MSU Meets Top-Seeded Oregon Thursday In Big Ten Tournament Action

***NOTE: ***
Twelfth-seeded Michigan State baseball's match-up against top-seeded Oregon has had a time adjustment due to inclement weather in the forecast for the Omaha area.

The Spartans and Ducks will now play Thursday at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT in the third game of the day of the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.

With inclement weather in the forecast, first pitch for the three pool play games on Thursday will move up by one hour. The new start times are 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT for UCLA versus Michigan, 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT for USC-Penn State and 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT for Oregon-Michigan State.

• Michigan State baseball continues its 16th all-time appearance in the Big Ten Tournament when the 12th-seeded Spartans square off with top-seeded Oregon in Game 9 of the B1G Tournament on Thursday, May 22 ... First pitch in the battle between the Spartans and Ducks is now slated for 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT - moving up one hour than originally scheduled due to inclement weather ... the 43rd Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament, Presented by IFS.ai, is being held Tuesday-Sunday, May 20-25, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.

• This year's tournament incorporates pool play with four groups consisting of three teams each. The four pool winners will meet in the single-elimination semifinals on May 24, followed by the championship game on May 25.

• The Spartans are coming off a 5-4 (10 inn.) loss to eighth-seeded Nebraska in the final game of the opening day on Tuesday night, which denied the Spartans from advancing out of Pool A action.

• Michigan State and Oregon played each other in the regular-season, with the nationally-ranked No. 6 Ducks capturing the series regular-season B1G series meeting, winning 2-of-3 on May 2-4, in East Lansing ... MSU won the opener, 2-0, behind Joseph Dzierwa's complete game shutout, before UO bounced back to take game two, 13-5, and won the rubber match, 3-1.

• Thursday's MSU game and all of the 2025 B1G Baseball Tournament will be televised on Big Ten
Network, and games will also be available on the FOX Sports App through the "Watch Live" link, and "Live Stats" will be available on MSUSpartans.com.

• The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.

• MSU's games will not be on the Spartan Media Network, so there will be no "Listen Live" link available.

• Michigan State is the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, posting a 28-25 regular-season overall record and 13-17 B1G mark, qualifying on the last day of the regular-season and coming down to the final game in the conference, as MSU secured the No. 12 seed with a thrilling 11-10 walk-off win over Minnesota coupled with Northwestern's loss at UCLA Saturday evening.

• MSU entered the final weekend of the regular-season tied for 11th with Illinois and Northwestern, but the Spartans lost the first two games of the weekend series with Minnesota, falling 4-3 on Thursday and 11-5 on Friday. Illinois beat Ohio State twice to clinch the No. 11 seed, while Northwestern upset No. 14 UCLA on Friday, setting up Saturday's dramatics.

• Michigan State was coming off winning the series at No. 25 USC on May 9-11. In the inaugural meeting between the Spartans and Trojans on the baseball diamond, MSU won, 2-0, behind Spartan southpaw junior Joseph Dzierwa's gem, going 7.0 innings with eight strikeouts and only two hits without a run. On Saturday, May 10, the Spartans scorched the Trojans, 15-5, in eight innings, as MSU won the series, snapping USC's eight-series win streak, its longest series win streak since 1978. USC denied MSU's sweep with a 10-3 game on Sunday, May 11.

• The Spartans were the first and only previous Big Ten team to win a series at one of the four West Coast new B1G members. MSU is also only one of three of the previous B1G teams to take a series from the West Coast members, joining Ohio State over Oregon and Rutgers over Washington, but the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights were the home teams in both of those series, and confirmed in the final weekend of the regular-season, with UCLA winning the home series vs. Northwestern, Oregon swept the series at Iowa, and Washington won the home series against USC.

• Oregon is 41-13 overall and is the No. 1 seed, and is B1G regular-season co-champions, sharing the title with UCLA, marking UO's first regular-season conference championship since 1974, winning the B1G crown in their first season in the league. The Ducks have won 14 of their last 15, including their last 10 games, with Oregon's last loss coming at Michigan State on May 2. UO is led by head coach Mark Wasikowski, who was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year on Tuesday when the league awards were announced. The Ducks' 41 wins this season are tied for the most under Wasikowski and marks their second 41-win season in the last three years. Oregon clinched the regular-season co-championship by sweeping Iowa last weekend at Iowa City. The Ducks run-ruled the Hawkeyes in the opener, 10-0 in 7-innings, before winning game two, 9-6 and completing the sweep with a 13-4 triumph.

