Spartans Head To Iowa To Take On Hawkeyes

MICHIGAN STATE (17-30, 5-12 B1G) at No. RV/24 IOWA (29-17, 11-7 B1G) \| IOWA TICKET OFFICE
Location	Banks Field \|\| Iowa City, Iowa
Weather	Fri - Hi / Low: 62^°/ 45^° \|\| Sat - Hi / Low: 61^°/ 47^° \|\| Sun - Hi / Low: 58^°/ 42^°
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Iowa
Social Media	@statebaseball \| MichiganStateBaseball \| @statebaseballgogreen
Game 1	Friday, May 10 - 7:05 p.m. ET / 6:05 p.m. CT
Probable Pitching Matchup	MSU: #30 RHP Mason Erla (SO) (2-8, 5.07 ERA) vs. IOWA: #11 RHP Cole McDonald (SR) (5-3, 3.42 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen Live \| Watch Live
Game 2	Saturday, May 11 - 3:05 p.m. ET / 2:05 p.m. CT
Probable Pitching Matchup	MSU: #36 LHP Mitchell Tyranski (JR) (2-7, 4.14 ERA) vs. IOWA: #35 LHP Cam Baumann (SO) (4-2, 4.50 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen Live \| Watch Live
Game 3	Sunday, May 12 - 2:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. CT
Probable Pitching Matchup	MSU: #38 RHP Caleb Sleeman (2-3, 4.60 ERA) vs. IOWA: #7 RHP Grant Judkins (JR) (4-6, 2.24 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen Live \| Watch Live

Leading Off...
• Michigan State baseball will wrap up its five-game week by taking on Iowa in a Big Ten Conference three-game series in Iowa City, Iowa, Friday-Sunday, May 10-12 ... Friday's series opener at Iowa's Banks Field is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET / 6:05 p.m. CT ... Saturday's middle game of the series has a 3:05 p.m. ET / 2:05 p.m. CT start time, before the series wraps up on Sunday with a 2:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. CT first pitch ... The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 24 in the D1Baseball.com Poll, while among others receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll ... Note: any schedule updates will be posted on MSUSpartans.com and on twitter @statebaseball.

• Fans can follow this weekend's MSU action through "Live Stats," "Listen Live" and "Watch Live" links found at MSUSpartans.com ... The games will be video streamed on BTN2Go, and also carried on the Spartan Sports Network live audio stream, available exclusively at SpartanSportsNetwork.com and on the network's 24/7 app for mobile devices ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action alongside former MSU manager/bullpen catcher David Greenberg in select games.

• Michigan State and Iowa are meeting for the first time since 2017 and MSU is making its first trek to Iowa City since 2016.

• This weekend is MSU's final road series of the regular-season as well as the Spartans' final regular-season road tip out of the state of Michigan, as next week's ledger includes a game at Central Michigan on Tuesday, May 14, before hosting Illinois in a three-game series Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18, in the regular-season final series.

• This weekend's series features a pair of teams who have been on winning spurts of late, as Michigan State has won seven of its last 10 and eight of its last 12 ... Iowa has won three of its last four as part of 11 of its last 15 ... The Spartans are coming off winning their first road series of the season as part of winning the third series in the last five weekends, taking two of three at Purdue, as they bounced back from Friday night's 2-0 loss in a pitcher's duel to win 5-1 on Saturday then clinch the series with a 7-4 triumph on Sunday ... MSU opened its five-game week with a closer-than-the-score-indicates 7-0 loss at Michigan on Tuesday, before a 9-3 victory over Valparaiso Wednesday night ... The Hawkeyes did not have any midweek games due to finals week on the Iowa campus, but they took two of three from No. 18 UC Irvine at home last weekend, winning Friday's opener, 6-3, then winning Saturday, 1-0, before dropping Sunday's series finale, 15-4.

• Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 80-65-1, including 12-9 under head coach Jake Boss Jr. ... The Spartans and Hawkeyes have split the last four series in Iowa City, with MSU winning the first two before Iowa has taken the last two ... MSU and Iowa have played to 2-1 series wins in the last six series, with the Spartans logging the last sweep in the series, taking all three games in 2009 in Iowa City ... Overall, MSU is 24-40-1 in Iowa City, but has won seven of the last 12 played there ... This weekend is the fifth-straight series meeting that the Spartans and Hawkeyes have met in May, as the previous 10 series have been in either March or April.

• Michigan State head coach Jake Boss Jr. has connections to the state of Iowa, as is first collegiate coaching job was assistant coach at Iowa Central Community College from 1996-97 ... Boss was then an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan from 1997-2004, before an assistant spot at Michigan from 2005-07, then head coach at Eastern Michigan for 2008, taking over the reins of the Spartan program in 2009 and Boss is now in his 11th season at the helm of the Spartans.

