Spartan Baseball Squaring Off With Troy, Louisiana and Samford This Weekend at Pensacola Cox Diamond Invite

MICHIGAN STATE (8-4, 0-0 B1G) AT 2020 PENSACOLA COX DIAMOND INVITATIONAL
Location	Blue Wahoos Stadium \|\| Pensacola, Fla.
Tickets	P ensacola Cox Diamond Invitational
Weather	High/Low - Fri: 66^°/ 41^° \| Sat: 64^° / 47^° \| Sun: 64^° / 54^°
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Troy \| Louisiana \| Samford
Tournament Central	2020 Pensacola Cox Diamond Invitational
Social Media	@statebaseball \| MichiganStateBaseball @statebaseballgogreen
Television	Fri./Sat: None \| Sun: Cox Sports Television
Game 1	Friday, Mar. 6 - 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT - vs. Troy
Probable Pitching Matchup	TROY: #40 RHP Levi Thomas (JR) (2-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #30 RHP Mason Erla (JR) (1-0, 1.42 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen (Troy)
Game 2	Saturday, Mar. 7 - 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT - vs. Louisiana
Probable Pitching Matchup	UL: #32 RHP Brandon Young (SR) (2-0, 1.47 ERA) MSU: #12 LHP Jarret Olson (SR) (1-1, 2.18 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Listen (Louisiana)
Game 3	Sunday, Mar. 8 - 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT - vs. Samford
Probable Pitching Matchup	SAM: #45 RHP Jesse McCord (SR) (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats

• Michigan State baseball will wrap up its Spring Break trip this weekend in Pensacola, Florida, participating in the Pensacola Cox Diamond Invitational at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium ... MSU will square off with Troy on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT, then taking on Louisiana on Saturday, March 7 at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT, before wrapping up against Samford on Sunday, March 8 at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. ET.

• All three Spartans games will have live stats through "Live Stats" links found at MSUSpartans.com ... There will be limited audio and video streams available, with links also found at MSUSpartans.com.

• MSU is 3-2 vs. Troy, having last met in 2016, also in Pensacola, with the Spartans topping the Trojans, 3-0 ... Michigan State is also 3-0 in the series in games played on neutral fields.

• The Spartans are meeting Louisiana on the diamond for the first time, marking MSU's fourth opponent this season that is meeting for the first time, joining Morehead State, Merrimack and Kansas.

• Michigan State is 1-0 against Samford, only having previously met 2010 in Birmingham, with the Spartans winning, 7-4.

SPARTANS IN PENSACOLA
• Michigan State is making its first trip to Pensacola since 2016 when they also played in the Pensacola Cox Diamond Invitational, going 2-1 on the weekend on March 4-6, 2016 ... MSU opened with a 2-0 loss to Southern Miss, before blanking both Auburn and Troy by identical 3-0 scores ...

CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune again this season, as last weekend's Greenville trip was 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 opening 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 the series opener on Feb. 21, 9-6 in 11 innings, before being defeated in the doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 22, 3-1 and 7-5, but bouncing back to win the getaway game on Sunday, Feb. 23, 15-14 in 10 innings, on Peter Ahn's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th.

• MSU won the First Pitch Invitational, going 3-0, with three tough games, beating Kansas, 8-7, on Zach Iverson's walk-off single ... The Spartans then had their third-straight walk-off win with a defensive walk-off win over Western Carolina, 4-3 Saturday night, as outfielder Bryce Kelley fired a laser from center to redshirt-freshman catcher Gabe Sotres for the tag to nab the WCU runner in the bottom of the ninth trying to tie the game ... Michigan State then rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the fourth against Ball State to win 8-6 on Sunday.

• Michigan State capped off its time in Greenville with a 7-4 loss to USC Upstate Wednesday evening in an all-Spartan clash, as MSU's late rally was thwarted.

ABOUT BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM
• Entering its eighth season, Blue Wahoos Stadium is widely considered one of the premier facilities in Minor League Baseball ... Recently named the "Best View" in Double-A baseball, the ballpark has established itself as one of the best places to enjoy a Minor League Baseball game in the country.

• The stadium was designed by Populous, a company renowned for creating outstanding sports facilities including numerous Major League ballparks, as well as NFL, NBA and NHL stadiums ... The multi-use facility was designed to be used year-round by the community, hosting college football games, youth tournaments, concerts, and other community events throughout the year.

