Friday, February 22
Conway, SC
2 PM ET
Michigan State University
at
No. 22 Coastal Carolina
Photo by: Ron O'Rourke - New Orleans Athletics
Spartans Head To South Carolina For Coastal Carolina Brittain Resorts Baseball At The Beach
2/20/2019 9:19:00 PM | Baseball
MSU making first of three trips to Palmetto State.
| MICHIGAN STATE (1-2, 0-0 B1G) at BRITTAIN RESORTS BASEBALL AT THE BEACHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â | |
| Location | Spring Brooks Stadium || Conway, S.C. |
| Tickets | Coastal Carolina Ticket Office |
| Weather | High/Low - Fri: 61/48 | Sat: 63/57 | Sun: 72/40 |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Coastal Carolina | NC State | Kent State |
| Social Media |   @statebaseball |  MichiganStateBaseball  @statebaseballgogreen |
| Game 1 & 2 | Friday, Feb. 22 - 2 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #30 RHP Mason Erla (SO) (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. CCU: #39 RHP Zach McCambley (SO) (0-0, 13.50 ERA) MSU: #47 LHP Jesse Heikkinen (SO) (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. CCU: #47 LHP Austin Kitchen (JR) (1-0, 0.00 ERA) |
| Television | None |
| Coverage |  Watch Live ($) | Listen Live | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | Saturday, Feb. 23 - 11 a.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #20 RHP Mike Mokma (JR) (0-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. NCSU: #51 LHP Canaan Silver (SO) (0-0, 4.50 ERA) |
| Coverage | Listen Live (NC State radio) | Live Stats |
| Game 3 | Sunday, Feb. 24 - 11 a.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #24 RHP Indigo Diaz (JR) (0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs. KSU: # LHP John Schreiber (SR)   (0-1, 6.00 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats |
• Michigan State baseball will make its first of this season's three trips to South Carolina this weekend by heading to Conway, S.C., to play in the Coastal Carolina Brittain Resorts Baseball At The Beach ... The Spartans will face the host Chanticleers of CCU in a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 22 starting at 2 p.m. ET, after the start time was pushed back due to rain in the area Friday morning ... MSU will then take on No. 23 NC State on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m., before wrapping up Brittain Resorts Baseball At The Beach action on Sunday, Feb. 24 against Kent State at 11 a.m. ... All four of MSU's games will be played at CCU's Spring Brooks Stadium.
• The two games against Coastal Carolina will have live video and audio streaming and live stats through "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links found at MSUSpartans.com ... The NC State game will have live audio streaming and live stats through respective "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links ... The Kent State game will have live stats through "Live Stats" link.
• Michigan State is meeting Coastal Carolina for the first time since 2015 ... MSU and NC State haven't met since 1964 ... Despite being from neighboring states, Michigan State and Kent State haven't faced off on the baseball diamond before.
Carolina In My Mind And Travel Itinerary
Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune, as this weekend's trip to South Carolina is the Spartans' first of three trips to the Palmetto State this season ... MSU will return to South Carolina for the 10th Annual First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field March 8-10 ... The Spartans will make a return trip to Greenville on March 15-17 to take on UConn in a four-game series, also at Fluor Field.
Greenville / Spartan Connection
Owner/President of the Greenville Drive is MSU alum Craig Brown, who was the 2016 Alumnus of the Year at the Michigan State First Pitch Dinner. In the winter of 2017, Craig and his wife, Vicki (Huber) Brown, were named the Michigan State University Alumni Association's Philanthropists of the Year. Craig Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Eli Broad College of Business, majoring in accounting, in 1973. Vicki Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Education, majoring in special education, in 1975.