• Michigan State has 19 players on its 2019 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Hawkeyes have 22 players who are natives of Iowa ... The Spartans have one player who is a native of Iowa in redshirting freshman William Christophersen, who is from Bettendorf (Pleastant Valley HS) ... MSU also has one player on its from an Iowa junior college in junior pitcher Indigo Diaz, who earned Junior College All-American honors last season at Iowa Western CC ... The Hawkeyes do not have any Michiganders on their roster.

• The Hawkeyes are the Spartans' first opponent from the state of Iowa this season, as Michigan State has now played teams from 12 different states, as Iowa is joined by in Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina.

• Michigan State head coach Jake Boss Jr. earned his 350th career victory on April 24 with the 4-2 Victory for MSU over Toledo ... Boss has a career ledger of 352-297 as a collegiate head coach.

• The Spartan trio of junior outfielder Bryce Kelley, junior outfielder Danny Gleaves and senior infielder Marty Bechina is the only the active threesome in the country to have three players on the respective school stolen base list, as Kelley is No. 2 with 64 stolen bases, Gleaves is No. 9 with 34 and Bechina is No. 10 with 32 ... Senior outfielder Dan Chmielewski is close behind with 27 ... Chmielewski had two swipes in the Purdue series, while Bechina swiped one.

• With eight home runs out of his 15 hits, sophomore catcher Adam Proctor is the only player in the country with five or more round-trippers to have half of their hits be home runs ... The next closest player is Jason Hinchman of Tennessee Tech, who has 20 home runs of his 47 hits.

• In addition to winning both of their last two series, the Spartans posted four season-highs for a three-game series in the Northwestern series, then were just shy of a couple other marks in the series at Purdue ... Against Northwestern, MSU tallied season-highs in hitting .346 for the weekend, scored 18 runs, rapped out 37 hits and averaged 6.0 runs per game ... At Purdue, the Spartans had their highest runs/game average in a road B1G series and second-highest in a league series with 4.0 rpg, just below the 6.0 vs. Northwestern ... Defensively, the MSU pitching staff didn't have a season-best in Northwestern series, but they had four second-best marks as the Spartans hurlers had a 1.61 ERA, yielded eight runs, five earned runs and limited Northwestern to just a .216 average for the weekend - all second-best for a three-game series at the time behind the Indiana State series April 5-7, when MSU has a 0.64 ERA, two runs, both earns, and held ISU to a .122 average ... At Purdue, the Spartan pitchers bettered the previous weekend's marks with just seven runs allowed and a .189 batting average against {see series breakdown on pg. 4}.

• MSU scored in the first inning of all three games of the Northwestern series and one of the Purdue series ... The Spartans are 7-6 this season when scoring in the opening stanza.

• With seven strikeouts Wednesday vs. Valpo, the Spartan pitchers have now rung up 403 strikeouts so far this season, marking the fifth-straight season of reaching the 400 K plateau ... The 403 Ks is currently No. 5 on the MSU single-season team strikeout list, needing just four more to match last season's 407 total at No. 4, and six more to match the 2015 output of 409 Ks at No. 3.

• Senior infielder Marty Bechina now has 42 career doubles, moving up to tie for No. 8 on MSU's career doubles list, needing just one to tie for No. 6 ... Bechina leads MSU and ranks tied for fifth in the B1G with 14 doubles.

• Junior reliever Indigo Diaz picked up his sixth save of the season in Sunday's 7-4 Victory for MSU at Purdue, moving up to No. 9 on MSU's single season saves list and ranking tied for eighth in the B1G.

• Freshman outfielder Zaid Walker is hitting .500 (19-for-38) in his last 10 games, with four RBI, 11 runs scored and two walks in that 10-game stretch, raising his average from .227 to current .295 ... Walker has two or more hits in the last four games.

• Friday is MSU's 20th night game this season, as the Spartans are 12-7 overall in night games ... The Spartans have more night games this season, as it is Michigan State's first with lights at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, after their installation project was completed in March ... The Spartans are 6-1 in home night games under the lights at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.

• Michigan State baseball celebrated the first-ever night baseball game at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field in grand fashion with a suicide squeeze bunt 1-0 walk-off win over Indiana State in 10 innings ... Senior catcher Nic Lacayo perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt to drive in fellow senior, infielder Royce Ando with the winning run, sparking off a jubilant celebration as the Spartans stormed the field and dogpiled on the infield, and the newly installed lights flickered in celebration ... The MSU lights project was completed in early March and Friday was the Spartans' first game played under the lights in 135 years of Michigan State baseball, and MSU made it a memorable one with the thrilling victory.

• MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. has now been involved in all three Division I schools in the state of Michigan first night games, as he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan for their first night game in 2000 and an assistant at Michigan for their first night game in 2005, and now Friday night as head coach of Michigan State ... With the April 5 victory for MSU over Indiana State, Boss is now 3-0 in those first night games at a Michigan school.

Friday Night Lights
Thanks in large part to an anonymous contribution of near $1.4 million from a Spartan alum, Michigan State University announced in January that lights were to be installed at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field and Secchia Stadium, the respective homes of Spartan baseball and softball, in preparation for the upcoming 2019 season. The lights project was completed in early March and the Spartans played their first game played under the lights in 135 years of MSU baseball on Friday, April 5.

