• Michigan State baseball opens its final four-game homestand and the final week of the regular-season by hosting in-state foe Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, May 14 ... The Spartans and Eagles will square off in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch from McLane Stadium at Kobs Field
• The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.
• Fans can follow this week's action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, where available, at MSUSpartans.com.
• For the eighth-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis for select home games.
COACH VAN AMEYDE BACK WITH TEAM
• Michigan State veteran pitching coach
Mark Van Ameyde (VAN-uh-mead) returned to the dugout last weekend at Ohio State after being away from the team since mid-March after undergoing a successful kidney transplant on March 20 ... Van Ameyde's wife, Melissa was his donor ... Van Ameyde joined the team in Columbus at the Spartans' practice on Thursday evening, April 26, and was warmly greeted by the team.
140TH SEASON OF MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL
Michigan State is playing its 140th season of baseball in 2024 and was the first varsity sport on campus. The first season of Spartan baseball was 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 has played over 4,500 games in program history.
70TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1954 MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES TEAM
Michigan State will be celebrating the 1954 Spartan team that won the Big Ten Championship en route to the College World Series, the first and lone trip to the CWS by MSU.
The 1954 season was one for the ages as the Spartans won their first Big Ten Championship, ran through the NCAA Tournament en route to a College World Series third-place finish, and completed the season with a then school-record 25-10-1 record behind the leadership of Spartan legend John Kobs. The '54 team featured three future Major League players in Ed Hobaugh, Bob Powell, and College World Series MVP Tom Yewcic, and future NFL quarterback and 1968 NFL MVP Earl Morrall.
After winning the Big Ten Championship, the Spartans defeated Ohio University to earn its first bid to the College World Series. Michigan State won its first two games of the CWS, beating Massachusetts, 16-5, then topping Arizona, 2-1, before dropping a close game to Rollins College, 5-4. The Spartans rebounded to beat Rollins in extra innings 3-2 before dropping the season finale to eventual champion Missouri, 4-3, on a controversial call late in the game on a foul tip that wasn't called and led to the winning run crossing the plate.
SPARTAN-EAGLES CONNECTIONS
The Spartans-Eagles battle on Tuesday has a pair of coaching connections, including both teams' head coaches; MSU's pitching coach; EMU's assistant coach and EMU's volunteer assistant coach:
• Spartan head coach
Jake Boss Jr., was the head coach at EMU for one season in 2008, before becoming head coach at MSU in 2009 ... In just one season as head coach at Eastern Michigan in 2008, Boss made an immediate impact, guiding the Eagles to their second consecutive MAC West Division crown and first NCAA Regional appearance since 2003 ... The Eagles swept through the MAC Tournament, winning all four games by a combined 21 runs, to notch the school's fourth tournament title ... The conference title capped a remarkable turnaround, as Eastern Michigan - picked to finish fifth in the division - closed the season on a hot streak, claiming 25 of 40 games and earning a berth in the NCAA field ... For his efforts, Boss was selected the 2008 MAC Coach of the Year and made history by becoming just the second coach in league history to win the MAC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament in his first season ... Overall, the Eagles finished the season 15-8 in conference play and 25-34 overall.
• Michigan State assistant coach/pitching coach
Mark Van Ameyde was head coach at EMU from 2014-17 after six seasons with the Spartans, before returning to MSU in 2018 ... At EMU, Van Ameyde posted a 70-106 record in his three seasons leading the Eagles ... In 2017, Van Ameyde led EMU to a 27-35 overall record and a 14-10 Mid-American Conference mark, finishing third in the MAC standings before ending as runner-up at the MAC Tournament, which was the first time the Eagles reached the title game since 2008 ... Van Ameyde coached five All-MAC honorees, including two in 2017 after two in 2016, marking the first time that EMU had multiple players selected for all-conference honors since 2011-12 ... Off the field, 28 EMU players earned Academic All-MAC honors in the three seasons under Van Ameyde, with 10 accolades in 2017, the second-most in the MAC, including four MAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes.
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on their 2024 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Eagles have 11 Michiganders on their roster.
MSU VS. THE MAC
• Eastern Michigan is the fifth Michigan State opponents from the Mid-American Conference on the Spartans' schedule this season, as MSU has played Ball State, Western Michigan and Central Michigan so far, with one game apiece against Ball State and Central Michigan, and three games against WMU, and had its game against Bowling Green scheduled for last weekend cancelled due to inclement weather.
MSU is currently 3-2 vs. MAC teams ... the Spartans lost to Ball State, 4-1, on Feb. 18 at the Swig & Swine Classic at Shipyard Park in Charleston, S.C. ... MSU beat Western Michigan, 13-3 in 8 innings on March 2 in the First Pitch Invitational I at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. ... A week later, the Spartans then beat the Broncos again, 5-3, on March 8 at the First Pitch Invitational II, also at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. ... MSU lost to Central Michigan, 10-0 (7 inn.), on April 9 ... The Spartans then beat the Broncos, 12-2 (7 inn.) at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, on April 17 in the Capital Clash.
MSU'S DZIERWA AND FRANK AMONG D1BASEBALL.COM'S POSITION RATINGS
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank is No. 38 on D1Baseball.com's Top 100 Outfielders after Week 12 of the season ... Frank enters the week slashing .368 / .453 / .606 ... he is seventh in the B1G in average (.368), along with third in the conference and 54th in the country in hits per game (1.51), along with fourth in the league in runs per game (1.09) ... Frank is also fourth in the B1G in stolen bases (18) and fifth in stolen bases per game (0.38).
