Friday, March 15
Greenville, SC / Fluor Field
5 PM ET
Michigan State University
vs
UConn
Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
MSU Returns To Greenville For Four-Game Series With UConn
3/14/2019 1:04:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans make trip to Greenville for second-straight weekend, third trip to S.C. this season.
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Leading Off... MSU Returns To Greenville For Four-Game Series With UConn
• Michigan State baseball will return to Greenville for the second-straight weekend, playing UConn in a four-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.
• The Spartans and Huskies open the series Friday evening at 5 p.m. Saturday's slate features a doubleheader at 1 and 5 p.m., before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m. Note: any schedule updates will be posted on MSUSpartans.com and on twitter @statebaseball.
• Fans can follow the MSU-UConn series with "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, with a UConn audio stream ... All links can be found at MSUSpartans.com.Â
• This weekend's series features two teams in the top 15 in the nation for strength of schedule, as MSU is No. 11, while UConn is No. 5 ... Michigan State is the only team in the country to play both of the remaining unbeaten teams in Arizona State and NC State.
Carolina In My Mind And Travel Itinerary
Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune one more time, as this weekend's trip to Greenville is the third and final of three trips to the Palmetto State for the Spartans this season ... MSU was in Conway, S.C. Feb. 22-24 playing in the Coastal Carolina-hosted Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach ... The Spartans were in Greenville last weekend on the second half of Spring Break trip, hosting the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, which was originally scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but inclement weather condensed the schedule to Saturday-Sunday ... MSU traveled home to East Lansing Sunday night for class and practice Monday-Wednesday, returning to Greenville Thursday evening.
About Fluor Field
Opened in 2006, Fluor Field is a 5,700-seat stadium, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard. Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field. Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills.
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.
North Carolinian Iverson Close To Home
MSU sophomore infielder/pitcher Zach Iverson is from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where the Spartans flew in to on Wednesday evening, arriving from Phoenix. Last season Iverson was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team at both third base and utility player. He started in 42 of 44 games played in 2018, including playing and starting in 27 games at third base; playing in 11 games at second, starting nine; playing in seven games at first base, starting six; and making two pitching appearances. At the plate, Iverson hit .252 for the season with 14 RBI, tallying a .319 slugging percentage and a .333 on-base percentage
Iverson attended Providence Day High School, where he earned first-team USA TODAY High School Sports all-state honors as an outfielder. Iverson also earned all-conference accolades after hitting .506 with 48 RBI, eight doubles and six HR, while posting a 0.93 ERA with two wins and five saves in 13 appearances on the mound. He broke school records for single-season RBI (48) as well as single-season saves and career saves (11). Prior to the 2018 season, Iverson was named one of the Top 30 Impact Freshmen in the Big Ten by TenInnings.com.
Michigan State vs. UConn Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 4-1 / Home 0-0 / Away 0-0 / Neutral 4-1 / Streak UConn W1
First Met: March 24, 1970 - Coral Gables, Fla. - MSU W, 10-6
Last Meeting: March 15, 2015 - Greenville, S.C. - Fluor Field - UConn W, 3-1
Series Notes: This weekend is the first meeting since 2015, also in Greenville, when UConn earned its lone win in the series with a 3-1 decision, snapping MSU's four-game win streak in the series ... MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s first win as Spartan head coach was against UConn on Feb. 20, 2009 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. ... The 2015 meeting in Greenville was the only match-up not in Florida, as the previous four meetings took place in the Sunshine State ... The Spartans and Huskies first met in 1970 ... Three of the five meetings have been decided by two runs or less ... Also, three of the five have been played in March.
Quick Look At UConnÂ
The Huskies are 7-6 on the season after having a three-game win streak snapped in the series finale at Texas State, 5-3, on Sunday, after winning the first two games, 8-4 and 4-1, to take the series. UConn was slated to host its home opener on Tuesday against Hartford, but the game was postponed due to field conditions. The Huskies opened the season by taking two of three at No. 4 Louisville.
UConn is led by senior infielder/outfielder Michael Woodworth's .370 average, and also sharing the team lead with 12 runs scored and tops the team with six stolen bases. Senior outfielder John Toppa tops the Huskies with 12 RBI, while freshman infielder Christian Fedko adds 10 RBI. Toppa and Fedko are two of the four Huskies to share the team lead with two home runs apiece, joined by sophomore catcher Paul Gozzo and senior catcher/first baseman Thad Phillips.