The LED lights are 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 is slated to host a total of host nine games starting at 5 p.m. or later in 2019.

Under The Lights
The Spartans' success at night is nearly twice as good so far this season, as MSU is 12-7 this season in night games ... MSU is 6-1 under the lights at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, winning the inaugural night game in the program's 135 years of baseball.

350 For 23
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr., who wears jersey No. 23, earned his 350th career victory on April 24 with the 4-2 Victory for MSU over Toledo ... Boss has a career ledger of 355-299 as a collegiate head coach ... Last season Boss earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Spartans with MSU's 6-0 blanking of Rutgers on April 30, 2018 ... In 2017, Boss won his 300th career game as a collegiate head coach with the Spartans' 13-4 route at Richmond on March 18, 2017 .... Now in his 11th season as the MSU head coach, Boss has 330-266 mark with the Green & White.

Home Staters
Michigan State has 19 players on its 2019 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Hawkeyes have 22 players who are natives of Iowa ... The Spartans have one player who is a native of Iowa in redshirting freshman William Christophersen, who is from Bettendorf (Pleastant Valley HS) ... MSU also has one player on its from an Iowa junior college in junior pitcher Indigo Diaz, who earned Junior College All-American honors last season at Iowa Western CC ... The Hawkeyes do not have any Michiganders on their roster.

Michigan State vs. Iowa Series Breakdown
Overall: 80-65-1 / Home: 55-23 / Away: 24-40-1 / Neutral: 1-2 / Series Streak: Iowa W1
First Met: May 13, 1921 - East Lansing, Mich. - Iowa W, 5-3
Last Met: May 7, 2017 - East Lansing, Mich. - Iowa W, 9-4
Last Met In Iowa City: May 15, 2016 - Iowa City, Iowa - Iowa W, 5-1

Series Notes: Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 80-65-1, including 12-9 under head coach Jake Boss Jr. ... The Spartans and Hawkeyes have split the last four series in Iowa City, with MSU winning the first two before Iowa has taken the last two ... MSU and Iowa have played to 2-1 series wins in the last six series, with the Spartans logging the last sweep in the series, taking all three games in 2009 in Iowa City ... Overall, MSU is 24-40-1 in Iowa City, but has won seven of the last 12 played there ... This weekend is the fifth-straight series meeting that the Spartans and Hawkeyes have met in May, as the previous 10 series have been in either March or April.

Last Meeting - Iowa 9, MSU 4 - East Lansing, Mich. - May 7, 2017
Michigan State defeated by Iowa, 9-4, on May 7, 2017 in the finale of the three-game B1G series at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.

Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first adding a run in the third for a 4-0 lead. MSU cut it to 4-3 in the sixth, before trading runs in the seventh before the Hawkeyes broke the game open with a four-run ninth inning.

The Hawkeyes won the bookends of the series, winning Friday's game 3-2, while the Spartans won Saturday's contest, 2-1.

Michigan State had 10 hits paced by a 2-for-4 outing from freshman left fielder Bryce Kelley with both hits being doubles and adding a run scored. Sophomore third baseman Marty Bechina was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double of his own. Senior second baseman Dan Durkin was 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored, while junior designated hitter Chad Roskelly was also 1-for-4 with a double, as MSU had five doubles on the day. Sophomore right fielder Dan Chmielewski was also 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Iowa was led by shortstop Mason McCoy going 2-for-4 with four runs scored, while catcher Tyler Cropley was 2-for-4 with four RBI and first baseman Jake Adams was 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI.

Quick Look At Iowa
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 24 in the D1Baseball.com Poll, while among others receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll. Iowa is 29-17 overall and 11- 7 in B1G action, having won won three of its last four as part of 11 of its last 15. The Hawkeyes did not have any midweek games due to finals week on the Iowa campus, but they took two of three from No. 18 UC Irvine at home last weekend, winning Friday's opener, 6-3, then winning Saturday, 1-0, before dropping Sunday's series finale, 15-4.

The Hawkeyes are hitting .268 as team and have two every-day players hitting .300 or better. Junior catcher Austin Martin leads Iowa hitting .308 with 52 hits, which leads the team and ranks tied for 17th in the B1G, as well as tallying 27 RBI, tying for second on the team. Martin was named one of 14 catchers on the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List announced Thursday.

Sophomore infielder Izaya Fullard is hitting .300 with five HR and 27 RBI, ranking tied for second on the team in both.

Infielder Brendan Sher is the two-time reigning B1G Freshman of the Week, and is hitting .339 to lead three other Hawkeyes over .300 but haven't played regularly.

