Monday, March 22
Ann Arbor, Mich.
4 PM ET
Michigan State University
6-6, 6-6
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No. 22 Michigan
9-3, 9-3
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Michigan State
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Michigan
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Photo by: Ben Clemens
MSU Baseball Powers Past No. 22 Michigan Monday
3/22/2021 8:46:00 PM | Baseball
Boosted by freshman pitcher Nick Powers and slick defense, Spartans shutout Wolverines.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball used its defense and pitching Powers to shut out No. 22 Michigan, 3-0, Monday afternoon in the fourth and final game of the Ann Arbor pod at Michigan's Ray Fisher Stadium.
Monday's win was the Spartans' first shutout win over Michigan since April 19, 2002 in Ann Arbor, as well as snapping a 10-game losing skein in the series. Michigan State also dealt No. 22 Michigan it's first shutout loss of the season, and first shutout loss since March 17, 2019.
The Spartans leveled the record at 6-6 on the season, going 2-2 on the weekend with a split of the two games apiece with Illinois and Michigan, beating Illinois, 11-0, on Saturday in the opener of a split doubleheader, before losing to Michigan, 8-7, in the nightcap on a walk-off HR. Michigan, which also split its weekend, is 9-3 on the season.
"I couldn't be prouder of our guys, especially the way that yesterday finished," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "To come back and do what we did today against a really good ball club was great to see. We just played really solid baseball today and didn't make any mistakes defensively. We took advantage of a couple opportunities and got the big home run in the ninth, and just got an outstanding pitcher performance out of Nick Powers. And I just couldn't be prouder of our guys. I think yesterday was one of the tougher losses that we've had, but to come back and bounce back today shows a lot about the character of this team."
Freshman pitcher Nick Powers was dealing on the mound, going 7.0 innings while limiting Michigan to just four hits, while striking out three in just his third collegiate appearance. Redshirt-sophomore Wyatt Rush went 1.1 IP of relief, holding the Wolverines to just one hit while chalking up a strikeout. Rush yielded a leadoff double to Jimmy Obertop, who had the walk-off home run in Sunday's game, then got Clark Elliott to foulout to junior third baseman/pitcher Zach Iverson. Rush then just missed and walked Christian Molfetta, and MSU made a pitching change, calling Iverson to the mound to try and close it out.
After a strike on the first pitch to Benjamin Sems, Iverson induced a comebacker by Sems, that he cleanly fielded his position, spun and fired to freshman shortstop Mitch Jebb at second, who threw to freshman first baseman Brock Vradenburg to complete the double play and spark the celebration of the Victory for MSU.
Powers was limited Michigan's bats, getting key defensive plays from his fielders behind him, including a defensive assist from senior outfielder Joe Stewart, a nice snag on a foul ball by freshman second baseman Trent Farquhar, making the catch in foul territory right before crashing into the wall down the right field line, plus one other double play beside the game-clinching two-outs, one-play.
Stewart's outfield assist ended the fourth, while Farquhar's catch came in the fifth. The other double play came in the sixth, after Powers worked around a leadoff single and one-out hit by pitch, then got a 6-4-3 double play, started by Jebb, to Farquhar, to Vradenburg. In the seventh, Powers retired the Wolverines in three-up, three-down order, chalking up his third strikeout of the game to end the frame, and his outing. Rush came on in the eighth for another 1-2-3 inning, also ringing up a strikeout to finish off the frame.
The Spartans got on the board in the third inning and plated a pair of runs without a hit, taking advantage of walks to freshman infielder Trent Farquhar and senior outfielder Bryce Kelley, then a wild pitch moved the runners up a base. Senior outfielder Joe Stewart followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Farquhar and Kelley moved up to third on the throw, and Kelley was driven in on an RBI-groundout by Iverson.
Michigan threatened in the home half of the fourth, as Powers got the first two outs on a pair of groundouts, then yielded a single and stolen base to Molfetta, before another single by Sems to center tried to drive in Molfetta, but Stewart fired a frozen rope to junior catcher Adam Proctor at home, and Proctor made a nice snag and tag on Molfetta for the out to end the inning and preserve MSU's 2-0 lead.
That remained the score until the top of the ninth, when senior designated hitter Bailey Peterson blasted a solo home run over the approximately 30-foot high brick wall in left field of Fisher Stadium to put the Spartans ahead, 3-0, setting up the bottom of the ninth.
Iverson, Walker, Vradenburg and Peterson all tallied one hit apiece, as MSU knocked just four hits, with Vradenbug joining Peterson in the extra bases column with a double.
Michigan State returns home to McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field for the first time since May 18, 2019, hosting Indiana in a three-game series this weekend, Friday-Sunday, March 26-28. Friday's series opener is slated for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch, while Saturday and Sunday are 1:05 p.m. start times, with the weekend schedule subject to change.
Along with any schedule updates, fans can follow the games with links for live stats, live audio from TCF Bank Spartan Media Network, and live streaming from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
Monday's win was the Spartans' first shutout win over Michigan since April 19, 2002 in Ann Arbor, as well as snapping a 10-game losing skein in the series. Michigan State also dealt No. 22 Michigan it's first shutout loss of the season, and first shutout loss since March 17, 2019.
