Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Square Off With No. 16 Michigan
4/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| Michigan State (28-10, 8-4 B1G) vs. Michigan (28-10, 8-3 B1G) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, April 29 -6 p.m. |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Mich. | Ray Fisher Stadium Stadium |
| Game Notes | Michigan State |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | Michigan: LHP Brett Adcock (5-3, 3.00 ERA) vs. MSU: LHP Cam Vieaux (6-2, 1.46 ERA) |
| Coverage | | Listen - Spartan Sports Network | Watch - BTN |
| Game 2 | Saturday, April 30- 1:05 p.m. |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | McLane Baseball Stadium |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | Michigan: LHP Oliver Jaskie (6-2, 3.10 ERA) vs. MSU: RHP Ethan Landon (5-1, 2.01 ERA) |
| Coverage | | Listen - Spartan Sports Network | Watch - BTN Plus |
| Game 3 | Sunday, May 1 - 3 p.m. |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Mich. | Ray Fisher Stadium Stadium |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | Michigan: LHP Evan Hill (5-2, 2.28 ERA) vs. MSU: LHP Joe Mockbee (0-0, 3.00 ERA) |
| Coverage | | Listen - Spartan Sports Network | Watch - BTN Plus |
Making Them Earn It
MSU enters the weekend boasting a 2.37 ERA that is tied for the second best in the country. Friday starter Cam Vieaux leads the way with a Big Ten best 1.46 ERA that is 19th in the nation. Saturday starter Ethan Landon is third in the Big Ten with a 2.01 ERA while Andrew Gonzalez is fourth at 2.09.
The Spartan pitching staff has 23 games this season in which they've held opponents to two or fewer earned runs. Because of the shutdown staff, Michigan State is 27-3 this season when scoring more than two runs in a game.
Shutout Streak
In last Saturday's win over Indiana, MSU pitched its sixth shutout of the season and third in as many weekends.
The six shutouts on the season are tied for the 10th most in the country and are the most by a MSU team since the 1998 team also had six. With one more shutout, it would be the most since the 1979 team recorded nine shutouts in a season.
In wins over Auburn, Troy and Illinois State earlier this season, Michigan State recorded three consecutive shutouts for the first time in the program's history since 1979. It wasn't until the seventh inning of the following game against Florida Gulf Coast that MSU gave up a run to end the streak of 33 straight innings without giving up a run.
Spartan Strikeouts
The Spartan pitching staff ranks second in the conference with 320 strikeouts and MSU has posted 10 or more strikeouts in 13 games this season to average 8.4 per game. The 2016 Spartans are chasing the 2015 club that set the school record for most strikeouts in a season with 409. For comparison, that team recorded 278 through 38 games.
Reliever Dakota Mekkes leads the way for the Spartans and ranks third in the Big Ten with 65 strikeouts in just 36.2 innings of work. The righty owns a 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings ratio that would be the best in the NCAA, but he needs 1.1 more innings to qualify. In his last outing, Mekkes recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
Cam Vieaux is fourth in the Big Ten with 63 strikeouts -- eight fewer than he recorded in all of 2015.
MSU has sent down 99 batters looking to rank third in the Big Ten. Vieaux and Mekkes paces the team and are fifth in the conference, while Joe Mockbee has 16 backwards K's to rank ninth.
Historic Start
At 28-10 heading into the weekend, MSU is off to its best start in school history since the 1971 club had a 31-7 record through 38 games. Previous to this season, Michigan State's best start under head coach Jake Boss through 38 games was in 2011 when they started 26-12. The 2016 Spartans are in good company, as both the '71 and '11 clubs went on to win the Big Ten title.
About Michigan
All-Time Series: Michigan leads, 197-105-2
Last Meeting: MSU 11, UM 5, April 12, 2016 -- East Lansing, Mich.
The Wolverines enter the weekend at 28-10 overall with an 8-3 record that puts them second in the Big Ten. Michigan is off to its best start since 1987 when the club won both the regular season and tournament titles.
With four players batting over .300 on the season, Michigan currently ranks 25th in the country with a .307 team batting average, coming it at No. 2 in the Big Ten.
When the two teams met earlier this season in a non-conference midweek matchup, the Spartans handed Michigan an 11-5 loss, highlighted by an eight-run sixth inning.
Byars Hitting Streak
Matt Byars enters the weekend with a 14-game hitting streak. The junior is hitting .357 during that span with eight doubles and a triple, good for a .571 slugging percentage. Byars has caught in all but one game for MSU this season and is fourth on the team with a .307 batting average to go along with 11 doubles and 18 RBIs.
Zimmerman Does It All
Junior Jordan Zimmerman ranks in the top five of the Big Ten in several offensive categories, including first in batting average (.403) and hits (60), second in on base percentage (.489) and doubles (14), while ranking third in slugging percentage (.617), runs scored (37) and total bases (92).