• Michigan State is playing its 141st season of baseball in 2025 and won its 2,500th all-time Victory for MSU last week vs. Eastern Michigan. Baseball was the first organized varsity sport on campus with the first season of Spartan baseball in 1884, winning its first recorded game on May 19, 1884, 20-9 over Olivet, 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 now has an all-time record of 2,502-2,220-30 (.530) in 4,751 games played after the weekend series win at No. 25 USC.

• For the first time since the preseason polls, Michigan State was not ranked among others receiving votes in the April 7 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Poll and MSU is again not in this week's (May 12) poll, marking the sixth week in row MSU hasn't been included in receiving votes in the rankings. The Spartans had a run of seven weeks in a row having either been ranked or including in among others receiving votes.

• Oregon and UCLA are the only two B1G teams ranked in all the polls. Iowa, Michigan and USC are among the others receiving votes in the NCBWA Poll, in addition to USC and Iowa as the other league teams among others receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

BACK TO OMAHA
• This is MSU's second berth in the B1G Tournament in the last three seasons, as the Spartans made it to Omaha in 2023 as the No. 8 seed. The 2023 visit was MSU's first berth in the B1G Tournament since 2018.

SPARTAN PLAYERS NOT AT FIRST RODEO IN OMAHA
• In 2023, no Spartan player on the roster had played in the conference tourney prior the first-round game. However, in 2025, MSU comes to Omaha with 11 players that were on the Spartans' roster in 2023:

5          Christian Williams      C/DH   SR        Carmel, IN/Carmel HS
9          Jacob Anderson          INF       R-JR     Oakland Township, MI/Notre Dame Prep HS
11        Tate Farquhar RHP     R-SO    Highland, MI/Lakeland HS
16        Joseph Dzierwa           LHP      JR         Haskins, OH/Otsego HS
24        Sam Busch      INF       SR        East Lansing, MI/East Lansing HS
26        Dominic Pianto           RHP     SR        Hendersonville, TN/Pope John Paul II HS/Furman
29        Noah Matheny           RHP     R-JR     Peoria, IL/Galesburg HS/SIU Edwardsville
30        Jake Dresselhouse      OF        JR         Highland, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
35        Randy Seymour          INF/RHP          JR         Frankfort, IL/Lincoln-Way East HS
41        Nolan Higgins RHP     JR         Wixom, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
42        Ryan Szczepaniak       RHP     R-SO    Woodhaven, MI/Woodhaven HS

• Of the 11 Spartans on the MSU roster for the 2023 B1G Tournament, two position players, infielder Sam Busch and outfielder Jake Dresselhouse saw action, while pitchers Joseph Dzierwa and Nolan Higgins saw action.

• Dzierwa, Busch and Higgins saw action against Nebraska in the 2023 B1G Tournament meeting. Dzierwa started on the mound vs. the Huskers, going 4.2 innings, striking out six, while scattering six hits and one run. Higgins pitched the final 1.1 IP, with one K and no hits or runs. Busch was starting DH in the game, going 0-2.

• Also on MSU's 2025 roster is graduate pitcher/pinch hitter Ryan Zimmer, who was on Michigan's 2023 B1G Tournament roster, pitching in one game for UM. Zimmer is currently out for the season with an injury, but will be in the Spartans' dugout this week.

MSU B1G TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• MSU is making its 16th overall appearance in the B1G Tournament, including the ninth under head coach Jake Boss Jr., now with a 10-17 ledger in the conference tourney under Coach Boss, winning at least one game in six of the previous eight visits as well as winning two games in four of the previous seven tournaments.

SPARTANS IN OMAHAAAAA, SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE AMERICA
• MSU is making its fifth trip to an Omaha-hosted B1G Tournament, making the conference postseason tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2018 hosted by Omaha ... MSU is now 5-8 in the B1G Tourney in Omaha.