On the mound, junior right-hander Jacob Wallace tops the UConn staff with a 0.87 ERA in five relief appearances with four saves and one win, totalling 10.1 IP with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Friday's probable starter is junior left-hander Mason Feole, who has a 0-0 record with a 2.45 ERA and two starts with 7.1 IP, four strikeouts and six walks. Feole was an All-American last season, but has seen limited action this season after recovering from a preseason injury. Saturday's game one probable starter is senior righty Jeff Kersten, who has a 2-0 record with a 3.68 ERA in four starts. Kersten has 12 Ks and 10 BB in 22.0 IP, and opponents are hitting .282 off him. Junior right-hander Kenny Haus is Saturday's second game probable starter, with a 0-0 record and 6.35 ERA in three appearances with one start, logging five Ks and five BB in 5.2 IP, with the opposition hitting .238 against him. Sunday's series finale probable starter is redshirt-freshman righty Jimmy Wang, who brings an 0-1 record with a 5.59 ERA in five appearances into his first start of the season. Wang has nine strikeouts and nine walks in 9.2 IP with a .263 opposition average against him.
UConn head coach Jim Penders has amassed a 532-373-5 record in his 16th year at the helm of the Huskies. Penders has led UConn to the NCAA Tournament five times, highlighted by reaching the Super Regionals in 2011. Under Penders, UConn has won three regular-season or conference tournament titles.
Commonalities With UConn
Michigan State and UConn have a handful of connections this season, as the Spartans and Huskies have one non-conference opponent in common in Coastal Carolina, as MSU lost at No. 19 CCU in a doubleheader on March 22, 13-0 and 12-5, while  UConn also lost at No. 19 CCU, 10-7, on March 2. UConn has also played Big Ten foes Indiana and Illinois already this season, with the Hoosiers beating the Huskies, 9-6, on March 2, also in Conway, S.C. UConn beat No. 25 Illinois, 7-4, the next day in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Michigan State does not play Indiana during the regular season, the Spartans host Illinois in a three-game series, May 16-18, on the final weekend of the regular season.Â
In addition to the common opponents, Michigan State and UConn were on the same flight from Baltimore to Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 21, as the Spartans were headed to the Coastal Carolina tournament, while the Huskies were headed to a three-game series at College of Charleston.Â
Coach Boss First Spartan Win
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s first win as Spartan head coach was against UConn on Feb. 20, 2009 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla.Â
About Michigan State
The Spartans are 3-11 on the young season after a 9-6 loss to Appalachian State on Sunday closed out a three-game weekend at the 10th-Annual First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. After rain rearranged the schedule by washing out Friday's games, MSU took on Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon, losing late, 6-4 in 10 innings, before bouncing back to beat Big Ten foe, Ohio State, 7-1, in a non-conference contest, boosted by junior pitcher Mike Mokma's gem on the mound, pitching a complete game with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Junior outfielder Justin Antoncic leads the Spartans, hitting .314, with four RBI, while junior outfielder Bryce Kelley is hitting .283 with a team-best five stolen bases. Senior infielder Royce Ando adds a .283 average with eight RBI, just behind senior infielder Marty Bechina with a team-leading 11 RBI, as well as leading the two with four doubles while tied for second with two home runs. Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor tops the Spartans in round-trippers with three, including two over the weekend, with a round-tripper against Western Carolina and one versus Appalachian State.
On the mound, junior right-handed starter Mike Mokma has a 2.05 ERA with a team-best 28 strikeouts in 26.1 IP. Junior righty Indigo Diaz has 20 Ks in 16.0 IP, while sophomore right-hander Mason Erla has 19 punchouts in 20.1 IP. Junior lefty Mitchell Tyranski has 15 Ks in 12.1 IP, while sophomore southpaw Jesse Heikkinen logging 12 strikeouts in 9.1 IP, and junior righty Caleb Sleeman logging 10 Ks in 10.1 IP.
Mokma's Gem
Junior right-hander Mike Mokma fired a career-high 11 Ks in his complete game gem vs. Ohio State last Saturday, Match 9 ... The 11 strikeouts topped his previous career-best of six punchouts in two games this season, vs. No. 21 NC State (Feb. 23) and at No. 24 Arizona State (March 2), as he now has five or more Ks in all four outings this season ... Mokma struck out the side in the first inning, adding two more in the second stanza as well as the third for seven Ks through three frames, as part of not facing more than four OSU batters in eight of the nine innings, facing five batters in the sixth, but got a double play and a ground out to thwart the threat ... He retired the Buckeyes in three-up, three-down order in four total innings, including the eighth and ninth.
