Spartans Battle Ohio State In Final 2021 Series


Spartan Softball Week Ten: vs Penn State; at Ohio State
Dates	Tuesday, May 11, 12 pm (doubleheader)- vs. Penn State Friday, May 14, 6 pm - at Ohio State Saturday, May 15, 2 pm (doubleheader) - at Ohio State Sunday, May 16, 12 pm - at Ohio State
Facility	Tuesday: S ecchia Stadium; East Lansing, Mich. Weekend: Buckeye Field, Columbus, Ohio
Fan Information	There is no general admission to this event
Television	Sunday: Big Ten Network
Webstreams (BTN+)	vs. Penn State: Tuesday: Game One Game Two at Ohio State: Friday \| Saturday: Game One Game Two Sunday: Fox Sports App
Live Statistics	Tuesday \| Weekend
Radio (Spartan Media Network)	Tuesday Doubleheader Dalton Shetler, pxp
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Penn State \| Ohio State
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram

The Week Ahead:
• Michigan State preps for its final games of the regular season, welcoming Penn State for a Tuesday doubleheader before heading to Columbus for a four-game series with the Buckeyes.

• The first five games of the week will air live on BTN+, with links to the video webstream and live statistics available at MSUSpartans.com. Sunday's game will air live on the Big Ten Network.

The Matchups:
Clarissa Crowell is in her first season at Penn State, going to Happy Valley from Miami. The Nittany Lions have dropped nine straight and enter the Tuesday DH at 5-30 overall.

• MSU and PSU played a non-conference game at FIU last February, with PSU taking an 11-0 win. The all-time series is led by the Nittany Lions, 41-31; for games in East Lansing, MSU trails by a slim 18-20 margin.

• Former Spartan standout Stephanie Sanders is an assistant coach at Penn State, and is now in her third season working with Crowell between Miami and PSU. She appeared in 177 career games at MSU (2010-15).

• Ohio State took three of four in a four-game set at Illinois last week and will enter the weekend at 21-18.

• The Buckeyes lead the all-time series by a 74-42 mark, and have won eight straight between the squads. Kelly Kovach Schoenly is in her ninth season as the head coach in Columbus.

TEAM NOTES
• MSU went 2-3 last week in a single game against Michigan and a four-game series with Wisconsin.

• In the Wednesday matchup with the Wolverines, the teams needed nine innings to break up a scoreless deadlock, with a Lexi Blair solo homer deciding things in the top of the ninth for a 1-0 Michigan win.

• MSU and Wisconsin played extra innings in the first two of four low-scoring games between the squads. The Spartans took the first and third games of the four-game set, both by 2-1 margins. Wisconsin won games two and four, 4-2 (8) and 3-0.

• MSU's offense has scored just eight runs in the last nine games, but the pitching has kept the Spartans in all nine contests by surrendering just 18 runs over the same span. In the five games last week, MSU was outscored 6-10 as the staff posted a 1.79 ERA.

• MSU hit just .223 in the Wisconsin series but is in a bit of an offensive funk, hitting .183 over its last nine games. On the year, MSU is hitting .222.

• The Spartans (12-22) have won their most Big Ten games in a season since the 2003 team went 13-6. MSU's record is 14 in a regular season.

• MSU played three straight extra-inning games (Michigan, then the first two games against Wisconsin). The last time that happened was in April 1997 when MSU played extras in both ends of a doubleheader against Ohio State (2-1, 3-2) and then defeated Indiana 1-0 in 15 innings.

• With four extra-inning games for MSU this season, its the most since the Spartans had five in 2014.

• MSU has enjoyed three walkoff wins this season, with all three coming at Secchia Stadium. Kendall Kates hit a walkoff in the first game of a doubleheader vs. Rutgers, Alexis Barroso delivered the game-winning hit in a walkoff vs. Purdue, and Zaquai Dumas did so in last Friday's game against Wisconsin.