• With a capacity of 5,038 fans, Blue Wahoos Stadium is the smallest in the Southern League, allowing fans to get closer to the players and the action than any other park in the league ... Nestled alongside the water in Pensacola's Community Maritime Park, the field provides unbeatable views of the Pensacola Bay ... The playing surface at Blue Wahoos Stadium was officially named Admiral Fetterman Field in 2015 in honor of the late Admiral Jack Fetterman who was instrumental in the creation of Community Martime Park for the Pensacola community.

AHN WAS ON IN GREENVILLE, EARNING PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Michigan State baseball redshirt-sophomore infielder Peter Ahn has been named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, for his performance over the weekend, as announced by the conference office on Monday, March 2.

Minnesota's Mex Meyer was named the Pitcher of the Week, while Nebraska's Leighton Banjoff was the Freshman of the Week.

Ahn joins teammate, senior outfielder Bryce Kelley as the Spartans' Big Ten Player of the Week recipients this season, as Michigan State has collected two of the first three of the season and three of the last five weekly honors dating back to last season, after Royce Ando earned the honor on May 13, 2019. Ahn and Kelley's accolades this season have surpassed last year's total of one, as Ando's honor was the only Big Ten weekly honor for the Spartans last season.

A native of Delafield, Wisconsin, Ahn hit .636 (7-of-11) for the weekend, with six RBI and five runs scored, helping MSU win the 2020 First Pitch Invitational going 3-0 for the weekend at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive. He posted an .818 slugging percentage and a .615 on-base percentage. Ahn also added two stolen bases, one walk and one sacrifice fly, in scoring five runs.

Ahn posted at least two hits in all three games, including going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI in MSU's 8-7 win over Kansas on Friday, scoring the winning run of the walk-off victory, adding one walk and walk stolen base, along with a sac fly ... The stolen base came after leading off the ninth with a single and then stealing second to get in scoring position, and moved to third on a passed ball, before scoring the winning run on Zach Iverson's walk-off single.

He went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and stolen base in Saturday's 4-3 win over Western Carolina, driving in the first run of the game with an RBI single in the first, adding a single and stolen base in the third ... Ahn then wrapped up the weekend going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in MSU's come-from-behind 8-6 win over Ball State ... He smacked an RBI triple in the third inning of Sunday's game for MSU's second run of the game, and later, in the seventh, knocked a two-run single for the Spartans' first runs of inning, sparking MSU's comeback from down 6-2 for second and third RBI of the day.

Defensively, Ahn made 16 putouts and an assist without an error in playing first base all 27 innings of MSU's weekend action.

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 the first game of the DH, 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 in the series finale.

• Peterson not only leads the Big Ten, but is sixth in the NCAA for hits with 23 so far, with four going for doubles and one triple.

• Along with topping the B1G in hits, Peterson is also leading the league in batting average (.510) and RBI (15), along with sharing the lead for total bases (31), while ranking third in on-base percentage (.569), tied for fifth in doubles (4), tied for ninth in runs scored (11) and 10th in slugging percentage (.633).

• In the NCAA stat rankings, Peterson is also sixth in average (.510) and 15th in on-base percentage (.569).

• After hitting over .600 last week at .613, Peterson has "cooled off" and is now hitting .510 (25-for-49) for the season with four doubles and one triple, with 15 RBI and drawing eight walks ... He also has seven stolen bases on the season ... Peterson has a .633 slugging percentage and a .559 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 10-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 11 games, while posting multiple hits in eight games with three games of three hits and highlighted by the five-hit outing.

• Peterson also has reached base at least once in all 12 games, and is joined by senior outfielder Bryce Kelley, as the lone Spartans to reach base in all 12 games this season.

• Peterson also shares the team lead with four multi-RBI outings, matched by teammate Peter Ahn ... Peterson's numbers are highlighted by the four ribbies in the season-opener vs. Morehead State, while adding three in one of the games against Merrimack, along with 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 25 hits, including a team-best 12-game hitting streak in the first 12 games of the season.

• Along with having at least one hit in each of MSU's first 12 games to open the season, Kelley has six 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 vs. Morehead State and in last Sunday's game vs. Ball State, and two hits in three other games.

• Kelley also tops the Big Ten and ranks 26th in the NCAA with 16 runs scored ... He also ranks second in hits (22), fourth in the B1G in batting average (.440) and tied for sixth in on-base percentage (.500).