Iowa's pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.17 with 375 strikeouts (8.2 pg) and 198 BB (4.3 pg). Friday's probable starter is senior right-hander Cole McDonald, who is 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA, logging 63 Ks and 27 BB in 71.0 IP, yielding a .253 batting average by the opposition. Saturday's probable starter is sophomore southpaw Cam Baumann, who is 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA. Baumann has 44 strikeouts with 26 walks in 54.0 IP and a .288 batting average against. Junior righty Grant Judkins is Sunday's probable starter, posting a 4-6 record with a 2.24 ERA which is fifth in the B1G, while ranking 10th in the conference with a .217 opposing batting average, in 72.1 IP, which ranks seventh in the league, registering 55 Ks and 25 BB. Junior right-handed reliever Grant Leonard has 12 saves, which not only leads Iowa, but is also second in the B1G and seventh in the NCAA.

Iowa head coach Rick Heller has a 202-126 record in his sixth season at the Hawkeyes' helm. Heller has an overall record of 892-691-4 in his 31st year as a collegiate head coach.

About Michigan State
The Spartans are 17-30 overall and 5-12 in B1G action, having won seven of their last 10 and eight of the last 12. MSU is coming off winning its first road series of the season as part of winning the third series in the last five weekends, taking two of three at Purdue. The Spartans bounced back from Friday night's 2-0 loss in a pitcher's duel to win 5-1 on Saturday then clinch the series with a 7-4 triumph on Sunday. The Spartans opened their five-game week with a closer-than-the-score-indicates 7-0 loss at Michigan on Tuesday, before a 9-3 victory over Valparaiso Wednesday night.

MSU is hitting .236 as a team, led by junior outfielder Bryce Kelley, who leads the Spartans with a .298 average. Kelley also leads not just the Spartans, but the Big Ten with 18 stolen bases, including 12 in the last 23 games.

Freshman outfielder Zaid Walker is hitting .295, boosted by hitting .500 (19-for-38) in his last 10 games, with four RBI, 11 runs scored and two walks in that 10-game stretch, raising his average from .227 to current .295.

The Spartans' keystone connection of infielders Royce Ando (2B) and Marty Bechina (SS) are hitting .289 and .257, respectively. Ando has 21 RBI, while Bechina leads MSU with 26 RBI and 14th doubles, ranking tied for fifth in the B1G in doubles. Bechina is second on the team with 10 stolen bases, including two in each game against Oakand and Toledo, plus one each in the last two weekend series, giving him six stolen bases in the last 10 games.

Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor has smacked eight home runs, ranking tied for 10th in the B1G. Bechina and freshman outfielder Casey Mayes are tied for second on the team with four HRs each.

On the mound, MSU's bullpen has been solid the last half of the season. In the last 29 games since March 22, the Spartan bullpen has 107 Ks (3.7 pg) in 108.1 IP, with a paltry .208 batting average against and a 2.82 ERA. The pen has a 9-1 record with six saves over that span as well. The MSU relievers have combined to not allow an earned run in 11 of the last 20 games, including four-straight with all three of the Indiana State series and the Notre Dame game, as part of 14 times during that 29-game spurt, while only yielding one earned run in six other games. Over that 29-game span, MSU's bullpen has allowed just a total of 28 runs after the sixth inning.

Sophomore right-hander Mason Erla is the probable starter for Friday's series opener. Erla has a 2-8 record with a 5.07 ERA. One of Erla's best starts was against Indiana State. Erla went 9.0 innings and stymied the Sycamore bats to just two hits, as ISU entered the game hitting .282 as a team and had four players hitting over .300. Erla limited the Sycamores to just two hits while striking out six and walking just three, in firing a career-long outing as well as his second-fewest hits in his career. Overall, Erla has 56 strikeouts with 26 walks in a team-leading 71.0 IP, ranking tied for 10th in the B1G, while also sharing the league lead with 12 games started.

Junior lefty Mitchell Tyranski is slated to get the nod for Saturday's contest. Tyranski has a deceiving 2-7 mark with a 4.14 ERA, but was solid his last five times out, setting a then-career-long with 7.0 IP against Indiana State on April 6 and then matching it at Rutgers on April 13 to go with a career-high 10 strikeouts. He followed that up with nine strikeouts in 6.2 IP against Indiana on April 21. Last weekend against Northwestern on April 27, Tyranski went a new career-long going 8.0 IP with another nine K outing in earning his first win of the season. in his last outing, against Purdue last Saturday, Tyranski tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, in 7.2 innings, scattering just six hits with only one walk without allowing a run. Tyranski didn't allow a Boilermaker baserunner past first until the sixth, and only two Purdue runners reached third against him. Tyranski has fired at least nine strikeouts in his last four outings, giving him 38 Ks over that stretch as part of 60 strikeouts in his last eight outings.