The transfer from Mesa, Arizona, began the year at second base before moving to first base where he's started the last 22 games.
Earlier this season, Zimmerman put together a 21-game hitting streak, which tied the third longest in school history. During that span, he hit .494 with four homers, 21 runs and 16 RBIs.
Zimmerman has been kept off base in only two games this season and held hitless just four times.
Lineup Production
With 399 hits on the season, Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten and is averaging 10.5 hits per game. The Spartans have 19 games of double digit hits and MSU is 22-2 when outhitting its opponent this season, as opposed to just 4-7 when being outhit.
The Spartans average 5.9 runs per game and are outscoring opponents by a total of 226-118 on the year, good for a +108 run differential.
Along with Zimmerman at the top of the Big Ten, Dan Durkin is ninth with a .360 batting average, while leadoff man Brandon Hughes is 14th at .333. Seven everyday players for the Spartans bat better than .275
Vieaux From the Top
Friday starter Cam Vieaux is having his best season in the Green and White after deciding to return to MSU despite being drafted last season (Detroit, 19th round). The lefty is 6-2 with a 1.46 ERA that leads all starting pitchers in the Big Ten and is 19th in the nation. Vieaux has allowed just 11 earned runs in 68.0 innings of work and has 63 strikeouts to just 13 walks.
MSU is 8-2 as a team in Vieaux's 10 starts this season and the Spartans are outscoring opponents 62-19 in those games.
Before a three-run sixth last Friday vs. Indiana, Vieaux hadn't allowed a run in 21 consecutive innings, including a complete game shutout at Purdue (4/15).
Because of his effort thus far, Vieaux has been placed on the initial watch list for the 2016 National Pitcher of the Year Award, presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Reliable Relievers
If MSU holds a lead late in games, it's meant good things for the club, as the Spartans are 25-0 when leading after six innings. Michigan State has allowed only 18 runs all season in the eighth and ninth innings and MSU is outscoring its opponents 121-49 after the fifth inning.
The lockdown bullpen has allowed just 35 earned runs in 128 innings of work, good for a 2.46 ERA.
Spartan relievers have struck out 163 batters to only 65 walks this season and the group has combined for a 10-3 record with 10 saves.
No Place Like Home
MSU just wrapped up a six-game homestand and are currently in a stretch of 14-straight games that will take place in the state of Michigan. After this weekend's home-and-home with Michigan, the Spartans will host Nebraska next weekend before playing at Western Michigan and in Comerica Park in the following midweek games.
New Look Spartans
The Michigan State roster consists of three seniors, eight juniors, 14 sophomores and nine freshmen. Highlighting the sophomore-heavy roster is 2015 All-Big Ten Freshmen team members OF Brandon Hughes, C Chad Roskelly and RHP Andrew Gonzalez.
After going 34-23 during the 2015 campaign and finishing tied for third in the Big Ten with a 14-10 mark in conference play, the 2016 Spartans are a new-look team. Spartan returners account for just 27% of the team's RBI total and 24% of the team's hit total in 2015 with Brandon Hughes being the only returning every day starter in centerfield.
Freshman Marty Bechina has started in all 38 games for the Spartans as a dynamic puzzle piece, seeing action at third base, left field, center field and designated hitter. Fellow freshman Royce Ando has started 31 games at shortstop, while three other starting spots in the field are currently filled by transfers. Matt Byars has started in 37 games behind the plate, Jordan Zimmerman has started in every game for MSU and Kris Simonton holds down right field as a transfer from Akron.
Saturday starter Ethan Landon is also a transfer from Kansas State in his first year in the Green and White and is 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA.
Continued Success Under Head Coach Jake Boss
In his eighth season as head coach, Jake Boss Jr. has led MSU to six straight 30-win seasons on top of winning his 200th game in the Green and White last season. With two more wins this season, the Spartans will secure their seventh straight season with at least 30 wins.
Spartans Drafted
MSU had eight players drafted in the 2015 MLB Draft, the most in school history. The previous high for Spartans selected in one MLB Draft was five, which last happened in 2002.
Draft Prospects
Junior right-hander Walter Borkovich was picked as the sixth-best prospect in the Big Ten by D-1 Baseball while Cam Vieaux was selected ninth. In addition to having prospects for the 2016 draft, sophomores Alex Troop (5th), Jake Lowery (9th) and Ethan Landon (10th) were listed as top prospect for the 2017 draft. Freshman infielder Marty Bechina was also ranked No. 8 on the list of Impact Freshman in the Big Ten.
Up Next
Michigan State will have a week off from midweek games due to finals and return to action next weekend when it hosts Nebraska. The series will run Saturday-Monday, with all three games starting at 1:05 at McLane Baseball Stadium.