• Kelley has also been streaking on the basepaths, as he leads the Big Ten and is tied for 12th in the NCAA with eight stolen bases already on the season ... The Spartan speedster now has 72 for his career, just seven 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.

BRYCE KELLEY, SIR
• Michigan State's Bryce Kelley was tabbed as the Big Ten Conference Co-Player of the Week, for his performance in the opening weekend.

• Kelley, a senior outfielder, shared the accolade with fellow outfielder, Grant Richardson of Indiana ... Michigan's Steven Hajjar collected both the Pitcher and Freshman of the Week awards.

• A two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, this is Kelley's first career Big Ten Player of the Week award ... He is the first Spartan to collect Big Ten Player of the Week accolades since former teammate Royce Ando earned the honor on May 13, 2019, as Michigan State has now won two of the last three Player of the Week honors dating back to last season.

• A native of Rockford, Michigan, Kelley hit .647 (11-of-17) for the weekend, which leads the Big Ten by over .100, as well as ranking 15th in the NCAA ... Kelley is the only player in Big Ten to hit over .500 that played in four games, leading Michigan State to a four-game sweep of Morehead State in Charleston, South Carolina at Shipyard Park, as the Spartans were the only Big Ten team to win all four of their games on the weekend.

• The 11 hits by Kelley also leads not only the Big Ten, but shares the lead for the most in the NCAA, and is three hits more than any other player in the conference ... Kelley had at least two hits in all four games played, including going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, adding one stolen base in Michigan State's 15-3 win in the series opener on Friday ... He also went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in game one of Saturday's doubleheader ... Kelley was also a standout on the basepaths, swiping three stolen bases on the weekend, which shares the lead in the Big Ten with two teammates, Danny Gleaves and Bailey Peterson.

• Overall, Kelley posted a .647 on-base percentage, which is second in the Big Ten and a .706 slugging percentage, that is fifth, also ranking fifth in runs scored with five ... He is also second in the B1G in total bases with 12, only trailing teammate Peter Ahn who has 13.

I KNOW HIM
• MSU's Peter Ahn and Bryce Kelley were both on the front page of the Big Ten Conference's web page, www.bigten.org on the Monday following their respective Big Ten Baseball Player of the Week Awards.

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 Feb. 23 ... 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.

IVERSON TALKIN' ABOUT A WALK-OFF
• Junior infielder/pitcher Zach Iverson provided Michigan State with its second walk-off win in a row, smacking a single to right center field to propel an 8-7 victory for MSU over Kansas, Friday afternoon in the opening game of the 2020 First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.

• After the previous game's walk-off hero, redshirt-sophomore infielder Peter Ahn, led off with a single, he later stole second, and later advanced to third on a passed ball. Two batters later, sophomore outfielder Casey Mayes was intentionally walked, and then stole second. After a strikeout, Iverson smacked a single to right center, and was mobbed by his teammates between first and second base.

• Iverson's hit went to almost the identical spot of the field and fence that Ahn's home run cleared in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday.

DEFENSIVE WALK-OFF
• MSU won its third game in a row of the "walk-off" variety as a Bryce Kelley throw to Gabe Sotres for the tag at the plate gave Michigan State the defensive walk-off win over Western Carolina, 4-3, Saturday night.

• With WCU's Kitt Capell on second after a 1-out double, Justice Bigbie knocked a 2-out single up the middle and Kelley charged and came up throwing, firing a frozen rope to Sotres at home and he applied to tag to nab Capell at the plate for the final out and the defensive walk-off.

IVERSON BATTIN', FIELDIN' AND SAVIN'
• Junior infielder/pitcher Zach Iverson picked up back-to-back saves in MSU's 4-3 win over Western Carolina on Saturday and the Spartans' 8-6 win over Ball State on Sunday.

• Iverson played the first portion of both games at third base before getting nod to take over on the mound.

• In Friday's win over Western Carolina, Iverson played the first 7.1 innings of the game at third base, before coming in to pitch in the eighth, and got the final 1.2 innings with two strikeouts to earn his first collegiate save. At the plate, Iverson went 1-for-1 with an RBI and two runs scored, drawing three walks.

• On Saturday, Iverson came on in the ninth, chalking up two strikeouts before a foul out to Ahn at first ended it and sparking the Spartan celebration ... Iverson was 2-for-4 with an RBI while playing third base for the first eight innings of the game.