• Spartan sophomore southpaw
Joseph Dzierwa is rated at No. 83 on D1Baseball.com's Top 150 Starting Pitchers after Week 12 of the season ... Dzierwa is third in the B1G and 80th in the NCAA in strikeouts (80), along with third in the league and 75th in the nation in WHIP (1.17), along with eighth in the conference in K/9 (9.4), ranking third innings pitched (77.0).
POWERS-ING WAY UP RECORD BOOK
• Spartan senior southpaw
Nick Powers earned the win in the 11-5 Victory for MSU over Penn State on April 20 ... the win was Powers' sixth of the season and 18th of his career, moving up to tie for No. 9 on MSU's career wins list, matching Tim Day (2002-05) and Andrew Waszak (2010-13).
• Powers has also cracked the MSU Career Strikeout Top 10 list, now at No. 10 with 181 Ks, passing Mick VanVossen (2012-15) & Mickey Sinks (1959-61) ... Powers is just 19 strikeouts away from becoming just the sixth Spartan pitcher to reach the 200 Ks plateau.
• Now with 239.1 career IP, Powers is just 8.2 IP away from climbing into the Top 10 for Career Innings Pitched, as Cam Vieaux (2014-16) currently has the No. 10 mark with 248.0 IP.
NIFTY FIFTY FOR FRANK IN RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank swiped his 17th stolen base of the season on April 21, which was the 50th of his career, becoming the sixth Spartan to swipe 50 career stolen bases and the first since former teammate and fellow outfielder, Bryce Kelley (2017-21), who became MSU's stolen base king, breaking the record and finishing with 83 stolen bases.
• Frank swiped his 51st career stolen base on May 10 at Minnesota, pulling away from a tie with Brandon Hughes (2015-17) on MSU's stolen base list and Frank now has sole possession of the No. 5 spot.
FRANK-ING FAST ON THE BASEPATHS
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank is also fourth in the B1G and 92nd in the NCAA with the 18 stolen bases ... he also is fifth in the conference and just outside the top 100 in the country in stolen bases per game (0.38).
• The 18 swipes is just one shy of his single-season career-high of 19 stolen bases last season, and is his third-straight double-digit swipes season after 10 in 2022.
FRANK-ING UP THE RECORD BOOK
• Frank has also moved up to No. 4 on MSU's Career Runs list, now with 151, becoming the sixth Spartan with 150 career runs.
• Frank is also No. 6 on the Spartans' Career Doubles list, now with 44 two-baggers.
NUMBER 2 FOR 2-BAGS
• Senior infielder
Dillon Kark is matching his jersey number of 2 for 2-baggers with a team-high 17 doubles, good for ranking seventh in the B1G and 77th in the country ... Kark is also sixth in the conference in doubles per game (0.36).
• Kark knocked a double in two of the three games of the Penn State series, with a 2-bagger in each of the first two games of the weekend ... despite not posting a double during the Ohio State series, Kark had a stretch of a double in five doubles in a span of the previous 10 games ... he has also had two streaks of three-straight games with a double, as well as a stretch of four in five games (March 15-22).
KARK DOUBLING WAY INTO RECORD BOOK
• With the 17 doubles, Kark has cracked MSU's single-season doubles Top 15, now tied for No. 17 with Marty Bechina (2019).
• With his next double, Kark will crack the Top 10, and join a six-way logjam for No. 9 with 18 doubles, done most recently by Ryan Jones (2011).
GOING STREAKING
• Freshman infielder
Ryan McKay enters the week on a 15-game hitting streak, the longest by a Spartan since
Trent Farquhar had a 16-game hit streak last season from Feb. 20-March 24, 2023 ... The next longest most recent hit streak by a Spartan was 21-games by
Mitch Jebb (May 16, 2021-March 13, 2022).
ONLY Ks IN THEIR NAMES
• Despite having Ks in their name, both freshman infielder
Ryan McKay and junior outfielder/infielder
Nick Williams don't register a K in the score book very often, as McKay is second in the B1G and ninth in the NCAA in toughest to strike out (14.5), with just 12 strikeouts in 174 at bats ... N.Williams is close behind in seventh in the conference and 86th in the country (9.2), with 18 Ks in 166 AB.
HIGH FLYING FIFTH FRAMES
• Michigan State's highest-scoring inning is the fifth inning, as MSU has scored 46 runs in the fifth frame, an average of scoring just shy of at least one run in the inning every game, the only inning that the Spartans average nearly a run per game, as the second-highest inning is the fourth frame with 42 runs (0.89 rpg), just ahead of the second stanza at 38 runs (0.81 rpg).
• Of the Spartans' 16 big innings with four or more runs, the fifth inning is tied for the most with three, matching the fourth inning, boosted by back-to-back occurrences happening in the Penn State game on April 21 and the Ohio State game on April 27.
• MSU has out-scored the opposition, 46-35, in the fifth inning, an average of 1.0 - 0.7 rpg.
RACKING UP THE STRIKEOUTS
• MSU's pitching staff has been racking up the strikeouts to the tune of 8.3 Ks/nine innings, ranking seventh in the conference.
• Individually, sophomore southpaw starter
Joseph Dzierwa is third in the B1G and 80th in the NCAA in strikeouts with 80, while senior lefty
Nick Powers is 14th in the league with 59 punchouts.
• Sophomore reliever/starter
Tommy Szczepanski would rank second in the conference and 19th in the country in Ks/nine innings at 12.9, but he doesn't reach the minimum requirement of 1.0 IP/appearance ... Dzierwa is eighth in the B1G at 9.4, while graduate reliever
Aaron Mishoulam is 14th at 8.6, sophomore reliever
Nolan Higgins is at 8.0, Powers is at 7.1 and senior reliever
Harrison Cook is at 6.8 and Powers is at 7.1.
