11th Annual First Pitch Invitational At Fluor Field In Greenville On Tap For Spartans

MICHIGAN STATE (5-3, 0-0 B1G) AT 2020 FIRST PITCH INVITATIONAL
Location	Fluor Field \|\| Greenville, S.C.
Tickets	Flour Field Tickets
Weather	High/Low - Fri: 52^°/ 33^° \| Sat: 53^° / 28^° \| Sun: 59^° / 39^°
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Kansas \| Western Carolina \| Ball State
Tournament Central	2020 First Pitch Invitational
Social Media	@statebaseball \| MichiganStateBaseball @statebaseballgogreen
Television	None
Game 1	Friday, Feb. 28 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Kansas
Probable Pitching Matchup	KU: #37 RHP Ryan Cyr (SR) (0-2, 2.25 ERA) MSU: #30 RHP Mason Erla (JR) (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen (Kansas)
Game 2	Saturday, Feb. 29 - 6 p.m. ET - vs. Western Carolina
Probable Pitching Matchup	WCU: #32 RHP Chase Walter (JR) (0-1, 16.50 ERA) MSU: #12 LHP Jarret Olson (SR) (0-1, 1.93 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats
Game 3	Sunday, March 1 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Ball State
Probable Pitching Matchup	BSU: #22 RHP Chayce McDermott (SO) (0-1, 13.50 ERA) MSU: #8 RHP Sam Benschoter (SR) (1-0, 5.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen (Ball State)

• Michigan State baseball will open its Spring Break trip by hosting the 11th Annual First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, in Greenville, S.C., Friday-Sunday, Feb. 28-March 1, welcoming Kansas, Western Carolina and Ball State.

• MSU and Kansas open the action up on Friday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Ball State vs. Western Carolina at 5 p.m. ... Saturday features three games, with Ball State and Kansas playing a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m., with game two slated for approximately 2 p.m., with Michigan State and Western Carolina taking the diamond at 6 p.m. ... Sunday's final day of play starts off at 10 a.m. with Kansas vs. Western Carolina, before MSU and Ball State wrap up the weekend at 1 p.m.

• All the games will have live stats through "Live Stats" links found at MSUSpartans.com ... There will be audio streams available for the Kansas and Ball State games, but no video stream.

SERIES HISTORIES
• Michigan State and Kansas are meeting on the baseball diamond for the first time in the 136 years of Spartan baseball history, marking MSU's third-straight opponent that the Spartans are meeting for the first time, joining Morehead State and Merrimack.

• MSU and Western Carolina are meeting at Fluor Field in Greenville for the second year in a row, as the Catamounts played in the 2019 First Pitch Invitational ... The Spartans have a 2-1 series lead, and all three meetings have been played at Fluor Field in Greenville, with MSU winning 5-3 in 2008 and 4-1 in 2013, before WCU won last season's meeting, 6-4 in 11 innings.
• Michigan State is 13-8 all-time against Ball State, but are meeting for the first time since 2000, on the Redbirds took both meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., winning 9-7 and 10-3 ... The 2000 meetings are the only other previous neutral meetings, having met the other 16 times on one of the team's home fields, with MSU holding a 3-1 lead in East Lansing and 10-5 in Muncie, Ind.

12-12 AGAINST XII
• While Michigan State is taking on Kansas for the first time, the Spartans are 12-12 in their previous games against Big XII teams, having played six other conference teams: Baylor (1-0), Kansas State (0-5), Oklahoma (2-2), Oklahoma State (0-1), TCU (2-1) and West Virginia (7-3).

CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune again this season, as this weekend's Greenville trip is the third and final of three trips to the Palmetto State for the Spartans this season.

• The Green & White were in Charleston for four games in the weekend, playing a four-game series vs. Morehead State at Shipyard Park, in an all-MSU match-up ... The Spartans swept the series, winning 15-3 in the opener in a Valentine's Day special on Friday night, Feb. 14, then swept the twinbill on Saturday, Feb. 15, winning 5-2 and 5-3, before completing the weekend with a 10-4 win on Sunday, Feb. 16. ... Last weekend, MSU played four games against Merrimack at Fluor Field in Greenville, falling in Friday's opener, 9-6 in 11 innings, before being defeated in Saturday's doubleheader, 3-1 and 7-5, but bouncing back to win the getaway game on Sunday, 15-14 in 10 innings, on Peter Ahn's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th.

