Michigan State Baseball Opens 2022 Season In Four-Game Series At UNLV

MICHIGAN STATE (0-0, 0-0 B1G) at UNLV (0-0, 0-0 MWC)
Location	Earl E. Wilson Stadium \|\| Las Vegas, Nev.
Tickets	UNLV Tickets
Weather	High/Low - Fri: 68^° / 45^° \| Sat: 71^° / 45^° \| Sun: 73^° / 48^°
Game Notes	Michigan State \| UNLV
Social Media	@statebaseball \| MichiganStateBaseball @msu_baseball
Television	None
Game 1	Friday, Feb. 18 - 9:05 p.m. ET / 6:05 p.m. PT
Probable Pitching Matchup	UNLV: #10 SR RHP Josh Ibarra (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #32 SR RHP Zach Iverson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live through UNLV Streaming
Game 2	Saturday, Feb. 19 - 4:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. PT
Probable Pitching Matchup	UNLV: #32 SO RHP Noah Beal (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #24 SO LHP Nick Powers (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live through UNLV Streaming
Game 3	Sunday, Feb. 19 - 8:05 p.m. ET / 5:05 p.m. PT
Probable Pitching Matchup	UNLV: #29 FR RHP Nolan George (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #42 FR RHP Ryan Szczepaniak (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live through UNLV Streaming
Game 4	Sunday, Feb. 20 - 3:05 p.m. ET / 12:05 p.m. PT
Probable Pitching Matchup	UNLV: #40 SR RHP Peyton Fuller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #8 SO RHP Harrison Cook (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live through UNLV Streaming

Leading Off... Spartans Open 2022 Season In Las Vegas Against UNLV

• Michigan State baseball opens the 2022 season out west in the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada, taking on UNLV in a four-game weekend series at UNLV's Earl E. Wilson Stadium, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20 ... The weekend, series and season opener is Friday at 9:05 p.m. ET / 6:05 p.m. PT ... MSU and UNLV then tangle in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4:05 p.m. ET / 1:05 p.m. PT, before the Spartans and Rebels wrap up the weekend on Sunday with a 3:05 p.m. ET / 12:05 p.m. PT first pitch.

• Fans can follow this weekend series with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com, to watch through UNLV's provided video stream.

• The Spartans and Rebels are tangling on the diamond for the first time since 2004, and have nine previous meetings, with all nine coming in Las Vegas ... UNLV leads the series, 6-3, having split the last four meetings, after the Rebels have won the last two match-ups after the Spartans won the previous two ... This weekend's four-game series is longest weekend series between MSU & UNLV, topping the three-game set in 2004, with the Spartans winning the opener, before the Rebels bounced back to take games two and three to win the series ... If history has any say in this weekend, the scoreboard could be in for a Peleton-ish workout, as the winning team has averaged over 10 runs in this series.

MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL TO PLAY 56-GAME SCHEDULE IN 2022
Michigan State baseball will play a 56-game ledger in 2022, the Spartans' first full slate of games since 2019 after the previous two seasons were cut short due to COVID, playing just 12 games in 2020 before getting shutdown, and playing a Big Ten Conference-only schedule in 2021.

MSU will play 21 home games at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, with the home-opener on Friday, March 19. The home slate is highlighted by hosting in-state rival Michigan in a three-game Big Ten Conference series, one of four B1G series at home, along with Illinois (March 25-27), Minnesota (April 29-May 1) and Iowa (May 13-15).

"We're excited to get back to a 56-game schedule after two years of having an abbreviated schedule due to COVID. Playing 24 conference games again is going to be exciting," Boss said. "We're also looking forward to having 22 home games, which features quality opponents for our terrific fans to come out and cheer us on at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field."

The Spartans' schedule includes some repeat visits to locations, as well as to some places they haven't been in a while or even completely new places.