BOSS 800
• MSU's game vs. Central Michigan on April 9 was MSU head coach
Jake Boss Jr.'s 800th game at the helm of the Spartans, becoming the third MSU baseball head coach to coach 800 games leading the Spartans and also the third with 400+ wins, joining John Kobs and Danny Litwhiler.
Coach Years Gms. W L T Pct.
John H. Kobs 1935-63 (39) 969 576 377 16 .603
Daniel W. Litwhiler 1964-82 (19) 859 489 362 8 .574
Jake Boss Jr. 2009-pres. (16th) 817 438 379 0 .536
ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN
• The Eagles are 14-34 overall and 9-18 in MAC action ... EMU is coming off a series against MAC leaders Bowling Green, knocking off the league leagues in Friday night's opener, winning, 10-9, on a walk-off to cap a three-run rally in the ninth ... the Eagles were grounded by BG, 7-1, on Saturday, as Bowling Green clinched at least a share of the MAC title, then BG won the MAC regular-season crown with an 8-6 win over EMU on Sunday ... Friday's win snapped EMU's 13-game losing streak ... the Eagles were 4-2 in MAC play after the first two weekends, taking two of three from both Western Michigan and Central Michigan.
• Eastern Michigan has a team batting average of .302, with 498 hits (10.4 pg) and 322 runs (6.7 pg), with 55 HR (1.1 pg) ... On the basepaths, the Eagles are 72-of-98 in stolen bases (1.5 stolen base per game).
• The Eagles' pitching staff has a team ERA of 8.62, with 320 strikeouts (6.7 pg) and 246 walks (5.1 pg), with one combined shutout ... the opposition has a .301 average against EMU pitching.
• Eastern Michigan head coach Robbie Britt is in his first season leading the Eagles and has a 14-34 record so far this season ... Britt is in his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, posting a 138-82 record after coming to EMU from Division II University of Charleston in West Virginia.
EASTERN MICHIGAN TEAM LEADERS
STAT VALUE NO NAME (YR, POS)
AVG .352 #33 Giano Zuccaro (JR, OF)
SLG .624 #25 Kyle Schroedle (GR, OF)
OB % .439 #19 Lucas Johnson (JR, C)
H 57 #33 Giano Zuccaro (JR, OF) & #21 Blake McRae (GR, OF)
HR 10 #25 Kyle Schroedle (GR, OF)
RBI 36 #27 Cory Taylor (SR, INF)
SB 18 #7 Logan Hugo (JR, OF)
ERA 6.07 #20 Liam Baker (FR, RHP)
Ws 5 #23 Bobby Jones (SR, RHP)
SO 75 #23 Bobby Jones (SR, RHP)
IP 78.0 #23 Bobby Jones (SR, RHP)
SV 2 #9 Drew Jones (SO, RHP)
MSU BASEBALL'S FRANK AND MCKAY EARN B1G WEEKLY ACCOLADES
• Michigan State baseball's
Jack Frank was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, while
Ryan McKay collected the B1G Freshman of the Week honor, announced by the conference office Monday afternoon.
• This is Frank's first B1G weekly honor this season but it's his second-straight week earning an accolade, as he was named the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger of the Week last week. It is Frank's second career B1G Player of the Week honor, collecting the B1G accolade on April 17, 2023.
• McKay earns his second Freshman of the Week Award, also garnering the recognition earlier this season on March 4 during the third week of the schedule.
• It also marks the second time this season that two Spartan players earned B1G honors in the same week, as McKay was joined junior outfielder
Nick Williams who earned the B1G Player of the Week award.
• Frank and McKay helped lead Michigan State to its first B1G series sweep over Michigan since 2016, and its first with all three games in East Lansing, as in 2016, the teams played games one and three in Ann Arbor with game two in East Lansing.
• Michigan rode into town on a five-game winning streak but MSU dealt UM not only its first consecutive B1G losses of the season, but its first back-to-back losses since March 26 and 29, which was started by the Spartans' 16-6 walloping of the Wolverines on March 26 and followed with an 11-9 loss to Maryland on March 29.
• Michigan State won Friday night's series opener, 3-2 in a 10th-inning walk-off Victory for MSU. The Spartans then out-slugged the Wolverines, 12-8, on Saturday to secure the series win. MSU was denied the sweep as UM rallied late to send the game to extras and won 10-8 in 12 innings.
• A senior outfielder from Strongsville, Ohio, Frank registered a slash line of .471 / .550 / .941 for the week, going 8-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs, both in pivotal spots. In Saturday's 12-8 Victory for MSU, Frank knocked a solo opposite field home run in the bottom of the eighth for the go-ahead run to put MSU on top 9-8 and the Spartans pulled away for the 12-8 win to clinch the series win.
• Frank started weekend going 1-for-4 in Friday's win, then went 4-for-4 with a double and home run, with an RBI and a run scored on Saturday and 3-for-5 on Sunday, also with a double and home run.
• McKay, a freshman infielder from Clarkston, Mich., had at least one hit in all four games during the week, running his hitting streak to a season-long 12 games.
• He was 2-for-5 with an RBI in Friday's game, before going 2-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's game, and finished the weekend going 3-for-6 with two RBI.
• McKay started the week by going 1-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's game vs. Notre Dame.
FRANK TABBED BOBBY BRAGAN NATIONAL COLLEGIATE SLUGGER OF THE WEEK
• Michigan State baseball's
Jack Frank was named the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger of the Week for his performance over the weekend, announced by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation on Wednesday, May 1.
• This is Frank's first weekly honor from the organization, but second accolade from the publication this season, as he was also on the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Preseason Watch List announced in February. Frank garnered the national award despite not winning player of the week recognition from the Big Ten Conference.