• In 2014, the No. 6 seed Spartans went 2-2, beating third-seeded Illinois in the opening round, 2-1, before losing to No. 2 Nebraska, 3-2, but bouncing back to beat Illinois again, 11-2, before falling to No. 1 seed Indiana, 7-4, as the Hoosiers advanced to the title game and won the conference crown.

• The 2016 B1G Tournament saw the seventh-seeded Spartans upset No. 2 seed Nebraska, 5-1, and No. 6 seed Maryland, 4-3, before falling to No. 4 seed Ohio State twice, 3-2 in 10 innings, and 7-3, as OSU also advanced to the championship game and won the title.

• In 2018, the No. 8 seed Spartans lost to No. 1 seed Minnesota, 3-2, in the opener, before being eliminated by fifth-seeded Indiana, in a heart-breaking 6-5 loss in 10 innings.

• The 2023 Spartans were the No. 8 seed in the B1G Tournament, losing to No. 1 seed Maryland, 3-2, before bouncing back to beat No. 5 seed Rutgers, 6-4, eliminating the Scarlet Knight, but then losing to No. 4 seed Nebraska, 4-0.

• In 2025, the 12th-seeded Spartans had a rematch with Nebraska, the No. 8 seed, and were topped, 5-4 in 10-innings.

IN THE RANKINGS
• Michigan State was ranked in the Feb. 24 rankings of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 Poll, but slipped out of the following week's rankings and were among others receiving votes for the next five weeks, until not being listed in the last seven weeks' polls (April 7, 14, 21 & 28; May 5, 12, 19).

Prior to the Feb. 24 ranking, the last time that MSU was ranked was No. 23 in the Baseball America Top 25 Poll and No. 30 in the NCWBA Poll on May 2, 2016. The Spartans made their season debut in the rankings that season at No. 25 in the March 14, 2016 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Once again, Oregon and UCLA are the only two B1G teams ranked in all the polls. Iowa, Michigan and USC are among the others receiving votes in the NCBWA Poll, in addition to USC and Iowa as the other league teams among others receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Oregon moved up to No. 3 in the Perfect Game Top 25 Poll, while holding at No. 5 in the D1Baseball Poll, while ranking No. 7 in both the NCBWA Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll, in addition to No. 9 in the Baseball America Poll.

UCLA is No. 14 in the D1Baseball.com Poll, No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 17 in the Perfect Game Poll, No. 18 in the NCBWA Poll and No. 20 in the Baseball America Poll.

USC and Iowa are both among others receiving votes in the NCBWA and the USA Today Coaches Poll, while Michigan joins them among others receiving notes in the NCBWA Poll.

DZIERWA NAMED B1G PITCHER OF THE YEAR LEADS MSU'S ALL-B1G HONORS
• 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 in the league 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.

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 again on May 5 and 12. Overall, 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 postseason 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 leads 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 NATIONAL SEMIFINALIST FOR TWO AWARDS
• Michigan State junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was named a national semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser Player of the Year awards.

A strong candidate for Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Dzierwa is the lone B1G pitcher on either list, and is also only one of four B1G players for the Golden Spikes Award, and one of seven B1G players on the Dick Howser Trophy.

The Spartan southpaw is also the second MSU player in the last three seasons to be named a semifinalist for this prestigious award, again joining first baseman Brock Vradenburg in 2023.

Dzierwa is one of 25 players on the Golden Spikes list, which includes 23 different schools as Florida State and Georgia Tech have two players each. He is one of four players from the Big Ten Conference, but again is the only pitcher from the B1G, joined by UCLA infielder Roch Cholowsky, Oregon outfielder Mason Neville and Indiana outfielder Devin Taylor.

The Spartan hurler Dzierwa is one of 64 players on the semifinalist list. He is also one of seven from the Big Ten, but the only pitcher from the league, as he's joined by UCLA infielder Roch Cholowsky, USC infielder Ethan Hedges, Oregon outfielder Mason Neville, Indiana outfielder Devin Taylor, Michigan infielder Mitch Voit and Oregon infielder Jacob Walsh.