As President of the Greenville Drive, Mr. Brown focuses on the activities that result in the Drive being part of the fabric of the community. Fluor Field, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary season, is one of a handful of privately owned stadiums in America and was named Ballpark of the Year upon its debut in 2006. Mr. Brown is also the CEO of Keelers Ridge Associates (KRA), an investment and consulting firm that is engaged in entrepreneurial activities involving sports, technology, and marketing.Â
Mr. and Mrs. Brown actively support academic and athletic programs at Michigan State. Craig also serves on the Athletic Director's Advisory Council and chairs Spartan Innovations. Formerly, he oversaw the MSU Foundation Board. In recognition of their generosity, an area of the Spartan Stadium North End Zone bears their names. The Browns also belong to MSU's Empower Extraordinary President's Capital Campaign Cabinet.
Series History Vs. Weekend Opponents
Michigan State is a combined 10-2 vs. this weekend's three opponents ... MSU has a 1-1 all-time record against Coastal Carolina, 9-1 vs. NC State and Sunday will be the first-ever meeting with Kent State ... The Spartans last met Coastal Carolina in 2015, while MSU and NC State haven't met on the diamond since 1964.
Team                    Series   First Met            Last Met
Coastal Carolina   1-1        March 3, 2003    March 8, 2015
NC State               9-1        April 3, 1936        March 26, 1964
Kent State             0-0        Feb. 24, 2019        N/A
Total                      10-2
Michigan State vs. Coastal Carolina Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: Tied, 1-1 / Home 0-0 / Away 1-0 / Neutral 0-1
First Met: March 3, 2003 - Myrtle Beach, S.C. - CCU W, 7-1
Last Meeting: March 8, 2015 - Conway, S.C. - MSU W, 6-5
Michigan State vs. NC State Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 9-1 / Home 0-0 Â / Away 9-1 / Neutral 0-0
First Met: April 3, 1936 - Raleigh, N.C. - MSU W, 13-5
Last Meeting: March 26, 1964 - Raleigh, N.C. - MSU W, 9-2
In The National RankingsÂ
Sophomore pitcher Mason Erla is tied for seventh in the NCAA and tied for first in the B1G in victories (1) ... Junior pitcher Indigo Diaz is 11th in the NCAA and second in the B1G in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.00) ... Junior pitcher Caleb Sleeman is tied for 16th in the nation and tied for first in the league in saves (1).
Senior infielder Royce Ando and junior infielder Justin Antoncic are tied for 13th in the country in triples (1) ... Antoncic is also 75th in the NCAA in hits (6).
In The B1G RankingsÂ
Along with the national rankings, several Spartans are ranked in the conference statistics: sophomore pitcher Mason Erla is tied for first in the B1G in victories (1), as well as tied for 10th in strikeouts (7) ... Junior pitcher Indigo Diaz leads the B1G in strikeouts looking (5), along with ranking second in the B1G in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.00) and tied for fourth in strikeouts (9) ... Junior pitcher Caleb Sleeman is tied for first in the league in saves (1).
Junior infielder Justin Antoncic is third in the B1G in average (.462) and tied for 15th in slugging percentage (.615) ... senior infielder Royce Ando is tied for second in slugging percentage (1.000), along with tied for fifth in average (.455) and tied for ninth in on base percentage (.500) ... Antoncic and Ando are tied for first in triples, as they're two of eight players who have hit a three-bagger.Â
Solo ShotsÂ
Michigan State hit three home runs in the opening weekend at New Orleans and all three were solo shots ... Senior infielder Royce Ando got things started with his home run in the second inning on Friday, in his smashing return to action after missing most of last season with an injury, belting a HR in his first at bat of 2019 ... Freshman outfielder Zaid Walker belted the first home run of Spartan career with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left field in the second inning of Sunday's game ... Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor blasted a solo round-tripper in the ninth inning of Sunday's game that concluded the scoring for the Spartans.
Second Inning SlamsÂ
Of the three home runs that the Spartans hit in New Orleans, two of them were in the second inning, as senior infielder Royce Ando had a smashing return to action with a solo shot in Friday night's season-opener, in his first game back after missing all but 13 games of last season ... Freshman outfielder Zaid Walker cracked his first home run as a Spartan on Sunday in the second inning ... Last season, MSU had three home runs in the second inning, tied for the most in a single inning, as the Spartans only had 20 round-trippers last season, spreading them out with three in five different innings: 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th & 8th.