• A senior outfielder from Strongsville, Ohio, Frank helped Michigan State win the series in his home state at Ohio State, in his final regular-season weekend of his career in his home state, as the Spartans took two of three from the Buckeyes, winning Friday night's opener, 11-4, then out-slugging OSU, 17-12, before falling in Sunday's finale, 10-6.
• Frank posted a slash line of .615 / .688 / 1.154, boosted by a two-HR game in Saturday's 17-12 win, finishing the weekend with eight hits in 13 at bats, with three runs scored and eight RBI, knocking three extra base hits with the two home runs and a double, adding three walks.
• He reached base in 10-straight at bats in OSU series after finals three ABs in the game vs Penn State on April 21, for 13 at bats in a row reaching base, going 4-for-4 with a walk Friday night, then 3-for-4 with two walks on Saturday, before being retired in his sixth AB in the eighth.
• Frank smashed a HR on the game's first pitch, then added his second HR of game in the fourth. It marked the first time a Spartan had a HR in top of first inning in a game since Brandon Hughes did so on May 13, 2016 at Iowa, and Hughes' leadoff homer was also on the first pitch of the game.
• Along with scoring a career-high five runs in Saturday's game in MSU's 17-12 win, Frank adding a 1-for-5 effort in Sunday's loss to register at least one hit in all three games, highlighted by Friday's four hits and Saturday's three hits, to run hit streak to a season-long seven games.
• Frank also had an outfield assist in Sunday's game, nabbing an OSU runner trying to go from first to third on a single with a long throw from right field to third base for the out.
POWERS NAMED TO BASEBALL FOUNDATION PITCHER OF YEAR WATCH LIST
• Senior pitcher
Nick Powers was named to the College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of the Year Watch List, announced by the organization on April 25.
Powers is currently fourth in the Big Ten and just outside the top 100 in the NCAA in strikeout-walk ratio (3.50). He also is 14th in the B1G with 56 strikeouts, including ranking ninth in the league in strikeouts looking with 16.
He also is third in the B1G and 64th in the NCAA in walks allowed/nine innings with just 2.0.
Powers is one of eight pitchers in the B1G with a complete game.
NOTABLE NIAGARA WEEKEND SHUT OUT RECAP
• Michigan State blanked Niagara, 9-nil on April 5 in the opener of the weekend's series opener, as MSU posted its first shutout since March 20, 2022 when the Spartans beat Houston Baptist, 1-0.
• Spartan starter sophomore southpaw
Joseph Dzierwa went 7.0 IP, before senior reliever
Aaron Mishoulam (1.0 IP) and freshman reliever
Garrett Brewer (1.0 IP) finished it off for the combined shutout ... in the last blanking, three Spartans pitchers also combined for the shutout as well, with
Nick Powers (6.1 IP),
Andrew Carson (1.2 IP), Kyle Bischoff (1.0 IP) vs. Houston Baptist, March 20, 2022.
• Dzierwa was dominant, as he tied his career-high for third time this season with nine strikeouts in 7.0 IP as MSU snapped hot-hitting Niagara's eight-game win streak Friday.
• He retired 11-straight Niagara batters with six strikeouts in that span, covering the first through the fourth innings.
• After allowing two singles to open the game, Dzierwa got out of the inning with a flyout, then back-to-back Ks ... He opened the second with two more strikeouts in a row for four in a row, part of the 11-straight retired Purple Aces, until a single in the top of the fourth.
• Dzierwa, Mishoulam and Brewer combined to stymie Niagara's bats as they came into game ranking No. 16 in the NCAA with a team average of .321, averaging over 11 hits and nine runs per game, and were held in check to five hits and no runs Friday night ... Two Purple Eagles were in the top 15 in the nation in average, as Eric Rataczak was No. 13 at .446, while Nick Monile was hitting .438 coming into Friday ... They were a combined 1-for-8 with a strikeout apiece, with Monile lacing a two-out single in the fourth for the lone hit between them ... Rataczak had a season-long 13-game hitting streak snapped by going hitless for just the fourth time this season.
LIGHTING UP SCOREBOARD LIGHT A LITE BRITE
• A deluge of runs by Michigan State before and after a rain delay propelled the Spartans to a 16-6 Victory for MSU at Michigan on March 26 ... MSU plated seven runs in the top of the ninth, tying the season-high for most runs in an inning, matching a 7-run frame in the fifth inning at Georgia on Feb. 28 during the Spartans' 19-6, 7-inning, run-rule rout of the Bulldogs.
• The Spartans have beaten the Wolverines in the last two meetings overall, while Michigan State has scored 14 or more runs in its last three wins over Michigan, opening the 2023 season with a 15-8 win out in Phoenix at the MLB Desert Invite. MSU then won the series finale, 14-2 on April 23, avoiding a sweep after UM had won the first two games of the Big Ten weekend series, 5-3 and 8-3.
• Along with matching the second-high for most runs in a frame, MSU's 7-run ninth inning at UM on March 26 was the Spartans' second 7-run inning in the last two seasons against Michigan and the third big inning of four or more runs, as the Spartans plated seven runs in the eighth after a 5-run sixth inning in the aforementioned 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the 2023 season-opener.
OPRAH-LIKE DISTRIBUTION OF HITS, RUNS AND RBI
• Michigan State rapped out 19 hits in the win at Michigan, with all nine starters plus the lone pinch hitter knocking at least one hit, while seven Spartans had multiple hits ... All nine starters plus the one pinch hitter all scored at least one run each and eight of the nine starters in addition to the lone pinch hitter had at least one RBI ... Eight of the nine starters also drew at least one walk, as the Spartans earned a season-high 13 free passes and their second double-digit walk outing of the season.
