Michigan State University Athletics
Baseball
Taylor Grzelakowski
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Phone:
- 355-4486
Michigan State baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. announced on July 28, 2025, that Taylor Grzelakowski (Gel-uh-cow-skee) joined the Spartan staff as an assistant coach.
Grzelakowski is entering his second season with the Spartans in the 2027 season.
Grzelakowski came to MSU after three years as head coach at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. He also was head coach of the Westside Woolly Mammoths of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL).
“We’re excited to add Taylor Grzelakowski to our coaching staff,” Boss said. “He’s a passionate, up-and-coming coach, with a proven track record of success, winning back-to-back conference titles at Macomb. He brings a ton of baseball knowledge and experience, both as a coach and a player, to our staff. We’re thrilled to welcome Taylor, his wife Sarah, and sons Leo and Eli to the Spartan baseball family.”
In 2026, Grzelakowski helped guide Michigan State finish the 2026 season with a 24-32 overall record, going 11-19 in B1G action, returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the second-straight season and the third time in the last four years (2026, 2025, 2023). The Spartans also made B1G Tournament history in becoming the first-ever No. 12-seed to earn a B1G tourney win with an 8-4 upset over No. 5 seed Purdue in the tournament's opening game. The Spartans then went won to upset No. 8 seed Iowa, 4-3, to advance to the knockout stage, where they lost to No. 4-seed USC, who was also 25th-ranked in the national polls, in a 7-0 defeat.
Under Grzelakowski's tutelage, outfielder Nick Williams was selected in the 10th round with the 286th overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. Williams was the first Spartan outfielder drafted since Brandon Hughes was selected in the 16th round and 495th overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.
For the 2026 season, Williams shared the Kirk Gibson Co-Offensive Player of the Year MSU Team Award with Parker Picot, finishing the season with a 16-game hitting streak, the longest of the season by a Spartan player and the longest since 2024, matching teammate Ryan McKay's streak from 2024. Williams hit .508 during the 16-game hit streak, averaging 2.0 hits per game, with 32 total hits, logging 15 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and three HR, as well as drawing 12 walks, and only striking out four times in the 63 at bats. Out of the 16 games during the streak, Williams had 12 multi-hit games, including his season-high of three hits done four times during the hitting streak, doing so in back-to-back games with 3-for-4 with three RBI vs. No. 1 UCLA on May 3, then a 3-for-3 outing two days later vs. Bowling Green.
Williams also led MSU and ranked fifth in the B1G in toughest to strikeout, with just one K every 8.7 at bats, with just 20 strikeouts on the season in 174 at bats. He also topped MSU and ranked tied for 21st in the B1G in average (.333). Additionally, Williams ended the season reaching base in 22-straight games, as the 22-game reached base streak was the second longest of the season, just one shy of team-leader Khamaree Thomas. Williams also led MSU with 20 multiple hit games, logging the aforementioned season-high of three hits in four games, while knocking two hits in 16 games.
Additionally, Williams was also second on the team in both on-base percentage (.434) and doubles (14), tied for second in triples (2), along with third in slugging percentage (.667) and runs (39), and tied for third in both hits (58) and home runs (6). For the season, he played in 49 games making 46 starts, including 45 in left field and one in center field. Of the 49 games played, Williams had at least one hit in 34 games.
In 2026, Grzelakowski also coached infielder Randy Seymour, who was the recipient of MSU's 2026 B1G Sportsmanship Award recipient. Seymour smacked 16 home runs in 2026, moving into a four-way tie for second on Michigan State’s single-season home run list, tying Spartan great Kirk Gibson with 16 in 1978, along with Matt Riggins in 1996 and Bob Malek in 2002, and pulled away from a tie for No. 5 with former teammate Sam Busch. Seymour's 16 HR was more than double of his career HR total of seven entering the season. Seymour was also tied for 11th in B1G only games in HR with eight. Along with topping the team in HR, Seymour also led MSU in both RBI (55) and total bases (122), in addition to ranking second in hits (60), tied for second in triples (2), hit by pitch (9), fourth in slugging percentage (.533) and runs (34), plus tied for fifth in both doubles (10) and stolen bases (4).
Grzelakowski also was head coach of the Westside Woolly Mammoths of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) for five summers.
“I’m super excited to join the Michigan State baseball staff. It feels like the day I got signed by the Twins, like my life is changing right in front of me and it couldn’t be at a cooler place and with a cooler staff,” Grzelakowski said. “I’m extremely fired up to be with somebody that’s been there, done that for so long at a high level. I’m just ready to learn and anxious to get to work.”
Grzelakowski guided Macomb to a share of back-to-back Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) championships in 2024 and 2025. The 2024 league title was the Monarachs’ first conference crown since 1995. He led Macomb to the NJCAA Region XII Tournament in both years, for the program’s first back-to-back postseason appearances since 2017 and 2018.