WILL FOR THE WIN
• Redshirt-freshman pitcher William Christophersen picked up his first collegiate win on Sunday ... Christophersen came in out of the pen in the top of the seventh, and rang up back-to-back strikeouts for the first two outs, but then allowed a single, walk and hit-by-pitch to load the bases, but he got out of the jam with a flyout.

• Christophersen was making his second appearance in as many days. He came on in a key situation in Saturday's game against Western Carolina, getting called out of the bullpen in the seventh, with two on and two outs, chalking up a strikeout, as the Spartan bullpen was solid all weekend.

RIGHT HAND MAN
• Spartan redshirt-junior right-hander Mason Erla fired a career-high 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings in the season-opener vs. Morehead State, including striking out the side in the opening inning, on the way to four-straight Ks, and also striking out the side in the fourth around a two-out walk, and in the sixth ... Erla didn't yield a hit until the third, and didn't face more than four batters in an inning twice, while also retiring Morehead State three-up, three-down in the fifth on another double play, after getting an earlier twin-killing in the third ... Erla allowed two hits in the third and two in the seventh, until departing after seven innings, with the score 15-1.

• The 11 strikeouts makes Erla the first Spartan pitcher with double-digit strikeouts since former teammate Mike Mokma fired 11 Ks vs. Ohio State on March 9, 2019 in Greenville.

• Erla then matched that mark with 11 Ks in 7.0 IP vs. Merrimack on Feb. 21 in a no-decision, going 7.0 IP, allowing six hits and two runs without a walk.

• In last Friday's game vs. Kansas, Erla fired eight strikeouts over 5.0 IP, giving him 30 Ks in his three starts this season ... Erla scattered eight hits with three walks, yielding just one run, coming in the second inning ... He rang up one of his punchouts in the fifth, leaving the bases full of Jayhawks.

OLSON-TON ON YOUR SIDE
• Erla wasn't the only Spartan pitcher to fire a career-high strikeouts, as senior starter, left-hander Jarret Olson fired a career-high five Ks in game one of the twinbill with Morehead State, only to top that with a new career-high nine Ks in pitching complete game vs. Merrimack on Feb. 22.

• In the outing vs. Merrimack, Olson had a no-hitter going through 6.0 innings before yielding a base hit to open the seventh.

• Olson then fired another standout start last Saturday vs. Western Carolina, going 6.2 IP with three hits and two runs, while striking out six, the second-most of his career.

• Along with his pitching, Olson helped his own cause and more than fielded his position with a nice catch on a foul out, darting off the mound and snaring the catch in front of the Western Carolina dugout for the final out of the sixth inning for his third 1-2-3 frame of the contest.

• Olson has 20 strikeouts in his three starts this season, nearly matching last year's season total of 27 Ks.

RIGHT HAND MAN... AND LEFT HAND MAN... ON REPEAT
• Fellow senior starter, righty Sam Benschoter, chalked up a career-high nine strikeouts in just 5.0 innings of work, in the nightcap vs. Morehead State and matched that in an inning less with nine punchouts in 4.0 IP vs. Merrimack on Feb. 23.

• Freshman righty reliever Adam Berghorst made his Spartan baseball debut vs. Morehead State on Feb. 15, playing for Michigan State football in the fall, and took the mound for his first official action in a Spartan baseball uniform ... After some early jitters, Berghorst settled down and fired 4.0 innings with two Ks, yielding just one hit and one unearned run to earn the save ... Berghorst made two appearances vs. Merrimack in Greenville, pitching 3.0 IP on Feb. 22 and 2.1 IP on Feb. 23.

• In the series finale vs. Morehead State, senior pitcher Caleb Sleeman fired a career-high seven strikeouts in 6.0 IP, becoming the fourth Spartan starter of the weekend to chalk up a career-high in strikeouts, yielding just one hit and only three walks ... Sleeman had a no-hitter going through 4.0 complete frames, before a lead-off double to open the fifth, snapping a streak of retiring nine-straight Eagle batters ... Sleeman was called in relief duty in the Merrimack series, pitching 4.0 IP on Friday, ringing up five Ks, and then 0.2 IP with two strikeouts on Sunday.

• Redshirt-freshman righty Brian Martin earned his first win as a Spartan, pitching a complete top of the 10th inning, holding Merrimack without a run, before Peter Ahn's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th for the victory for MSU.