Back From '18
The Spartans return eight position players and three returning starting pitchers from last season, as MSU led the country in percentage of 1-2 run games (57.8 percent), finishing 20-32 overall and 11-12 in Big Ten play, good for eighth in the league. Michigan State made its fourth appearance in the last five seasons in the Big Ten Tournament and its seventh in the 10 years under head coach Jake Boss Jr. MSU won four of its last seven B1G games of the regular-season to claim the No. 8 seed. The Spartans also had a stretch of winning seven-straight conference contests for the first time since 2009, including sweeping back-to-back B1G series for the first time since 2011.
Big Returning Numbers In The Field
Michigan State returns eight position players, as part of a total of 11 players who have starting experience from 2018 ... Those 11 players combine for 76.9 percent (360 of 468 possible starts), including seven with over 30 starts ... Junior outfielder Bryce Kelley leads the way with 49 starts last season, followed by junior infielder/outfielder Justin Antoncic (48 start), senior infielder Marty Bechina (47), sophomore infielder Zach Iverson (42), sophomore infielder Ryan King (37), senior outfielder Dan Chmielewski (32) and junior outfielder Danny Gleaves (31).
Numbers Returning On The Mound
MSU returns three pitchers with regular starting experience, as part of five total pitchers who started at least one game last season ... Sophomore Mason Erla tops the staff with 15 starts, followed by junior Mike Mokma with seven, junior Sam Benschoter (2), sophomore Jesse Heikkinen (2) and junior Mitchell Tyranski (1).
Let There Be Lights
Thanks in large part to an anonymous contribution of near $1.4 million from a Spartan alum, Michigan State University announced that lights will be installed at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, the home of MSU baseball and Secchia Stadium, the home of MSU softball, in preparation for the upcoming 2019 season.
The LED lights will be identical to the lighting system currently at Spartan Stadium, home of Spartan football, and DeMartin Stadium, home of Spartan men and women's soccer, as well the Breslin Center, home of MSU men and women's basketball, Munn Ice Arena, home of Spartan hockey, and the Duffy Daugherty Indoor Practice Facility, utilized by MSU football and a majority of MSU athletics teams. Michigan State will be the first baseball and softball teams in the Big Ten Conference with this type of lighting system by Musco Lighting.
MSU baseball will host nine games starting at 5 p.m. or later in 2019.
Road Ready With 19 In '19
Michigan State opens the 2019 season with its first 19 games away from home, including starting with five true road games, followed by two neutral games. After four more true road games, the Spartans have eight neutral games, before their home opener on March 20.Â
Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. Earns 300th Victory For MSU
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Spartans with MSU's 6-0 blanking of Rutgers on March 30. In 2017, Boss won his 300th career game as a collegiate head coach. In his 11th season as the MSU head coach, Boss now has a 314-237 (.570) record. He coached his 500th game leading the Spartans in the 2018 opening weekend at Fresno State. Boss is also in his 12th overall season as a collegiate head coach and has a 339-271 (.556) ledger, coaching his 600th career game at Minnesota in 2018. Â
Boss is the fourth head coach in the Spartans' history to reach the 300-win plateau, and reached 300 wins the fastest of the previous coaches, as Boss accomplished the milestone in his 10th season at the helm.
Name   Years   Wins
John H. Kobs   1935-63   576
Daniel W. Litwhiler   1964-82   489
Thomas W. Smith   1983-95   377
Jake Boss Jr.   2009-pres.   314
About No. 22 Coastal Carolina
The 22nd-ranked Chanticleers are 4-0 on the young season. CCU went 3-0 on the opening weekend, hosting the Brittain Resorts Invitational and beating VCU, 10-8, on Friday, then taking on Maryland on Saturday and winning 7-2. The Chants wrapped up the weekend with an 11-2 win over Campbell on Sunday. CCU then beat UNC Wilmington, 10-5, on Tuesday in Wilmington.
