MICHIGAN STATE (15-19, 3-6 B1G) vs PENN STATE (18-15, 5-7 B1G)
Location	McLane Stadium at Kobs Field  ||  East Lansing, Mich.
Tickets	MSU Ticket Office
Traffic / Parking	*** REMINDER - Construction is happening on 127 en route to MSU campus ***  MORE INFO   |  US-127 Reconstruction Project Details ***NOTE: MSU Softball is also home all weekend and MSU Football's Spring Showcase and the Izzo Legacy Run/Walk Roll are on Saturday***   MSU PARKING MAP
Promotions	FRI: Military Apprecation Night  |  All Weekend: Heroes Weekend  |  MORE INFO
Weather	High/Low - Fri: 51° / 34°  |   Sat: 47° / 33°  |   Sun: 56° / 34°
Game Notes	MICHIGAN STATE  |  PENN STATE
Social Media	@MSUbaseball | MichiganStateBaseball @msu_baseball
Television	FRI: Big Ten Network  |  SAT/SUN: None
Game 1	Friday, April 19 - 8:02 p.m. ET  {BTN}
Probable Pitching Match-Up	PSU: #33 SR RHP Travis Luensmann    (4-1, 4.78 ERA) MSU: #16 SO LHP Joseph Dzierwa    (3-2, 3.99 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Listen Live
Game 2	Saturday, April 20 - 3:35 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Match-Up	PSU:#24 SR RHP Jaden Henline     (3-0, 8.63 ERA) MSU: #46 SR LHP Nick Powers    (5-3, 4.15 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Listen Live
Game 3	Sunday, April 21 - 1:05 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Match-Up	PSU: #20 JR RHP Frankie Sanchez     (2-1, 5.40 ERA) MSU: #37 GR RHP Nick Ferazzi       (0-3, 6.75 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats  |  Watch Live  |  Listen Live

 
 
• Michigan State returns home to McLane Stadium at Kobs Field to host Penn State in a three-game Big Ten Conference weekend series, Friday-Sunday April 19-21 ... Friday's series opener is an 8:02 p.m. first pitch and will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network, with Connor McKnight handling play-by-play duties and Scott Pose providing analysis ... Saturday's game two is at 3:35 p.m., before the series finale on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
 
HEROES WEEKEND
• This weekend is MSU Heroes Weekend, honoring local heroes including police, fire, EMT, healthcare workers along with active duty and retired military members ... Friday is MSU Military Appreciation Night ... the Spartans will be wearing special Military Appreciation Night uniforms on Friday ... several pre-game and in-game events are on tap all weekend.
 
• 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 "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.
 
COACH VAN AMEYDE AWAY FROM TEAM
• Michigan State will be without veteran pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde (VAN-uh-mead) for an extended amount of time, as he will be away from the team after undergoing a successful kidney transplant on March 20.
 
IT'S BEEN A MINUTE NITTANY LIONS
• Penn State is visiting MSU and East Lansing for the first time since 2021, when the Nittany Lions and Spartans played a two-game series during the B1G pod system during the 2021 B1G-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic ... this weekend is PSU's first three-game series in East Lansing since 2015.
 
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Nittany Lions also have 22 Pennsylvania natives on their roster ... MSU does not have any Pennsylvania natives on its roster nor does Penn State have any Michiganders on its roster.
 
BOSS 800
• Last week's game vs. Central Michigan 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)        804      431      373      0          .536
 
PUTTIN' THE SWEET IN HOME SWEET HOME
• Michigan State is off to a 7-5 ledger at home after winning the home-opening series over Evansville March 15-17, winning two of three, and beating Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19, before losing to Oakland on March 27 ... MSU went 17-4 at home last season and the Spartans have now won 30 of their last 42 home games (30-12) in their last 42 home games dating back to the 2022 season.
 
LAST TIME OUT LOOK BACK
• Jack Frank's two home runs boosted Michigan State baseball to a 12-2 (7 innings) run-rule Victory for MSU over Western Michigan Wednesday night in the "Capital Clash" at Jackson® Field™, home of the Lansing Lugnuts.
 
• Frank, a senior outfielder, led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run to right field, then added another solo shot to lead off the sixth with a 431-foot homer to right center.
 