Also during his time at Macomb, Grzelakowski coached back-to-back MCCAA Eastern Conference Players of the Year in first baseman Brady Krzciok in 2024 and catcher/outfielder Vincent Cowdrey in 2025. Cowdrey also earned NJCAA DII All-American accolades to become the program’s first All-American since 2012, highlighted by belting 14 HR for a new single-season program record.
Under Grzelakowski’s guidance, Macomb set a pair of program records in 2025 with 51 home runs and 145 stolen bases
During his three seasons at Macomb, Grzelakowski sent over 35 players to four-year programs, including several to the NCAA Division I level. Grzelakowski mentored 10 Macomb players to earn All-Academic Team award honors in 2025.
In his summers coaching the Mammoth, Grzelakowski also coached former Michigan State pitcher Kyle Bischoff, who signed by the Minnesota Twins organization in 2023, and is currently with the Twins’ Triple A team, the St. Paul Saints.
Before taking over the reins of the Macomb program, Grzelakowski started his coaching career at his alma mater, Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, where he was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2021-22.
Grzelakowski’s coaching tenure commenced after his professional playing career concluded, as he played part of one season in the USPBL with the Utica Unicorns, before departing halfway through the USPBL season to sign with the Minnesota Twins. Despite only playing half of a season in the USPBL, he was still crowned the league home run champion in 2017 with nine HRs.
Playing four seasons in the Twins’ organization, Grzelakowski started off with the GCL Twins in 2017, then playing with the Twins High-A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle, where he finished just .03 points shy of the league’s batting title with a .298 batting average. Grzelakowski earned midseason and postseason All-Star honors as well as being named one of the Minnesota Twins Organizational All-Stars as a Designated Hitter, including helping them to the playoffs, before breaking his ankle in game three of the finals. In 2019, Grzelakowski played with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, then the Twins Double-A affiliate at the time. Grzelakowski was with the Wichita Wind Surge, the Twins new Double-A affiliate, in 2021, before his professional playing career came to a close and he got into coaching.
A native of Fraser, Michigan, Grzelakowski was a four-year starter at Madonna, earning several first-team All-Conference recognition, in addition to earning scholar athlete accolades all four years, playing catcher, first base and outfield. In his senior season of 2017, Grzelakowski batted .426 with 12 home runs to earn the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year award. Grzelakowski was also named an All-American and a CSC Academic All-American Award winner.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and sales from Madonna in 2017.
Grzelakowski and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, Leo and Eli.
Grzelakowski is entering his second season with the Spartans in the 2027 season.
Grzelakowski came to MSU after three years as head coach at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. He also was head coach of the Westside Woolly Mammoths of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL).
“We’re excited to add Taylor Grzelakowski to our coaching staff,” Boss said. “He’s a passionate, up-and-coming coach, with a proven track record of success, winning back-to-back conference titles at Macomb. He brings a ton of baseball knowledge and experience, both as a coach and a player, to our staff. We’re thrilled to welcome Taylor, his wife Sarah, and sons Leo and Eli to the Spartan baseball family.”
In 2026, Grzelakowski helped guide Michigan State finish the 2026 season with a 24-32 overall record, going 11-19 in B1G action, returning to the Big Ten Tournament for the second-straight season and the third time in the last four years (2026, 2025, 2023). The Spartans also made B1G Tournament history in becoming the first-ever No. 12-seed to earn a B1G tourney win with an 8-4 upset over No. 5 seed Purdue in the tournament's opening game. The Spartans then went won to upset No. 8 seed Iowa, 4-3, to advance to the knockout stage, where they lost to No. 4-seed USC, who was also 25th-ranked in the national polls, in a 7-0 defeat.
Under Grzelakowski's tutelage, outfielder Nick Williams was selected in the 10th round with the 286th overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. Williams was the first Spartan outfielder drafted since Brandon Hughes was selected in the 16th round and 495th overall pick of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.
For the 2026 season, Williams shared the Kirk Gibson Co-Offensive Player of the Year MSU Team Award with Parker Picot, finishing the season with a 16-game hitting streak, the longest of the season by a Spartan player and the longest since 2024, matching teammate Ryan McKay's streak from 2024. Williams hit .508 during the 16-game hit streak, averaging 2.0 hits per game, with 32 total hits, logging 15 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and three HR, as well as drawing 12 walks, and only striking out four times in the 63 at bats. Out of the 16 games during the streak, Williams had 12 multi-hit games, including his season-high of three hits done four times during the hitting streak, doing so in back-to-back games with 3-for-4 with three RBI vs. No. 1 UCLA on May 3, then a 3-for-3 outing two days later vs. Bowling Green.