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 CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRAM HISTORY WITH B1G PITCHER OF WEEK AWARDS
• Michigan State junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week this week for the second-straight week, marking the second time this season that he's gone back-to-back in the B1G POW award. 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.

BOSS IN 17th SEASON WITH SPARTANS
• Head coach Jake Boss Jr. is in his 17th year at Michigan State and 18th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2025 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for the former historic Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons.

BOSS 450th VICTORY FOR MSU
• Head coach Jake Boss Jr. won his 450th as Spartan head coach with a 3-2 walk-off Victory for MSU over Cornell on Friday, March 7 in the opening day of play at the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.

Coach Boss becomes the third MSU baseball coach to reach the 450 Victories for MSU milestone, joining Spartan coaching greats John Kobs with 576 wins and Danny Litwhiler with 489.

Now with 468 wins in 875 games, Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and No. 2 in games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins, while recently passing Litwhiler in games coaches, as Litwhiler coached 859 games.

141ST SEASON OF MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL
Michigan State is playing its 141st season of baseball in 2025 ... Baseball was the first organized varsity sport on campus with the first season of Spartan baseball in 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 currently has an all-time record of 2,503-2,222-30 (.530) in 4,755 games played.

35TH WITH 2,500
Michigan State became the 35th Division I team to reach 2,500 all-time wins with the 3-1 Victory for MSU over in-state foe Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 6. MSU became the seventh B1G team to reach 2,500 wins, joining Michigan, USC, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State and UCLA.

MILESTONE VICTORIES
Here's a closer look of MSU's milestone wins:
1st Win                        May 19, 1884
100th Win       May 26, 1905
500th Win       April 25, 1945
1,000th Win    May 13, 1972
1,500th Win    April 27, 1991
2,000th Win    April 6, 2010
2,300th Win    Feb. 17, 2017
2,500th Win    May 6, 2025

SERIES HISTORY EXTENDED NOTES VS. B1G TOURNAMENT OPPONENT
• Michigan State and Oregon have a limited series history, as Thursday will not only be the fourth meeting this season, but just the eighth all-time meeting between the Spartans and Ducks, first playing in 2015.

Overall: MSU leads, 5-2
In East Lansing: Tied, 2-2 | In Eugene: MSU leads, 3-0 | Neutral: 0-0
Streak: UO W2
First meeting: MSU 2, UO 1 (11); April 3, 2015 in Eugene
Last meeting: No. 6 UO 3, MSU 1; May 4, 2025 in East Lansing

Series Notes: Spartans and Ducks meeting for fourth time this season, after No. 6 Oregon took 2-of-3 in the regular-season B1G series meeting, May 2-4, in East Lansing ... MSU won the opener, 2-0, behind Joseph Dzierwa's complete game shutout, before UO bounced back to take game two, 13-5, and won the rubber match, 3-1 ... The Spartans and Ducks met for first time as B1G foes and first time overall since 2016 in second half of a home-and-home series ... First meeting in series came in 2015 in three-game series in Eugene, with Spartans sweeping series ... MSU and UO met in East Lansing in 2016, but only got one of the three-game series in, as MSU won the opener, 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off home run by Jordan Zimmerman, and then games two and three of the series were cancelled due to inclement weather ... Two of the first four meetings went to extra innings ... Four of the seven meetings have been decided by two runs or less, including two of the three in the regular-season series.

SPARTANS CONQUER TROJANS IN MONUMENTAL SERIES WIN
• The Spartans were the first and only previous Big Ten team to win a series at one of the four West Coast new B1G members this season, winning the series at No. 25 USC, May 9-11, played at Great Park in Irvine, CA, due to renovations to USC's home park.

• MSU is also only one of three of the previous B1G teams to take a series from the West Coast members, joining Ohio State over Oregon and Rutgers over Washington, but the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights were the home teams in both of those series, and confirmed in the final weekend of the regular-season, with UCLA winning the home series vs. Northwestern, Oregon swept the series at Iowa, and Washington won the home series against USC.

DZIERWA'S WEEKLY AWARD COLLECTION GROWS AGAIN
The Spartan southpaw once again made the weekly awards list sound like Ben Stein standing in front of class taking attendance during a particular movie scene: "Dzierwa... Dzierwa... Dzierwa... Dzierwa?"

