Donovan, Higgins, Spark Spartans In Beating Of Buckeyes Saturday

Saturday, May 9

Bill Davis Stadium | Columbus, Ohio

3 PM

Michigan State University

19-29, 11-18

(RV) Ohio State

25-22, 14-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Michigan St.	0	0	1	0	4	2	0	0	0	7	11	1
Ohio State	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	4	8	0

Aidan Donovana action in wind-up to deliver a pitch.

Photo by: Erin Grady/MSU Athletic Communications

Donovan, Higgins, Spark Spartans In Beating Of Buckeyes Saturday

5/9/2026 7:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Sophomore starter goes 7.0 IP with six Ks, senior closer picks up save with four punchouts in 2.0 IP as MSU evens series.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Aidan Donovan went 7.0 innings and Nolan Higgins fired the final 2.0 frames to finish off Michigan State baseball's beating of the Buckeyes of Ohio State, 7-4, Saturday afternoon at OSU's Bill Davis Stadium, leveling the Big Ten Conference series at a game apiece.

Sophomore starter Donovan chalked up six strikeouts in 7.0 innings, marking his third outing with six or more strikeouts in his last five outings, in earning the win to improve to 5-3 on the season. He scattered eight hits while only yielding four runs and one walk. The six Ks was Donovan's sixth outing this season with five or more punchouts, while with the 7.0 IP, he has gone at least 5.0 innings in 11 of his 13 starts this season, including 6.0 or more frames in five of last six outings.

Aidan Donovan was collecting Ks today!!

He fired 6 Ks through 7.0 IP for his 3rd outing with 6 or more Ks in last 5 outings!!

Donovan's final #'s:
7.0 IP
6 K 🔥🔥🔥
8 H
4 R
1 BB#GoGreen | @donovanaidan22 pic.twitter.com/n186OUTrtA
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Senior reliever Higgins pitched the final 2.0 IP to pick up his team-leading third save of the season. Higgins fired four Ks in going 3-up, 3-down in both the eighth and ninth innings, needing just 22 pitches, with the last one ringing up a strikeout looking to complete striking out the side to close out the win and secure the Victory for MSU.

VICTORY FOR MSU!!!!!

High fives & handshakes allllllll around!!!

Higgins chalks up a K to end the game and seal the Victory for MSU!!!

Final score:
Michigan State 7,
(RV) Ohio State 4

Sets up a rubber match of the @B1Gbaseball series on Sunday at 1 pm!!#VictoryForMSU pic.twitter.com/xKRHbGpYMo
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

While Donovan and Higgins were dominating on the mound, all three outfielders of junior Parker Picot, senior Nick Williams and sophomore Khamaree Thomas were swinging hot bats at the plate.

Parker Picot's bat is scorching right now!!🔥

He belts his 4th HR in last 5 games, as part of continuing his wild rise in batting average!!

MSU 5
OSU 2
Mid 5th #GoGreen | @ParkerPicot pic.twitter.com/O5BCNCRdsE
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Picot pelted a three-run home run in the fifth, while Williams walloped a two-run homer in the sixth.

Williams with a 2-run oppo homer!!!

Williams is now 3-3 on day w/ 2 doubles + HR!!!

MSU 7
OSU 3
T6th#GoGreen | @NicklasWilliam1 pic.twitter.com/PpzVdO017t
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Finishing 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored, Picot now had four HRs in his last five games.

Williams was 3-for-5 with all three hits going for extra bases with a pair of doubles and the homer, finishing with two RBI and three runs scored. Williams ran his hit streak to a personal season-long seven games, with two or more hits in six of the seven games.

Thomas was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, adding a beauty of a sacrifice squeeze bunt in the third inning for the game's first run.

Sacrifice squeeeeezzzzeeee bunt!!

Thomas lays down a beauty of a sac bunt to plate Williams for the RBI and give the Spartans the early lead! Williams reached w/ leadoff double to extend hit streak to 7 games!!

MSU 1
OSU 0
T3rd#GoGreen | @mareest7 | @NicklasWilliam1 pic.twitter.com/MiPNDz6P6n
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Saturday's win evened the series between the Spartans and Buckeyes after playing Friday night's series opener at Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, before shifting back to campus on Saturday and Sunday.

With Saturday's victory, MSU moves to 19-29 overall and 11-18 in Big Ten action. Ohio State, which was among others receiving votes in this week's NCBWA Top 25 Poll, had its four-game win streak snapped with the loss, sliding to 25-22 overall and 14-12 in conference competition.

The Spartans have won four of the last five in the series with the Buckeyes, having won nine of the last 13 meetings and 16 of the last 24 meetings.

Saturday's seven runs in the win for the Spartans snapped a streak in the series of the winning team scoring 10 or more runs in the previous nine wins.

MSU scored its seven runs on 11 hits Saturday, as Williams, Picot and Thomas combined for seven hits, with freshman infielder CJ Deckinga going 1-for-4 with a double. Deckinga was matched by sophomore designated hitter Isaac Sturgess and graduate senior catcher Noah Bright going 1-for-4, with Bright adding a run driven in and a run scored. Sophomore infielder Dayton Murphy was 1-for-2 with a run scored, and anchored a Spartan infield that had a solid defensive outing.

Williams led off the third inning with a double down the left field line. Sturgess grounded out to move Williams to third, and after a Bright walk, Thomas tapped a beauty of a squeeze sac bunt to plate Williams and give the Spartans their first lead of the series.

The Buckeyes quickly countered with a leadoff home run in the third, then took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a sac fly.

In the top of the fifth, Bright drove in Williams after his second double of the day, lacing a single up the middle. Thomas tallied a single of his own and Bright scampered around to third. Picot brought everyone home on his home run to left field for MSU's fourth run of the frame and fifth of the game and a 5-2 advantage.

Just like the third, OSU hit a home run to lead off the fifth inning, but Donovan induced an inning-ending double play to minimize the damage.

"Can they turn the double play? YES THEY CAN!!"

The Spartans w/ an inning-ending double play!! A 6-4-3 double play from Murphy --> McKay --> Seymour to end Buckeyes' rally!

MSU 5
OSU 3
End 5th

Deckinga to lead off T6th#GoGreen | @daytonmurph | @Ryanmckay51 | @RandySeymour14 pic.twitter.com/OOACEVGZxY
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Murphy ignited a two-out Spartan rally in the sixth by drawing a walk and Williams belted his opposite-field homer for a 7-3 MSU lead.

The Buckeyes scored a run in the home half of the sixth on an RBI single, but Donovan again slammed the door on any rally ideas, leaving the score 7-4, and neither team scored the rest of the day.

Jump around & celebrate the Victory For MSU!!

A Victory For MSU makes everyone jump for joy as Nolan Higgins chalks up his 4th K in 2.0 IP to end the game & everyone is jumpin' around!!#VictoryForMSU | @nohiggy77 | @RandySeymour14 | @cjdecks_10 pic.twitter.com/5S0aMqYK3y
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

The Spartans' continue their penultimate weekend of the regular-season and final weekend of Michigan State's B1G schedule in game three of the series with the Buckeyes, with Sunday's series finale set for 1 p.m. for the rubber match.

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.

MSU first hosts Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:02 p.m., before 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.

The Michigan State baseball season ticket package, which includes 24 home games at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium, and also single game tickets, are available online, at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information, or fans can visit the MSU Ticket Office in person, located in 1855 Place.