More Mokma Gem Notes
Mokma's complete game was the first complete game by an MSU pitcher since Alex Troop at South Carolina on March 10, 2017, when Troop went 8.0 IP ... Mokma was the first nine-inning complete game outing since Cam Vieaux vs. Purdue on April 15, 2016.Â
Mokma's 11 Ks was the first double-digit strikeout outing by a Spartan hurler since Riley McCauley has 12 Ks in last year's season-opener at Fresno State (Feb. 16, 2018).
The Complete Mokma
Mokma's complete game is one of just two in the Big Ten so far this season, joining Tommy Henry of Michigan vs. The Citadel (Feb. 22) ... Mokma is currently in a 54-way tie for fourth in the NCAA in complete games, as in one of 54 pitchers in the nation with one complete game, while there are three pitchers with two complete games: Jacob Key of UIC, Fernando Diaz Jr. of Alabama A&M and Chris Clements of Portland.
Unbeaten OpponentsÂ
Michigan State is the only team in the country to play both of the only two unbeaten teams left in NCAA College Baseball, as the Spartans have played both Arizona State and NC State ... MSU played then No. 21 NC State on Feb. 23 in Conway, S.C. in the Coastal Carolina Tournament, falling 5-0 ... The Spartans played at then-No. 24 Arizona State in a three-game weekend series March 1-3, losing 8-0, 8-5 (11 inn.) and 13-2.
Additionally, MSU played then No. 19 Coastal Carolina, who is 13-4-1. The Spartans faced the Chanticleers in a doubleheader on Feb. 22, losing 13-0 and 12-5.
High SOS For SpartansÂ
After a top 5 strength of schedule in Division I college baseball last week, according to warrennolan.com, Michigan State enters this weekend with a No. 11 SOS, including No. 3 in the Big Ten, behind Minnesota (No. 3) and Nebraska (No. 9) ... The Spartan opposition is a combined 130-54 with a winning percentage of .7043 ... This weekend's opponent, UConn is No. 5 with an SOS of .6566, with the Huskies' opponents posting a 121-51 (.702) record ... Xavier has taken over the top spot with a .6866 SOS and an opponent record of 133-33 (.801).
Rank   Team   SOS   Opp Record   Opp Win PercentÂ
1   Xavier   0.6866   133 - 33   0.8012
2   Texas Tech   0.6691   130 - 50   0.7222
3Â Â Â Minnesota*Â Â Â 0.6685Â Â Â 137 - 45Â Â Â 0.75
4   Oregon   0.6683   130 - 52   0.7131
5   Connecticut   0.6566   121 - 51   0.7023
6   Yale   0.6518   114 - 37   0.755
7   Maine   0.6391   120 - 38   0.7595
8   High Point   0.6367   132 - 51   0.7213
9Â Â Â Nebraska*Â Â Â 0.6366Â Â Â 103 - 48Â Â Â 0.6774
10   Cal State Fullerton   0.6318   127 - 59   0.6828
11   Michigan State   0.6308   130 - 54   0.7043
12   South Alabama   0.6285   132 - 51   0.7213
13Â Â Â Northwestern*Â Â Â 0.6254Â Â Â 116 - 53Â Â Â 0.6864
14   Georgia Southern   0.6227   141 - 62   0.6946
15   Pepperdine   0.6223   110 - 52   0.679
As of 3/13/19
* = Big Ten ConferenceÂ
Bold = 2019 MSU Opponent
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 in 2018, 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 five swipes this season, he now has 51 career stolen bases, taking over sole possession of No. 4 after passing former teammate Brandon Hughes (2015-17) at the No. 4 spot with 50 stolen bags ... If Kelley is able to match or top the 33 stolen bases he had in 2018, 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 34 base swipes after two stolen bases in the early going of this season.
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.   Bryce Kelley   51   2017-pres.