FRESHMEN DRIVING IN THE WINNING RBI
• The Spartans had a stretch where three of their four official game-winning RBI were driven in by freshmen, most recently with freshman infielder
Ryan McKay's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in the 3-2 Victory for MSU over Rutgers on March 31.
• Spartan freshman outfielder
Landen Lozier drove in the Spartans' two winning runs with official game-winning RBI in the wins over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19 and at Michigan on March 26 ... Lozier drew a bases-loaded walk for the Spartans second run in the 11-1 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19, and laced an RBI single in the seventh for Michigan State's seventh run at Michigan for the difference-maker run in the 16-6 deluge of runs in the win over the Wolverines.
RED CEDAR RIVER BUSCH BLAST AND FRANK JACK
• Junior infielder
Sam Busch blasted his team-leading fourth home run for his first homer at home and belted it over the wall in right field and into the Red Cedar River on March 19 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank hit a three-run jack into the Red Cedar River in the third inning of Saturday's win over Rutgers ... it was Frank's third HR of the season, but first of the year in a home game.
RANDY SEY-MORE HOME RUNS
• MSU sophomore infielder
Randy Seymour belted the first two home runs of his career, and both came not only at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., but they both were against Western Michigan ... He hit his first career home run in MSU's 13-3, 8-inning run-rule walloping of WMU on March 2, smacking it over the Green Monster in left field ... Seymour then smacked a 375-foot blast to left center in the 5-3 Victory for MSU over WMU on March 8.
• Seymour smacked his third homer of the season for his first homer at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, knocking a three-run opposite-field round-tripper over the wall in right field and into the Red Cedar River on March 15 in the loss to Evansville.
SHOE ON BOTH FEET
• MSU senior pitcher
Aaron Mishoulam made two appearances during the week of March 26-31, with one as a starter and one as a reliever.
• Mishoulam earned a save and started with a solid performance, going 4.0 IP at Michigan in non-conference win on March 26 and added a save in the 5-2 Victory for MSU over Rutgers on March 30 for his first career save as a Spartan.
• He started at Michigan and went 4.0 IP with four strikeouts.
• Mishoulam then came on and sealed the win over Rutgers on March 30, chalking up three strikeouts with just one hit in 2.0 IP, working a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, then working around a single and error, with all three strikeouts coming in the ninth, ringing up third and final K to seal the victory for MSU.
DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS SPARK SUCCESS
• With MSU's 10 runs in the season-opener, the Spartans improved to 33-0 in the last four seasons and had won 35 in a row when scoring 10+ runs, before that streak was snapped in the 20-10 loss to Marshall on Feb. 23 ... Michigan State is now 6-1 in 2024 when plating 10 or more runs, after going 14-0 in 2023, 9-0 in 2022, 7-0 in 2021, 2-0 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, 1-0 in 2019 ... MSU was 3-1 in 2018, with the previous loss coming in a 12-10 loss to Niagara on March 18, 2018, then starting the 35-game streak by winning two other times in posting 10 or more runs.
• MSU started the season with 10 runs in the season-opener, then added 10 runs in the loss to Marshall on Feb. 23, before bouncing back with a three-game win streak when plating 10 or more runs, starting with double-digit runs in back-to-back games with 19 runs in 7-innings at Georgia on Feb. 28 and 13 runs in 8-innings two days later vs. Western Michigan on March 2 at Greenville ... the Green & White then scored 11 runs in the home and series opener vs. Evansville on March 15, and added 11 runs in the 11-1 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19 in the first home midweek game of the season ... the Spartans erupted for a 16-6 Victory for MSU at Michigan on March 26.
DOUBLE THE BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Michigan State baseball players
Nick Williams was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week while
Ryan McKay was tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week, announced on March 4 by the conference office.
• Williams and McKay both collect the first B1G accolades of their MSU careers. It also marks the first time that two Spartans earned B1G weekly awards in the same week since last season's first week of the awards, when
Brock Vradenburg collected Player of the Week honors and
Dominic Pianto was the Co-Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21, 2023 after the opening weekend of the season. Overall, it is the eighth time in program history that two or more Spartans earned conference weekly accolades in the same week.
B1G Co-Player of the Week Nick Williams • #10 • JR • OF
Racine, Wisc./Union Grove HS/Wabash Valley CC
• Posted a .556 average, hitting 10-for-18, averaging over two hits per game, with multiple hits in three of the four outings, posting games of two hits, four hits, one hit and three hits.
• Logged a .579 on-base percentage and an .833 slugging percentage.
• Went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored at Georgia, helping the Spartans to a 19-6 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU, as the Spartans posted their first win over an SEC team since 2016, and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season.
• Went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, with a double and adding a walk in MSU's 13-3 8-inning run-rule win over Western Michigan ... Was 1-for-4 with a double vs. Florida State.
• Wrapped up week going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored on a 79-foot blast w/ 100mph exit velocity home run over the Green Monster at Fluor Field, which is the high A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has same dimensions as Fenway Park.
B1G Freshman of the Week Ryan McKay • #1 • FR • INF
Clarkston, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
• Hit .588 (8-for-15) with a .733 slugging percentage and a .588 on-base percentage in four games, averaging two hits per game, with multi-hit outings in three of the four games, for first three multiple hit games of Spartan career.
• Started week off going a career-high 3-for-4 with a triple, adding an RBI and scoring career-high three runs in MSU's 19-6 7-inning run-rule rout at Georgia, leading the Spartans to their first win over an SEC team since 2016 and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season. The three runs scored were first career runs scored in an MSU uniform.
