Michigan State University Athletics
Friday, February 27
Fluor Field | Greenville, S.C.
2 PM
Michigan State University
vs
Illinois
Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
Spartans Open Greenville Residency With Annual First Pitch Invite
2/26/2026 8:44:00 AM | Baseball
Michigan State to play five games in six days at home-away-from-home Fluor Field.
• Michigan State baseball open its annual residency in Greenville, South Carolina at the Spartans' home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, with the First Pitch Invitational, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 27-March 1 ... MSU opens against B1G foe Illinois on Friday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m., in a non-conference contest, as the Spartans and Illini aren't scheduled to face each other during the league schedule ... Michigan State then plays Albany on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., before wrapping up the weekend against James Madison on Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m.
• The Spartans then stay in Greenville and square off with Winthrop on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. before concluding the Greenville trip by tangling with the Tigers of Clemson on Wednesday, March 4, also at 6 p.m.
• Unfortunately, this weekend's games will not have any video livestream available, with Friday's game vs. Illinois will have a "Listen Live" link for the Illinois broadcast.
• Fans can also follow the action through "Live Stats" links on MSUSpartans.com.
MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES JAKE BOSS JR. CONTRACT EXTENSION
• Michigan State athletics announced a contract extension for head baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. on Thursday, Feb. 12 on the eve of Opening Day ... With the extension, Boss' contract now runs through 2029.
• Boss is in his 18th year at Michigan State and 19th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2026 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons ... Now at 470 wins entering the third weekend of the 2026 season, Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins in 859 games.
SEASON 142 OF SPARTAN BASEBALL LIKE TEXAS IN 1880
• Michigan State is in its 142nd season of baseball in 2026 and won its 2,500th all-time Victory for MSU vs. Eastern Michigan on May 6, 2025 ... 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 enters the second weekend of the 2026 season with an all-time record of 2,505-2,227-30 (.528) in 4,759 games played.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• This weekend's games at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the high-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox are the first five games the Spartans will play in professional stadiums this season. Michigan State is slated for a total of 10 games and one exhibition contest in four different professional stadiums.
• The Spartans play five games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, the high-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The Greenville ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard. Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field.
• Michigan State opens Big Ten play next weekend at Nebraska, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Spartans will face the Cornhuskers at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, which the Huskers share with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
• Michigan State will tangle with the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, in the 2026 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 1 at Jackson® Field™ in the annual exhibition game.
• MSU will also meet Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 15 at LMCU Ballpark in Comstark Park, Michigan, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
• On Friday, May 8, the Spartans open their three-game Big Ten weekend series at Ohio State by playingat Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
ABOUT FLUOR FIELD
• Opened in 2006, Fluor Field is a 5,700-seat stadium, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
• Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
• The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard.
• Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field.
• Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills.
GREENVILLE / SPARTAN CONNECTIONS
• Owner/President of the Greenville Drive is MSU alum Craig Brown, who was the 2016 Alumnus of the Year at the Michigan State First Pitch Dinner ... In the winter of 2017, Craig and his wife, Vicki (Huber) Brown, were named the Michigan State University Alumni Association's Philanthropists of the Year ... Craig Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Eli Broad College of Business, majoring in accounting, in 1973 ... Vicki Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Education, majoring in special education, in 1975.
As President of the Greenville Drive, Mr. Brown focuses on the activities that result in the Drive being part of the fabric of the community ... Fluor Field, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary season, is one of a handful of privately owned stadiums in America and was named Ballpark of the Year upon its debut in 2006 ... Mr. Brown is also the CEO of Keelers Ridge Associates (KRA), an investment and consulting firm that is engaged in entrepreneurial activities involving sports, technology, and marketing, Mr. and Mrs. Brown actively support academic and athletic programs at Michigan State ... Mr. Brown also serves on the Athletic Director's Advisory Council and chairs Spartan Innovations ... Formerly, he oversaw the MSU Foundation Board ... In recognition of their generosity, an area of the Spartan Stadium North End Zone bears their names, as does the women's basketball head coach's office ... The Browns also belong to MSU's Empower Extraordinary President's Capital Campaign Cabinet.
• 1967 Michigan State baseball alum Bill Wooley, who was the 2020 Alumnus of the Year at the MSU Baseball First Pitch Dinner, and his wife, Mary, live in nearby Greer, South Carolina, and are usually in attendance at MSU's games in the Greenville and Spartanburg area.
Wooley was a four-year letterwinner for the Spartan baseball team from 1964-67. He was utility infielder on the freshman team in 1964 for head coach Tom Smith, before moving up to varsity and was utility infielder and team manager from 1965-67 for head coach Danny Litwhiler.
A native of Detroit, Mich., Wooley graduated from Michigan State University College of Business in 1967 with a bachelor's of business administration (BBA) with general business and marketing emphasis. Wooley began his business career in July 1967 with the Dupont Corporation, in the textile fibers division in New York City, where he worked for nine years until 1976. He joined Johnson & Johnson in the healthcare industry in 1976 with a career track in sales, product management, where he was General Manager/ Vice President for 22 years before retiring in 1998. Wooley was Chairman of the Board for NICORE, Inc. (1999-2006) and was president of the private startup company with products to treat congestive heart problems, before retiring in 2006.
Wooley was also an assistant baseball coach at Eastlake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida for 12 years, where he coached approximately 10 players who made it to Major League Baseball, most notably utility player Chris Coghlan, who was in the Majors for 10 years, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 with the Florida Marlins, also playing for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.
Wooley and his wife, Mary (Bigelow), who is a 1967 MSU alum with her education degree, met at MSU in the fall term of their freshman year and dated all through college, and have been married 52 years. They have three children, twins Daniel and Deborah, and daughter Alicia, and four grandchildren.
CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Once again as in seasons past, MSU's travel theme music for the first few weeks of the season usually includes James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" as this weekend's action are in their home-away-from-home, Greenville, South Carolina.
MSU has often played in and around the Greenville area, as well as other spots in South Carolina and North Carolina.
This season is a rarity for the Spartans with only one extended weekend trip to South Carolina, which often includes multiple weekends in one or both of the Carolinas.
TOUGH SCHEDULE TO OPEN SEASON
• Michigan State opened the season with a three-game series at No. 8 Louisville, taking 2-of-3 and then a three-game series at No. 3 Texas, falling in all three ... MSU is currently No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the NCAA Baseball Current Strength of Schedule (SOS) by warrennolan.com.
NIGHTMARE IN SEASON-OPENERS
• With the 4-3 Victory for MSU over No. 8 Louisville in Friday's season-opener, the Spartans have been victorious in their season-opener in seven of the last eight seasons ... overall, MSU is now 15-3 in the 18 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
RANKED WINS
• Michigan State opened the season with a 4-3 upset at No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 13 ... The Victory for MSU was the Spartans' second Top-10 win in as many seasons, after upsetting No. 6 Oregon, 2-0, last year in East Lansing on May 2, 2025 ... It was MSU's highest-ranked upset win away from home since beating No. 1 Oregon State, 8-7, on Feb. 22, 2014 in Surprise, Ariz.
• The win was also MSU's first win at Louisville since 1993, as Friday was also the first meeting between MSU and UofL since 2012.
RANKED SERIES WIN
• MSU took two out of three games to win the series with the 8th-ranked Cardinals, for the Spartans' highest-ranked series win in Coach Boss' 18 seasons at the helm.
• Michigan State dealt Louisville consecutive losses to start the year for just the third time in the 20 years under head coach Dan McDonnell.
LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS
• MSU slugged five home runs in the opening weekend in Louisville, with all five coming in the first two games, starting off with two homers in Friday's opener, from senior infielder Randy Seymour and redshirt-sophomore catcher Adam Broski each knocking solo shots ... In Saturday's slamming of the Cardinals, the Spartans blasted three round-trippers, including two from junior outfielder Parker Picot, with a grand slam and a three-run shot, while Seymour smacked his second in as many games.
• The Spartans had 23 hits on the weekend, including nine extra-base hits, with the five home runs and four doubles, on the way to hitting .237 and scoring 18 runs (6.0 rpg).
• Last season, the Spartans were hitting .163 after the first weekend, with 14 runs on 16 hits in four games played at the USA Baseball Complex at Cary, N.C.
STRIKING 'EM OUT
• MSU's pitching staff opened the season with 23 strikeouts on the weekend (7.7 Ks/game), while only yielding 12 walks.
ROUND-TRIPPERS
• MSU only needed two games to hit five home runs in the opening weekend ... last season, the Spartans didn't have any home runs for the first six games, and MSU's fifth HR didn't come until game number eight, on Feb. 28 vs. Harvard, when the Spartan bats erupted for six homers.
• With five home runs through the first three games, the Spartans were averaging 1.7 HR/game through the first weekend ... MSU did not hit a HR in the series at Texas, facing a tough Texas wind blowing in from left field in all three games, to drop to 0.8 HR/game ... last season, MSU had 51 home runs in 55 games for a 0.9 HR/game average.
EIGHT RIBBIES
• MSU junior outfielder Parker Picot posted eight RBI in Saturday's win ... He knocked in a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then blasted a grand slam in the fourth and added a three-run homer in the sixth for eight RBI on the day, becoming the first Spartan with eight RBI in a game since Bob Malek had eight ribbies on April 19, 2000 vs. Detroit Mercy.
• Picot's collection of eight RBI on Saturday was identical to Malek's 26 years ago, just in a different order with a three-run HR in the first inning, then a sac fly in the fifth before a grand slam in the sixth in the Spartans' 19-6 win over Detroit Mercy.
PICOT GRAND SLAMMIN'
• Picot was the first Spartan to hit a grand slam since teammate Randy Seymour smacked a grand slam on March 2, 2025 vs. Harvard at Greenville, S.C., coming in the third inning of MSU's 13-3 crushing of the Crimson.
DOUBLING UP THE HR
• Picot's two HR's in Saturday's game marked the first time for a Spartan to hit two HR in the same game since former teammate Sam Busch hit two at No. 25 USC last year on May 10, 2025 in the Spartans' 15-5 (8 inn.) win over the Trojans.
• It marked the second year in a row that Picot's first two HR of the season came in the same game, as he hit his first two homers as a Spartan last season on Feb. 28 vs. Harvard, but not until game seven of the season.
SEY-MOUR HOME RUNS
• Senior infielder Randy Seymour joined Picot in smacking two homers in the opening weekend, with a solo shot in each of the first two games at Louisville on Feb. 13 and 14.
• Last season, Seymour hit four HR for the whole seson, with his first homer of the season coming in game 10 on March 2 vs. Harvard, and his second round-tripper of the season didn't come until game 17 on March 14 at Iowa.
TOP OF THE LINE...UP
• In MSU's 13-4 win at No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 14, eight of the nine Spartan batters had at least one hit on the day, with a total of six Spartans posting multiple hits ... Batters 1-4 in the MSU lineup combined to go 8-for-16 with 12 RBI and scoring 10 runs.
• Leadoff hitter senior outfielder Nick Williams was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and adding one walk, while No. 2 hitter junior infielder Ryan McKay was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI ... No. 3 hitter senior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, hitting his second HR in as many days, ahead of junior outfielder Parker Picot, who went 2-for-3 with two HR and eight RBI total, knocking a sac fly and also drawing a walk.
MOUND DEBUTS
• On the mound in MSU's rout of No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 14, four Spartan pitchers all made smashing debuts, as graduate starting pitcher Carter Monke, who is in his first year at MSU after transferring from Illinois State, went 4.0 IP, scattering five hits and yielding two runs, while ringing up three strikeouts.
