Friday, March 26
East Lansing, Mich.
3:05 PM ET
Michigan State University
6-7, 6-7
2
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8
Indiana
10-2, 10-2
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8
9
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Indiana
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4
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14
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Michigan State
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1
0
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Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
Spartan Baseball Home Opener Friday Spoiled In Loss To Hoosiers
3/26/2021 8:32:00 PM | Baseball
Stewart blasts second HR of season in MSU’s first home game since May, 2019.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball's 2021 home opener was spoiled with an 8-2 loss to Indiana Friday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
MSU slid to 6-7 on the season, while Indiana improved to 10-2, winning the opener of the three-game Big Ten Conference series.
The Spartans were playing their first home game in 678 days, since May 18, 2019, and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the home half of the fourth inning on an RBI single by freshman infielder Mitch Jebb. However, the Hoosiers plated four runs in the top of the fifth for a 4-1 advantage. MSU got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by senior outfielder Joe Stewart to pull within 4-2. The visiting Hoosiers broke the game open with a four-run top of the sixth, with the big blow coming on a three-run double, and the score stayed 8-2.
"Tough one today for us against a really, really good Indiana ball club. It's tough to give up two big innings there and that's the difference in the ballgame," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we battled pretty tough against a really good arm and we gave ourselves a few chances, we were able to capitalize on a couple of them and missed out on a couple of them, and that's the way the game goes sometimes. We were just a couple plays away from winning and a couple plays away from losing, and today we weren't able to make them, so we'll be back at 'em tomorrow."
MSU and Indiana return to the diamond on Saturday for game two of the Spartans' home opening series and their first home games since last game of the 2019 season.
"It was great to play at home, guys were excited all day long, and just to be back in the routine of things of playing at home, like all the pregame stuff, guys took the field for batting practice probably a little bit earlier than normal just because they were excited to go," Boss said "We love playing here, we take a lot of pride in playing here. I think typically we do play well here. We didn't play poorly today again, just two big innings that we gave up kind of cost us, but it's a three-game series, we still have a chance to win the series but we need to play well tomorrow against a very, very good Indiana team."
Stewart's home run was his second in the last six games, and the second of his career, but the first home of his career at home, after his first round-tripper came on March 14 vs. Northwestern in Greenville, South Carolina. The home run was of Stewart's three hits on the day, adding a pair of singles and a walk, finishing 3-for-4. Jebb was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks, while sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was 1-for-4 with a run scored, and junior infielder Zach Iverson was 1-for-4.
Walker led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the left side of the infield, and three batters later, Jebb drove him in with a single through the right side for a 1-0 Spartan lead. The MSU lead was short-lived as Indiana plated four in the top of the fifth. After scoring the run in the fourth with two outs, Stewart's solo blast to deep center also came with two outs in the home half of the fifth to pull within, 4-2. However, the Hoosiers plated four runs, with the big blow coming on a bases-loaded three-run double by Paul Toetz.Â
On the mound, Spartan junior starter Mason Erla took the loss, going 5.2 IP with two strikeouts, before giving way to junior reliever Jordan Beatson, who went 2.1 IP, and freshman Dominic Hann pitched a scoreless and hitless ninth.
Indiana's Tommy Sommer went 5.0 IP with two strikeouts, allowing six hits to the Spartans, and got the win, improving to 3-0.
Saturday and Sunday's games both have first pitch starts of 1:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, with the weekend schedule subject to change. Fans are not allowed, only families.
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.
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MSU slid to 6-7 on the season, while Indiana improved to 10-2, winning the opener of the three-game Big Ten Conference series.
The Spartans were playing their first home game in 678 days, since May 18, 2019, and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the home half of the fourth inning on an RBI single by freshman infielder Mitch Jebb. However, the Hoosiers plated four runs in the top of the fifth for a 4-1 advantage. MSU got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by senior outfielder Joe Stewart to pull within 4-2. The visiting Hoosiers broke the game open with a four-run top of the sixth, with the big blow coming on a three-run double, and the score stayed 8-2.
"Tough one today for us against a really, really good Indiana ball club. It's tough to give up two big innings there and that's the difference in the ballgame," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I thought we battled pretty tough against a really good arm and we gave ourselves a few chances, we were able to capitalize on a couple of them and missed out on a couple of them, and that's the way the game goes sometimes. We were just a couple plays away from winning and a couple plays away from losing, and today we weren't able to make them, so we'll be back at 'em tomorrow."
MSU and Indiana return to the diamond on Saturday for game two of the Spartans' home opening series and their first home games since last game of the 2019 season.
"It was great to play at home, guys were excited all day long, and just to be back in the routine of things of playing at home, like all the pregame stuff, guys took the field for batting practice probably a little bit earlier than normal just because they were excited to go," Boss said "We love playing here, we take a lot of pride in playing here. I think typically we do play well here. We didn't play poorly today again, just two big innings that we gave up kind of cost us, but it's a three-game series, we still have a chance to win the series but we need to play well tomorrow against a very, very good Indiana team."
Stewart's home run was his second in the last six games, and the second of his career, but the first home of his career at home, after his first round-tripper came on March 14 vs. Northwestern in Greenville, South Carolina. The home run was of Stewart's three hits on the day, adding a pair of singles and a walk, finishing 3-for-4. Jebb was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks, while sophomore outfielder Zaid Walker was 1-for-4 with a run scored, and junior infielder Zach Iverson was 1-for-4.
Walker led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the left side of the infield, and three batters later, Jebb drove him in with a single through the right side for a 1-0 Spartan lead. The MSU lead was short-lived as Indiana plated four in the top of the fifth. After scoring the run in the fourth with two outs, Stewart's solo blast to deep center also came with two outs in the home half of the fifth to pull within, 4-2. However, the Hoosiers plated four runs, with the big blow coming on a bases-loaded three-run double by Paul Toetz.Â
On the mound, Spartan junior starter Mason Erla took the loss, going 5.2 IP with two strikeouts, before giving way to junior reliever Jordan Beatson, who went 2.1 IP, and freshman Dominic Hann pitched a scoreless and hitless ninth.
Indiana's Tommy Sommer went 5.0 IP with two strikeouts, allowing six hits to the Spartans, and got the win, improving to 3-0.
Saturday and Sunday's games both have first pitch starts of 1:05 p.m. at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, with the weekend schedule subject to change. Fans are not allowed, only families.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sommer, Tommy (3-0)
L: Erla, Mason (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Toetz, Paul 1 ; Fucci, Jordan 2
RBI: Fougerousse, Kip 1 ; Barr, Cole 2 ; Toetz, Paul 3 ; Fucci, Jordan 2
SH: Houston, Jeremy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ashley, Drew 2 ; Richardson, Grant 2 ; Barr, Cole 2 ; Colopy, Morgan 1 ; Houston, Jeremy 1
HBP: Ashley, Drew 1 ; Richardson, Grant 1
Batting:
HR: Stewart, Joe 1
RBI: Stewart, Joe 1 ; Jebb, Mitch 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stewart, Joe 1 ; Walker, Zaid 1
PO: Peterson, Bailey 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF/OF/RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF/1B
/ BaseballOF
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