• In the series finale against Merrimack, senior pitcher Caleb Sleeman fired a career-high seven strikeouts in 6.0 IP, yielding just one hit and only three walks ... Sleeman had a no-hitter going through 4.0 complete frames, before a lead-off double to open the fifth, snapping a streak of retiring nine-straight Eagle batters.

• Junior right-handed reliever Wyatt Rush has made five appearances and has only yielded two hits, with a 1.93 ERA, while striking out two.

WINNING CLOSE
• Michigan State won three 1-run games in a row, winning 15-14 in 10 innings vs. Merrimack on Feb. 23, then beating Kansas, 8-7, on another walk-off on Feb. 28, and then winning on a defensive walk-off over Western Carolina, 4-3, on Feb. 29.

This season's three 1-run games in a row matches last season's total of three 1-run games, going 3-2 for the season.

TEN DUAL COMMANDMENTS
• Troy totes an 8-5 record into the weekend, following a 5-2 loss at UAB Tuesday and having Wednesday's game vs. Alabama A&M postponed due to inclement weather.

• Freshman infielder William Sullivan leads the Trojans with a .422 average, logging 11 RBI, six doubles and one triple ... Junior outfielder Rigsby Mosley is hitting .411, leading Troy in hits (23), runs (17), total bases (37) and on-base percentage (.507), while tying the team-lead in HR (2) and tying for second on team in RBI (12) and doubles (6).

• Senior infielder Drew Frederic is just ahead of MSU's Bryce Kelley in the NCAA stolen base stat rankings, as Frederic has nine swipes in 11 attempts, tying for fourth in the NCAA.

• Friday's probable starter is junior right-hander Levi Thomas, who has a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA in three appearances with 17.0 IP, yielding just seven hits and two walks, while firing 31 strikeouts ... Opponents are hitting just .123 off Thomas.

• Troy head coach Mark Smart has a 144-106 record in his fifth season leading the Trojans ... Smart is in his 11th year as a head coach, amassing a 308-269 mark.

• Louisiana enters the weekend with a 5-8 record, routing Rice, 11-2, Tuesday night.

• The Ragin' Cajuns are led by junior catcher Sebastian Toro, who is hitting .300 with nine hits and five RBI, and sharing the team lead with three stolen bases ... Senior outfielder Gavin Bourgeois is hitting .286 with five ribbies and eight hits.

• Saturday's probable starter is senior righty Brandon Young, who has a 2-0 record, with a 1.47 ERA in three appearances, firing 27 strikeouts to just five walks in 18.1 IP, holding the opposition to .180.

• Lousiana head coach Matt Deggs is in his first season directing the Ragin' Cajuns, posting a 5-8 so far ... Deggs is in his sixth year as a collegiate head coach, tallying a 192-126 record.

• Samford is 10-1 entering the weekend. The Bulldogs had their midweek action washed out by inclement weather, but have won seven in row, after sweeping a four-game series with Western Kentucky over the weekend.

• Junior infielder Brooks Carlson leads the Samford regulars with a .526 average, adding 16 RBI on a team-best 20 hits with two doubles and three HR, as well as drawing a team-leading 15 walks ... Sophomore catcher Will David is hitting .458 with six RBI, registering 11 hits with three of them doubles.

• Senior right-hander Jesse McCord is Sunday's probable starter, and is expected to make his first appearance of the season.

• Veteran Samford head coach Casey Dunn is in his 16th season at the leash of the Bulldogs, amassing a 495-397 record.
HISTORY HAS ITS EYES ON YOU
• Michigan State started the season 4-0 for the second time in the last four years, as part of the third in last five years, joining the 2017 Spartan squad that opened 6-0 and the 2016 Green & White team that also opened 6-0.

• This was the fourth 4-0 start under Coach Boss, also opening 4-0 in 2011, after not having a 4-0 start to a season since 1964.

• This season's 4-0 start is the 11th one in school history, also doing so in 2017, 2016, 2011, 1964, 1947, 1946, 1941, 1938, 1936, 1915 and 1914.