• The Spartans pulled away from a 1-1 tie entering the bottom of the fifth by hanging six runs on the board in the home half of the fifth to open a 7-1 advantage ... After WMU got within 7-2 in the top of the sixth, MSU added three more runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh, with the game ending due to the run-rule on an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman infielder Ryan McKay.
 
• Michigan State snapped Western Michigan's eight-game win streak, as the Broncos brought the longest active win streak in the nation into Wednesday's match-up, and the Spartans stopped the streak in smashing fashion.
 
• MSU also swept the three meetings with WMU, with all three coming in minor league ballparks, with the first two match-ups at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, in Greenville, S.C.
 
• The Spartans now have an eight-game win streak of their own, as they've beaten the Broncos in the last eight meetings as part of nine of the last 10, 10-of-12 and 18-of-21 in closing WMU's overall series lead to 95-90 ... Wednesday was the seventh all-time meeting at Jackson® Field™and Michigan State leads 5-2 in meetings there.
 
• MSU also snapped its five-game overall losing skein, moving to 15-19 overall.
 
• Frank finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and the two RBI from the pair of homers ... Frank becomes the first Spartan to homer twice in the same game since former teammate Brock Vradenburg had two round-trippers vs. Northwestern last season on April 29, 2023.
 
• Senior outfielder Greg Ziegler was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored ... McKay, senior catcher Sam Thompson and sophomore infielder Randy Seymour were all 2-for-4 ... Thompson had a run and an RBI, while Seymour scored a pair of runs and McKay had one RBI with the "walk-off" sac fly.
 
• Senior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while junior outfielder Nick Williams was 1-for-4 with two ribbies and a run scored ... Junior infielder Sam Busch scored a run after drawing a walk.
 
• On the mound, senior Harrison Cook went 4.0 IP, scattering six hits with one run, ringing up a pair of punchouts to go with one walk, earning the win, his first of the season.
 
• Sophomore Nolan Higgins (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB), freshman Logan Pikur (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R) and freshman Gannon Grundman (1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 K) rounded out the action on the mound.
 
POWERS NO. 125 ON D1BASEBALL'S TOP 150 STARTING PITCHERS
• Senior left-handed starting pitcher Nick Powers is No. 125 on D1Baseball.com's Top 150 Starting Pitchers and is the lone Spartan representative on the publication's mid-season player rankings.
 
• Powers currently leads MSU and ranks third in the B1G and 49th in the NCAA in victories with five ... he is also fifth in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.09), and also fifth in the league in walks allowed per nine innings (1.76).
 
• Powers has a 5-3 record with a 4.15 ERA in nine starts, including one complete game ... he has 45 strikeouts to just 11 walks in a team-leading 56.1 IP.
 
• With the one complete game, Powers is one of six pitchers in the B1G to go the distance.
 
RACKING UP THE STRIKEOUTS
• MSU's pitching staff has been racking up the strikeouts to the tune of 8.8 Ks/nine innings, ranking sixth in the conference.
 
• Individually, sophomore southpaw starter Joseph Dzierwa is fifth in the B1G and 77th in the NCAA in strikeouts with 57, while senior lefty Nick Powers is 11th in the league with 45 punchouts ... Dzierwa is also ninth in the conference in both total Ks/nine innings at 10.33, and also batters struck out looking with 14.
 
FRANK-ING FAST ON THE BASEPATHS AND UP THE RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank snagged three stolen bases in the weekend series vs. Niagara, now with 16 on the season and 49 stolen bases for his career ... with the 49 swipes, Frank has climbed within one of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen bases, one shy of Brandon Hughes (2015-17).
 
• Frank is also third in the B1G and 59th in the NCAA with the 16 stolen bases ... he also is fourth in the conference and 68th in the country in stolen bases per game (0.47).
 
• The 16 swipes is just three 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.
 
NUMBER 2 FOR 2-BAGS
• Senior infielder Dillon Kark is matching his jersey number of 2 for 2-baggers with a team-high 12 doubles, good for ranking eighth in the B1G ... Kark is also ninth in the conference in doubles per game (0.35).
 
• Kark has knocked a double in three of the last seven games ... he has had two streaks of three-straight games with a double, as well as a stretch of four in five games.
 