5.   Brandon Hughes   50   2015-17
6.   Steve Money   46   1991-94
   Steve Preston   46   1986-88
8.   Cam Gibson   45   2013-15
9.   Danny Gleaves   34   2017-pres.
10.   Jimmy Pickens   30   2012-15
   Joe Gavel   30   1968-69
--   Dan Chmielewski   24   2016-pres.
Big Inning Boosts Spartans To Win At Arizona
In the Spartans' 9-5 win at Arizona on March 5, MSU overcame an early 4-0 deficit after two innings, getting on the board with one run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by senior infielder Marty Bechina, before hanging eight on the board in the seventh. Michigan State plated eight runs in sending 13 batters to the plate with five hits and capitalizing on four Arizona errors, leaving two runners on base.
The eight-run inning was the first big inning of four or more runs this season, and the most runs scored in a frame since April 7 of last season vs. Nebraska in a nine-run inning, also the seventh frame and also sending 13 batters to the plate, winning 17-5.
Solo ShotsÂ
Of the Spartans' eight home runs so far this season, five have been solo shots ... Michigan State hit three home runs in the opening weekend at New Orleans and all three were solo homers ... Senior infielder Royce Ando got things started with his home run in the second inning of the opener, 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 smacked the first home run of Spartan career with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left field in the second inning of the game on Feb. 17 ... Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor blasted a solo round-tripper in the ninth inning of that same game on Feb. 17 that concluded the scoring for the Spartans ... Proctor added a solo homer in the second inning against Western Carolina on March 9, while sophomore infielder Zach Iverson hit his first home run as a Spartan with a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning vs. Appalachian State on March 10.
Bechina Blasts
After their first three home runs of the season were solo shots, the Spartans' next two home runs were of the two-run variety, and both by senior infielder Marty Bechina, with a two-run shot in the eighth inning at No. 19 Coastal Carolina on Feb. 22 and a two-run shot in the first inning at No. 24 Arizona State on March 2 ... Bechina now leads MSU with two run runs ... For his career, Bechina has now blasted four two-run home runs as part of 17 total career round-trippers.Â
Second Inning SlamsÂ
A total of three of MSU's eight home runs have come in the second innings ... 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 the 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 Feb. 17 in the second inning ... Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor hit a solo home run in the second inning vs. Western Carolina on March 9 ... 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).
Scarce In the Senior Department
MSU has only five seniors on its 2019 roster: infielder Marty Bechina, infielder Royce Ando, outfielder Dan Chmielewski, catcher Nic Lacayo and pitcher Evan Flohr. The Spartans' five seniors is currently tied for the second-fewest in the country {research by Western Kentucky SID Bryan Fyalkowski):
Tennessee: 2
Michigan State: 5
Norfolk State: 5 (1 redshirting)
Presbyterian: 5
Stetson: 5
West Virginia: 5 (1 redshirting)
Navy: 6
Western Kentucky: 6Â
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.
Spartan Baseball To Have Four Games Televised On Big Ten Network
Michigan State baseball will have four games nationally televised on Big Ten Network this season, announced by the Big Ten Conference office and the network on Friday, March 1.
The Spartans will have three home games and one away game televised on BTN. All other home MSU baseball games and select away conference games will be digitally streamed on BTN Plus.
Michigan State's home games against Michigan (March 29 and 31) and one home game against Northwestern (April 28), along with the midweek non-conference game at Michigan (May 7) will be on BTN. The network will also televise the complete Big Ten Tournament from TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. May 22-26. Â
Michigan State Baseball on Big Ten Network
Friday, March 29 - vs. Michigan - 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 31 - vs. Michigan - 4 p.m. ETÂ
Sunday, April 28 - vs. Northwestern - 2 p.m. ETÂ
Tuesday, May 7 - at Michigan (non-conference) - 6 p.m. ET
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 316-246 (.562) 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 341-280 (.549) 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.   316
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.