"We're also going on the road to some places that we've been before, that are familiar to us and our current players, and we're going to some new places for them," Boss said. "UNLV is someplace we haven't been, and Michigan State hasn't been in a long time. So we're excited to go play a good program. Abilene Christian is coming off a great year and should be a heck of a challenge for us.

"Some unique experiences our guys are going to be able to have is going to Minneapolis and playing in US Bank Stadium, that is something that they're never going to forget. Going to Greenville is a staple of our schedule every year, and something that we thoroughly enjoy, getting to play Clemson this year, along with very challenging First Pitch Invitational opponents."

As announced on Nov. 16, the Crosstown Showdown between the Spartans and the Lansing Lugnuts, High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, will resume in 2022, meeting up at Jackson® Field™ on April 6.

"We're excited to play in the Crosstown Showdown again, against the Lansing Lugnuts, and it's just another opportunity for our guys to experience something that they'll never forget as part of our program," Boss said.

The Crosstown Showdown is one of 15 games on the 2022 Spartan schedule in six different professional stadiums, including also facing off with Notre Dame at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan (April 26).

"Along with the Crosstown Showdown, another great experience for our guys is playing at Comerica Park, and this year, we're fortunate to have Notre Dame come to Detroit to meet us there," Boss said. "Playing an outstanding opponent coming off a great year, in that atmosphere, is going to be something pretty special."

Michigan State will also play at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (March 4-6), Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina (March 9-13) for neutral games. MSU will also play at Penn State, who plays at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College, Pennsylvania (May 6-8) and playing at Nebraska, at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska (May 19-21).

"Every one of our guys' dreams is to go play pro baseball and to get a chance to play in those kind of environments, first of all US Bank Stadium, which is certainly unique, but an impressive venue nonetheless, being able to play at a place like Fluor Field, and a place like Jackson Field is something that is hopefully in the cards for a majority of our guys down the road. So it's a great taste the pro ball and hopefully a taste of things to come," Boss said.

MSU BASEBALL TO WEAR "JP" UNIFORM PATCH TRIBUTE TO JIM PIGNATARO
Michigan State baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. announced Thursday that the Spartans will be wearing a "JP" patch on all of their jerseys during the 2022 season as a tribute to long-time MSU administrator Jim Pignataro, who passed away this past August.

Pignataro served as the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services at Michigan State, and he was the sport administrator for Spartan baseball.

"Jim was just a special guy to our program," Boss said. "His leadership was phenomenal, and his passion for Michigan State and our baseball program was second-to-none. He poured his heart and soul into everything that he did with our program. We're proud to honor him and his legacy. His family, his wife Alana, and his kids Alison and Jimmy, will always have a special place in our hearts and in our program. We're proud to carry Jim's spirit with us onto the field."

The JP patch is located on the back collar of all of the Spartans' game jerseys that they will wear throughout the season.

Prior to being elevated to his most recent position, Pignataro served as the Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services (2008-15) and Director of Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) from 2002-17. He oversaw the directors of Student-Athlete Engagement, Academic Services, Athletic Training, Strength and Conditioning and Sports Nutrition in addition to serving as a sport administrator for several Spartan programs.

Pignataro served as the Assistant to the Director and Athletics Academic Coordinator at Michigan State from 1996-2000. He left MSU to serve as the Assistant Athletics Director for Academics at Eastern Michigan University from June 2000 to June 2002. Prior to his arrival at MSU he worked in Athletic Academic Services at Florida State University (1995-96) and the University of Tennessee (1994-1995).

SPARTAN LEGEND BOB APISA TALKED TO TEAM PRIOR TO UNLV SERIES
Michigan State football legend Bob Apisa met with and spoke to the MSU baseball team on Thursday, Feb. 17 after the Spartans' practice at UNLV's Earl E. Wilson Stadium, and also posed for several pictures, then met each player.