Senior outfielder Kieton Rivers leads CCU with a .462 average with six RBI. Junior catcher Kyle Skeels and junior outfielder Cameron Pearcey are both hitting .417, while senior first baseman/designated hitter Zach Biermann is hitting .412. Pearcy and Biermann have one HR apiece, while Biermann and Rivers share the team lead with six RBI.Â
In the opening weekend, the Chanticleer pitching staff was led by junior left-hander Anthony Veneziano, who fired six Ks in 5.0 IP with only three hits and no runs. Freshman right-handed reliever Alaska Abney has three relief appearances with two saves and four strikeouts, holing the opposition to just .077.Â
CCU head coach Gary Gilmore is in his 24th season leading the Chanticleers, posting a 931-476-1 record, leading them to the 2016 College World Series title. Gilmore is in his 30th year as a collegiate head coach, amassing a 1,184-578-3 overall ledger. Gilmore was the 2016 National Coach of the Year. He also is a nine-time Big South Coach of the Year (1999, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016), as well as the Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2018. He ranks seventh nationally among all active NCAA Division I head coaches in career wins (1,184).
About No. 23 NC State
The 23rd-ranked Wolfpack also bring a 4-0 record into the weekend after sweeping Bucknell in a three-game weekend series, winning 8-2, 14-2 and 12-8, before winning 5-0 at Elon on Tuesday.Â
NC State was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division of the ACC Baseball Preseason Poll. The Wolfpack are coming off their sixth 40-win season in program history and hosting an NCAA Regional, finishing with a 42-18 overall record and tying a school record with 19 conference wins, posting a 19-11 ACC record. NC State was ranked No. 22 in the final D1 Baseball Poll. The Wolfpack also made history with four players selected in the top-10 rounds of the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft and matched the program record with seven All-ACC selections, including ACC Pitcher of the Year Brian Brown and ACC Freshman of the Year catcher Patrick Bailey.
Sophomore outfielder Terrell Tarum leads the Wolfpack hitting .500. Freshman infielder Vojtech Mensik has a .455 average, while senior infielder Evan Edwards is hitting .389 with a team-best eight RBI. Edwards and Wilson share the team lead with two HR apiece.
On the mound, junior right-hander Jason Parker went 5.0 IP in his season-opener with four Ks and four hits, yielding one run. Freshman righty Baker Nelson and sophomore right-hander Dalton Feeney both have two relief appearances, with Feeney collecting a save in 2.1 IP with four Ks.
Head coach Elliott Avent is in his 23rd season leading the Wolfpack, posting an 837-509 record at NC State. Overall, Avent is in his 30th year as a head coach, registering a 1,060-722 record. Avent has guided NC State to the NCAA Tournament in 17 of the last 22 seasons and 12 of the last 14. Avent earned both ACC and National Coach of the Year accolades in 2003.
About Kent State
The Golden Flashes bring an 0-3 record into the weekend after dropping three games at Dallas Baptist, falling 3-0, 8-4 and 8-1, in the season-opener series.
Kent State, the three-time Mid-American Conference champion, was picked as the favorites to repeat, tabbed atop the MAC Preseason Poll, garnering eight first-place votes. The Golden Flashes tallied 40 wins in 2018 and won the regular season title after a 19-8 campaign, finishing 40-18 overall and 19-8 in MAC action. Kent State won the MAC Tournament title, making an appearance in the NCAA Regional in Lubbock, Texas. Four Flashes were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Freshman outfielder Collin Mathews leads Kent State with a .400 average, including one HR and three RBI. Sophomore catcher Michael Turner is hitting .375 with a team-leading two doubles.
On the mound, senior southpaw Connor Wollersheim went 5.0 IP with six strikeouts and three hits, with two unearned runs. Junior righty John Matthews went 4.2 IP, with eight Ks, four hits and two earned runs, while senior lefty John Schreiber went 3.0 IP with two strikeouts, two hits and two earned runs.