• Redshirt-freshman reliever Brady Chambers earned his first collegiate win in his college debut after missing last season with an injury ... The righty went 2.0 IP with one run and one punchout.
• Two other transfers also made their Spartan debuts, in junior reliever Ben Kochany and graduate reliever JD Greeley finished it out from there ... Kochany went 1.2 IP with four hits and a run, while Greeley went 1.1 IP with two hits, no runs and one K.
• In the series at Texas, two Spartan freshmen pitchers made their debuts for the Green & White, with Kyle Rudolph and Bobby Crane seeing their first action as Spartans ... Rudolph came on in with one out in the bottom of the sixth and yielded an RBI groundout, then later chalked up his first collegiate strikeout to end the inning and the Texas rally ... He then fired a three-up, three-down seventh inning, the lone inning that the Spartan defense retired the Longhorns in order with another strikeout, then a flyout and a groundout ... Crane took over in the eighth and worked around a one-out hit, inducing a groundout and flyout to finish the frame unscathed.
MITTEN STATERS
• Michigan State has 21 players on its 2026 roster from the state of Michigan ... Illinois has one Michigander on its roster in junior pitcher Kyle Remington (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS/Minnesota) ... Neither Albany nor James Madison have any Michigan natives on their 2026 rosters.
SOUTHERN SPARTAN
• The Spartans do not have any players from South Carolina on their roster ... the closest Spartan to South Carolina would be freshman pitcher Kyle Rudolph, who is from Peachtree City, Georgia (Starr's Mill HS) ... Rudolph made his Spartan debut last week at Texas in solid fashion ... Rudolph came on in with one out in the bottom of the sixth and yielded an RBI groundout, then later chalked up his first collegiate strikeout to end the inning and the Texas rally ... He then fired a three-up, three-down seventh inning, the lone inning that the Spartan defense retired the Longhorns in order with another strikeout, then a flyout and a groundout.
UP NEXT
• The Spartans stay in Greenville and square off with Winthrop on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. before concluding the Greenville trip by tangling with the Tigers of Clemson on Wednesday, March 4, also at 6 p.m.
• Michigan State then opens Big Ten Conference action by heading to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers Friday-Sunday, March 6-8 ... On Thursday, Marcy 5, MSU will travel by bus from Greenville to the Charlotte, N.C. airport, and then fly from Charlotte to Omaha, Nebraska, and then bus from Omaha to Lincoln, for the B1G opener at Nebraska ... the Spartans and Huskers begin B1G play and the three-game weekend series on Friday, March 6 in a 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT first pitch ... game two is on Saturday, March 7 with a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT start time, followed by the series finale on Sunday, March 8, starting at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT.
SPARTAN BASEBALL 2026 PRESEASON NOTES
RETURN OF THE MACK-ay
• Michigan State has three of its top five battling average leaders from a year ago returning in 2026, led by junior infielder Ryan McKay, who led MSU and ranked 27th in the B1G with a .319 average last season, the lone Spartan and one of 46 players to hit over .300.
• McKay also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles.
• Additionally, McKay led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats.
OTHER RETURNING NUMBERS
• Senior catcher Noah Bright was fourth for MSU last season with a .277 average ... Bright added 15 RBI and 18 walks.
• Senior infielder Randy Seymour was fifth, hitting .268 ... Seymour was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He also ranked second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... Also, he not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game.
• MSU also returns number seven and eight on its top 10 batting average list from a year ago in senior outfielder Nick Williams (.266) and junior outfielder Parker Picot (.261).
• Williams is second among returners and was third overall on the team in on-base percentage (.405), as well as fourth in runs scored (48) and fifth in RBI (29) ... He was also tied for fourth in HR (5) and third in triples (2).
• Picot led not only MSU but also shared the lead in the B1G last season in triples (5) ... He also is the top Spartan returner and was second overall on the team last season in slugging percentage (.500), RBI (37) and HR (8).
• The Spartans lost their second and third top hitters to graduation in catcher Caleb Berry (.297) and infielder Sam Busch (.289). Busch also led MSU in slugging percentage (.584), RBI (62), HR (15) and total bases (111).
• On the mound, returns senior right-hander Nolan Higgins, who is the Spartans' top returner and tied of the team lead in starts (15), tying with Joseph Dzierwa, who was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year last season ... Higgins also is MSU's top returner in strikeouts and was No. 3 overall on the team (39), as well as the top returner and No. 2 on the team in innings pitched (61.1).
• Sophomore right-hander Aidan Donovan was No. 3 on the MSU staff in games started (8), with 17 strikeouts, in 11 appearances, making eight starts.
• Senior righty reliever Tommy Szczepanski returns after leading MSU is opposing batting average (.188), and ranking fifth on the team in ERA (4.00).
NEW NUMBER, WHO DIS?
• Michigan State junior outfielder Parker Picot changed his jersey number from number 13 in 2025 to wearing number 11 in 2026.