YOU'LL BE BACK
• The Spartans will be making a return trek to Greenville to host its annual First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field this weekend on Feb. 28-March 1 ... Michigan State will stay in Greenville to take on South Carolina Upstate on Wednesday, March 4 in the first half of the Spartans' Spring Break trip, before finishing the week in Pensacola, Fla.

• Last season, Michigan State also played in South Carolina in three weekends, playing in Conway, S.C. for the Coastal Carolina-hosted Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach ... The Spartans then were in Greenville on the second half of Spring Break trip, hosting the First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, facing Western Carolina, Ohio State and Appalachian State ... MSU traveled home to East Lansing, before returning to Greenville for a weekend series vs. UConn.

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 CONNECTIONS
• 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. 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.

• 1967 Michigan State baseball alum Bill Wooley, who was the 2020 Alumnus of the Year at the MSU Baseball First Pitch Dinner on Feb. 1, and his wife, Mary, live in
nearby Greer, South Carolina.

Wooley was a four-year letterwinner for the Spartan baseball team from 1964-67. He was utility infielder on the freshman team in 1964 for head coach Tom Smith, before moving up to varsity and was utility infielder and team manager from 1965-67 for head coach Danny Litwhiler.

A native of Detroit, Mich., Wooley graduated from Michigan State University College of Business in 1967 with a bachelor's of business administration (BBA) with general business and marketing emphasis. Wooley began his business career in July 1967 with the Dupont Corporation, in the textile fibers division in New York City, where he worked for nine years until 1976. He joined Johnson & Johnson in the healthcare industry in 1976 with a career track in sales, product management, where he was General Manager/ Vice President for 22 years before retiring in 1998. Wooley was Chairman of the Board for NICORE, Inc. (1999-2006) and was president of the private startup company with products to treat congestive heart problems, before retiring in 2006.

Wooley was also an assistant baseball coach at Eastlake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida for 12 years, where he coached approximately 10 players who made it to Major League Baseball, most notably utility player Chris Coghlan, who was in the Majors for 10 years, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 with the Florida Marlins, also playing for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

Wooley and his wife, Mary (Bigelow), who is a 1967 MSU alum with her education degree, met at MSU in the fall term of their freshman year and dated all through
college, and have been married 52 years. They have three children, twins Daniel and Deborah, and daughter Alicia, and four grandchildren.

NORTH CAROLINIAN IVERSON CLOSE TO HOME
• MSU junior infielder/pitcher Zach Iverson is from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where the Spartans have flown into on most of their trips to Greenville ... Iverson has started off the 2020 season hitting .258 (8-of-31) with one triple, and five RBI, logging a .471 slugging percentage and a .353 on-base percentage ... He has opened the season with a five-game hitting streak ... Iverson also has two pitching appearances, on opposite ends of games, as he first came on to pitch the ninth inning of the season-opener on Feb. 14 vs. Morehead State, logging 1.0 IP with one K to close out the game and seal the victory for MSU ... He started last Sunday's game vs. Merrimack, making his first career start as a Spartan hurler, going 4.0 IP with five strikeouts, scattering seven hits.

• Last season, Iverson played in 48 games, making 44 starts, with all but two starts at third base, while making two starts at first base ... He logged a .178 average with seven doubles, one triple and one home run, posting a .287 on-base percentage and a .267 slugging percentage.

• In 2018, 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.

BURN
• It may be cold and snowy in East Lansing, but MSU senior infielder Bailey Peterson has been hotter than hot of late, hitting .706 (12-of-17) for the weekend against Merrimack, highlighted by going 5-for-5 in the series opener on Feb. 21, for MSU's first 5-for-5 game since 2010 ... He added a run and an RBI, along with a walk and swiped two bases ... Peterson had at least two hits in all four games, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's opener, then 3-for-5 with three RBI in the nightcap, before finishing the weekend off going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, adding three walks on Sunday.

• Peterson not only leads the Big Ten, but shares the NCAA lead for hits with 19 so far, with three going for doubles and one triple.
• Peterson is now hitting .613 (19-for-31) for the season with three doubles and one triple, with 14 RBI and drawing seven walks ... He also has five stolen bases on the season ... Peterson has a .774 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage.