MSU junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa again collected a bevy of honors for his performance in shutting out No. 25 USC:

• Big Ten Pitcher Of The Week (5/12/25)
• One of D1Baseball.com's Friday standouts (5/9/25)
• D1Baseball's Big Ten Loud! Performance of the Day (5/9/25)
• Baseball America NCAA Ace Report (5/10/25)
• 64Analytics Top 10 DI Pitchers of the Week (5/5-5/11)

DZIERWA 100 K IN SINGLE-SEASON
With six strikeouts Tuesday night vs. Nebraska, Dzierwa now has 104 strikeouts for the season, becoming the fifth Spartan pitcher in program history to reach the 100 K milestone, and the first since Nick Bates in 2002 with 100. Dzierwa passed Bates and finishes at No. 4 on MSU's single-season strikeout list.

It also gives him 255 for his career, holding at No. 3 on MSU's career strikeout list.

DZIERWA DZOINS 20 DUB CLUB
• The May 9 win at No. 25 USC was Dzierwa's 20th career win, moving up to sole possession of No. 9 on MSU's career wins list. His 20 wins are the most since Mick VanVossen won 21 games from 2012-15.

Dzierwa pulled away from a tie for No. 9 on MSU's career wins list with former teammate Nick Powers (2021-24) with 19 wins.

DZIERWA DZUMPING WAY INTO RECORD BOOK IN Ks, Ws AND IP
• Dzierwa now has 255 Ks for his career, moving up to No. 3 spot on the Spartans' career strikeout list. He passed Mason Erla (2017-21) with 243 Ks, with his eight Ks at USC. Next up at No. 2 in Tony Bucciferro (2009-12) with 273 strikeouts.

MSU SINGLE-SEASON STRIKEOUTS LIST
1.         Mark Mulder 113      1998
2.         Mel Behney    107      1968
3.         Dick Radatz     106      1959
4.         Joseph Dzierwa          104      2025
5.         Nick Bates       100      2002
6.         Dakota Mekkes           96        2016
            Tony Bucciferro          94        2012
8.         Bryan Gale      93        2004
9.         Joseph Dzierwa          91        2024
10.       Mitchell Tyranski        89        2019
            Ron Perranoski           89        1958
12.       Dick Kenney    88        1967

MSU CAREER STRIKEOUTS LIST
1.         Bryan Gale      277      2001-04
2.         Tony Bucciferro          273      2009-12
3.         Joseph Dzierwa          255      2023-pres.
4.         Mason Erla      243      2017-2021
5.         Ron Perranoski           223      ..1956-58
6.         Cam Vieaux     .....205             .. 2014-16
7.         Brian Murphy ...194 .. 1995-98
8.         Dick Radatz     .....193             .. 1957-59
           David Garner ...192 .. 2011-13
10.       Nick Powers    187      2021-24

MSU CAREER Wins LIST
1.         Stuart Hirschman       28        1990-93
            Bryan Gale      28      2001-04
3.         Tony Bucciferro          26        2009-12
            Kurt Wunderlich         26        2008-11
5.         Larry Ike          23        1970-72
            Brian Wolcott 23        1977-80
7.         Mick VanVossen         21        2012-15
            Ron Perranoski           21        1956-58
9.         Joseph Dzierwa          20        2023-pres.
10.       Nick Powers    19        2021-24
11.       Andrew Waszak          18        2010-13
            Tim Day           18        2002-05

MSU CAREER Innings Pitched

1.         Tony Bucciferro          372.1   2009-12
2.         Bryan Gale      351.2   2001-04
3.         Andrew Waszak          306.0   2010-13
4.         Brian Murphy 300.1   1995-98
5.         Mick VanVossen         290.1   2012-15
6.         Craig Brookes 274.1   2004-07
7.         Stuart Hirschman       267.1   1990-93
8.         Kurt Wunderlich         258.2   2008-11
9.         Brian Wolcott 255.2   1977-80
10.       Joseph Dzierwa          250.0   2023-pres.
11.       Cam Vieaux     248.0   2014-16

FOUR SCORE FOR DZIERWA
• Dzierwa's garnered his B1G Pitcher of the Week Award this season, collecting the first two honors of the season in back-to-back weeks (Feb. 17 and 24). 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.