NEWCOMERS
• Michigan State has 16 newcomers on the 2026 roster, with 10 freshmen and six transfers:
NO NAME POS HT HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
29 Sam Beemer RHP FR Lake Orion, MI/Lake Orion Community HS
43 Bobby Crane LHP FR Grosse Pointe, MI/U of Detroit Jesuit HS
13 CJ Deckinga INF/OF FR Minooka, IL/Minooka HS
44 Isaiah Domey INF FR New Baltimore, MI/Anchor Bay HS
24 Anthony Elezaj C FR Rochester, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
26 Andrew Everson RHP FR Brighton, MI/Brighton HS
32 Steve Fountain RHP FR West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield HS
22 JD Greeley RHP GR Blakeslee, PA/Pocono Mountain West HS/Monmouth
31 Ben Kochany RHP JR Bay City, MI/Bay City Western HS/Saginaw Valley State
7 Carter Monke RHP GR Mount Olive, IL/Mount Olive HS/Illinois State
30 Jasen Oliver INF JR Almont, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS/Indiana
5 Trent Rice OF JR Macomb, MI/Marine City Cardinal Mooney Catholic HS/Oakland
38 Kyle Rudolph RHP FR Peachtree City, GA/Starr's Mill HS
42 Andrew Siler LHP GR Avon, OH/Avon HS/Tiffin
2 Cole Van Ameyde INF FR Lake Orion, MI/Brother Rice HS
6 Davis Weeks RHP/INF FR Edwards, IL/Dunlap HS
FROM FOE TO FRIEND
• One of MSU's 16 newcomers is graduate right-handed pitcher JD Greeley, who came to MSU from Monmouth and he was on the mound for last season's meeting between MSU and Monmouth on Feb. 15, 2025 in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Complex ... Greeley went 6.0 IP, holding the Spartans to just two hits and two runs, one earned run, with four Ks and two walks, as MSU beat Greeley and Monmouth, 2-0.
DANDY VANDY FAMILY
• One of the 10 Spartan freshmen is infielder Cole Van Ameyde, who is the son of Spartan pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde ... Cole not only joined his father in college baseball, but also his two brothers ... His older brother Chase is a sophomore pitcher at Notre Dame, while his twin brother, Clay, is a freshman outfielder at Oakland.
• The Spartan Van Ameydes will face off against their family members three total times this season, as MSU plays at Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 8 and the Spartans host the Irish on Wednesday, April 22, while Michigan State hosts Oakland on Tuesday, April 14.
TRIO OF SPARTAN BASEBALL PLAYERS TABBED TO BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
• Three Michigan State baseball players were tabbed to the Big Ten Conference Players To Watch List, announced Wednesday by the conference office ahead of this weekend's 2026 season opening across the country.
Senior pitcher Nolan Higgins, junior infielder Ryan McKay and senior infielder Randy Seymour were recognized. McKay and Seymour are now two-time B1G Players to Watch selections after both collecting the accolade last season, while Higgins was recognized with his first conference recognition.
A native of Wixom, Michigan, Higgins tied Joseph Dzierwa for the most starts in 2025 with 15, good for tying for fifth in the B1G and ranking tied for 73rd in the NCAA ... Higgins pitched 61.1 IP, which ranked second on the team behind Dzierwa's 91.2 IP, and ranked 34th in the B1G ... Along with leading the Spartan staff for returners in starts, he also is the top returner in strikeouts with 39 Ks ... Higgins fired three or more Ks in eight of the 15 outings, including the first four of the season all with four or more, highlighted by a season-high five Ks vs ... Cornell on March 7, and later matching that with five punchouts in the Spartans' B1G Tournament clinching Victory for MSU over Minnesota on May 17 ... He also went at least 5.0 IP in five starts, led by a season-high 6.0 IP on three different outings.
McKay, a native of Clarkston, Michigan, was not only a Preseason Player to Watch list, but he also earned postseason Second-Team All-B1G accolades in 2025 after leading the Spartans and ranking tied for 27th in the B1G with a .319 average ... He was the lone Spartan and only one of 46 players in the B1G to hit over .300 ... He also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles ... Additionally, he led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats ... McKay also topped the team in on-base percentage (.421), while ranking third on team in slugging percentage (.495) ... Furthermore, McKay led MSU in multiple hit games with 18, including the only Spartan in the 2025 season with five hits in a game, which came in at Penn State (March 21), going 5-for-5 ... McKay started 54 games at second base, missing one game with illness, ranking second on team in both games played and games started, and led MSU in most games played at one position ... He was second on the team in both assists (117) and fielding double plays (25).
Seymour, a Frankfort, Illinois native, was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He was also fifth on the team with a .268 average, also ranking second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... He also not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour was second on the team in at bats (198) ... Seymour also led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game ... He made 38 starts at shortstop and 17 at third base, leading the MSU defense with 128 assists and third in fielding double plays with 15.
McKAY COLLECTS THE PRESEASON ACCOLADES
• Along with being named a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch, Spartan junior infielder Ryan McKay also collected a handful of other preseason accolades.
• McKay was also on D1Baseball's Top 50 Second Basemen list, coming in at No. 4 among second baseman in the B1G and No. 31 in the NCAA.
• McKay was also on Baseball Media's Top 100 College Prospect List.
McKay is No. 72 on the 100-player list and is one of nine players from the Big Ten Conference on the list ... The Spartan second baseman joins UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky (No. 1), Oregon shortstop Maddox Molony (16), UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu (41), Northwestern shortstop Ryan Kucherak (53), USC pitcher Mason Edwards (55), UCLA third baseman/shortstop Roman Martin (73), UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino (92) and UCLA pitcher Logan Reddemann (95).
MSU BASEBALL'S DECKINGA NAMED TO D1BASEBALL'S PRESEASON TOP BIG TEN FRESHMEN LIST
• Michigan State baseball player CJ Deckinga was named one of the D1Baseball's Preseason Top Big Ten Freshmen list, announced by the platform ahead of the 2026 season kicking off this weekend.
• Deckinga, an infielder, was joined on the five-player list by UCLA pitcher Angel Cervantes, Iowa pitcher/outfielder Brody Irlbeck, Maryland infielder Ty Kaunas and Ohio State pitcher Jude Fisher.
• A native of Minooka, Illinois, Deckinga was a three-year letterwinner at Minooka High School, helping MHS to a 33-4 record in his senior season, and he was a two-time All-Southwest Prairie Conference honoree, registering a .400 batting average as a senior with 30 RBI, logging a .521 on-base percentage, .657 slugging percentage and a 1.179 OPS ... Deckinga was ranked as the No. 1 3B/OF and No. 8 overall player in the state of Illinois by Prep Baseball Report, and was selected to play in the Future Games as well as attend the Prep Baseball Report Super 60 and the PBR Illinois Preseason ProCase.