• At 34 games, MSU has played the fewest games this spring of anyone in the Big Ten. Penn State has played 35, and nine schools have played the maximum (40).

• The Spartans are in a stretch of playing 11 games in 12 games (vs. Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, and OSU) and from April 30-May 16, will play 15 contests (17 days).
Prior to the Indiana series, MSU did not play back-to-back weekends due to the original Michigan and PSU weekends being postponed due to Covid-19 issues in those programs.

• The Spartan pitching staff is averaging 2.12 walks per seven innings, which is the lowest number for the Spartans since 1.60 in 2004. In addition, MSU's hurlers are combining for 7.15 strikeouts per seven innings, which would be a program record and the best since 6.64 in 2018.

• MSU's pitching staff has four saves, tied with Michigan for third in the B1G. The Spartans have issued just 70 walks, the fifth-fewest among B1G schools, and its 15 homers allowed is the third-fewest among league staffs.

• Spartan head coach Jacquie Joseph is in her 28th season at the helm of the Spartan softball program, and is not only the longest-tenured coach in program history, but is now the longest-tenured head coach in MSU's athletics department. She earned her 700th victory as the Spartan mentor on March 8, 2019 vs. Mercer, and she entered the season with 844 wins overall.

• Joseph is the third-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten Conference, behind Carol Hutchins (Michigan, 37th season) and Rhonda Revelle (Nebraska, 29th).

• Joseph's staff consists of pitching coach Ben Sorden, hitting coach Corrie Hill, and volunteer Erin Pond. Sorden begins his fourth season with the Spartan pitchers, while Hill joined the staff in the fall of 2018. Sorden and Pond both have previous Big Ten experience - Sorden was on staff at Indiana before coming to MSU, and Pond was a Penn State letterwinner. Hill spent 16 seasons as the hitting coach at Texas after serving as the head coach at UTSA from 1998-2005.

Player Notes: Pitchers
• Sarah Ladd ranks seventh in the Big Ten in strikeout to walk ratio (86K, 19BB, 4.53) and is third in the B1G in strikeouts per seven innings (8.6, 44th nationally). She owns a 3.62 ERA in 24 appearances, throwing 69.21 innings overall. Her three saves on the year is tied for second in the Big Ten.

• Sarah Ladd made four appearances - all in relief - in the Wisconsin series (1-0, 1 save) tossing 10.1 innings, striking out 15, and scattering three base hits. She allowed just one earned run, and allowed a 0.91 opponent batting average.

• In a five-game week, freshman Ashley Miller went 1-2 in four appearances vs. Michigan and Wisconsin. She pitched a complete game in a nine-inning loss to Michigan on Wednesday, striking out eight. In the Wisconsin series, she started three of the four games, going 12.2 innings and striking out 13.

• On the season, Miller boasts a team-best 1.85 ERA, good for sixth in the Big Ten. She also ranks among league leaders in opponent batting average (.226, ninth), and strikeouts looking (31, sixth). She leads the staff in innings pitched (98.1), and is 7-8 with three complete games, one solo and two shared shutouts.

• Alli Walker made two appearances in the Wisconsin series, starting one and coming on in relief in the other. She went five innings in the start and one in relief, combining for six strikeouts and two earned runs allowed, scattering four hits.

• Walker owns a 3.32 ERA in 15 appearances, striking out 42 in 38 innings against just 13 walks.

• Jala Wright pitched in one game in relief in the Wisconsin series, striking out two in her one inning of work.

Player Notes: Field Players

• Only two players have started all 34 games - Jenae Wash and Caitie Ladd. Three others have appeared in all 34 games.

• Kennedy Wyllie owns the hot bat of late, as she had five base hits and a pair of RBI in the Wisconsin series. Wyllie has nine of her 10 base hits in the last two weeks, improving her batting average to .222. She started both behind the plate and as the DP in the most recent series.