• Peterson had a streak of reaching base in 10-straight at bats in a span from the game on Feb. 17, starting with a single and triple in his last two at bats in that game vs. Morehead State ... Peterson then went 5-for-5 with a walk in series-opener vs. Merrimack on Feb. 14, then opened second game of series vs. Merrimack on Feb. 15 with a single and double, before the streak came to an end with a popup ... Peterson had seven singles, a double, a triple and a walk in that 10-at bat streak.

• Entering the weekend on a six-game hitting streak, Peterson has only been held hitless in the second game of the season, on Feb. 15 vs. Morehead State, while having at least one hit in the other seven games, while posting multiple hits in six games with three games of three hits and highlighted by the five-hit outing.

• Peterson also has reached base at least once in all eight games, and is joined by senior outfielder Bryce Kelley, as the lone Spartans to reach base in all eight games this season.

• Peterson also had a team-leading four games with multiple RBI outings, highlighted by the four ribbies in the season-opener vs. Morehead State, while adding three on Saturday vs. Merrimack and two other games with a pair of RBI each.

A WINTER'S BALL
• MSU senior outfielder Bryce Kelley has also been hitting the winter's baseball, as he is close behind Peterson with 15 hits, including a team-best 8-game hitting streak in the first eight games of the season.

• Along with having at least one hit in each of MSU's first eight games of the season, Kelley has four multi-hit outings, topped by a season-best four hits in the season-opener vs. Morehead State, while logging three in the second game of the series, and two each in games three and four of the weekend ... Kelley had one hit in each of the four games vs. Merrimack.

• Kelley also tops the Big Ten and ranks ninth in the NCAA with 12 runs scored.

• Kelley has also been streaking on the basepaths, as he leads the Big Ten and is 10th in the NCAA with six stolen bases already on the season ... The Spartan speedster now has 70 for his career, just nine shy of tying Anthony Cheky (2012-15) for the MSU career stolen base record of 79 stolen bases.

• Kelley already holds the single-season record with 33 stolen bases in 2018, adding 18 last season and 13 as a freshman in 2017.

CONGRATULATIONS
• Michigan State's seniors Bailey Peterson and Bryce Kelley either lead or share the Big Ten lead in six offensive categories, while senior Andrew Morrow tops the conference in doubles, and redshirt-sophomore Peter Ahn and junior Zach Iverson are also in the top 10 of several statistical categories ... Peterson also is all over the NCAA stat rankings, including leading the nation in hits with 19, along with many other marks:

Category B1G/NCAA Rank. Name - Value
Batting Average 1/3. Peterson - .613
2/30. Morrow - .500
4/87. Kelley - .441
Slugging Pct. T-1/T-13. Morrow - 1.000
3. Peterson - .774
8. Ahn - .667
On-Base Pct. 1/8. Peterson - .667
2.11. Morrow - .650
7. Kelley - .486
Runs Scored 1/9. Kelley - 12
T-4. Ahn - 8
T-6. Iverson - 7
Hits 1/T-1. Peterson - 19
2. Kelley - 15
T-4. Ahn - 11
RBI 1/7. Peterson - 14
T-5. Ahn - 8
Doubles 1/7. Morrow - 5
T-2/T-26. Ahn - 4
T-5. Peterson - 3
Triples 1/T-5. Ahn - 2
Total Bases 1. Peterson - 24
2. Ahn - 22
T.6 Kelley - 16
Walks T-1/T.60. Peterson - 7
Stolen Bases 1/10. Kelley - 6
T-2/T-20. Peterson - 5
Sac Bunts T-1/T-22. Kark - 2

• A Michigan State player leading the B1G stat rankings isn't limited to the offensive side, as
redshirt-junior Pitcher Mason Erla shares the league-lead in innings pitched, while senior
Jarret Olson shares the top mark in the conference and country for complete games, along
with other top rankings for other Spartan hurlers:
ERA T-8. Berghorst - 0.96
10. Erla - 1.29
15. Sleeman - 1.69
Opp. BA 8. Olson - .156
IP T-1. Erla - 14.0
Complete Games T-1. Olson - 1
Strikeouts 2/T-7. Erla - 22
3/T-42. Benschoter - 18
T-7. Olson - 14
T-7. Sleeman - 14
K/9 Inn. T-2/T-10. Benschoter - 18.0
Batters Struck Out Looking T3. Sleeman - 4
T3. Erla - 3
T-3. Benschoter - 4