Recruited by Duffy Daugherty, Apisa was a two-time All-American in 1965 and 1966 during his time at Michigan State. He was the starting fullback on back-to-back Big Ten and National Champion teams in 1965 and 1966, scoring a combined 18 touchdowns over the two seasons, and was a 1966 consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection. Apisa finished his career as MSU's most prolific rushing fullback with 1,343 yards, in addition to being a great blocker for Spartan tailbacks.

Apisa was born in American Samoa as part of eleven children, moving to Hawaii at the age of seven, and went on to earn a football scholarship at MSU, and became the first player of Samoan ancestry to be named All-American. He played in the 1966 "Game of the Century" against Notre Dame, which was also the first-ever live television sports broadcast in Hawaii. Apisa was also part of Daugherty's integration of college football, and will be part of a statue tribute as part of the upcoming renovations to the Duffy Daugherty Building for MSU Athletics in the upcoming.

In 2017, Apisa was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

After football, Apisa went into acting, and was in the Sandlot (home plate umpire), as well as many other roles, including movies (Hard Target and The Nutty Professor), and television (Magnum P.I., Hawaii 5-0 and Airwolf).

Apisa's grandson, Jacob Isaia, was a three-year letterwinner on the Spartan football team, playing offensive line. Apisa resides in Las Vegas.

THREE SPARTANS GARNER BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH RECOGNITION
Farquhar, Jebb, Walker collect kudos ahead of Friday's season-opener.
Three Michigan State baseball players earned Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch honors, as the conference announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Thursday, ahead of Friday's 2022 season-opening action.

The conference coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.

Sophomore infielders Trent Farquhar and Mitch Jebb were joined by junior outfielder Zaid Walker in earning preseason honors.

Farquhar, a native of Highland, Mich., earned the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year MSU team award last season, as he made 38 starts, with 37 coming at second base and one at shortstop, posting 100 assists, 85 putouts. He was a part of 21 double plays, as MSU led the Big Ten with 41 double plays turned, ranking 45th in the NCAA, as well as leading the B1G and ranking 11th in the NCAA with 0.93 double plays per game. He posted a season-high seven assists vs. Penn State on April 9, the most by an individual fielder during the season, including having at least three putouts in 14 games, including a season-high five vs. Nebraska on April 23.

At the plate, Farquhar was the Spartans' leadoff batter in 32 games, hitting .272, including sharing the team-lead and ranking tied for 21st in the B1G in doubles with 10. He also tied for third on the team with total extra base hits with 12 on 10 doubles, one triple, and one home run, belting first collegiate home run in the Purdue game on April 12, blasting a solo shot down the right field line and into the Red Cedar River. Farquhar led MSU with a .381 on-base percentage, ranking second on the team and tied for 14th in the B1G with 24 walks, as well as ranking tied for second on the team with four hit-by-pitch.

Farquhar had a team-high 18-game on-base streak, reaching base in every game that he had an at bat from March 12-April 12, snapping the streak on April 16 by not reaching base at Illinois. He finished the 2021 season logging at least one hit in 12 of the last 16 games, having a five-game hit streak halted without a hit on May 8, but bounced back with three hits on May 9 and two knocks on May 14, then adding three hits on May 21 at Rutgers. For the season, his longest hitting streak was seven games (March 12-21), finishing with at least one hit in 28 of 39 games with an at bat. Farquhar was tied for second on the team with 11 multiple hit games, including a team-best tying nine games with two hits, as well as two games with a season-high three hits, coming on May 9 vs. Michigan, then matching it on May 21 at Rutgers. The sophomore infielder also had three multi-RBI games, which tied for third on the team, with three games with two ribbies each, most recently on April 25 vs. Nebraska.

Jebb, a native of Saginaw, Mich., was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season after he posted a .276 average, sharing the team lead with two triples as part of ranking second on the team in hits (45). He also ranked third on the team with 44 starts, just one of five Spartans to play in 40+ games, missing just one game in the 2021 season.