• After Georgia took a 2-0 lead after the first frame, sparked the Spartan rally in the second to get the offense going with a leadoff triple and later scored MSU's first run of the night, knocking not just the first three-bagger of his Spartan career, but the first triple of the season for MSU.
• Came up again later in the second as MSU batted around, drawing a bases-loaded walk for an RBI ... Added singles in the fifth and seventh innings.
• Started weekend off going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, tying career-high for second-straight game, and an RBI, adding a stolen base and a walk in the 13-3 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Western Michigan in Greenville.
• Went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI vs. Florida State, then wrapped up week going 1-for-4 vs. Illinois.
EARLY HOME OPENER
• MSU's March 15 home-opener date was tied for 2018 for the earliest home openers in program history ... Evansville was only the third out-of-state opponent for the Spartans in their last 10 home openers, playing Niagara in 2018 ... the home-opener game-time temperature was 54 degrees, making it the warmest home-opener in the last 10 years.
Last 10 Years Of Home-Openers
Year Date Result Game-Time Temp
2024 March 15* MSU 11, Evansville 3 54
2023 March 21 MSU 8, Western Michigan 3 50
2022 March 18 MSU 4, Houston Baptist 3 48
2021 March 26 ^ Indiana 8, MSU 2 49
2020 No home-opener due to COVID --
2019 March 20< march="" 27 ="" msu="" 3,="" western="" michigan="" 2 ="">
2018 March 15* MSU 10, Niagara 1 34
2017 March 21 MSU 11, Central Michigan 2 52
2016 March 23 MSU 4, Central Michigan 1 38
2015 March 24 MSU 8, Central Michigan 3 40
* = tied for earliest home-opening date in program history
^ = B1G-only ledger due to COVID
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BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DIGIT RUNS
• Michigan State hung 19 runs on the scoreboard at Georgia in a 19-6, 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU on Feb. 28, then turned around and plated 13 runs in a 13-3, 8-inning run-rule walloping of Western Michigan on March 2, for MSU's first back-to-back games with 10+ runs of the season ... it was the first time the Spartans had consecutive games with double-digit runs since April 23 and 25, 2023, when MSU won at Michigan, 14-2, on April 23, then beat Notre Dame, 12-5, on April 25.
WILL-IAMS POWER
• Junior designated hitter/catcher
Christian Williams went 4-for-4 on one double and three singles, with three RBI and one run scored in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall on Feb. 24.
• C. Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State.
• C. Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish.
• He then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
• Junior outfielder
Nick Williams added a 4-for-4 outing vs. Western Michigan on March 2, with three RBI and two runs scored, with a double and adding a walk in MSU's 13-3 8-inning run-rule win.
• N. Williams was 1-for-4 with a double vs. Florida State in Saturday's second game.
• N. Williams wrapped up week going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored on a 79-foot blast w/ 100mph exit velocity home run over the Green Monster at Fluor Field, which is the high A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has same dimensions as Fenway Park.
FIVE-FOR-FIVE FRANK
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank was 5-for-5 in the 13-3, 8-inning, run-rule win over Western Michigan on March 2, becoming the first Spartan to have five hits in five at bats since Bailey Peterson on Feb. 21, 2020, going 5-for-5 vs. Merrimack.
SIX RIBBIE FRANK
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank also knocked out six RBI in the 19-6 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU at Georgia on Feb. 28.
• Frank finished 3-for-4 with six RBI, becoming the first Spartan with six RBI since
Bryan Broecker had half-a-dozen ribbies on April 1, 2023 at Rutgers.
• Frank had two doubles and a single, with all three hits driving in two runs at a time.
FIVE KARK SPECIAL
• Senior infielder
Dillon Kark finished 4-for-4 with five RBI in the 13-3, 8-inning, run-rule win over Western Michigan on March 2, becoming the first Michigan State player with five RBI since
Brock Vradenburg knocked five ribbies on April 23, 2023 at Michigan.
• Kark had an RBI single in the first, then added a sac fly in the sixth before a 3-run "walk-off" home run in the eighth to hit the run-rule Victory for MSU.
FRANK-ING THE BASES UP
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank made the basepaths sound like a remake of Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "Frank... Frank... Frank... Frank," as the Spartan speedster reached base in eight consecutive at bats, reaching base in his final three at bats in the Georgia game on Feb. 28, then went 5-for-5 in the Western Michigan game on March 2.
• The eight-straight at bats reaching base streak is MSU's longest since
Brock Vradenburg did so on March 10-11, 2023.
GEORGIA HIT AND HIGH SCORE PARTY
• Some news and notes from Michigan State's 19-6 win at Georgia on Feb. 28:
-- It was the Spartans' first win over an SEC team since beating Auburn, 3-0, on March 5, 2016.
-- The win was also MSU's first victory over an SEC team on their home field since March 9, 2013, winning at Kentucky.
-- As of April 18, that was one of just two home losses that Georgia had, and was the Bulldogs' only home loss until a 6-5 (10 inn.) loss to Missouri on April 12, and UGA is now 22-2 at home.
-- MSU knocked out a season-high 21 hits in the seven-inning run-rule game, with six total extra-base hits on two home runs, two triples and two doubles.
-- All nine Spartans in the line-up had at least one hit.
-- MSU's 21 hits were its first time over 20 hits since rapping out 22 hits on Feb. 14, 2020 vs. Morehead State (W, 15-3).
-- 14 of the 19 runs came with two outs, as MSU hit .650 (13-for-20) with two outs.
-- The Spartans' 7-run fifth inning was their most in an inning since scoring seven in a 15-8 Victory for MSU vs. Michigan in Phoenix in the 2023 season-opener on Feb. 17, 2023.