AHN WITH THE OFF
• Redshirt-sophomore infielder Peter Ahn's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning boosted Michigan State baseball to a wild, 15-14 win over Merrimack on Sunday ... Ahn blasted the second pitch he saw from Merrimack relief pitcher Jake Thibault off the top of the wall in right center and into the bullpen beyond the wall, sparking the Spartans' celebration, as he was met at home plate by the rest of his jubilant teammates.

• Not only was it Ahn's first home run as a Spartan, but it was also his first walk-off home run at any level of his baseball career.

• Ahn ended the game 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.

• For the season, Ahn is hitting .333 (11-for-33) with four doubles, a B1G-leading two triples and lone home run with the walk-off, logging eight RBI and adding one stolen base.

TEN DUAL COMMANDMENTS
• Kansas brings a 4-3 record into the weekend, after opening the season taking two of three at Belmont to open the season, then splitting a fourgame series at Charleston Southern ... The Jayhawks won their two games big, winning 13-4 and 9-1, and lost small and close, falling 2-1 and 1-0.

• Junior infielder Skyler Messinger leads KU with a .273 average, with a .429 on-base percentage, adding one double, one HR and three RBI.

• Friday's probable starter on the mound is senior right-hander Ryan Cyr, who has an 0-2 record with a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 IP with seven Ks, with one complete game.

• Western Carolina is 5-3 on the season after falling at home to Georgia State, 10-9 in 10 innings, in a back-and-forth contest Wednesday night ... The Catamounts have now lost three in a row after opening the season with five-straight wins, sweeping a four-game series with Chicago State, then beating Big Ten foe, Illinois, 9-2, at the Coastal Carolina Tournament on Myrtle Beach and Conway, S.C. ... WCU later lost to Kennesaw State, 12-0 and Saint Joseph's, 9-2.

• Junior infielder Daniel Walsh leads WCU, hitting .481 with two doubles and four RBI, drawing seven walks.
• Saturday's probable pitching starter is junior righty Chase Walter, who has an 0-1 record with a 16.50 ERA, starting two games, but going just 6.0 IP with 10 hits and 11 earned runs, striking out 11 and walking 11.

• Ball State comes into the weekend with a 2-4 mark, the only team in the field below .500 ... The Cardinals took two of three games at Houston Baptist, winning a pair of extra-inning contests, 5-3 in 11 innings on Friday and 6-3 in 11 innings on Saturday, before falling 10-8 in the finale on Sunday.

• The Cardinals have two players hitting over .300, in junior outfielder Nick Powell, who leads BSU hitting .375 in just eight at bats, while sophomore infielder Juston Conant has a .364 average ... Conant has eight hits, all singles, with three RBI.

• Sunday's probable starter is sophomore right-hander Chayce McDermott, who has an 0-1 record with a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 IP with three Ks and one BB.

UN-DEUX-TROIS-QUATRE-CINQ-SIX
• With Michigan State's 15-3 season-opening win over Morehead State, the Spartans have won six of their last seven season-openers, with the only blemish in that span coming in a 5-4 loss in the 2018 season lid lifter at Fresno State that halted a four-game season-opening win streak for MSU.

• Last season, Michigan State doubled up the Privateers of New Orleans, 8-4, at New Orleans, on Feb. 15, 2019.

• Michigan State improved to 10-2 in season-openers under head coach Jake Boss Jr.

• Since 2000, the Spartans are now 15-6 in the first game of the season ... Overall, MSU is 82-53 all-time in known season-openers, as the Spartans are in their 136th season of baseball.

MEET ME INSIDE
• The Spartans return five position starters and three returning starting pitchers from last season, as the Green & White finished the 2019 season winning three of its last four B1G series, including two on the road.
• The Spartans also had three wins over Top 25 teams down the stretch, with a pair of wins at No. 24 Iowa on May 11 and 12, and a win over No. 23 Illinois on May 17.
• MSU celebrated not only its 135th year of baseball in 2019, including honoring the 65th anniversary of the 1954 College World Series team and also the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Big Ten Champion and NCAA Regional team, but also its first with lights at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, going 7-2 at home under the lights.

