Spartans Use Short And Long Game To Ground Eagles, 5-2, Tuesday

Tuesday, May 12

1:02 PM

Michigan State University

20-30

Eastern Michigan

17-33

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Eastern Michigan	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	9	0
Michigan State	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	2	X	5	12	0

Randy Seymour and Parker Picot celebrate together at home plate after Picot's HR vs EMU on May 12, 2026.

Photo by: Erin Grady/MSU Athletic Communications

Spartans Use Short And Long Game To Ground Eagles, 5-2, Tuesday

5/12/2026 7:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score MSU 5, EMU 2 Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball used both short hits and of the long-ball variety to plate three runs in the sixth inning, and added a pair of runs in the eighth, on the way to a 5-2 Victory for MSU over Eastern Michigan Tuesday afternoon at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium.

After moving up first pitch from 6:02 to 1:02 p.m. due to inclement weather in the forecast for Tuesday evening, the Spartans used timely hitting, both long and short, to combine with steady pitching and defense, to solidify the win and start off the final week of the regular-season with a win.

With the victory Michigan State finishes the 2026 season with a 5-0 mark vs. Mid-American Conference teams and also 6-4 vs. in-state foes, entering this weekend's non-conference series vs. Illinois State of the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Spartans moved to 20-30 overall on the season, while EMU slid to 17-33. Tuesday's win gave the Spartans the series sweep over the Eagles, as MSU and EMU played twice in a season for the first time since 2017, as part of Michigan State running its win streak to eight in a row over EMU, winning 14 of the last 17 meetings.

MSU improved to 20-6 under Coach Boss against EMU, while he is now 21-7 in the Spartans vs. Eagles series, as he was 1-1 vs. MSU during his one season as head coach at EMU (2008).

The home team has also won 10 of the last 13 games played on campus, with MSU's win earlier this season along with the Spartans' 2019 win at Ypsilanti and EMU's 2016 win the only road wins in that stretch.

Michigan State finished Big Ten play with an 11-19 league mark. MSU is currently sitting tied for 12th in the conference standings, and remain in contention to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, based on next weekend's results. The Spartans drew their bye in the conference schedule on the final weekend, and will host Illinois State, Thursday-Saturday, May 14-16 in Spartan Senior Celebrations weekend.

In Tuesday's in-state match-up, MSU scored its five runs on 12 hits, knocking both short and long hits, ranging from just over 1-foot to 438-feet away from home plate, with one home run and a triple. The Spartans tapped five bunts on the day, with one sac bunt to go with four bunt singles on the day, with two being squeeze bunts to plate runs.

The Spartans also used the long ball, getting a solo home run by junior outfielder Parker Picot for his seventh home run in the last 11 games. Picot smacked a blast over the scoreboard in left field, going high and deep into the trees beyond the left field wall.

After a scoreless first three frames to the game, EMU got on the scoreboard with a run in the fourth, but Picot's home run led off the sixth and sparked the Spartans' offensive rally with a three-run frame on four hits, including two squeeze bunts.

Picot finished 1-for-3 with the RBU and run scored on the HR. Four Spartans had multiple hits, including leadoff hitter sophomore outfielder Isaac Sturgess, senior outfielder Nick Williams, senior infielder Randy Seymour and junior infielder Ryan McKay.

With a single in the first inning, Williams extended his hitting streak match his jersey number of 10, the longest current active streak for MSU, and becoming the fourth different Spartan with a hitting streak of 10+ games.

Additionally, Williams added two RBI on a two-run triple in the eighth. McKay had an RBI and a run scored, while both Seymour and Sturgess scored a run each.

Freshman infielder CJ Deckinga was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk, redshirt-sophomore catcher Adam Broski was 1-for-4 with an RBI on a squeeze bunt, while sophomore outfielder Khamaree Thomas was 1-for-5.

On the mound, freshman starter Kyle Rudolph went 3.0 IP with two strikeouts and two hits, with no runs or walks, before turning the ball over the bullpen. Junior Logan Pikur (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K), junior Ben Kochany (1.0, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K), redshirt-freshman Brady Chambers (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K), junior Gannon Grundman (1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and senior Tommy Szczepanski (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) finished it out.

Chambers earned the win, leveling his record at 3-3, and also fired a season-high tying four strikeouts. Szczepanski picked up the save, his second of the season, after chalking up three strikeouts in the ninth.

The visiting Eagles scored a run in the top of the third, after a leadoff walk, then back-to-back one-out singles, to get on the board first.

MSU rallied back in the sixth, when Picot led off with his home run, facing a new EMU pitcher to open the inning. Seymour followed with a single to center, then Deckinga drew a walk, forcing another Eagle pitching change. Sophomore infielder Dayton Murphy laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Seymour and Deckinga up a base. McKay then laid down a textbook squeeze bunt in front of the plate and Seymour scampered home.

Broski then followed with a squeeze bunt of his own down the first base line to drive Deckinga in and give the Spartans a 3-1 advantage. MSU's rallied continued momentarily as Williams drew a two-out walk, prompting another EMU pitching change, but a strikeout ended both the Spartan rally and the inning.

McKay led off the eighth with a bunt single, slapping a hit in between the Eagles' pitcher, second baseman and first baseman for a leadoff hit. Two batters later, Sturgess tapped a bunt that died on the grass and dirt in fair territory just inside the third-base line for a bunt single and moving McKay up to second.

Williams followed with a triple to deep center, for his second triple of the season, plating Sturgess and McKay, and putting MSU ahead, 6-1.

The Eagles didn't go down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth, with a leadoff double followed by an RBI single for run to get within, 6-2, and MSU went to the bullpen with Szczepanski coming on to replace Grundman. After a strikeout, a walk and a single loaded the bases, but Szczepanski chalked up back-to-back strikeouts to leave the bases full of Eagles to end the rally and the game to seal the Victory for MSU celebrations.

The Spartans drew their bye in the conference schedule on the final weekend, and will host Illinois State, Thursday-Saturday, May 14-16 in Spartan Senior Celebrations weekend, welcoming the Redbirds of ISU in a three-game series. Thursday and Friday's games are also both 6:02 p.m. start times, with Saturday's regular-season finale slated for a 1:02 p.m. first pitch, with pre-game Senior Celebrations recognitions all weekend.

Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.

Michigan State baseball tickets for games at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium, are available online, at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information, or fans can visit the MSU Ticket Office in person, located in 1855 Place.