He was also the first Spartan player to earn any kind of B1G weekly honor three times in a season, so now he's just continuing to extend milestones.

DZIERWA DZOINING SPARTAN FOUR+ B1G PITCHER OF WEEK COLLECTORS
• Dzierwa is only the second ever Michigan State pitcher to collect at least four Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors in their career. He joins Bryan Gale with five from 2001-04.

He pulled away from a short-lived tie with three other Spartan pitchers who had three career B1G Pitcher of the Week honors in Kurt Wunderlich with three in 2010 and 11, along with Tony Bucciferro with three in 2011 and 2012, and Andrew Waszak with three in 2012 and 2013.

Overall, this is Dzierwa's fifth career B1G weekly honor, as he was tabbed B1G Freshman of the Week on April 10, 2023.

DZIERWA K-BITS
• Junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa has 104 strikeouts, which ranks second in the B1G and 15th in the NCAA.

• With 104 strikeouts, Dzierwa is second in the B1G in strikeouts and is five Ks behind league leader, Iowa's Cade Obermueller, who has 107 Ks.

• With an 2.36 ERA, Dzierwa is seond in the B1G and is 15th in the NCAA. Dzierwa's counterpart on May 2 in the pitchers' duel was Oregon starter Grayson Grinsell, who is second in the B1G in ERA at 2.33 and third in the B1G with 93 strikeouts.

• The Spartan southpaw Dzierwa is also second in the B1G and is 23rd in the NCAA in WHIP (0.98), as well as fourth in the B1G and 101st in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (10.21).

• Dzierwa is also fourth in the league and 44th in the nation in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.41).

• After chalking up double-digit strikeouts in his first three outings, Dzierwa rung up single-digit Ks in his next eight outings, with eight strikeouts against UAB on March 7, and five his next two times out vs. Iowa on March 14 and at Penn State on March 21, before just three vs. Illinois on March 28, but then ringing up five Ks at Indiana on April 6. He got back on track with eight against Northwestern on April 12, before five vs. Ohio State on April 19 and three at Michigan on April 26.

• Dzierwa rang up 10+ strikeouts in the first three outings this season and in a stretch of his last four in a row dating back to last year's regular-season final outing ... his most recent double-digit strikeout outing was on Feb. 28 with 10 Ks against Harvard, until getting back on track with 11 strikeouts vs. No. 6 Oregon on May 2.

• Dzierwa now has:
-- 29 career outing with five or more Ks (13 of his 15 outings in 2025, 10 in 2024, including in first six-straight games, six in 2023).

-- 14 career outing with seven or more Ks (six in 2025, six in 2024, two in 2023).

-- Four total outings this season with 10 or more strikeouts, including three-straight games to open this season with 10+ strikeouts and four-straight double-digit strikeout total of career, joining the career-high 12 vs. Washington State (2/21/25), the 11 vs. Western Michigan in the 2025 season-opener (2/14/25) and the 11 vs. Nebraska in 2024 season finale (5/17/24) ... He added his fourth of the season with 11 Ks vs. No. 6 Oregon on May 2.

DZIERWA NAMED TO COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION TOP 55 PITCHERS OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
• Michigan State baseball junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was named to the College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year Watch List, released on April 18.

Dzierwa is one of four Big Ten pitchers on the 55-player list, joined by Cole Giley of Indiana, Cade Obermueller of Iowa and Ian Umlandt of Oregon.

With a 2.30 ERA at the time, Dzierwa was also one of 38 pitchers on the list sport an ERA below 2.50, including Jack Ohman (Yale) who had a microscopic 0.23 ERA.

The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented later this year by the College Baseball Foundation.

For more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

200 KS FOR DZIERWA
• With his third strikeout in his outing at Penn State on March 21, Dzierwa registered his 200th career strikeouts, becoming just the sixth Spartan pitcher with 200 career Ks, and the first to do so since Mason Erla reached the milestone on April 9, 2021.