• The Spartans then stay in Greenville and square off with Winthrop on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. before concluding the Greenville trip by tangling with the Tigers of Clemson on Wednesday, March 4, also at 6 p.m.
• Unfortunately, this weekend's games will not have any video livestream available, with Friday's game vs. Illinois will have a "Listen Live" link for the Illinois broadcast.
• Fans can also follow the action through "Live Stats" links on MSUSpartans.com.
MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES JAKE BOSS JR. CONTRACT EXTENSION
• Michigan State athletics announced a contract extension for head baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. on Thursday, Feb. 12 on the eve of Opening Day ... With the extension, Boss' contract now runs through 2029.
• Boss is in his 18th year at Michigan State and 19th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2026 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons ... Now at 470 wins entering the third weekend of the 2026 season, Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins in 859 games.
SEASON 142 OF SPARTAN BASEBALL LIKE TEXAS IN 1880
• Michigan State is in its 142nd season of baseball in 2026 and won its 2,500th all-time Victory for MSU vs. Eastern Michigan on May 6, 2025 ... 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 enters the second weekend of the 2026 season with an all-time record of 2,505-2,227-30 (.528) in 4,759 games played.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• This weekend's games at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the high-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox are the first five games the Spartans will play in professional stadiums this season. Michigan State is slated for a total of 10 games and one exhibition contest in four different professional stadiums.
• The Spartans play five games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, the high-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The Greenville ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard. Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field.
• Michigan State opens Big Ten play next weekend at Nebraska, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Spartans will face the Cornhuskers at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, which the Huskers share with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
• Michigan State will tangle with the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, in the 2026 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 1 at Jackson® Field™ in the annual exhibition game.
• MSU will also meet Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 15 at LMCU Ballpark in Comstark Park, Michigan, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
• On Friday, May 8, the Spartans open their three-game Big Ten weekend series at Ohio State by playingat Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
ABOUT FLUOR FIELD
• Opened in 2006, Fluor Field is a 5,700-seat stadium, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
• Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
• The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard.
• Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field.
• Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills.
GREENVILLE / SPARTAN CONNECTIONS
• Owner/President of the Greenville Drive is MSU alum Craig Brown, who was the 2016 Alumnus of the Year at the Michigan State First Pitch Dinner ... In the winter of 2017, Craig and his wife, Vicki (Huber) Brown, were named the Michigan State University Alumni Association's Philanthropists of the Year ... Craig Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Eli Broad College of Business, majoring in accounting, in 1973 ... Vicki Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Education, majoring in special education, in 1975.
As President of the Greenville Drive, Mr. Brown focuses on the activities that result in the Drive being part of the fabric of the community ... Fluor Field, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary season, is one of a handful of privately owned stadiums in America and was named Ballpark of the Year upon its debut in 2006 ... Mr. Brown is also the CEO of Keelers Ridge Associates (KRA), an investment and consulting firm that is engaged in entrepreneurial activities involving sports, technology, and marketing, Mr. and Mrs. Brown actively support academic and athletic programs at Michigan State ... Mr. Brown also serves on the Athletic Director's Advisory Council and chairs Spartan Innovations ... Formerly, he oversaw the MSU Foundation Board ... In recognition of their generosity, an area of the Spartan Stadium North End Zone bears their names, as does the women's basketball head coach's office ... The Browns also belong to MSU's Empower Extraordinary President's Capital Campaign Cabinet.
• 1967 Michigan State baseball alum Bill Wooley, who was the 2020 Alumnus of the Year at the MSU Baseball First Pitch Dinner, and his wife, Mary, live in nearby Greer, South Carolina, and are usually in attendance at MSU's games in the Greenville and Spartanburg area.
Wooley was a four-year letterwinner for the Spartan baseball team from 1964-67. He was utility infielder on the freshman team in 1964 for head coach Tom Smith, before moving up to varsity and was utility infielder and team manager from 1965-67 for head coach Danny Litwhiler.
A native of Detroit, Mich., Wooley graduated from Michigan State University College of Business in 1967 with a bachelor's of business administration (BBA) with general business and marketing emphasis. Wooley began his business career in July 1967 with the Dupont Corporation, in the textile fibers division in New York City, where he worked for nine years until 1976. He joined Johnson & Johnson in the healthcare industry in 1976 with a career track in sales, product management, where he was General Manager/ Vice President for 22 years before retiring in 1998. Wooley was Chairman of the Board for NICORE, Inc. (1999-2006) and was president of the private startup company with products to treat congestive heart problems, before retiring in 2006.
Wooley was also an assistant baseball coach at Eastlake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida for 12 years, where he coached approximately 10 players who made it to Major League Baseball, most notably utility player Chris Coghlan, who was in the Majors for 10 years, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 with the Florida Marlins, also playing for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.
Wooley and his wife, Mary (Bigelow), who is a 1967 MSU alum with her education degree, met at MSU in the fall term of their freshman year and dated all through college, and have been married 52 years. They have three children, twins Daniel and Deborah, and daughter Alicia, and four grandchildren.
CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Once again as in seasons past, MSU's travel theme music for the first few weeks of the season usually includes James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" as this weekend's action are in their home-away-from-home, Greenville, South Carolina.
MSU has often played in and around the Greenville area, as well as other spots in South Carolina and North Carolina.
This season is a rarity for the Spartans with only one extended weekend trip to South Carolina, which often includes multiple weekends in one or both of the Carolinas.
TOUGH SCHEDULE TO OPEN SEASON
• Michigan State opened the season with a three-game series at No. 8 Louisville, taking 2-of-3 and then a three-game series at No. 3 Texas, falling in all three ... MSU is currently No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the NCAA Baseball Current Strength of Schedule (SOS) by warrennolan.com.