In the match-up with the Sycamores, Tyranski chalked up six strikeouts, one shy of his season-high, while scattering just three hits, including none after the third inning. At one stretch, Tyranski had a streak of 15 batters set down in conventional and non-conventional order, working around a single in the third with a double play. The Sycamores scored their two runs in the first inning, before Tyranski settled in and was rolling. On April 13 at Rutgers, Tyranski struck out a career-high 10 in throwing a career-high 7.0 IP, while scattering nine hits and yielding two earned runs. Tyranski's 10 Ks is the second double-digit strikeout total this season for a Spartan pitcher, joining junior Mike Mokma's 11 Ks vs. Ohio State on March 9 in Greenville, S.C. On April 21 against Indiana, Tyranski chalked up nine Ks in 6.2 IP, yielding three runs. In the outing against Northwestern on April 27, Tyranski went a career-long 8.0, firing nine strikeouts while scattering five hits, yielding just two runs, one earned, and walking two in earning his first victory of the season. Tyranski has registered nine or more punchouts in the last three outings, as part of 51 Ks in his last seven outings. The junior southpaw has a team-leading 76 strikeouts, which is tied for eighth in the B1G, to just 18 walks in 63.0 IP. Tyranski also has a 10.86 strikeouts per nine innings average, ranking fifth in the B1G.

Junior right-hander Caleb Sleeman is the Spartans' probable starter for Sunday's series finale, bringing a 2-3 record and a 4.60 ERA into the weekend. After a short outing at Rutgers, going less than two innings, before bouncing back with 2.0 IP of work vs. Eastern Michigan, striking out two, Sleeman then went 4.0 IP against Indiana on April 21, chalking up four Ks but allowing four runs. He had a scheduled short outing against Toledo on April 24, going 2.0 IP while tallying three punchouts. Sleeman went 4.0 IP with four Ks against Northwestern on April 27, then tallied six Ks in 3.2 IP at Purdue on May 5.

Sleeman earned two wins on the week of April 2-7 in both a reliever role and a starter role, ending the week with 9.2 IP with 0 ER and nine strikeouts and just four hits. He threw 3.0 IP of relief on April 2 vs. Western Michigan at Comerica Park in Detroit, leading MSU to a 5-2 victory, limiting WMU to just one hit while striking out four. Against Indiana State on April 7, Sleeman made his first start of the season and his first since freshman season of 2017 and went a career-long 6.2 IP, tying career-high with five Ks and stymieing Indiana State to just three hits in a combined shutout. For the season, Sleeman has 45 Ks and 27 BB.

Out of the bullpen, senior southpaw Evan Flohr has a team-high 26 appearances, which is tied for the most in the B1G and tied for 11th in MSU single-season history. He has a 2-0 record with a 4.66 ERA, logging 34 strikeouts and 30 walks. Flohr earned his first win for the Green & White against Western Michigan on March 27. Junior righty Indigo Diaz has 47 Ks in 40.0 IP, now with a 2-4 record and six saves on the season. Diaz is tied for eighth in the B1G with the six saves, and No. 9 on MSU's single-season saves list. He is also tied for 12th with 19 strikeouts looking, and also ranked tied for 10th with 22 appearances. Diaz earned his first save of his MSU career against Western Michigan on March 27, after recently shifting from the starting rotation to the bullpen. Diaz also picked up the save in the win over WMU on April 2 at Comerica and at Notre Dame on April 9, ending both contests with strikeouts. He also collected the save against Toledo on April 24, also ringing up a strikeout to end it.

Weather With The Win
MSU has now had seven games so far either postponed or cancelled, as well as adjusting the start time on several others due to Mother Nature.

Comeback Spartans
Three of Michigan State's recent wins were all of the come-from-behind variety, as MSU rallied from a 3-0 deficit in game one vs. Indiana to win 5-3 on April 21. The Spartans were down 2-0 early against Oakland on April 23, before storming back with 12 unanswered runs to win 12-2. In the April 24 game against Toledo, the Spartans were down 1-0 before they had even come to the plate, as the visiting Rockets scored a run in the top of the first, before MSU rallied to win 4-2.

The Spartans have five wins this season when trailing by at least 2-0 before rallying to win. The 3-0 deficit in the seventh vs. Indiana was MSU's latest rally of the season, as they trailed 4-0 in the second at Arizona on March 5 and won 9-5; trailed 2-0 in the second vs. Western Michigan and won, 3-2, on April 27; were down 2-0 in the fifth at Notre Dame on April 9 and won, 3-2; trailed the Hoosiers, 3-0, in the seventh to win 5-3, on April 21.

Super Sevenths
MSU has plated four or more runs in an inning five times this season and three of the five occasions have now come in the seventh inning after a four-run seventh frame against Valpo on May 8, plating four runs on four hits. Also of the five times, they've been alternating, doing so the first, third and now fifth times, with a second and eighth big inning squeezed in. The Spartans hung eight runs on the board in the seventh inning at Arizona on March 5 to rally and win 9-5. On April 21 vs. Indiana, the Spartans plated five runs in the seventh, to overcome an early 3-0 deficit.

Carolina In My Mind And Travel Itinerary
Michigan State had the James Taylor tune on repeat in the early portion of the season, as the Spartans' trip to Greenville on March 15-17 was 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 March 8-10 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 on the night of March 10 for class and practice Monday-Wednesday, returning to Greenville on the evening of Thursday, March 14, then playing UConn in a four-game series at Fluor Field Friday-Sunday, March 15-17.