Jeff Duncan is in his sixth season leading the Golden Flashes, posting a 188-98 record. Duncan is three-time MAC Coach of the Year (2016, 2017, 2018).
Three Spartan Baseball Players Earn Big Ten Preseason Accolades
Michigan State baseball had three players on the Big Ten Conference Preseason Honors list, as the league announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
The league's coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.
MSU Preseason honorees included senior infielder Marty Bechina, junior pitcher Indigo Diaz and redshirt-sophomore pitcher Mason Erla.
Bechina, a native of Chicago, Ill., played in 49 games last season, making 47 starts, after recovering from a broken leg in the fall. He led the Spartans with nine doubles and shared the team lead with six home runs on the way to hitting .247 with 25 hits, adding one triple for a total of 16 extra-base hits, which also led the team. Bechina was also third on the team with 23 RBI, as well as leading MSU with a .418 slugging percentage and was third on the team with a .340 on-base percentage. He registered a season-long five game hitting streak (May 5-12), as well as nine multi-hit outings including three games with a career-best tying three hits, two coming in Big Ten action, vs. Nebraska (April 7) and vs. Ohio State (May 17), along with at Western Michigan (April 18). Bechina also posted six multi-RBI games, boosted by career-high tying four RBI vs. Nebraska (April 7).
Diaz, a native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, is in his first year as a Spartan, coming to MSU from Iowa Western Community College. He earned honorable mention NJCAA All-American honors as a sophomore after logging an 11-1 record in 12 starts as part of 16 appearances as a sophomore, with a paltry 1.52 ERA and firing 101 strikeouts (13.98 K/9) in 65.0 IP while yielding just 20 walks. Diaz also earned Northern All-District accolades. He helped the Reivers to a 54-7 record, winning 36 consecutive games and the fourth-highest victory total in program history, advancing to the JUCO World Series as the Northern District D1 Region XI champions. He was also selected to play on the United States NJCAA National team in the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series.Â
Erla, a Cass City, Mich., native, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season. He ranked second in the B1G in opposing batting average at .216; tied for seventh in games started with 15; tied for 14th in innings pitched with 79.2; and tied for 15th in strikeouts looking with 18. He led MSU and ranked tied for 10th in the B1G with six wins. Erla was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (March 12) following his performance vs. Illinois (March 10) in Greenville, striking out five while stymieing Illinois with just one hit allowed in 6.1 IP. He was also named 10 Innings Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Feb. 26) for his 5.0 IP, four K, 2 H, 0 BB at Pepperdine (Feb. 25) in earning his first collegiate win. Erla ranked 16th in the B1G in strikeouts with 63 punchouts and was also just outside the top 15 in the conference with a 3.73 ERA. He started and went 6.0+ IP in both of MSU's shutouts last season, first going 5.0 IP with four strikeouts, two hits and no walks in MSU's 1-0 win at Pepperdine (Feb. 25), as well as 7.0 IP with six Ks and three walks in 6-0 win vs. Rutgers (April 1).Â
Mother Nature For The Win
Michigan State battled Mother Nature as much as any other opponent last season, as the Spartans had four games cancelled due to inclement weather, as well as numerous other games rescheduled due to weather. The Spartans had two games scheduled with Eastern Michigan cancelled, including April 4 at East Lansing and April 24 at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, as well as one game against Nebraska on April 6 cancelled and one game versus Valparaiso on April 14 cancelled.Â
MSU also rescheduled single-day games to playing doubleheaders vs. Rutgers (April 30), Valparaiso (April 13) and Penn State (May 5), as well as pushing back the start time of the game vs. Nebraska on April 7 and at Michigan on March 25 due to weather.
King Kelley
Among Michigan State's returners is junior outfielder Bryce Kelley, who became MSU's single-season stolen base record holder last season with 33 swipes, topping former teammate's Brandon Hughes' record that lasted all of one season, with 30 stolen bases in 2017.