NIGHTMARE IN SEASON-OPENERS
• With the 4-3 Victory for MSU over No. 8 Louisville in Friday's season-opener, the Spartans have been victorious in their season-opener in seven of the last eight seasons ... overall, MSU is now 15-3 in the 18 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
RANKED WINS
• Michigan State opened the season with a 4-3 upset at No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 13 ... The Victory for MSU was the Spartans' second Top-10 win in as many seasons, after upsetting No. 6 Oregon, 2-0, last year in East Lansing on May 2, 2025 ... It was MSU's highest-ranked upset win away from home since beating No. 1 Oregon State, 8-7, on Feb. 22, 2014 in Surprise, Ariz.
• The win was also MSU's first win at Louisville since 1993, as Friday was also the first meeting between MSU and UofL since 2012.
RANKED SERIES WIN
• MSU took two out of three games to win the series with the 8th-ranked Cardinals, for the Spartans' highest-ranked series win in Coach Boss' 18 seasons at the helm.
• Michigan State dealt Louisville consecutive losses to start the year for just the third time in the 20 years under head coach Dan McDonnell.
LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS
• MSU slugged five home runs in the opening weekend in Louisville, with all five coming in the first two games, starting off with two homers in Friday's opener, from senior infielder Randy Seymour and redshirt-sophomore catcher Adam Broski each knocking solo shots ... In Saturday's slamming of the Cardinals, the Spartans blasted three round-trippers, including two from junior outfielder Parker Picot, with a grand slam and a three-run shot, while Seymour smacked his second in as many games.
• The Spartans had 23 hits on the weekend, including nine extra-base hits, with the five home runs and four doubles, on the way to hitting .237 and scoring 18 runs (6.0 rpg).
• Last season, the Spartans were hitting .163 after the first weekend, with 14 runs on 16 hits in four games played at the USA Baseball Complex at Cary, N.C.
STRIKING 'EM OUT
• MSU's pitching staff opened the season with 23 strikeouts on the weekend (7.7 Ks/game), while only yielding 12 walks.
ROUND-TRIPPERS
• MSU only needed two games to hit five home runs in the opening weekend ... last season, the Spartans didn't have any home runs for the first six games, and MSU's fifth HR didn't come until game number eight, on Feb. 28 vs. Harvard, when the Spartan bats erupted for six homers.
• With five home runs through the first three games, the Spartans were averaging 1.7 HR/game through the first weekend ... MSU did not hit a HR in the series at Texas, facing a tough Texas wind blowing in from left field in all three games, to drop to 0.8 HR/game ... last season, MSU had 51 home runs in 55 games for a 0.9 HR/game average.
EIGHT RIBBIES
• MSU junior outfielder Parker Picot posted eight RBI in Saturday's win ... He knocked in a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then blasted a grand slam in the fourth and added a three-run homer in the sixth for eight RBI on the day, becoming the first Spartan with eight RBI in a game since Bob Malek had eight ribbies on April 19, 2000 vs. Detroit Mercy.
• Picot's collection of eight RBI on Saturday was identical to Malek's 26 years ago, just in a different order with a three-run HR in the first inning, then a sac fly in the fifth before a grand slam in the sixth in the Spartans' 19-6 win over Detroit Mercy.
PICOT GRAND SLAMMIN'
• Picot was the first Spartan to hit a grand slam since teammate Randy Seymour smacked a grand slam on March 2, 2025 vs. Harvard at Greenville, S.C., coming in the third inning of MSU's 13-3 crushing of the Crimson.
DOUBLING UP THE HR
• Picot's two HR's in Saturday's game marked the first time for a Spartan to hit two HR in the same game since former teammate Sam Busch hit two at No. 25 USC last year on May 10, 2025 in the Spartans' 15-5 (8 inn.) win over the Trojans.
• It marked the second year in a row that Picot's first two HR of the season came in the same game, as he hit his first two homers as a Spartan last season on Feb. 28 vs. Harvard, but not until game seven of the season.
SEY-MOUR HOME RUNS
• Senior infielder Randy Seymour joined Picot in smacking two homers in the opening weekend, with a solo shot in each of the first two games at Louisville on Feb. 13 and 14.
• Last season, Seymour hit four HR for the whole seson, with his first homer of the season coming in game 10 on March 2 vs. Harvard, and his second round-tripper of the season didn't come until game 17 on March 14 at Iowa.
TOP OF THE LINE...UP
• In MSU's 13-4 win at No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 14, eight of the nine Spartan batters had at least one hit on the day, with a total of six Spartans posting multiple hits ... Batters 1-4 in the MSU lineup combined to go 8-for-16 with 12 RBI and scoring 10 runs.
• Leadoff hitter senior outfielder Nick Williams was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and adding one walk, while No. 2 hitter junior infielder Ryan McKay was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI ... No. 3 hitter senior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, hitting his second HR in as many days, ahead of junior outfielder Parker Picot, who went 2-for-3 with two HR and eight RBI total, knocking a sac fly and also drawing a walk.
MOUND DEBUTS
• On the mound in MSU's rout of No. 8 Louisville on Feb. 14, four Spartan pitchers all made smashing debuts, as graduate starting pitcher Carter Monke, who is in his first year at MSU after transferring from Illinois State, went 4.0 IP, scattering five hits and yielding two runs, while ringing up three strikeouts.
• Redshirt-freshman reliever Brady Chambers earned his first collegiate win in his college debut after missing last season with an injury ... The righty went 2.0 IP with one run and one punchout.
• Two other transfers also made their Spartan debuts, in junior reliever Ben Kochany and graduate reliever JD Greeley finished it out from there ... Kochany went 1.2 IP with four hits and a run, while Greeley went 1.1 IP with two hits, no runs and one K.