Striking 'Em Out
With seven strikeouts Wednesday vs. Valpo, the Spartan pitchers have now rung up 403 strikeouts so far this season, marking the fifth-straight season of reaching the 400 K plateau. The 403 Ks is currently No. 5 on the MSU single-season team strikeout list, needing just four more to match last season's 407 total at No. 4, and six more to match the 2015 output of 409 Ks at No. 3.

TEAM STRIKEOUTS
            1.          2016    466
            2.         2017     420
            3.         2015     409
            4.         2018    407
                5.            2019      403
            6.         2002    390
            7.         2012     389
            8.         1998    380
            9.         2004    378
            10.       2014    355

Road Warriors
Michigan State is one of 19 teams in the nation who played 18 or more consecutive games away from home to open the season, and MSU's 21 games is tied for the sixth-most ... After the Spartans' original home opener was postponed due to inclement weather, MSU had played 21 games away from home before Wednesday's home opener vs. Western Michigan ... Ironically, WMU leads the nation currently with 31 games away from home until their first home game on April 12, as the Broncos also had their original home game on March 12 postponed due to weather ... The Spartans are the only Big Ten team on the list, as MSU is the northernmost team in the B1G.

Team   No. of Games
Western Michigan     31
North Dakota State   26
Oakland          24
Eastern Michigan      23
Dartmouth     23
Central Michigan       22
Lafayette        22
Toledo 22
Hofstra           21
Michigan State               21
Milwaukee     21
South Dakota State   21
UConn 21
UMass 21
Canisius          20
Gonzaga         20
Niagara           20
Fairfield          19
Bradley           18

It's Dark, And We're Wearing Sunglasses... Hit It
MSU has posted a season-high 15 hits in three games and they've all come in the last eight games, doing so in back-to-back games vs. Northwestern on April 26 and 27, as well as Wednesday vs. Valpo. MSU's previous season high for hits as 14 in the April 7 win over Indiana State.

With the 15 hits vs. Valpo, combined with 12 hits at Purdue on May 5, the Spartans have had double-digit hits in two of their last three games as part of the fifth time in last 10 games. Overall, MSU has double-digit hits in 15 games.

Marty Mashing Doubles
Senior infielder Marty Bechina leads MSU and ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 14 doubles. Bechina now has 42 career doubles, which is tied for No. 8 on MSU's career doubles list with Matt Riggins (1993-96).

DOUBLES
1.          Blaise Salter   55        2012-15
2.         Ryan Kril         48        2012-15
            Scott Ayotte   47        1992-95
4.         Ryan Jones     46        2010-12
5.         Bob Malek      ..45      2000-02
6.         Jeff Holm        43        2008-11
            Joel Fisher      .43       2011-14
8.         Matt Riggins 42        1993-96
                Marty Bechina               42           2016-pres.
10.       Torsten Boss 40        2010-12
            Chris McCuiston        40        1999-02

Hurlin' Erla
Sophomore right-hander Mason Erla was dealing against Indiana State on April 5, going 9.0 innings and stymieing the Sycamore bats to just two hits, as ISU entered the game hitting .282 as a team and had four players hitting over .300. Erla limited the Sycamores to just two hits while striking out six and walking just three, in firing a career-long outing as well as his second-fewest hits in his career. Erla is also the Spartans' second 9.0 inning outing of the season, joining junior Mike Mokma's complete game vs. Ohio State in Greenville, S.C. on March 9. Erla's previous career-long outing was 7.0 IP done twice in his career, most recently April 1, 2018 vs. Rutgers.

Tossin' It Tyranski
Junior lefty Mitchell Tyranski has fired at least nine strikeouts in his last four outings, giving him 38 Ks over that stretch as part of 60 strikeouts in his last eight outings. The junior southpaw has a team-leading 76 strikeouts, which is tied for eighth in the B1G, to just 18 walks in 63.0 IP.

Tyranski tied a career high with 10 strikeouts without yielding a run and earning his second-straight win, at Purdue on May 4. The Spartan junior southpaw matched his 10-K outing for the second time in three outings, last striking out 10 at Rutgers on April 13 with 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings at Purdue, scattering just six hits with only one walk without allowing a run. Tyranski didn't allow a Boilermaker baserunner past first until the sixth, and only two Purdue runners reached third against him.

Tyranski started his banner streak of outings on April 6 vs. Indiana State in 7.0. He chalked up six strikeouts, one shy of his then season-high, while scattering just three hits, including none after the third inning. At one stretch, Tyranski had a streak of 15 batters set down in conventional and non-conventional order, working around a single in the third with a double play. The Sycamores scored their two runs in the first inning, before Tyranski settled in and was rolling.

Tyranski continued his solid pitching in his next outing, at Rutgers, as he struck out a career-high 10 in throwing a career-high tying 7.0 IP, while scattering nine hits and yielding two earned runs. Tyranski's 10 Ks is the second double-digit strikeout total this season for a Spartan pitcher, joining junior Mike Mokma's 11 Ks vs. Ohio State on March 9 in Greenville, S.C.