Kelley led the Big Ten and ranked third in the NCAA with 0.66 stolen bases per game, as well as leading the conference and ranking 10th in the country with the 33 stolen bases. Kelley nearly doubled his season output in the Niagara series, swiping six in the four games, including two each on March 15 and 16 before swiping five in the three games vs. Michigan.
Kelley stole at least one base in 24 total games last season. He had multi stolen bases in seven games, led by a career-high three at Michigan on March 23.Â
The three stolen bases in one game is one of three times in 2018 that a Spartan swiped three in a game, joining Danny Gleaves, who accomplished it twice, with three base swipes vs. Illinois on March 9 in Greenville and at Penn State on May 5.
With Kelley's 33 swipes last season combined with 13 from his freshman season of 2017, along with his one swipe in the opening weekend, he now has 47 career stolen bases, taking over sole possession of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen base list after entering the season tied with a pair of Steves - Steve Money (1991-94) and Steve Preston (1986-88) with 46 stolen bases ... If Kelley matches last season's total of 33 stolen bases in 2019, he would tie Anthony Cheky (2012-15) for the career school record with 79 stolen bases.
Fellow junior outfielder Danny Gleaves was close behind with 25 stolen bases last season, good for No. 5 spot on the single-season list ... Gleaves is also No. 9 on the career stolen base list, now with 33 base swipes after one stolen base in the opening weekend
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE SEASON STOLEN BASES
1.   Bryce Kelley   33   2018
2.   Brandon Hughes   30   2017
3.   Anthony Cheky   29   2014
4.   Steve Preston   27   1988
5.   Danny Gleaves   25   2018
6.   Anthony Cheky   23   2013
   Jeff Holm   23   2010
   Steve Money   23   1994
9.   Jimmy Pickens   22   2014
   Brandon Eckerle   22   2011
   Brandon Eckerle   22   2010
INDIVIDUAL CAREER STOLEN BASES
1.   Anthony Cheky   79   2012-15
2.   Jeff Holm   63   2008-11
3.   Brandon Eckerle   61   2008-11
4.   Brandon Hughes   50   2015-17
5.   Bryce Kelley   47   2017-pres.
6.   Steve Money   46   1991-94
   Steve Preston   46   1986-88
8.   Cam Gibson   45   2013-15
9.   Danny Gleaves   33   2017-pres.
10.   Jimmy Pickens   30   2012-15
   Joe Gavel   30   1968-69
Swiping Duo Of 20/20Â
Last season, the outfielder duo of Bryce Kelley and Danny Gleaves bid for the modern Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters role, being part of the 20/20 club, as the Spartan duo were not just the only pair in the Big Ten with 20 or more stolen bases, but they were just part of six sets of two or more players in the country with 20+ stolen bases:
Fordham - Jake MacKenzie (34), Billy Godrick (27), Alvin Melendez (26) and Jake Baker (21)
Louisville - Josh Stowers (36), Jake Snider (24) and Tyler Fitzgerald (23)
Michigan State - Bryce Kelley (33) and Danny Gleaves (25)
Southern Illinois - Connor Kopach (33), Alex Lyon (29) and Nikola Vasic (21)
George Washington - Isaiah Pasteur (31) and Robbie Metz (24)
Norfolk State - Justin Hayes (28) and Tony Leite (24)
Swiping Way Into Record Books
Boosted by Bryce Kelley and Danny Gleaves' swipes last season, Michigan Stats amassed 100 stolen bases as a team, setting a new MSU team single-season stolen base record, breaking the record held by 2005 squad with 98 stolen bases ... MSU led the B1G and ranked 14th in the NCAA with the 100 swipes.Â
TEAM STOLEN BASES
   1.   2018   100
   2.   2005   98
   3.   2017   96
   4.   2014   88
   5.   2010   86
      1978   86
   7.   1988   80
   8.   2006   78
      1969   78
   10.   2011   77
Ringing Up The Team Strikeouts
The Spartan pitching staff ended the 2018 season with 407 strikeouts, becoming the fourth-straight squad to reach the 400 K plateau. The 2015 staff had 409, while ringing up 420 strikeouts last season and the 2016 squad has the top mark with 466 Ks.