ONLY Ks IN THEIR NAMES
• Despite having Ks in their name, both junior outfielder/infielder Nick Williams and Ryan McKay, don't register a K in the score book very often, as N.Williams is sixth in the B1G in toughest to strike out (10.3), with just 12 strikeouts in 124 at bats ... McKay is close behind in seventh in the conference (9.8), with 12 Ks in 117 ABs.
 
ABOUT PENN STATE
• The Nittany Lions bring an 18-15 overall and 5-7 B1G record in tow to East Lansing for the weekend match-up with the Spartans ... PSU has lost three in a row after winning five-straight, including sweeping Northwestern on April 5-7 ... in their last B1G action, the Nittany Lions won the opener at Indiana, 15-4, Friday, before getting edged, 10-9 on Saturday, then the Hoosiers won the rubber match, 12-3 on Sunday ... PSU lost to Kent State on Tuesday, 10-3, in non-conference midweek contest.
 
• Penn State is hitting .309 as a team, with 345 hits (10.5 pg) and 268 runs (8.1 pg), with 47 HR (1.4 pg) ... the Nittany Lions are also 36-of-53 on the basepaths (1.1 stolen bases per game).


• Graduate catcher J.T. Marr leads PSU and ranks third in the B1G and 17th in the NCAA in average at .416 ... Marr is also second in the conference and eighth in the country in hits per game (1.73), while ranking fourth in the league and 28th in the nation in hits (57) ... he is also 11th in the B1G in RBI (36), as well as ninth in the conference in toughest to strike out (9.1).
 
•  Graduate outfielder/infielder Adam Cecere leads the B1G and is 72nd in the NCAA in HR (12), along with also topping the league and ranking 57th in the nation in slugging percentage (.728) and seventh in the conference in on-base percentage (.487), to rank second in the B1G in OPS (1.215) ... Cecere also tops PSU and ranks fifth in the league in walks (28), ranking third in walks per game (0.85)
 
• Sophomore outfielder/first baseman Bobby Marsh is fifth in the league in average (.376), with 31 RBI.
 
• The Penn State pitching staff has a combined ERA of 6.74, with 230 strikeouts (7.0 pg) and 169 walks (5.1 pg), with no shutouts ... the opposition has a .275 average.
 
• Friday's probable starter is senior right-hander Travis Luensmann, who has a 4-1 record and a 4.78 ERA, with 36 Ks and 35 BB in 43.1 IP, stymieing the opposition to just a .197 average ...  Luensmann is fourth in the B1G in games started (9), while ranking fifth in hits allowed per nine innings (6.23.).
 
• Senior righty Jaden Henline is Saturday's probable starter, bringing a 3-0 record and an 8.63 ERA into the weekend ... Henline has 12 Ks and seven walks in 32.1 IP, making eight starts and opponents are batting .326 against him.
 
• Sunday's probable starter is junior right-hander Frankie Sanchez, posting a 2-1 record and a 5.40 ERA in seven appearances and five starts, ringing up 21 Ks and 10 BB in 23.1 IP, wiht a .256 BAA.
 
• PSU head coach Mike Gambino is in his first year leading the Nittany Lions, posting an 18-15 record ... overall, Gambino is in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, posting a 309-381 record, coming to PSU after 13 years at Boston College.
 
COMMON OPPONENTS
• Michigan State and Penn State have two common opponents in Michigan and Illinois.
 
• MSU beat Michigan, 16-6 on March 26 in Ann Arbor, in a non-conference contest, and is scheduled to tangle with the Wolverines in a three-game B1G series May 3-5 ... PSU was topped in a weekend series with UM on March 22-24, winning the opener, 4-3, before dropping game two, 9-6 and 11-6 in the finale.
 
• The Spartans lost to Illinois, 12-6, in the First Pitch Invitational I at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., and isn't scheduled to face the Illini in regular-season action.
 
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 Tuesday 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
< =="" scheduled="" date="" but="">
 
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-rul 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.
 
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 3rd 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.
 
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 do not have any midweek games scheduled due to Finals Week on campus at MSU ... Michigan State returns to action by traveling to Columbus, Ohio for a three-game B1G series at Ohio State ... Friday's opener is slated for a 6 p.m. ET start time, followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday before Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
 
• Fans can follow this week's 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 Twitter for schedule updates.