The southpaw kept his hot streak rolling against Indiana on April 21, going 6.2 IP, ringing up nine strikeouts, scattering six hits and yielding three runs around two walks.

In his outing against Northwestern on April 27, Tyranski went a career-long 8.0 IP, with nine strikeouts, including five through his first five batters of the game. Tyranski scattered five hits while allowing just one earned run with two walks.

Slingin' Sleeman
Junior right-hander Caleb Sleeman earned two wins on the week during April 2-7, in both a reliever role and a starter role, ending the week with 9.2 IP with 0 ER and nine strikeouts and just four hits. He threw 3.0 IP of relief on the night of April 2 vs. Western Michigan at Comerica Park in Detroit, leading MSU to a 5-2 victory, limiting WMU to just one hit while striking out four.

On Sunday, April 7 against Indiana State, Sleeman made his first start of the season and his first since freshman season of 2017 and went a career-long 6.2 IP, tying career-high with five Ks and stymieing Indiana State to just three hits in a combined shutout, for MSU's second shutout win of the weekend, and second in three days after not having a shutout since April 1, 2018, which was also a 6-0 victory. The Sycamores came into the weekend hitting .282 as a team and had four players hitting over .300, but Sleeman kept them quiet on the way to a 6-0 split shutout win. In the top of the sixth inning, Sleeman got a strikeout for the first out, then worked around a walk and hit by pitch by fielding his position on a come-backer, spinning and firing to second to start the Spartans' third double play of the game, their season-high third of the day.

Dealing Diaz
In his last 16 appearances, junior reliever Indigo Diaz has 23 strikeouts, including four that ended games and sealed victories for MSU, highlighted by the third of striking out the side in the ninth on April 9 at Notre Dame. Diaz has yielded just 12 hits with only two runs in 21.0 IP, with a 0.86 ERA in the stretch, while limiting the opposition to a .153 average. In that span, Diaz has earned six saves and two wins, along with being part of two shutouts.

Diaz has not allowed a run of any kind in 15 of his 18 total relief appearances, including a stretch of 13 in a row, which was snapped on April 27 by yielding a run against Northwestern. The only other relief outings with a run scored against him was March 16 vs. UConn in Greenville and May 4 at Purdue.

Silence Of The Sycamores
MSU's pitching staff limited Indiana State to just 11 hits in the three games, stymieing the Sycamore bats to the tune of a .122 batting average (11-of-90), only yielding two runs for a 0.64 ERA, while ringing up 21 strikeouts. Indiana State entered the weekend with a .282 average as a team and had four players hitting north of .300.

Bull-ish Pen
MSU's bullpen had a standout outing in the win over Western Michigan on March 27, as freshman Colten Panaranto, junior Caleb Sleeman, Flohr and Diaz collectively kept the Broncos at bay. Sleeman registered four strikeouts, while Panaranto posted a pair of punchouts and Flohr rang up one K, while limiting the hot WMU bats to just six hits in the final eight innings, as the Broncos entered the game ranking 24th in the NCAA with a .298 team batting average.

The first WMU match-up was the Spartan pen's season-long outing of the season at 7.1 IP, and was the group's second outing without yielding a run, both coming in the last three games joining March 22 at Nebraska in game two of the twinbill. The second strikeouts was the second-most behind eight Ks in 4.0 IP vs. UConn on March 17.

In the last 29 games since March 22, the Spartan bullpen has 107 Ks (3.7 pg) in 108.1 IP, with a paltry .208 batting average against and a 2.82 ERA. The pen has a 9-1 record with six saves over that span as well. The MSU relievers have combined to not allow an earned run in 11 of the last 20 games, including four-straight with all three of the Indiana State series and the Notre Dame game, as part of 14 times during that 29-game spurt, while only yielding one earned run in six other games. Over that 29-game span, MSU's bullpen has allowed just a total of 28 runs after the sixth inning.

King Kelley
MSU junior outfielder Bryce Kelley has swiped 18 bases so far this season, including a spurt of 12 in the last 23 games. The 18 swipes ranks Kelley leading the B1G.

Kelley became the fourth player in MSU baseball history to reach the 60 career stolen bases plateau with his 60th career swipe, that came at Rutgers on April 12. He now has 61 stolen bases, tying Brandon Eckerle (2008-11) for No. 3 on MSU's career stolen base list.

Last season, Kelley 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.

In 2018, 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.

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 18 swipes this season, he now has 64 career stolen bases, now No. 2 on MSU's career stolen base list. 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.

Speedy Spartan Trio
The speedy Spartan trio of junior outfielder Bryce Kelley, junior outfielder Danny Gleaves and senior infielder Marty Bechina are all ranked in the top 10 of the career stolen base list and the Spartan trio is the only the active threesome in the country to have three players on the respective school stolen base list. Kelley is No. 2 with 64 stolen bases, Gleaves is No. 9 with 34 and Bechina is No. 10 with 32. Senior outfielder Dan Chmielewski is close behind with 27. Chmielewski had two swipes in the Purdue series, while Bechina swiped one.

