MSU Drops Big Ten Opener At Michigan Friday

March 23, 2018

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball opened Big Ten Conference play with a 12-3 loss to Michigan Friday evening at UM's Ray Fisher Stadium in the first game of the home-and-away split series between the Spartans and Wolverines.

MSU is now 6-14 with the loss while UM improves to 10-11. Friday's March 23 meeting was the earliest match-up between the Spartans and Wolverines in the storied history, and only the second series between the two to be played in March.

A pair of seniors, designated hitter Chad Roskelly and first baseman Zack McGuire, led Michigan State at the plate with two hits apiece. McGuire added an RBI and a run scored. Freshman shortstop Ryan King was 1-for-4 also with an RBI and a run and junior catcher Nic Lacayo was 1-for-3 with an RBI, with the Spartans scoring three runs in the top of the eighth to close to 6-3, before the Wolverines posted a six-run bottom of the inning to break the game open.

Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley drew two walks and also swiped three stolen bases, padding his Big Ten leading total to 14 base swipes on the season.

On the mound, junior Riley McCauley went six innings, striking out four, but yielding six hits and six runs, and was dealt the loss.

"I don't think we capitalized on some opportunities, we lost some momentum or we could never really gain momentum, so give him credit, he made some pitches when he needed to," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said about Michigan pitcher Tommy Henry. "At the same time, we hit a line drive at a guy and an inch here or inch there, that goes for a double, and it's a different ballgame."

MSU had six hits in the game, while UM had nine.

"It was a tough night, we had a couple chances early, but we couldn't take advantage of them. We finally got it going in the eighth, but then couldn't defend," Boss said.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the home half of the first with a two-run home run by Jonathan Engelmann off McCauley, who later ended the inning with his first strikeout out of the game.

MSU tried to rally in the third with Roskelly leading off with a double down the right field line. Roskelly moved up to third on a fielder's choice by Kelley, who then stole second to put runners at second and third with two outs, but the threat was thwarted as UM third baseman Blake Nelson snared a smashed line drive off the bat of sophomore center fielder Justin Antoncic, to end the inning.

UM plate a run each in the second, third, fourth and fifth frames to open a 6-0 advantage. McCauley and junior reliever Evan Flohr then set down the Wolverines in order in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

In the top of the eighth, Michigan State rallied with Kelley leading off with a walk and later coming around to score on an RBI single by McGuire, which started a string of three-straight RBI singles with King and Lacayo following as the Spartans cut the gap to 6-3.

The three-run deficit was short-lived as UM plated six runs in the bottom of the eighth, getting a three-run home run by Engelmann, to expand the lead to 12-3.

MSU got the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the ninth, with Roskelly getting hit by a pitch, but the next three batters went down in order to end the game.

The Spartans and Wolverines continue their home-and-away series kicking off B1G action on Saturday, March 24 at 1:05 p.m. at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, before returning to Ann Arbor for the series finale on Sunday, March 25 at 1 p.m.

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Team Stats

Zack McGuire

Chad Roskelly

Ryan King

Nic Lacayo

Players Mentioned

Justin Antoncic

Evan Flohr

Bryce Kelley

Ryan King

Nic Lacayo

Riley McCauley

Zack McGuire

Chad Roskelly