-- Michigan State had three innings of four or more runs, the first time with three big-inning frames in the same game since March 2, 2014 when the Spartans had a innings of four, four and seven-run rallies in an 18-13 win over Eastern Illinois.
-- MSU's last run-rule win was April 15, 2023 vs. Western Illinois-G2 (W, 11-1).
-- The 19 runs was the most scored by the Spartans since a 19-10 win at Charleston Southern on March 4, 2023.
-- Michigan State improved to 3-5 on the young season, while the Spartans dealt the Bulldogs their first loss of the year, now 8-1.
-- MSU has now won the last two meetings at Georgia, as the Spartans won the last meeting back in 1958, and have now won six of the last seven overall meetings and have an 11-7 all-time series lead, including 11-5 in Athens.
BOSS IN SWEET 16th SEASON WITH SPARTANS
• Head coach
Jake Boss Jr. is in his 16th year at Michigan State and 17th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2024 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 ... 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-OPENING SUCCESS
• Between last season's 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the season-opener and the 2024 season-opening 10-3 win over Merrimack on Feb. 16, the Spartans have been victorious in their season-opener in five of the last six seasons ... overall, MSU is now 13-3 in the 16 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
LIGHTIN' UP THE SCOREBOARD ON OPENING DAY
• The Spartans' 10 runs on Opening Day on Feb. 16 in the 10-3 Victory for MSU was Michigan State's second-straight season-opener scoring 10+ runs after hanging 15 runs in 2023 opener ... MSU has now plated double-figure runs in its season-opener five times in the 16 seasons under Coach Boss, joining 2012 (W, 11-4 vs. St. Johns), 2016 (W, 11-5 vs. Presbyterian), 2020 (W, 15-3 vs. Morehead State), 2023 (W, 15-8 vs. Michigan) and now 2024 (W, 10-3 vs. Merrimack).
BIG INNING IN OPENER
• In the 10-3 win over Merrimack, MSU had a six-run ninth inning to break the game open, sending nine batters to the plate, scoring six runs on five hits, and taking advantage of two Merrimack errors.
• The big inning against Merrimack marked the second-straight opener that MSU plated four or more in the game, as the Spartans had two big innings in the 2023 opener, with a five-run sixth stanza and a 7-run eighth inning in the 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in Phoenix, Ariz.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• The previous two weekends in Greenville, S.C., the Spartans played six of their eight total official games and one exhibition contest in two different professional stadiums.
• The Spartans also played six games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive. MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2-3, beating Western Michigan, 13-3 (8 innings), before losing to Florida State , 11-2, on March 2, and losing to Illinois, 12-6 on March 3.
• MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational II, again beating Western Michigan, 5-3, on March 8, before falling to Western Carolins (9-5) on March 9 and to VCU (8-4) on March 10 to wrap up its Fluor Field stretch.
• Michigan State will take on the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown on Wednesday, April 3 at Jackson® Field™ in an exhibition game.
• The Spartans will also play Western Michigan at Jackson® Field™ on Wednesday, April 17.
POWER OUTAGE
• Senior pitcher
Nick Powers fired a complete game in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall in Port Charlotte, Fla. on Feb. 24.
• Powers rang up nine strikeouts and scattered six hits, but didn't allow a Marshall base runner to safely reach second after the first inning, while getting help from his defense that turned a season-high three double plays.
• After allowing two runs on two hits in the opening frame, Powers settled in and had three-up, three-down innings for the next seven stanzas, facing four batters in the ninth, but ringing up his ninth and final strikeout for the last out to secure the Victory for MSU.
• A day after Marshall knocked out 18 hits and 20 runs vs. MSU on Friday evening, Powers stymied the same Marshall lineup to just six hits and two runs, with only four hits and no runs after the first inning.
• It was his first career complete game and also was the first complete game in the Big Ten this season and the first CG in the B1G since May 27, 2022 when Indiana's Bradley Brehmer when 9.0 vs. Illinois.
• Powers is the first Spartan pitcher to throw a complete-game since 2019 when Mike Mokma went the distance vs. Ohio State on March 9, 2019 in Greenville, S.C.
WHERE THERE'S A WILL-IAMS THERE'S A WAY
• Michigan State has two Williams on its roster, but they are not related ... junior designated hitter/catcher
Christian Williams is in third season with the Spartans and is from Carmel, Indiana ... junior outfielder
Nick Williams is in his first season with the Green & White and is from Racine, Wisconsin.
WILL-IAMS POWER
• Junior designated hitter/catcher
Christian Williams went 4-for-4 on one double and three singles, with three RBI and one run scored in the 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall on Saturday.
• C. Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State.
• C. Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish.
• He then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
FRANK FLYING ON BASEPATHS AND IN RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder
Jack Frank entered the 2024 season with 33 stolen bases, starting the season ranked No. 12 on MSU's career stolen bases list.
• Frank swiped four bases in the opening weekend to vault up to tie for No. 10 on the list, tying Danny Gleaves (2017-20), leaving him just one from former teammate
Mitch Jebb (2021-23) at No. 9 with 38 swipes ... Frank passed Jebb with two stolen bases at Georgia on Feb. 28 and added two more stolen bases the next game vs. Western Michigan on Feb. 2.
• Frank now has nine stolen bases this season for 42 career stolen bases, holding the No. 9 spot on MSU's stolen bases list, just three from tying Cam Gibson (2013-15) with 45 swipes.
• Of Frank's four stolen bases in the opening weekend, three came in the Opening Day win over Merrimack.
• Frank became the first Spartan with three stolen bases in one game since Danny Gleaves swiped a trio of bases on May 5, 2018 at Penn State.