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.

Bechina has six swipes in the last 10 games, including a stretch of four in two games on April 23 and 24. Bechina now has 10 stolen bases this season and 32 for his career, moving up to sole possession of No. 10 MSU's career stolen base list, breaking free of a three-way logjam tying Jimmy Pickens (2012-15) and Joe Gavel (1968-69) with 30.

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.            Bryce Kelley     64           2017-pres.
3.         Jeff Holm        63        2008-11
3.         Brandon Eckerle        61        2008-11
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.          Marty Bechina               32           2016-pres.
11.        Jimmy Pickens           30        2012-15
            Joe Gavel        30        1968-69
--             Dan Chmielewski          27           2016-pres.

Solo Shots
Of the Spartans' 19 home runs so far this season, 11 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 struck again with a solo shot in the sixth inning vs. UConn at March 16 ... Proctor added a leadoff solo shot in the third inning of Friday's game one at Nebraska on March 22 ... Freshman outfielder Casey Mayes has the last two round-trippers, with a pinch-hit two-run shot at Nebraska March 24 and a two-run blast on April 7 vs. Indiana State ... Proctor blasted a towering solo home run at Notre Dame on April 9, as well as a solo shot vs. Indiana on April 21, sending the ball into the Red Cedar River beyond the wall in right field ... Bechina had a solo shot against Northwestern on April 27 ... Proctor had a monster shot at Purdue on May 4, a deep home run that cleared not just the right field fence, but the Spartans' bullpen and landed in the Purdue soccer field, a good distance from the edge of the baseball stadium.

Adam Bombs
Sophomore catcher Adam Proctor leads MSU with eight home runs, ranking tied for 10th in the B1G. With eight home runs out of his 15 hits, Proctor is the only player in the country with five or more round-trippers to have half of their hits be home runs. The next closest player is Jason Hinchman of Tennessee Tech, who has 20 home runs of his 47 hits.

On April 23 vs. Oakland, Proctor smashed a three-run home run deep into the Red Cedar River beyond the right field wall as part of a six-run sixth inning for the Green & White. It was Proctor's team-leading seventh HR of the season, including belting three of the Spartans' last four round-trippers. It was his second-straight game with a home run into the Red Cedar, also sending one into the river Sunday vs. Indiana.

The round-tripper against the Hoosiers was a solo shot in the sixth inning of game two. Proctor blasted the first pitch he saw into the Red Cedar River with a shot high into the trees and just inside the right field foul line.

Proctor's previous HR was April 9 at Notre Dame, a pinch-hit towering solo shot to right field in the sixth.

At Purdue on May 4, Proctor's towering deep home run cleared not just the right field fence, but the Spartans' bullpen and landed in the Purdue soccer field, a good distance from the edge of the baseball stadium. Purdue right fielder Cole McKenzie didn't even move, only shuffling his feet to watch the ball sail out of the park.

Over half of Proctor's hits have been extra bases, as along with his eight home runs, he has one double for eight extra-base hits of his 15 total hits.

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 broke out of a homeless stretch with a solo shot on April 27 against Northwestern ... For his career, Bechina has now blasted four two-run home runs as part of 19 total career round-trippers, with 14 solo shots.

Casey At The Bat For Sunday Slams
Freshman outfielder Casey Mayes now has four home runs, with his first two coming on Sundays, before his last two have been launched on a Friday night. He had a three-run round tripper on Friday night, April 19 vs. Indiana, marking the first that didn't come on a Sunday. Mayes then added a two-run HR against Northwestern on Friday night, April 26.

Mayes mashed his first home run as a Spartan with a two-run pinch hit blast in the eighth inning of the game at Nebraska on Sunday, March 24.

He blasted his first home run at home on Sunday, April 7 against Indiana State for MSU's first two runs in a 6-0 victory.

Against Indiana on April 19, Mayes, a left-handed batter, blasted an opposite field shot down the left field line, into the wind, and sending the ball into the trees beyond the left field fence for a three-run round tripper.

Mayes mirrored his home run vs. Northwestern from the shot against Indiana, as the conditions of cold, damp and windy were identical, and it was opposite field down the left field line.

Second Inning Slams
A total of five of MSU's 19 home runs have come in the second inning, while four have come in the sixth and four in the eighth ... 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 ... Freshman outfielder Casey Mayes mashed a two-run home run in the second inning on the 6-0 victory for MSU over Indiana State on April 7 ... 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.

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Players Mentioned

Royce Ando

Marty Bechina

Dan Chmielewski

William Christophersen

Indigo Diaz

Dan Durkin

Mason Erla

Evan Flohr

Danny Gleaves

Brandon Hughes

Zach Iverson

Bryce Kelley

Nic Lacayo

Casey Mayes

Mike Mokma

Colten Panaranto

Adam Proctor

Chad Roskelly

Caleb Sleeman

Mitchell Tyranski

Zaid Walker