Williams also led MSU and ranked fifth in the B1G in toughest to strikeout, with just one K every 8.7 at bats, with just 20 strikeouts on the season in 174 at bats. He also topped MSU and ranked tied for 21st in the B1G in average (.333). Additionally, Williams ended the season reaching base in 22-straight games, as the 22-game reached base streak was the second longest of the season, just one shy of team-leader Khamaree Thomas. Williams also led MSU with 20 multiple hit games, logging the aforementioned season-high of three hits in four games, while knocking two hits in 16 games.
Additionally, Williams was also second on the team in both on-base percentage (.434) and doubles (14), tied for second in triples (2), along with third in slugging percentage (.667) and runs (39), and tied for third in both hits (58) and home runs (6). For the season, he played in 49 games making 46 starts, including 45 in left field and one in center field. Of the 49 games played, Williams had at least one hit in 34 games.
In 2026, Grzelakowski also coached infielder Randy Seymour, who was the recipient of MSU's 2026 B1G Sportsmanship Award recipient. Seymour smacked 16 home runs in 2026, moving into a four-way tie for second on Michigan State’s single-season home run list, tying Spartan great Kirk Gibson with 16 in 1978, along with Matt Riggins in 1996 and Bob Malek in 2002, and pulled away from a tie for No. 5 with former teammate Sam Busch. Seymour's 16 HR was more than double of his career HR total of seven entering the season. Seymour was also tied for 11th in B1G only games in HR with eight. Along with topping the team in HR, Seymour also led MSU in both RBI (55) and total bases (122), in addition to ranking second in hits (60), tied for second in triples (2), hit by pitch (9), fourth in slugging percentage (.533) and runs (34), plus tied for fifth in both doubles (10) and stolen bases (4).
Grzelakowski also was head coach of the Westside Woolly Mammoths of the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) for five summers.
“I’m super excited to join the Michigan State baseball staff. It feels like the day I got signed by the Twins, like my life is changing right in front of me and it couldn’t be at a cooler place and with a cooler staff,” Grzelakowski said. “I’m extremely fired up to be with somebody that’s been there, done that for so long at a high level. I’m just ready to learn and anxious to get to work.”
Grzelakowski guided Macomb to a share of back-to-back Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) championships in 2024 and 2025. The 2024 league title was the Monarachs’ first conference crown since 1995. He led Macomb to the NJCAA Region XII Tournament in both years, for the program’s first back-to-back postseason appearances since 2017 and 2018.
Also during his time at Macomb, Grzelakowski coached back-to-back MCCAA Eastern Conference Players of the Year in first baseman Brady Krzciok in 2024 and catcher/outfielder Vincent Cowdrey in 2025. Cowdrey also earned NJCAA DII All-American accolades to become the program’s first All-American since 2012, highlighted by belting 14 HR for a new single-season program record.
Under Grzelakowski’s guidance, Macomb set a pair of program records in 2025 with 51 home runs and 145 stolen bases
During his three seasons at Macomb, Grzelakowski sent over 35 players to four-year programs, including several to the NCAA Division I level. Grzelakowski mentored 10 Macomb players to earn All-Academic Team award honors in 2025.
In his summers coaching the Mammoth, Grzelakowski also coached former Michigan State pitcher Kyle Bischoff, who signed by the Minnesota Twins organization in 2023, and is currently with the Twins’ Triple A team, the St. Paul Saints.
Before taking over the reins of the Macomb program, Grzelakowski started his coaching career at his alma mater, Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, where he was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2021-22.
Grzelakowski’s coaching tenure commenced after his professional playing career concluded, as he played part of one season in the USPBL with the Utica Unicorns, before departing halfway through the USPBL season to sign with the Minnesota Twins. Despite only playing half of a season in the USPBL, he was still crowned the league home run champion in 2017 with nine HRs.
Playing four seasons in the Twins’ organization, Grzelakowski started off with the GCL Twins in 2017, then playing with the Twins High-A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle, where he finished just .03 points shy of the league’s batting title with a .298 batting average. Grzelakowski earned midseason and postseason All-Star honors as well as being named one of the Minnesota Twins Organizational All-Stars as a Designated Hitter, including helping them to the playoffs, before breaking his ankle in game three of the finals. In 2019, Grzelakowski played with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, then the Twins Double-A affiliate at the time. Grzelakowski was with the Wichita Wind Surge, the Twins new Double-A affiliate, in 2021, before his professional playing career came to a close and he got into coaching.
A native of Fraser, Michigan, Grzelakowski was a four-year starter at Madonna, earning several first-team All-Conference recognition, in addition to earning scholar athlete accolades all four years, playing catcher, first base and outfield. In his senior season of 2017, Grzelakowski batted .426 with 12 home runs to earn the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year award. Grzelakowski was also named an All-American and a CSC Academic All-American Award winner.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and sales from Madonna in 2017.
Grzelakowski and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, Leo and Eli.
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