Dzierwa passed Dick Radatz (1957-59) with 193 Ks and Brian Murphy (1995-98) with 194 Ks. Dzierwa now has 237 career strikeouts for his, taking over sole possession of the No. 4 spot on MSU's career strikeout list, passing Ron Perranoski's 223 Ks from 1956-58. Earlier this season, Dzeirwa passed Cam Vieaux (2014-16) with 205 strikeouts.

Dzierwa now has 255 career strikeouts and has cracked the Top 3 on MSU's career strikeouts list, passing Mason Erla (2017-21) with 243. Next up is Tony Bucciferro (2009-12) at No. 2 with 273 Ks.

This season, Dzierwa has also passed David Garner (2011-13) with 192 Ks, Craig Brookes (2004-07) with 186 career punchouts, along with former teammate Nick Powers (2021-24) with 187.

SPARTAN STAFF PUTTIN' BAGELS ON THE SCOREBOARD
• Michigan State's pitching staff has combined for seven shutouts, including one complete-game shutout by junior starting pitcher Joseph Dzierwa and part of three others.

MSU's seven blankings are its most shutouts since 1979 when the Spartans served up nine shutouts.

The first shutout of the season came in game one on the ledger, when MSU blanked Western Michigan in the season-opener on Feb. 14 in Cary, N.C., then shut out Monmouth the next day by an identical, 2-0 score.

The Spartans walloped Winthrop, 7-0, on March 8 in Greenville.

Michigan State posted its fourth blanking of the season on March 21 at Penn State with a 4-0 Victory for MSU.

The Green & White chalked up their fifth clean sheet on April 12 with a 10-0 8-inning run-rule win.

Shutout number six came on May 2 when Joseph Dzierwa single-handedly blanked No. 6 Oregon in a complete-game shutout and a 2-0 Victory for MSU.

The seventh shutout of the season and the most recent blanking came on May 9 in another Top 25 shutout upset Victory for MSU, with a 5-0 win at No. 25 USC.

DZEIRWA AND BREWER HARVEST SHUTOUT
• Junior starting pitcher Joseph Dzierwa and sophomore reliever Garrett Brewer combined for the 5-0 shutout Victory for MSU at No. 25 USC on May 9. Dzierwa went 7.0 IP, with just three hits and eight strikeouts, while Brewer went the final 2.0 IP with one hit and two Ks.

D&D DUO FOR THE SHUTOUT AGAIN
• The Dzierwa and Dom duo of junior starting pitcher Joseph Dzierwa and Dominic Pianto posted their second-straight combined shutout together, as Dzierwa went 7.0 IP and Pianto pitched 1.0 IP in MSU's 10-0, 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Northwestern on April 12.

Dzierwa and Pianto were part of MSU's previous shutout, coming on March 21 at Penn State, winning 4-0, with graduate reliever Tyler Horvath picking up the final out for the combined shutout.

STAFF STRIKEOUTS
• The 2025 Spartan pitching staff now has 419 strikeouts this season after their opening game of the Big Ten Tournament, cracking the MSU season team list with 20 Ks over the weekend at USC, but then with 30 vs. Minnesota, breaking the 400 K mark, becoming the eighth staff to do so, including each of the last three years. The Spartans are just one K away from matching 2024 and 2017 with 420 Ks, tied for No. 3.

STRIKEOUTS
            1.         2016    466
            2.         2019    445
            3.         2024    420
                        2017    420
            5.         2025    419
            6.         2015    409
            7.         2018    407
            8.         2023    403
            9.         2002    390
            10.       2012    389
                        1998    380
            12.       2004    378

BUSCH CLIMBING UP SEASON AND CAREER HR LISTS
• Senior infielder Sam Busch belted two home runs in one game on May 10 as part of the Spartans' 15-5 8-inning, run-rule Victory for MSU at No. 25 USC. He added one home run against Minnesota on May 16.

Busch now has 15 round-trippers for the season and he now has 29 career home runs.

With the 15 home runs, Busch is tied for fifth on the Spartans' single-season home runs list, with the most homers since 2002, when Bob Malek mashed 16 and Chris McCuiston crushed 15 HR.