• In the series at Texas, two Spartan freshmen pitchers made their debuts for the Green & White, with Kyle Rudolph and Bobby Crane seeing their first action as Spartans ... Rudolph came on in with one out in the bottom of the sixth and yielded an RBI groundout, then later chalked up his first collegiate strikeout to end the inning and the Texas rally ... He then fired a three-up, three-down seventh inning, the lone inning that the Spartan defense retired the Longhorns in order with another strikeout, then a flyout and a groundout ... Crane took over in the eighth and worked around a one-out hit, inducing a groundout and flyout to finish the frame unscathed.
MITTEN STATERS
• Michigan State has 21 players on its 2026 roster from the state of Michigan ... Illinois has one Michigander on its roster in junior pitcher Kyle Remington (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS/Minnesota) ... Neither Albany nor James Madison have any Michigan natives on their 2026 rosters.
SOUTHERN SPARTAN
• The Spartans do not have any players from South Carolina on their roster ... the closest Spartan to South Carolina would be freshman pitcher Kyle Rudolph, who is from Peachtree City, Georgia (Starr's Mill HS) ... Rudolph made his Spartan debut last week at Texas in solid fashion ... Rudolph came on in with one out in the bottom of the sixth and yielded an RBI groundout, then later chalked up his first collegiate strikeout to end the inning and the Texas rally ... He then fired a three-up, three-down seventh inning, the lone inning that the Spartan defense retired the Longhorns in order with another strikeout, then a flyout and a groundout.
UP NEXT
• The Spartans stay in Greenville and square off with Winthrop on Tuesday, March 3, at 6 p.m. before concluding the Greenville trip by tangling with the Tigers of Clemson on Wednesday, March 4, also at 6 p.m.
• Michigan State then opens Big Ten Conference action by heading to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the Cornhuskers Friday-Sunday, March 6-8 ... On Thursday, Marcy 5, MSU will travel by bus from Greenville to the Charlotte, N.C. airport, and then fly from Charlotte to Omaha, Nebraska, and then bus from Omaha to Lincoln, for the B1G opener at Nebraska ... the Spartans and Huskers begin B1G play and the three-game weekend series on Friday, March 6 in a 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT first pitch ... game two is on Saturday, March 7 with a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT start time, followed by the series finale on Sunday, March 8, starting at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT.
SPARTAN BASEBALL 2026 PRESEASON NOTES
RETURN OF THE MACK-ay
• Michigan State has three of its top five battling average leaders from a year ago returning in 2026, led by junior infielder Ryan McKay, who led MSU and ranked 27th in the B1G with a .319 average last season, the lone Spartan and one of 46 players to hit over .300.
• McKay also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles.
• Additionally, McKay led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats.
OTHER RETURNING NUMBERS
• Senior catcher Noah Bright was fourth for MSU last season with a .277 average ... Bright added 15 RBI and 18 walks.
• Senior infielder Randy Seymour was fifth, hitting .268 ... Seymour was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He also ranked second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... Also, he not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game.
• MSU also returns number seven and eight on its top 10 batting average list from a year ago in senior outfielder Nick Williams (.266) and junior outfielder Parker Picot (.261).
• Williams is second among returners and was third overall on the team in on-base percentage (.405), as well as fourth in runs scored (48) and fifth in RBI (29) ... He was also tied for fourth in HR (5) and third in triples (2).
• Picot led not only MSU but also shared the lead in the B1G last season in triples (5) ... He also is the top Spartan returner and was second overall on the team last season in slugging percentage (.500), RBI (37) and HR (8).
• The Spartans lost their second and third top hitters to graduation in catcher Caleb Berry (.297) and infielder Sam Busch (.289). Busch also led MSU in slugging percentage (.584), RBI (62), HR (15) and total bases (111).
• On the mound, returns senior right-hander Nolan Higgins, who is the Spartans' top returner and tied of the team lead in starts (15), tying with Joseph Dzierwa, who was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year last season ... Higgins also is MSU's top returner in strikeouts and was No. 3 overall on the team (39), as well as the top returner and No. 2 on the team in innings pitched (61.1).
• Sophomore right-hander Aidan Donovan was No. 3 on the MSU staff in games started (8), with 17 strikeouts, in 11 appearances, making eight starts.
• Senior righty reliever Tommy Szczepanski returns after leading MSU is opposing batting average (.188), and ranking fifth on the team in ERA (4.00).
NEW NUMBER, WHO DIS?
• Michigan State junior outfielder Parker Picot changed his jersey number from number 13 in 2025 to wearing number 11 in 2026.
NEWCOMERS
• Michigan State has 16 newcomers on the 2026 roster, with 10 freshmen and six transfers:
NO NAME POS HT HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
29 Sam Beemer RHP FR Lake Orion, MI/Lake Orion Community HS
43 Bobby Crane LHP FR Grosse Pointe, MI/U of Detroit Jesuit HS
13 CJ Deckinga INF/OF FR Minooka, IL/Minooka HS
44 Isaiah Domey INF FR New Baltimore, MI/Anchor Bay HS
24 Anthony Elezaj C FR Rochester, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
26 Andrew Everson RHP FR Brighton, MI/Brighton HS
32 Steve Fountain RHP FR West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield HS
22 JD Greeley RHP GR Blakeslee, PA/Pocono Mountain West HS/Monmouth
31 Ben Kochany RHP JR Bay City, MI/Bay City Western HS/Saginaw Valley State
7 Carter Monke RHP GR Mount Olive, IL/Mount Olive HS/Illinois State
30 Jasen Oliver INF JR Almont, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS/Indiana
5 Trent Rice OF JR Macomb, MI/Marine City Cardinal Mooney Catholic HS/Oakland
38 Kyle Rudolph RHP FR Peachtree City, GA/Starr's Mill HS
42 Andrew Siler LHP GR Avon, OH/Avon HS/Tiffin
2 Cole Van Ameyde INF FR Lake Orion, MI/Brother Rice HS
6 Davis Weeks RHP/INF FR Edwards, IL/Dunlap HS
FROM FOE TO FRIEND
• One of MSU's 16 newcomers is graduate right-handed pitcher JD Greeley, who came to MSU from Monmouth and he was on the mound for last season's meeting between MSU and Monmouth on Feb. 15, 2025 in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Complex ... Greeley went 6.0 IP, holding the Spartans to just two hits and two runs, one earned run, with four Ks and two walks, as MSU beat Greeley and Monmouth, 2-0.