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 16 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
Â
| MICHIGAN STATE (3-11, 0-0 B1G) vs. UConn (7-6, 0-0 AAC)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 TICKETS | |
| Location | Fluor Field || Greenville, S.C. |
| Weather | Fri - Hi/Low: 67°41° || Sat - Hi/Low: 61°38° || Sun - Hi/Low: 59°37° |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | UConn |
| Social Media |   @statebaseball |    MichiganStateBaseball |    @statebaseballgogreen  |
| Game 1Â Â | Friday, March 15 - 5 p.m. ETÂ Â |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #30 RHP Mason Erla (SO) (1-2, 6.64 ERA) vs. UConn: #21 LHP Mason Feole (JR) (0-0, 2.45 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live (UConn) |
| Game 2 | Saturday, March 16 - 1 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #20 RHP Mike Mokma (JR) (1-1, 2.05 ERA) vs. UConn: #38 RHP Jeff Kersten (SR) (2-0, 3.68 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live (UConn) |
| Game 3 | Saturday, March 16 - 5 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #12 LHP Jarret Olson (JR) (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. UConn: #45 RHP Kenny Haus (JR)   (0-0, 6.35 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live (UConn) |
| Game 4 | Sunday, March 17 - 11 a.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | MSU: #36 LHP Mitchell Tyranski (JR) (0-2, 5.84 ERA) vs. UConn: #31 RHP Jimmy Wang (R-FR) (0-1, 5.59 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live (UConn) |
Leading Off... MSU Returns To Greenville For Four-Game Series With UConn
• Michigan State baseball will return to Greenville for the second-straight weekend, playing UConn in a four-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.
• The Spartans and Huskies open the series Friday evening at 5 p.m. Saturday's slate features a doubleheader at 1 and 5 p.m., before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m. Note: any schedule updates will be posted on MSUSpartans.com and on twitter @statebaseball.
• Fans can follow the MSU-UConn series with "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, with a UConn audio stream ... All links can be found at MSUSpartans.com.Â
• This weekend's series features two teams in the top 15 in the nation for strength of schedule, as MSU is No. 11, while UConn is No. 5 ... Michigan State is the only team in the country to play both of the remaining unbeaten teams in Arizona State and NC State.
Carolina In My Mind And Travel Itinerary
Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune one more time, as this weekend's trip to Greenville is the third and final of three trips to the Palmetto State for the Spartans this season ... MSU was in Conway, S.C. Feb. 22-24 playing in the Coastal Carolina-hosted Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach ... The Spartans were in Greenville last weekend on the second half of Spring Break trip, hosting the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, which was originally scheduled for Friday-Sunday, but inclement weather condensed the schedule to Saturday-Sunday ... MSU traveled home to East Lansing Sunday night for class and practice Monday-Wednesday, returning to Greenville Thursday evening.
About Fluor Field
Opened in 2006, Fluor Field is a 5,700-seat stadium, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard. Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field. Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills.
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.
North Carolinian Iverson Close To Home
MSU sophomore infielder/pitcher Zach Iverson is from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where the Spartans flew in to on Wednesday evening, arriving from Phoenix. Last season Iverson was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team at both third base and utility player. He started in 42 of 44 games played in 2018, including playing and starting in 27 games at third base; playing in 11 games at second, starting nine; playing in seven games at first base, starting six; and making two pitching appearances. At the plate, Iverson hit .252 for the season with 14 RBI, tallying a .319 slugging percentage and a .333 on-base percentage
Iverson attended Providence Day High School, where he earned first-team USA TODAY High School Sports all-state honors as an outfielder. Iverson also earned all-conference accolades after hitting .506 with 48 RBI, eight doubles and six HR, while posting a 0.93 ERA with two wins and five saves in 13 appearances on the mound. He broke school records for single-season RBI (48) as well as single-season saves and career saves (11). Prior to the 2018 season, Iverson was named one of the Top 30 Impact Freshmen in the Big Ten by TenInnings.com.
Michigan State vs. UConn Series Breakdown
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 4-1 / Home 0-0 / Away 0-0 / Neutral 4-1 / Streak UConn W1
First Met: March 24, 1970 - Coral Gables, Fla. - MSU W, 10-6
Last Meeting: March 15, 2015 - Greenville, S.C. - Fluor Field - UConn W, 3-1
Series Notes: This weekend is the first meeting since 2015, also in Greenville, when UConn earned its lone win in the series with a 3-1 decision, snapping MSU's four-game win streak in the series ... MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s first win as Spartan head coach was against UConn on Feb. 20, 2009 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla. ... The 2015 meeting in Greenville was the only match-up not in Florida, as the previous four meetings took place in the Sunshine State ... The Spartans and Huskies first met in 1970 ... Three of the five meetings have been decided by two runs or less ... Also, three of the five have been played in March.