The Spartans leveled the record at 6-6 on the season, going 2-2 on the weekend with a split of the two games apiece with Illinois and Michigan, beating Illinois, 11-0, on Saturday in the opener of a split doubleheader, before losing to Michigan, 8-7, in the nightcap on a walk-off HR. Michigan, which also split its weekend, is 9-3 on the season.
"I couldn't be prouder of our guys, especially the way that yesterday finished," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "To come back and do what we did today against a really good ball club was great to see. We just played really solid baseball today and didn't make any mistakes defensively. We took advantage of a couple opportunities and got the big home run in the ninth, and just got an outstanding pitcher performance out of Nick Powers. And I just couldn't be prouder of our guys. I think yesterday was one of the tougher losses that we've had, but to come back and bounce back today shows a lot about the character of this team."
Freshman pitcher Nick Powers was dealing on the mound, going 7.0 innings while limiting Michigan to just four hits, while striking out three in just his third collegiate appearance. Redshirt-sophomore Wyatt Rush went 1.1 IP of relief, holding the Wolverines to just one hit while chalking up a strikeout. Rush yielded a leadoff double to Jimmy Obertop, who had the walk-off home run in Sunday's game, then got Clark Elliott to foulout to junior third baseman/pitcher Zach Iverson. Rush then just missed and walked Christian Molfetta, and MSU made a pitching change, calling Iverson to the mound to try and close it out.
After a strike on the first pitch to Benjamin Sems, Iverson induced a comebacker by Sems, that he cleanly fielded his position, spun and fired to freshman shortstop Mitch Jebb at second, who threw to freshman first baseman Brock Vradenburg to complete the double play and spark the celebration of the Victory for MSU.
Powers was limited Michigan's bats, getting key defensive plays from his fielders behind him, including a defensive assist from senior outfielder Joe Stewart, a nice snag on a foul ball by freshman second baseman Trent Farquhar, making the catch in foul territory right before crashing into the wall down the right field line, plus one other double play beside the game-clinching two-outs, one-play.
Stewart's outfield assist ended the fourth, while Farquhar's catch came in the fifth. The other double play came in the sixth, after Powers worked around a leadoff single and one-out hit by pitch, then got a 6-4-3 double play, started by Jebb, to Farquhar, to Vradenburg. In the seventh, Powers retired the Wolverines in three-up, three-down order, chalking up his third strikeout of the game to end the frame, and his outing. Rush came on in the eighth for another 1-2-3 inning, also ringing up a strikeout to finish off the frame.
The Spartans got on the board in the third inning and plated a pair of runs without a hit, taking advantage of walks to freshman infielder Trent Farquhar and senior outfielder Bryce Kelley, then a wild pitch moved the runners up a base. Senior outfielder Joe Stewart followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Farquhar and Kelley moved up to third on the throw, and Kelley was driven in on an RBI-groundout by Iverson.
Michigan threatened in the home half of the fourth, as Powers got the first two outs on a pair of groundouts, then yielded a single and stolen base to Molfetta, before another single by Sems to center tried to drive in Molfetta, but Stewart fired a frozen rope to junior catcher Adam Proctor at home, and Proctor made a nice snag and tag on Molfetta for the out to end the inning and preserve MSU's 2-0 lead.
That remained the score until the top of the ninth, when senior designated hitter Bailey Peterson blasted a solo home run over the approximately 30-foot high brick wall in left field of Fisher Stadium to put the Spartans ahead, 3-0, setting up the bottom of the ninth.
Iverson, Walker, Vradenburg and Peterson all tallied one hit apiece, as MSU knocked just four hits, with Vradenbug joining Peterson in the extra bases column with a double.
Michigan State returns home to McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field for the first time since May 18, 2019, hosting Indiana in a three-game series this weekend, Friday-Sunday, March 26-28. Friday's series opener is slated for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch, while Saturday and Sunday are 1:05 p.m. start times, with the weekend schedule subject to change.
Along with any schedule updates, fans can follow the games with links for live stats, live audio from TCF Bank Spartan Media Network, and live streaming from Big Ten Network+ at MSUSpartans.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Powers, Nick (1-1)
L: Beers, Blake (0-1)
S: Iverson, Zach (3)
Batting:
2B: Vradenburg, Brock 1
HR: Peterson, Bailey 1
RBI: Stewart, Joe 1 ; Iverson, Zach 1 ; Peterson, Bailey 1
SF: Stewart, Joe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Farquhar, Trent 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Peterson, Bailey 1
Batting:
2B: Mazur, Griffin 1 ; Obertop, Jimmy 1
Base Running:
SB: Marti, Jake 1 ; Molfetta, Christian 1
HBP: Marti, Jake 1 ; Elliott, Clark 1
Game Leaders
3b/p
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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/ Baseball
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OF/LHP
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/ Baseball
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/ Baseball
RHP
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OF/1B
/ BaseballINF
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