Last season, Jebb also shared the team lead in doubles (10), while also ranking third in total bases (59), tied for third in extra-base hits with 12 on 10 doubles and two triples, fourth in runs scored (25), tied for fourth in stolen bases (4) and tied for sixth in RBI (15). He also ranked second on squad with 11 multi-hit outings, logging nine games with two hits apiece to go with season-high three hits in two contests.

With four multiple RBI games, Jebb also ranked third on MSU. He also tied for the second-longest hitting streak of the season at eight, from March 28-April 12, while ranking tied for fifth on the team in reached base streak at eight over the same span. Jebb logged a seven-game hitting streak to close out the season (May 16-30), with four multi-hit outings in that six-game span, going 12-for-28 (.429) with four doubles and two RBI.

In the field, Jebb was the Spartans' primary shortstop all season long, making all 44 of starts at short. He made 62 putouts and had a team-high 125 assists, along with being a part of 33 of MSU's 41 double plays, as the Spartans shared the B1G-lead and were tied for 11th in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.93), with the 41 DPs ranking second in the B1G.

A native of Homewood, Ill., Walker is looking to build off a successful 2021 season that saw him earn Third Team All-Big Ten accolades, as well as selected as the John Kobs Most Valuable Player Award recipient as well as the Kirk Gibson Offensive Player of the Year MSU team awards.

Last season, Walker was one of two Spartans to start and play in all 44 games, along with outfielder Bryce Kelley. Hed MSU and ranked 22nd in the B1G with a .308 average, also leading the team and ranking 20th in the B1G with 31 RBI. Additionally, Walker led the team in hits (52), runs scored (29) and total bases (71), while ranking second on the team in stolen bases (7), third in both home runs (3) and on-base percentage (.367), and fifth in slugging percentage (.420). He also tied for third in total extra base hits with 12 on eight doubles, one triple and three home runs. In the 44-game season, Walker had at least one hit in 31 of the 44 games played, and also led the team with 14 multiple hit games, with two hits in eight games, three hits in five games, and shared the team-high for most hits in a game this season with four, coming vs. Northwestern on March 13 at Greenville.

Walker also led MSU with nine multiple RBI games, logging five games with two RBI and four games with three RBI. He had a stretch of three RBI twice in three games, April 11 vs. Purdue and April 16 at Illinois, also logging three ribbies on March 6 vs. Maryland.

Walker garnered the first Big Ten Player of the Week honors of his career on March 10 for his performance in the opening weekend after hitting a team-leading .462 (6-13), with five RBI and one double, logging a .538 slugging percentage and scoring three runs in helping MSU win three of four games against Maryland in Greenville in the opening weekend of the season. He had at least one hit in all four games, including going 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in MSU's 7-4 win in game one of the March 6 doubleheader, and also beat out an infield single to keep Michigan State's rally going in the seventh inning of the March 6 nightcap of the twinbill, to drive in what turned out to be the game-winning run, completing the Spartans' comeback after a 4-0 lead by Maryland, in the 5-4 Victory for MSU.

Walker also owned the longest hitting streak of the season, hitting safely in nine-straight games (March 13-27), and also owned the second-longest reached base streak of 14 in a row (March 13-April 9).

In the outfield, he tallied 77 putouts and four assists, including robbing a home run vs. Northwestern on March 13 in Greenville, and a pair of nice sliding catches in the same inning of the game vs. Iowa on May 29, snaring the first and third outs of the sixth inning.

SCOUTING UNLV
The Rebels are coming off an abbreviated 2021 season that saw them play a 33-game schedule, finishing 20-13 overall and 15-12 in the Mountain West Conference, placing third in the league. UNLV returns junior second baseman Edarian Williams, who earned Second Team All-MW honors last season. Williams, along with senior catcher Eric Bigani and senior third baseman Diego Alarcon were named to the MW's Preseason Team.

Bigani and Williams were tabbed to the D1Baseball Preseason Power Rankings, with Bigani being named to the Top 50 Catchers, while Williams was among the Top 50 Second Basemen. Last season, Bigani hit .377 with 24 RBI, while Williams registered a .360 average with 25 RBI.