Quick Look At UConnÂ
The Huskies are 7-6 on the season after having a three-game win streak snapped in the series finale at Texas State, 5-3, on Sunday, after winning the first two games, 8-4 and 4-1, to take the series. UConn was slated to host its home opener on Tuesday against Hartford, but the game was postponed due to field conditions. The Huskies opened the season by taking two of three at No. 4 Louisville.
UConn is led by senior infielder/outfielder Michael Woodworth's .370 average, and also sharing the team lead with 12 runs scored and tops the team with six stolen bases. Senior outfielder John Toppa tops the Huskies with 12 RBI, while freshman infielder Christian Fedko adds 10 RBI. Toppa and Fedko are two of the four Huskies to share the team lead with two home runs apiece, joined by sophomore catcher Paul Gozzo and senior catcher/first baseman Thad Phillips.
On the mound, junior right-hander Jacob Wallace tops the UConn staff with a 0.87 ERA in five relief appearances with four saves and one win, totalling 10.1 IP with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Friday's probable starter is junior left-hander Mason Feole, who has a 0-0 record with a 2.45 ERA and two starts with 7.1 IP, four strikeouts and six walks. Feole was an All-American last season, but has seen limited action this season after recovering from a preseason injury. Saturday's game one probable starter is senior righty Jeff Kersten, who has a 2-0 record with a 3.68 ERA in four starts. Kersten has 12 Ks and 10 BB in 22.0 IP, and opponents are hitting .282 off him. Junior right-hander Kenny Haus is Saturday's second game probable starter, with a 0-0 record and 6.35 ERA in three appearances with one start, logging five Ks and five BB in 5.2 IP, with the opposition hitting .238 against him. Sunday's series finale probable starter is redshirt-freshman righty Jimmy Wang, who brings an 0-1 record with a 5.59 ERA in five appearances into his first start of the season. Wang has nine strikeouts and nine walks in 9.2 IP with a .263 opposition average against him.
UConn head coach Jim Penders has amassed a 532-373-5 record in his 16th year at the helm of the Huskies. Penders has led UConn to the NCAA Tournament five times, highlighted by reaching the Super Regionals in 2011. Under Penders, UConn has won three regular-season or conference tournament titles.
Commonalities With UConn
Michigan State and UConn have a handful of connections this season, as the Spartans and Huskies have one non-conference opponent in common in Coastal Carolina, as MSU lost at No. 19 CCU in a doubleheader on March 22, 13-0 and 12-5, while  UConn also lost at No. 19 CCU, 10-7, on March 2. UConn has also played Big Ten foes Indiana and Illinois already this season, with the Hoosiers beating the Huskies, 9-6, on March 2, also in Conway, S.C. UConn beat No. 25 Illinois, 7-4, the next day in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Michigan State does not play Indiana during the regular season, the Spartans host Illinois in a three-game series, May 16-18, on the final weekend of the regular season.Â
In addition to the common opponents, Michigan State and UConn were on the same flight from Baltimore to Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 21, as the Spartans were headed to the Coastal Carolina tournament, while the Huskies were headed to a three-game series at College of Charleston.Â
Coach Boss First Spartan Win
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s first win as Spartan head coach was against UConn on Feb. 20, 2009 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla.Â
About Michigan State
The Spartans are 3-11 on the young season after a 9-6 loss to Appalachian State on Sunday closed out a three-game weekend at the 10th-Annual First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. After rain rearranged the schedule by washing out Friday's games, MSU took on Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon, losing late, 6-4 in 10 innings, before bouncing back to beat Big Ten foe, Ohio State, 7-1, in a non-conference contest, boosted by junior pitcher Mike Mokma's gem on the mound, pitching a complete game with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Junior outfielder Justin Antoncic leads the Spartans, hitting .314, with four RBI, while junior outfielder Bryce Kelley is hitting .283 with a team-best five stolen bases. Senior infielder Royce Ando adds a .283 average with eight RBI, just behind senior infielder Marty Bechina with a team-leading 11 RBI, as well as leading the two with four doubles while tied for second with two home runs. Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor tops the Spartans in round-trippers with three, including two over the weekend, with a round-tripper against Western Carolina and one versus Appalachian State.
On the mound, junior right-handed starter Mike Mokma has a 2.05 ERA with a team-best 28 strikeouts in 26.1 IP. Junior righty Indigo Diaz has 20 Ks in 16.0 IP, while sophomore right-hander Mason Erla has 19 punchouts in 20.1 IP. Junior lefty Mitchell Tyranski has 15 Ks in 12.1 IP, while sophomore southpaw Jesse Heikkinen logging 12 strikeouts in 9.1 IP, and junior righty Caleb Sleeman logging 10 Ks in 10.1 IP.