BLOW US ALL AWAY
• The Spartans have already either matched or topped several marks from last season:

Mark                    Games / This Season               Last Season
4 Wins                 4th / Sunday, Feb. 17               24th / March 27
10+ Runs In A Game                                             2 / Fri., Feb. 14 - 15 vs. Morehead St.                             1 - 12, Apr. 23 vs. Oakland
                             Sun., Feb. 17 - 10 vs. Morehead St.
35 Runs On Season                                              4th / Sunday, Feb. 17        12th / March 9 vs. W. Carolina
10 Stolen Bases   4th / Sunday, Feb. 17               11th / March 5 at Arizona
4-Game Win Streak                                              1 / Fri.-Sun., Feb. 14-17     1 - Apr. 23-27
1st 4-Run Inn.      1st / Fri., Feb. 14                      11th / March 5 at Arizona
3rd 4-Run Inn.     2nd / Sat. Feb. 15 (2 on 2/14, 1 on 2/15) 36th / Apr. 21 vs. Indiana

HURRICANE
• Michigan State produced some big numbers both at the plate and on the mound in the four-game series vs. Morehead State in Charleston at Shipyard Park, located on the edge of the Wando River:

BATTING
Avg.     R          H         HR       R/G
.357     35        51        1          8.8

PITCHING
ERA     R/ER    BB/K    BAA
1.75     12/7    13/42 .157

• The average, hits, runs and runs per game were all more than any series last season, highlighted by the 8.8 runs/game, which was 5.3 more r/g than any four-game series last season (3.5 rpg vs. UConn, March 15-17), as well as 1.8 more than any other series (6.0 rpg vs. Northwestern, April 26-27).

• On the mound, only last year's 0.64 ERA vs. Indiana State (April 5-7) was lower than last weekend's 1.75 ERA ... Michigan State's .122 batting average against in the series vs. Morehead State was only bettered once last season, posting a .122 against Indiana State ... The Spartan hurlers' 42 strikeouts was seven more than in any series last season (35 vs. UConn, March 15-17 and vs. Indiana, April 19-21).

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

TRIO OF MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL PLAYERS EARN BIG TEN PRESEASON HONORS
Erla, Olson and Walker collect accolades from conference

Three Michigan State baseball players were tabbed to the Big Ten Conference Preseason Honors list, as the league announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Feb. 12, prior to the start of the 2020 season, which got underway on Feb. 14.

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 redshirt-junior pitcher Mason Erla, senior pitcher Jarret Olson and sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker.

Erla, a Cass City, Michigan native, earns Preseason All-Big Ten accolades for the second-straight year. Last season, the right hander made a team-leading 14 starts, topping the Spartan pitching staff for the season-consecutive year after 15 starts in 2018. Erla tallied 61 strikeouts in 82.0 IP, with a 5.49 ERA, yielding 29 walks. The 82.0 IP also topped the team for the second-year in a row. Erla went at least 5.0 IP in 12 of 14 starts, highlighted by a career-high 9.0 innings in a no-decision vs. Indiana State on April 5, getting the start of MSU's historic first-ever night home game at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field. He also went 7.0 IP in back-to-back outings vs. Northwestern (April 26) and at Purdue (May 3). Erla struck out season-high seven in two different outings, first in season-opener at New Orleans (Feb. 15) and vs. Western Carolina (March 9), including firing five or more Ks in six-straight outings (April 5-May 3), as part of eight total outings on the season. The Spartan hurler yielded two or fewer runs in four starts, including the aforementioned 9.0 innings without a run vs. Indiana State (April 5), while allowing one run in 5.1 IP vs. Western Carolina (March 9). Erla also fielded his position with six putouts and eight assists.

Olson, a second-year Spartan from La Salle, Illinois, coming to MSU after two seasons Parkland CC, was a versatile option on the mound last season for the Green & White, making 13 appearances, with six starts and seven calls to the bullpen. Olson is the nephew of MSU volleyball head coach Cathy George and cousin of MSU men's basketball player Connor George. Last season, Olson tallied 27 strikeouts in 32.2 IP with a 4.96 ERA, allowing 31 walks. He went a career-high 5.0 IP in three outings, firing four strikeouts in two of those three outings, both of which were starts, at Notre Dame (April 9) and at Central Michigan (May 14). Olson also went 5.0 IP in start at Michigan (May 7), while also chalking up five punchouts in first start of career, vs. UConn (March 16 in Greenville). He rang up three or more strikeouts in six of 13 appearances, including four of six starts, along with two appearances without allowing a hit, including in Spartan debut, at New Orleans (Feb. 17). Olson fielded his position by making two assists at Notre Dame (April 9) to go with one putout in games at Notre Dame and Rutgers (April 14).