DANDY VANDY FAMILY
• One of the 10 Spartan freshmen is infielder Cole Van Ameyde, who is the son of Spartan pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde ... Cole not only joined his father in college baseball, but also his two brothers ... His older brother Chase is a sophomore pitcher at Notre Dame, while his twin brother, Clay, is a freshman outfielder at Oakland.
• The Spartan Van Ameydes will face off against their family members three total times this season, as MSU plays at Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 8 and the Spartans host the Irish on Wednesday, April 22, while Michigan State hosts Oakland on Tuesday, April 14.
TRIO OF SPARTAN BASEBALL PLAYERS TABBED TO BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
• Three Michigan State baseball players were tabbed to the Big Ten Conference Players To Watch List, announced Wednesday by the conference office ahead of this weekend's 2026 season opening across the country.
Senior pitcher Nolan Higgins, junior infielder Ryan McKay and senior infielder Randy Seymour were recognized. McKay and Seymour are now two-time B1G Players to Watch selections after both collecting the accolade last season, while Higgins was recognized with his first conference recognition.
A native of Wixom, Michigan, Higgins tied Joseph Dzierwa for the most starts in 2025 with 15, good for tying for fifth in the B1G and ranking tied for 73rd in the NCAA ... Higgins pitched 61.1 IP, which ranked second on the team behind Dzierwa's 91.2 IP, and ranked 34th in the B1G ... Along with leading the Spartan staff for returners in starts, he also is the top returner in strikeouts with 39 Ks ... Higgins fired three or more Ks in eight of the 15 outings, including the first four of the season all with four or more, highlighted by a season-high five Ks vs ... Cornell on March 7, and later matching that with five punchouts in the Spartans' B1G Tournament clinching Victory for MSU over Minnesota on May 17 ... He also went at least 5.0 IP in five starts, led by a season-high 6.0 IP on three different outings.
McKay, a native of Clarkston, Michigan, was not only a Preseason Player to Watch list, but he also earned postseason Second-Team All-B1G accolades in 2025 after leading the Spartans and ranking tied for 27th in the B1G with a .319 average ... He was the lone Spartan and only one of 46 players in the B1G to hit over .300 ... He also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles ... Additionally, he led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats ... McKay also topped the team in on-base percentage (.421), while ranking third on team in slugging percentage (.495) ... Furthermore, McKay led MSU in multiple hit games with 18, including the only Spartan in the 2025 season with five hits in a game, which came in at Penn State (March 21), going 5-for-5 ... McKay started 54 games at second base, missing one game with illness, ranking second on team in both games played and games started, and led MSU in most games played at one position ... He was second on the team in both assists (117) and fielding double plays (25).
Seymour, a Frankfort, Illinois native, was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He was also fifth on the team with a .268 average, also ranking second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... He also not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour was second on the team in at bats (198) ... Seymour also led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game ... He made 38 starts at shortstop and 17 at third base, leading the MSU defense with 128 assists and third in fielding double plays with 15.
McKAY COLLECTS THE PRESEASON ACCOLADES
• Along with being named a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch, Spartan junior infielder Ryan McKay also collected a handful of other preseason accolades.
• McKay was also on D1Baseball's Top 50 Second Basemen list, coming in at No. 4 among second baseman in the B1G and No. 31 in the NCAA.
• McKay was also on Baseball Media's Top 100 College Prospect List.
McKay is No. 72 on the 100-player list and is one of nine players from the Big Ten Conference on the list ... The Spartan second baseman joins UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky (No. 1), Oregon shortstop Maddox Molony (16), UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu (41), Northwestern shortstop Ryan Kucherak (53), USC pitcher Mason Edwards (55), UCLA third baseman/shortstop Roman Martin (73), UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino (92) and UCLA pitcher Logan Reddemann (95).
MSU BASEBALL'S DECKINGA NAMED TO D1BASEBALL'S PRESEASON TOP BIG TEN FRESHMEN LIST
• Michigan State baseball player CJ Deckinga was named one of the D1Baseball's Preseason Top Big Ten Freshmen list, announced by the platform ahead of the 2026 season kicking off this weekend.
• Deckinga, an infielder, was joined on the five-player list by UCLA pitcher Angel Cervantes, Iowa pitcher/outfielder Brody Irlbeck, Maryland infielder Ty Kaunas and Ohio State pitcher Jude Fisher.
• A native of Minooka, Illinois, Deckinga was a three-year letterwinner at Minooka High School, helping MHS to a 33-4 record in his senior season, and he was a two-time All-Southwest Prairie Conference honoree, registering a .400 batting average as a senior with 30 RBI, logging a .521 on-base percentage, .657 slugging percentage and a 1.179 OPS ... Deckinga was ranked as the No. 1 3B/OF and No. 8 overall player in the state of Illinois by Prep Baseball Report, and was selected to play in the Future Games as well as attend the Prep Baseball Report Super 60 and the PBR Illinois Preseason ProCase.
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/ BaseballJake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Feb. 24 2026
Tuesday, February 24
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Feb. 16 2026
Monday, February 16
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Jan. 26 2026
Monday, January 26
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Monday, May 19