Mokma's Gem
Junior right-hander Mike Mokma fired a career-high 11 Ks in his complete game gem vs. Ohio State last Saturday, Match 9 ... The 11 strikeouts topped his previous career-best of six punchouts in two games this season, vs. No. 21 NC State (Feb. 23) and at No. 24 Arizona State (March 2), as he now has five or more Ks in all four outings this season ... Mokma struck out the side in the first inning, adding two more in the second stanza as well as the third for seven Ks through three frames, as part of not facing more than four OSU batters in eight of the nine innings, facing five batters in the sixth, but got a double play and a ground out to thwart the threat ... He retired the Buckeyes in three-up, three-down order in four total innings, including the eighth and ninth.
More Mokma Gem Notes
Mokma's complete game was the first complete game by an MSU pitcher since Alex Troop at South Carolina on March 10, 2017, when Troop went 8.0 IP ... Mokma was the first nine-inning complete game outing since Cam Vieaux vs. Purdue on April 15, 2016.Â
Mokma's 11 Ks was the first double-digit strikeout outing by a Spartan hurler since Riley McCauley has 12 Ks in last year's season-opener at Fresno State (Feb. 16, 2018).
The Complete Mokma
Mokma's complete game is one of just two in the Big Ten so far this season, joining Tommy Henry of Michigan vs. The Citadel (Feb. 22) ... Mokma is currently in a 54-way tie for fourth in the NCAA in complete games, as in one of 54 pitchers in the nation with one complete game, while there are three pitchers with two complete games: Jacob Key of UIC, Fernando Diaz Jr. of Alabama A&M and Chris Clements of Portland.
Unbeaten OpponentsÂ
Michigan State is the only team in the country to play both of the only two unbeaten teams left in NCAA College Baseball, as the Spartans have played both Arizona State and NC State ... MSU played then No. 21 NC State on Feb. 23 in Conway, S.C. in the Coastal Carolina Tournament, falling 5-0 ... The Spartans played at then-No. 24 Arizona State in a three-game weekend series March 1-3, losing 8-0, 8-5 (11 inn.) and 13-2.
Additionally, MSU played then No. 19 Coastal Carolina, who is 13-4-1. The Spartans faced the Chanticleers in a doubleheader on Feb. 22, losing 13-0 and 12-5.
High SOS For SpartansÂ
After a top 5 strength of schedule in Division I college baseball last week, according to warrennolan.com, Michigan State enters this weekend with a No. 11 SOS, including No. 3 in the Big Ten, behind Minnesota (No. 3) and Nebraska (No. 9) ... The Spartan opposition is a combined 130-54 with a winning percentage of .7043 ... This weekend's opponent, UConn is No. 5 with an SOS of .6566, with the Huskies' opponents posting a 121-51 (.702) record ... Xavier has taken over the top spot with a .6866 SOS and an opponent record of 133-33 (.801).
Rank   Team   SOS   Opp Record   Opp Win PercentÂ
1   Xavier   0.6866   133 - 33   0.8012
2   Texas Tech   0.6691   130 - 50   0.7222
3Â Â Â Minnesota*Â Â Â 0.6685Â Â Â 137 - 45Â Â Â 0.75
4   Oregon   0.6683   130 - 52   0.7131
5   Connecticut   0.6566   121 - 51   0.7023
6   Yale   0.6518   114 - 37   0.755
7   Maine   0.6391   120 - 38   0.7595
8   High Point   0.6367   132 - 51   0.7213
9Â Â Â Nebraska*Â Â Â 0.6366Â Â Â 103 - 48Â Â Â 0.6774
10   Cal State Fullerton   0.6318   127 - 59   0.6828
11   Michigan State   0.6308   130 - 54   0.7043
12   South Alabama   0.6285   132 - 51   0.7213
13Â Â Â Northwestern*Â Â Â 0.6254Â Â Â 116 - 53Â Â Â 0.6864
14   Georgia Southern   0.6227   141 - 62   0.6946
15   Pepperdine   0.6223   110 - 52   0.679
As of 3/13/19
* = Big Ten ConferenceÂ
Bold = 2019 MSU Opponent
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 in 2018, 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 five swipes this season, he now has 51 career stolen bases, taking over sole possession of No. 4 after passing former teammate Brandon Hughes (2015-17) at the No. 4 spot with 50 stolen bags ... If Kelley is able to match or top the 33 stolen bases he had in 2018, 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 34 base swipes after two stolen bases in the early going of this season.