Walker, a Homewood, Illinois native, played in 49 games in his freshman season as a Spartan, making 47 starts, with 37 coming in right field, eight at DH and two in center field. He was third on the team with a .285 average, while adding a .363 slugging percentage, good for fifth on the team and adding a .309 on-base percentage. Walker was second on the Spartans for doubles (11), RBI (19) and runs scored (23), while tying for third on team with 51 hits. He belted the lone home run of the season in his third game of collegiate career, at New Orleans (Feb. 17). Walker had a hot streak at the end of the season, hitting .340 (18-for-53) in his last 13 games and hit safely in nine of the last 11 games, including a season-long eight-game hitting streak, his second streak of eight games, also doing so Feb. 24-March 16. He finished third on the team with 13 multi hit games, highlighted by a career-high four hits vs. Northwestern (April 26), also tallying four multi RBI outings, last doing so vs. Oakland (April 23). In the field, Walker logged a .940 fielding percentage, with 61 putouts, three assists and was part of one double play.

YOU'LL BE BACK REPRISE
• Michigan State returns two of its top three hitters from last season, as part of six of the top 10 in average ... senior outfielder Bryce Kelley was second on the team with a .300 average, while sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was third, hitting .285 ... sophomore outfielder Casey Mayes was fifth at .238, followed by senior infielder Bailey Peterson at .235 and senior infielder Justin Antoncic at .234, and junior infielder/outfielder Zach Iverson at .178.

• The Spartans also return their top two slugging percentage leaders in Mayes at a team-best .508 and junior catcher Adam Proctor at .451 ... Walker was fifth with a .363 slugging percentage.

• The Green & White also returns two of the top three home run hitters, highlighted by Proctor who led the team with nine Adam-bombs ... Mayes was third with four round-trippers.

• MSU returns four of its top six stolen base leaders, including Kelley, who led the team with 18 swipes ... Antoncic was tied for third with five stolen bases, while Walker and Peterson snagged four bags each to tie for fifth.

• On the mound, MSU returns three of its top five leaders in games started, headlined by redshirt-junior right-hander Mason Erla, who led the way with 14 starts ... senior righty Caleb Sleeman made nine starts, good for third on the staff, while fellow senior, lefty Jarret Olson was fourth with six starts.

• The Spartan pitching squad returns two of its top three strikeout leaders in Erla, who was second with 61 strikeouts, while Sleeman was third with 55 punchouts ... Sleeman shared the team-lead in strikeouts looking with 20, while Erla was third with 16 KLs.

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 McLane Stadium at Kobs Field 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 plays at Indiana State in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 13-15, in Terre Haute, Ind. ... The series between the Sycamores and the Spartans gets underway on Friday at 3 p.m., before Saturday's middle game at 2 p.m. and Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.

• After 18 games on the road, Michigan State will make its home opener at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field on Wednesday, March 18, taking on Toledo in a 4:05 p.m. first pitch.

Spartan Baseball Squaring Off With Troy, Louisiana and Samford This Weekend at Pensacola Cox Diamond Invite

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Ahn

Royce Ando

Justin Antoncic

Sam Benschoter

Adam Berghorst

William Christophersen

Mason Erla

Jack Frank

Danny Gieselman

Danny Gleaves

Trevor Hopman

Zach Hopman

Zach Iverson

Dillon Kark

Bryce Kelley

Brian Martin

Casey Mayes

Mike Mokma

Andrew Morrow

Jarret Olson

Bailey Peterson

Adam Proctor

Wyatt Rush

Caleb Sleeman

Gabe Sotres

Zaid Walker

Spartan Baseball Squaring Off With Troy, Louisiana and Samford This Weekend at Pensacola Cox Diamond Invite

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Peter Ahn

Royce Ando

Justin Antoncic

Sam Benschoter

Adam Berghorst

William Christophersen

Mason Erla

Jack Frank

Danny Gieselman

Danny Gleaves

Trevor Hopman

Zach Hopman

Zach Iverson

Dillon Kark

Bryce Kelley

Brian Martin

Casey Mayes

Mike Mokma

Andrew Morrow

Jarret Olson

Bailey Peterson

Adam Proctor

Wyatt Rush

Caleb Sleeman

Gabe Sotres

Zaid Walker

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