• Senior Katie Quinlan led the Spartans with a .429 average in the four games against Wisconsin, with a pair of base knocks in the finale. She walked twice and had two walks, and on the year is now hitting .200.

• Jenae Wash hit a combined .385 in the five games last week, with a double, one RBI and three walks. She was a combined 4-for-11 against the Badgers, and on the year is second on the team with a .277 average, ranks second with eight walks, and leads the squad with 13 RBI. She ranks in a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with three triples on the year.

• Caitie Ladd ranks third on the team with a .274 average, leads the team with six doubles, and is second on the team lead in extra-base hits (8). She leads the team with 10 multiple-hit games and also has the team's longest hitting streak of the season (six games). She is also second on the squad in stolen bases (3).

• With 33 career doubles, Caitie Ladd sits in 11th place in the Spartan record book, one away from moving into the all-time top 10.

• Junior Mackenzie Meech is hitting a team-best .309, with 29 base hits (three doubles) and has one homer. She also shares the team lead with three sacrifice hits and boasts a .986 fielding percentage at 1B, with just three errors in 230 chances - good for eighth in the B1G.

• A trio of freshmen have worked their way into the starting lineup. Alexis Barroso has emerged as the starter at 3B, where she has started 27 games. She delivered a walkoff RBI double in the finale of the Purdue series. On the year, she's hitting .207, with two doubles, two homers, and nine RBI and ranks second on the team in walks (8).

• Marissa Trivelpiece leads the team in walks (12) and is hitting .196 on the year with four doubles (second on the team), two homers, and eight RBI. She has played each of the last nine games at short, and both of her base hits in the Wisconsin series were doubles.

• Zaquai Dumas has started the last 14 games for MSU, at second base (4 GP), right field (8 GP), and DP (2 GP). She delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning of the Friday game for a 2-1 walkoff win against the Badgers.

• Courtney Callahan is hitting .211 on the year, and .238 over MSU's last 10 games. She has eight RBI (fourth on the team), a pair of stolen bases, and three sac hits, which is tied for the team lead. She was 4-for-10 against Badger pitching last weekend.

• Kendall Kates, MSU's transfer catcher, has started 31 games. She is hitting .202 with 10 RBI, two doubles and a homer to her credit. She has been the starter behind the plate in 29 of those 31 contests.

• Senior Shae Schreckengost came up with a pinch hit in the Saturday doubleheader against Wisconsin, continuing a string of productive at-bats for the senior. She has three hits in 15 at bats with a walk and a double.

• Senior Joanna Bartz, who has struggled with nagging injuries, saw a couple of at-bats in the Wisconsin series. She was hitting .306 at the time the 2020 season was abruptly halted, the best of her career. The versatile Bartz can play both third or outfield for the Spartans, and has appeared in 21 of MSU's 34 games this season, starting 16 in left field.

• Sophomore Camryn Wincher is batting .203 on the year, starting 22 of 26 games. She has a pair of doubles, five RBI, and four walks. Getting a game at first base against Michigan last week, she had 16 putouts - the most of any player in a game this season.

• Senior Laney Joyner is an outstanding defensive player for MSU, and can also play both infield and outfield for the Spartans. She's got a double in 13 plate appearances this season.

• Junior Abby Joseph is frequently a defensive replacement for MSU, possessing speed and range. She's played in 27 of MSU's 41 games and started at least three games in each of the three outfield positions. She has three base hits, two walks, and a pair of sac hits in addition to a pair of stolen bases.

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Players Mentioned

Alexis Barroso

Joanna Bartz

Courtney Callahan

Zaquai Dumas

Abby Joseph

Laney Joyner

Kendall Kates

Caitie Ladd

Sarah Ladd

Mackenzie Meech

Ashley Miller

Katie Quinlan

Shae Schreckengost

Marissa Trivelpiece

Alli Walker

Jenae Wash

Camryn Wincher

Jala Wright

Kennedy Wyllie