Dzierwa, McKay, Busch and the Spartans are the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, Presented by IFS.ai, and Spartans will play No. 8 seed Nebraska on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m ET / 6 p.m. CT in the opening round of pool play, before taking on No. 1 seed and B1G regular-season co-champion Oregon on Thursday, May 22, also at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.
The 2025 B1G Tournament is held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.
The Big Ten Network will broadcast every game of the tournament. Games will also be available on the FOX Sports App. Single-game and all-session packages are on sale at www.bigten.org/baseballtickets.
MSU'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," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
Dzierwa also garnered First Team All-B1G accolades, and was the only player that was a unanimous selection to the First Team.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten, while senior Sam Busch was MSU's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
The 2025 @B1Gbaseball Pitcher of the Year:
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 20, 2025
Michigan State's Joseph Dzierwa!!!!#GoGreen | @DzierwaJoseph pic.twitter.com/uztmPXAbn8
Dzierwa becomes the second Spartan to be named B1G Pitcher of the Year, joining Kurt Wunderlich in 2011. He is the sixth Spartan player to earn a major player award from the B1G, joining Player of the Year Award winners Bob Malek in 2002 and Jeff Holm in 2011, along with B1G Freshman of the Year Ryan Sontag in 2005 and Ryan Jones in 2010. MSU Baseball has also won three Coach of the Year Awards with Tom Smith in both 1988 and 1992, and Jake Boss Jr. in 2011.
The B1G Player of the Year Award adds to Dzierwa's growing award collection, which also includes a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.
{VOTE FOR DZIERWA FOR GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD HERE}
A Haskins, Ohio native, Dzierwa currently has an 8-3 record with a 2.31 ERA, firing 98 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched in 14 starts with a 0.96 WHIP. He has thrown one complete game shutout, as part of four combined shutouts, in holding the opposition to .193 against him. The Spartan southpaw is also second in the conference in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.41)
Dzierwa continues to establish new program top marks, as he is the first Spartan player in program history to be a four-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, doing so in back-to-back weeks twice. No MSU player had picked up back-to-back B1G weekly honors of any kind before Dzierwa did it the first two weeks of the season, earning the award Feb. 17 and 24, and he's now done it again on May 5 and 12.
Joseph Dzierwa is also a 1st Team All-B1G selection!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 20, 2025
He is only @B1Gbaseball player in the league that was a unanimous selection!!#GoGreen | @DzierwaJoseph pic.twitter.com/B1zsFUF9OS
By earning B1G Pitcher of the Week four times this season, Dzierwa is the first B1G pitcher to earn the award four times in a season since 2009 when Ohio State's Alex Wimmers was a four-time winner.
These two B1G honors in 2025 give Dzierwa four career Big Ten accolades, as he garnered Second Team All-Big Ten accolades as a sophomore in 2024 after earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team recognition in 2023.
Our guy Mini gets B1G recognition!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 20, 2025
Ryan McKay is a 2nd-Team All-B1G honoree!!#GoGreen | @Ryanmckay51 pic.twitter.com/IE5yPqsasZ
McKay, a native of Clarkston, Michigan, currently leads the Spartans and ranks 24th in the B1G with a .322 average, as well as leading MSU and ranking tied for third in the B1G with 19 doubles. Additionally, McKay, along with leading the Spartans and ranking 21st in the league in walks.
Oh Captain! Our Co-Captain!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 20, 2025
Sam Busch is our @B1Gbaseball Sportsmanship Award recipient!!#GoGreen | @Samwbusch pic.twitter.com/rWDylmmz6o
Busch, a local product from East Lansing, Michigan, leads MSU and ranks tied for 13th in the B1G with 15 home runs, the most by a Spartan since 2002, tying for No. 5 on the Spartans' single-season home runs list. Busch has also kissed the ball goodbye with 29 career home runs, tying for fourth on MSU's career HR list.
This is Busch's third career B1G honor, but first on the diamond, as he's earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades in both 2023 and 2024, and is on track to earn them again in 2025 when they're announced this summer.
Dzierwa, McKay, Busch and the Spartans are the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, Presented by IFS.ai, and Spartans will play No. 8 seed Nebraska on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m ET / 6 p.m. CT in the opening round of pool play, before taking on No. 1 seed and B1G regular-season co-champion Oregon on Thursday, May 22, also at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.
The 2025 B1G Tournament is held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.
The Big Ten Network will broadcast every game of the tournament. Games will also be available on the FOX Sports App. Single-game and all-session packages are on sale at www.bigten.org/baseballtickets.
MSU'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," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
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