16 FOR 16
• Sophomore pitcher
Joseph Dzierwa matched his jersey number of 16 with 16 strikeouts in 10.0 IP in his first two starts of the season, adding nine more Ks in his third outing, before posting six Ks in outing number four and eight in his fifth and most recent outing on March 15.
CHALKIN' UP CAREER-HIGH STRIKEOUTS
• Two Spartan pitchers registered career-highs in the opening weekend:
-- Sophomore starter
Joseph Dzierwa rang up career-high nine strikeouts in start vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 17, bettering previous career-best of eight Ks on March 19, 2023 vs. Indiana State.
-- Junior reliever
Noah Matheny rang up six strikeouts in 4.0 IP vs. Lehigh on Feb. 17, striking out the side in two innings as part of retiring all 12 Mountain Hawk batters he faced ... Matheny's previous MSU career-high was five Ks in 5.0 IP vs. Arizona on Feb. 19, 2023 in Phoenix, Ariz.
-- Sophomore starter
Nolan Higgins chalked up a career-best seven Ks in Opening Day start vs. Merrimack, topping previous career-high of six Ks vs. Oakland on April 12, 2023.
-- Sophomore reliever
Robert Klann collected three Ks in 2.0 IP vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 17, for his first multi-strikeout outing of his career and bettering his previous career-best of one K vs. Wofford on March 8, 2023.
• Three other Spartan pitchers had smashing debuts:
-- Senior
Aaron Mishoulam made first start in the Green & White and went 5.0 IP and chalked up seven strikeouts against Lehigh on Feb. 17.
-- Sophomore
Tommy Szczepanski made MSU debut in the season-opener vs. Merrimack on Feb. 16, striking out the side to secure the 10-3 Victory for MSU ... Szczepanski also came on in relief in the game vs. Lehigh, adding a pair of punchouts in 1.1 IP.
-- Freshman
Logan Pikur made his collegiate debut in the season-opener vs. Merrimack on Feb. 16, tallying two Ks in 1.0 IP ... Pikur also added one more K in 1.2 IP vs. Ball State on Feb. 18.
FIRST ROUND-TRIPPERS
• Two Spartans smashed their first home runs of their Green & White career in MSU's 10-3 win over Merrimack on Opening Day:
-- Junior transfer catcher
Noah Bright bashed his first home run coming in his first ever game as a Spartan, smacking a solo shot to left field in the sixth inning, to tie it up at 4-all.
-- Sophomore
Jake Dresselhouse belted the first home run of his MSU career in the sixth inning to put the Spartans on top for good at 5-4.
JOINING IN THE DEBUT PARTY
• Junior transfer outfielder
Nick Williams was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in his MSU debut.
BACK-TO-BACK TWICE
• Michigan State went back-to-back twice in the 10-3 Victory for MSU over Merrimack on Opening Day, with junior catcher
Noah Bright and
Jake Dresselhouse going back-to-back in the sixth inning, then junior infielder
Sam Busch and sophomore infielder
Jacob Anderson knocking back-to-back homers in the ninth.
SZCZEPANSKI NAMED TO NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Michigan State baseball sophomore pitcher
Tommy Szczepanski has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Szczepanski was one of six players from the Big Ten on the 73-player list for the 19th Annual NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball.
This is the second-straight season a Spartan has been on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, as last year's senior closer
Wyatt Rush was named to the Midseason List, and went on to ring up 10 saves to finish third in the B1G and tied for 19th in the NCAA in saves in his final season in the Green & White.
Szczepanski, a native of Bay City, Michigan, is in his first season at MSU after transferring from Virginia Tech. At VA Tech, Szczepanski was rated No. 122 in Perfect Game's USA's Top 500 Incoming Freshman entering the 2023 season.
He made six appearances with one start, including coming on in relief for two combined shutouts for the Hokies. Szczepanski fired 10 strikeouts in 6.0 IP (15.0 K/9 innings), yielding just five hits while holding the opposition to a .217 average against him. He also chalked up a season-high three strikeouts twice, striking out the side in his collegiate debut on Feb. 26, 2023 vs. Bryant, then adding three punchouts in 2.0 IP shutout frames vs. Bowling Green on May 6, 2023.
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan.
SPARTAN MEDIA NETWORK
• For the eighth-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis for home games.
UP NEXT
• The Spartans host Nebraska in a three-game B1G weekend series, Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18, to close out regular-season action ... The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that two of the three games have had time changes and Friday and Saturday's games will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network.
• The series opens on Thursday, May 16 at 6:05 p.m. ET. Game two of the weekend on Friday, May 17 will now start at 5 p.m. ET. The series finale and MSU's regular-season finale on Saturday, May 18 will now start at 12 p.m. ET.
• Saturday is also MSU's Senior Day as the Spartans will honor their senior players and managers in a pre-game ceremony. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to join in the celebration.
• Friday is MSU's 517 Night, celebrating the greater Lansing community and connecting local non-profits, organizations, and businesses with fans. An exclusive 517 Spartan Baseball sticker will be available to fans while supplies last.
The Spartans will also be recognizing organ donor awareness on Friday, celebrating MSU assistant coach/pitching coach
Mark Van Ameyde and MSU's Team Impact Kid, Andrew.
• Van Ameyde had a kidney transplant on March 20 and rejoined the team on April 27, while Andrew had a heart transplant in late December and joined the Spartans in West Lafayette for the Purdue series.
• It is also Fan Appreciation Weekend the entire weekend, as Spartan Baseball thanks their fans for their support throughout the regular season.
• Fans can follow MSU baseball action with "Tickets," "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
• Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.