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.   Bryce Kelley   51   2017-pres.
5.   Brandon Hughes   50   2015-17
6.   Steve Money   46   1991-94
   Steve Preston   46   1986-88
8.   Cam Gibson   45   2013-15
9.   Danny Gleaves   34   2017-pres.
10.   Jimmy Pickens   30   2012-15
   Joe Gavel   30   1968-69
--   Dan Chmielewski   24   2016-pres.
Big Inning Boosts Spartans To Win At Arizona
In the Spartans' 9-5 win at Arizona on March 5, MSU overcame an early 4-0 deficit after two innings, getting on the board with one run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by senior infielder Marty Bechina, before hanging eight on the board in the seventh. Michigan State plated eight runs in sending 13 batters to the plate with five hits and capitalizing on four Arizona errors, leaving two runners on base.
The eight-run inning was the first big inning of four or more runs this season, and the most runs scored in a frame since April 7 of last season vs. Nebraska in a nine-run inning, also the seventh frame and also sending 13 batters to the plate, winning 17-5.
Solo ShotsÂ
Of the Spartans' eight home runs so far this season, five have been solo shots ... Michigan State hit three home runs in the opening weekend at New Orleans and all three were solo homers ... Senior infielder Royce Ando got things started with his home run in the second inning of the opener, 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 smacked the first home run of Spartan career with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left field in the second inning of the game on Feb. 17 ... Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor blasted a solo round-tripper in the ninth inning of that same game on Feb. 17 that concluded the scoring for the Spartans ... Proctor added a solo homer in the second inning against Western Carolina on March 9, while sophomore infielder Zach Iverson hit his first home run as a Spartan with a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning vs. Appalachian State on March 10.
Bechina Blasts
After their first three home runs of the season were solo shots, the Spartans' next two home runs were of the two-run variety, and both by senior infielder Marty Bechina, with a two-run shot in the eighth inning at No. 19 Coastal Carolina on Feb. 22 and a two-run shot in the first inning at No. 24 Arizona State on March 2 ... Bechina now leads MSU with two run runs ... For his career, Bechina has now blasted four two-run home runs as part of 17 total career round-trippers.Â
Second Inning SlamsÂ
A total of three of MSU's eight home runs have come in the second innings ... 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 the 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 Feb. 17 in the second inning ... Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor hit a solo home run in the second inning vs. Western Carolina on March 9 ... 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).
Scarce In the Senior Department
MSU has only five seniors on its 2019 roster: infielder Marty Bechina, infielder Royce Ando, outfielder Dan Chmielewski, catcher Nic Lacayo and pitcher Evan Flohr. The Spartans' five seniors is currently tied for the second-fewest in the country {research by Western Kentucky SID Bryan Fyalkowski):
Tennessee: 2
Michigan State: 5
Norfolk State: 5 (1 redshirting)
Presbyterian: 5
Stetson: 5
West Virginia: 5 (1 redshirting)
Navy: 6
Western Kentucky: 6Â
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.
Spartan Baseball To Have Four Games Televised On Big Ten Network
Michigan State baseball will have four games nationally televised on Big Ten Network this season, announced by the Big Ten Conference office and the network on Friday, March 1.
The Spartans will have three home games and one away game televised on BTN. All other home MSU baseball games and select away conference games will be digitally streamed on BTN Plus.
Michigan State's home games against Michigan (March 29 and 31) and one home game against Northwestern (April 28), along with the midweek non-conference game at Michigan (May 7) will be on BTN. The network will also televise the complete Big Ten Tournament from TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. May 22-26. Â
Michigan State Baseball on Big Ten Network
Friday, March 29 - vs. Michigan - 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 31 - vs. Michigan - 4 p.m. ETÂ
Sunday, April 28 - vs. Northwestern - 2 p.m. ETÂ
Tuesday, May 7 - at Michigan (non-conference) - 6 p.m. ET
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 316-246 (.562) 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 341-280 (.549) 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.   316
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.
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 16 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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