TEAM STRIKEOUTS
   1.   2016   466
   2.   2017   420
   3.   2015   409
4.   2018   407
   5.   2002    390
   6.   2012   389
   7.   1998   380
   8.   2004   378
9.   2014   355
10.   2010   335
Nail-BitersÂ
For the second time in as many seasons, Spartan fans may have paid for their entire seat, but they have only needed the edge of them, as 30 of MSU's 52 games in the 2018 season were 1-or 2-run games, with the Spartans posting a 6-10 mark in the 15 1-run contests, as well as 14 other 2-run games, which MSU was 6-8.Â
The Spartans' 30 games decided by two runs or less out of 52 games was not only the most in the B1G but is tied for the second-most in the country by number, while leading the country by percentage (57.8 pct.) (according to combined research collection by Zach Fisher of Michigan State and Chris Rash of Elon), tying Elon for the most and just behind Gonzaga's 31.
The 16 decided by 1-run was 12th-most in the country by number and percentage, with William & Mary having the most 1-run games in the country with 23. MSU's B1G opponent from the first weekend in May, Penn State, had 18 1-run games, while last season's opening opponent, Fresno State, was in 17 1-run games. Michigan State played Fresno State in the opening weekend of the season and three of the four games of the weekend series were 1-run games. The Spartans also edged Arizona, 3-2, on March 4.
In 2017, Michigan State was involved in a total of 17 1-run games, as well as three 2-run games. MSU was 5-12 in 1-run games and 3-0 in 2-run contests.
1-Run Games
William & Mary   23 of 54 games (42.6%)  Â
Elon   21 of 59 games (35.6%)  Â
Virginia   20 of 54 games (37.0%)  Â
Cincinnati   20 of 56 games (35.7%)  Â
Saint Mary's (Ca.)Â Â Â 19 of 54 games (35.2%)Â Â Â
Fordham   19 of 55 games (34.5%)  Â
Gonzaga   19 of 57 games (33.3%)$  Â
UNCWÂ Â Â 19 of 62 games (30.6%)$Â Â Â
Penn State   18 of 49 games (36.7%)  Â
Arizona   18 of 56 games (32.1%)  Â
Fresno State   17 of 54 games (31.5%)  Â
Santa Clara   16 of 52 games (30.8%)  Â
Michigan State   16 of 52 games (30.8%)  Â
Virginia Tech   16 of 54 games (29.6%)  Â
UMass Lowell   16 of 54 games (29.6%)  Â
Arizona State   15 of 55 games (27.3%)  Â
Loyola Marymount   15 of 55 games (27.3%)  Â
Cal Poly   15 of 57 games (26.3%)  Â
Stetson   13 of 61 games (21.3%)$$  Â
Coastal Carolina   13 of 62 games (21.0%)$  Â
$$ = NCAA Super Regional TeamÂ
$ = NCAA Regional Team
Games Decided by 1-2 Runs
Gonzaga   31 of 57 games (54.4%)$  Â
Michigan State   30 of 52 games (57.8%)  Â
Elon   30 of 59 games (50.8%)  Â
Cincinnati   29 of 56 games (51.8%)  Â
Fordham   29 of 55 games (52.7%)  Â
UNCWÂ Â Â 28 of 62 games (45.2%)$Â Â Â
Santa Clara   27 of 52 games (51.9%)  Â
Saint Mary's (Ca.)Â Â Â 27 of 54 games (50.0%)Â Â Â
William & Mary   26 of 54 games (46.6%)  Â
Virginia   25 of 54 games (46.3%)  Â
Cal Poly   25 of 57 games (43.9%)  Â
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/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11