Now 29 career home runs, Busch has moved up to tie for No. 4 on MSU's career HR list, tying Scott Makarewicz (1987-89). The 29 homers are the most since 2004 when Travis Gulick (2002-04) finished his career with 30:

MSU SINGLE-SEASON Home Runs LIST
1.         Mike Eddington          20        1984
2.         Kirk Gibson     16        1978
            Matt Riggins   16        1996
            Bob Malek      16        2002
5.         Sam Busch      15        2025
            Chris McCuiston         15        2002
7.         Rob Ellis          14        1971
            Kyle Geswein 14        2002
9.         Brock Vradenburg      13        2023
            Ryan Krill         13        2015
            Travis Gulick   13        2003
            Jim Sepanek    13        1985
            Scott Ayotte    13        1995

MSU CAREER Home Runs LIST
1.         Kyle Geswein 36        1999-02
2.         Matt Riggins   34        1993-96
3.         Travis Gulick   30        2002-04
4.         Sam Busch      29        2021-pres.
            Bob Malek      29        2000-02
6.         Scott Makarewicz       28        1987-89
7.         Mike Davidson            27        1985-88
8.         Jack Frank       26        2020-24
            Sean Walker   26        2004-07
            James Moreno 26        2001-04
            Scott Ayotte    26        1992-95
12.       Bob Goodheart           24        1982-85
            Dan Masteller 24        1987-89
            Eric Sumpter   24        1991-94

BUSCH BLASTS TO NEW CAREER-HIGH
• Senior infielder Sam Busch blasted his eighth home run of the season on March 29 vs. Illinois, giving him a new career-high for a season, after seven in each of the 2023 and 2024 season.

Busch has now doubled his previous career-high total of seven now, coming into the B1G Tournament with 15 HR.

The 15 dingers makes Busch the second Spartan to blast double-digit homers in the last three seasons, joining former teammate Brock Vradenburg with 13 HR in 2023.

GW RBI BY BUSCH
• Senior infielder Sam Busch knocked in the "game-winning" RBI as in the RBI that gives the Spartans the lead they never relinquish in four-straight wins from March 30-April 15, as part of a team-leading 10 times this season, with No. 10 coming in the upset Victory for MSU at No. 25 USC on May 9, as Busch knocked a ground-rule double for an RBI in the first inning on the way the Spartans' 5-0 shutout win over the Trojans.

Busch also knocked in the GW RBI in two of the three wins over Harvard, along with doing so in both wins of the Northwestern series, after doing so in the win over Illinois on March 30, as well as the win over Western Michigan on April 15, which was his second GW RBI against WMU, with one in game two of both the season and the DH vs. WMU on Opening Day. {See pg. 5 of notes for full details and season list of GW RBI}

R-BUSCH-I
• Busch has been knocking in RBI more than just the game-winning ribbie but also throughout the entire game and entire season, as he is now up to 61 RBI for the season. The 61 ribbies moves him up to tie for No. 5 on MSU's single-season list, tying Jeff Holm (2011), and is the second time in the last three years that the Spartans' first baseman has knocked in 60 RBI, joining Brock Vradenburg in 2023.

SINGLE-SEASON Runs Batted In
1.         Chris McCuiston         71        2002
2.         Brock Vradenburg      69        2023
3.         Mike Eddington          66        1984
            Bob Malek      66        2002
5.         Sam Busch      61        2025
            Jeff Holm        61        2011
7.         Scott Ayotte    60        1995
8.         Torsten Boss   59        2011
9.         Dan Masteller 58        1988
            Bob Malek      58        2000
11.       Ryan Krill         57        2015

CONTINUED IN GAME NOTES PDF

MSU Meets Top-Seeded Oregon Thursday In Big Ten Tournament Action

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Players Mentioned

Jacob Anderson

Garrett Brewer

Sam Busch

Jake Dresselhouse

Joseph Dzierwa

Tate Farquhar

Jack Frank

Nolan Higgins

Tyler Horvath

Noah Matheny

Ryan McKay

Dominic Pianto

Nick Powers

Randy Seymour

Ryan Szczepaniak

Christian Williams

Ryan Zimmer