Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Set to Open Home Schedule
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2009
Oakland (5-8) vs. Michigan State (3-14)
Oldsmobile Park • Lansing, Mich.
Friday, March 20, 3:05 p.m.
So. LHP Jeff Gorecki (0-1, 11.77) vs. Sr. RHP Nolan Moody (2-2, 3.38)
Saturday, March 21, 1:05 p.m.
Fr. RHP Matt LaMothe (2-0, 2.25) vs. So. RHP A.J. Achter (0-2, 2.96)
Sunday, March 22, 1:05 p.m.
Fr. RHP Kyle Teague (0-1, 10.22) vs. Sr. RHP A.J. Dunn (0-2,10.26)
Note: Pitching matchups probable and subject to change.
GameTracker available for all games at MSUSpartans.com
Complete Spartan Baseball Notes
Leading Off... Spartans Return Home
After playing its first 17 games of the season on the road, MSU opens the home portion of its 2009 schedule with three games against Oakland at Oldsmoble Park. The Spartans enter Friday's game after defeating Eastern Michigan, 14-5, on Wednesday in Ypsilanti, Mich.
The Series
MSU is 11-1 all-time against Oakland. In the only meeting between the two teams last season, the Spartans defeated the Grizzlies in East Lansing, 7-6, with the help of a walk-off single by Justin Potes. Friday's game marks just the second meeting between the two schools since 2001.
Boike On A Roll
After a slow start to the season, junior outfielder Eli Boike has raised his batting average by .160 as he is now the team leader at .350. Boike, who currently has a team-high 11-game hitting streak in tact, leads MSU in several offensive categories, including: home runs (four), slugging percentage (.600) and on-base percentage (.458). He has also been issued a team-high 10 walks. His eight multi-hit games also lead the team.
Entering Friday, Boike hit from the lead-off spot in the last three games, going 6-for-13 with four RBIs and one home run.
Starting to Swing It
As evidence of their total of 27 hits in their last two games (vs. BGSU and Eastern Michigan), the Spartans are beginning to swing the bat with much better results. Entering Friday's game, MSU's combined 27 hits vs. BGSU and EMU equals its total from the preceeding four games combined; vs. Clemson (four hits), Quinnipiac (twice, nine hits and seven hits) and Xavier (seven hits).
Streaks of Their Own
Eli Boike's 11-game hitting streak isn't the only active multi-game hitting streak on the team. Six others also have streaks in tact, including: Jeff Holm (seven games), Johnny Lee (five games), Eric Roof and Bo Felt (three games) and Chris Roberts and Jonathan Roof (two games).
Wolff Leads Bullpen
Senior reliever Peter Wolff has been the Spartans' best arm out of the bullpen this season. In six appearances and 8.2 innings of work, Wolff has given up just seven hits and three earned runs. His nine Ks this season has eclipsed his three previous single-season totals and he also picked up his first-career save by pitching the final three innings against Quinnipiac (DH game one) earlier this season. The righty's 3.12 ERA leads all relievers on the staff that have pitched at least one inning.
Tough Luck A.J.
Despite starter A.J. Achter's 0-2 record, the sophomore has the lowest ERA of any starter on the MSU staff at 2.96. Achter gave up a season-high seven runs in his March 7 start vs. Xavier but just one of the runs was earned as MSU committed a season-high five errors in the game. Adversly, when the Spartans played error-free defense behind Achter on Feb. 27 vs. UNC Wilmington, Achter went 7.1 innings, giving up two hits and three runs, two of which were earned.
Thievery Continues
With 29 stolen bases, MSU is currently second in the Big Ten behind only Minnesota (30) in base swipes. The Spartans' season-high came in the opener vs. UConn when they stole seven, which is the most since they stole six in a 10-9 loss to Penn State on April 14, 2006. MSU's season-high in 2008 was five, which came in a 16-7 win over Iowa on April 26, 2008. The last time MSU stole more than seven bases was April 26, 1991 in a 9-1 win over Ferris State when they swipped eight bases.
Booch Earns First-Career W
In his second start, freshman Tony Bucciferro got his first-career collegiate victory in MSU's 14-5 win over Eastern Michigan. Bucciferro went seven complete innings and allowed just two runs (both earned) off nine hits. The Illinois-native also struck out a season-high five while issuing just one walk.