YOUNG, SCRAPPY AND HUNGRY
• Michigan State has six newcomers on the 2020 roster, and all six made their Spartan debuts in the opening weekend:
• Junior pitcher Wyatt Rush - 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Sophomore infielder Trevor Hopman - 1 G, defensive sub
• Freshman infielder Dillon Kark - No. 1 Impact Freshman by D1Baseball.com - started all four G at SS, .308 (4-13), 1 2B, 2 RBI
• Freshman outfielder/pitcher Zach Hopman - 2 G, .500 (1-2)
• Freshman outfielder Jack Frank - No. 18 Impact Freshman by D1Baseball.com - started all four G in OF, .222 (4-18), 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
• Freshman pitcher Adam Berghorst - No. 25 Impact Freshman by D1Baseball.com - 4.0 IP on 2/16, 1 H, 0 ER, Save

NOT THROWING AWAY THEIR SHOT
• Michigan State traveled to Charleston with 10 Spartans making their first official road trip, including the aforementioned six newcomers:
• Junior pitcher Wyatt Rush
• Sophomore infielder Trevor Hopman
• Freshman infielder Dillon Kark
• Freshman outfielder/pitcher Zach Hopman
• Freshman outfielder Jack Frank
• Freshman pitcher Adam Berghorst
• Plus four other players who either redshirted or didn't travel last season:
• Senior pitcher Danny Gielselman
• Redshirt-freshman catcher Gabe Sotres
• Redshirt-freshman pitchers William Christophersen
• Redshirt-freshman pitcher Brian Martin
• MSU also had two new members of the Spartan staff make their debuts in the Green & White last weekend in Volunteer Assistant Coach Matt Rembielak and new Director of Baseball Operations Ryan Krokos.

ONE LAST TIME
Michigan State has eight seniors on the 2020 roster:
• Infielder Justin Antoncic
• Pitcher Sam Benschoter
• Pitcher Danny Gieselman
• Outfielder Bryce Kelley
• Infielder/Outfielder Andrew Morrow
• Pitcher Jarret Olson
• Infielder/Outfielder Bailey Peterson
• Pitcher Caleb Sleeman

THE WORLD WAS WIDE ENOUGH... IT'S QUIET UPTOWN
• Michigan State opens the 2020 season seeing the world outside of East Lansing, as the Spartans' first 18 games of the season are played away from home, as Kobs Field at McLane Stadium will be quiet for awhile.

• The Green & White starts off with 15 neutral site games, followed by three true road games.

• The Spartans are slated to make their home opener on Wednesday, March 18 vs. Toledo.

WHAT COMES NEXT?
• Michigan State will stay in Greenville to take on South Carolina-Upstate on Wednesday, March 4 at Fluor Field, in the first half of the Spartans' Spring Break trip, before finishing the week in Pensacola, Fla. for the Pensacola Cox Diamond Invitational at Blue Wahoos Stadium ... MSU will tangle with Troy on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m., then face Louisiana on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m., before wrapping up the weekend against Samford on Sunday, March 8 at 11 a.m.

11th Annual First Pitch Invitational At Fluor Field In Greenville On Tap For Spartans

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Ahn

Justin Antoncic

Sam Benschoter

Adam Berghorst

William Christophersen

Mason Erla

Jack Frank

Danny Gieselman

Trevor Hopman

Zach Hopman

Zach Iverson

Dillon Kark

Bryce Kelley

Brian Martin

Andrew Morrow

Jarret Olson

Bailey Peterson

Wyatt Rush

Caleb Sleeman

Gabe Sotres

11th Annual First Pitch Invitational At Fluor Field In Greenville On Tap For Spartans

Related News

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Ahn

Justin Antoncic

Sam Benschoter

Adam Berghorst

William Christophersen

Mason Erla

Jack Frank

Danny Gieselman

Trevor Hopman

Zach Hopman

Zach Iverson

Dillon Kark

Bryce Kelley

Brian Martin

Andrew Morrow

Jarret Olson

Bailey Peterson

Wyatt Rush

Caleb Sleeman

Gabe Sotres

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