UNLV head coach Stan Stolte is in his seventh year leading the Rebels, compiling a 134-145 overall record.

COACH BOSS BITS PREVIEWING WEEKEND:
• Quotes from head coach Jake Boss Jr. addressing the media in the 2022 season preview press conference on Monday, Feb. 14:

"Last week was an incredible week at Michigan State, it was a great week to be a Spartan, and hopefully we can kind of add to the excitement here this week because we're fired up to get the season started."

"There's a lot of undefined roles on the mound right now, and that will kind of shake itself out. We've got approximately seven guys right now kind of in the hopper to start four games. So hopefully that's a good problem to have and gives us some depth out of the bullpen once we do decide on the starters."

"We're just excited to get out and compete against some non-conference competition for the first time in a couple years and kind of see where we're at. We're doing okay health wise, have a few injuries, but it does create opportunities for other guys and we like our other guys too. So should be exciting to see how it shakes out. More importantly, though, again, we're excited to go out and compete against somebody else and get to some warmer weather and go out and represent Michigan State, and hopefully add to some of the excitement and build off of that last week that the Spartans had."

On more of an anxiousness now that playing more of a complete schedule...
Yeah, I think so, I think we're obviously familiar with all the Big Ten schools, but, UNLV is a place that we haven't been during my time here, and I guess just the overall excitement of getting a chance to get out and play in what should be 'more of a normal year,' and get some of the young guys some opportunities and non-conference games. More importantly again, just to figure out what we have before Big Ten play starts. Last year, we kind of felt like we were thrown right into it against Maryland, after a delay when the rest of the country started playing, and we sat and waiting with the rest of our conference, just kind of watching them, so we start with everybody else this year and we're just really excited.

On with all the uncertainty about this year's squad, what's the biggest thing he's wanting to see from them in the first series...
Well, first of all on the mound, obviously, we want to throw strikes, and that's the important thing. That's where most of the uncertainty is just because of the guys that we lost, and again, not being able to develop some of the younger guys and some of the transfers that we have in. Fall scrimmage games are fine and scrimmage games inside the cage are fine, but you never really know until you get to play somebody else. Nick Powers is back and he's healthy and we have a pretty good idea what to expect out of him, but really he's about the only guy with starts that's back. Zach Iverson has been in a relief role, Wyatt Rush has been in a relief roll, and a number of transfers that we have, you never quite know. So like I said, we've got seven guys that we feel pretty good about and we're going to have to whittle that to four here in the next day or two and get them ready. Defensively usually comes back pretty quick, we've been outside a couple times before it snowed and we all felt good about that and depth perception and all that, and guys will be excited to go out and see some other pitching other than our guys, but we have kind of built our program on playing hard, similar to the attitude that (MSU men's basketball) Coach Izzo takes with his guys: you don't really care about anybody else, try to ignore all the noise that's out there and just go out and compete our tails off for Michigan State. And for the most part our guys have done that since we've been here, so we would expect nothing different.

On preparing the freshman and newcomers, as well as some of the sophomores that didn't get to play non-conference, about prepping for the opening series and road trip...
Well the good thing is the game doesn't change, you still have got to get three guys out in an inning and things like that, but at the same time you try to prep the freshmen for the speed of the game as much different at this level. I don't know honestly, how those how the fall sports do it, because we have six weeks of fall practice to get used to it and we can kind of turn the dial up and put a little bit heat on him and things like that during the fall. It's much different than a spring game, but to have to go right into it, without that prep time, I guess for us, I think that would be pretty difficult. I think our freshmen are probably and everybody in college baseball, having that fall season helps the freshmen get adjusted quicker, obviously they lean on the older guys to get them to give them an idea of what to expect to but, again, at the same time, you just have to go out and experience it. We don't anticipate throwing our freshmen starters on Friday, that would be a tough situation. But all those guys, once they get a couple innings in, I think they'll feel a little bit more comfortable and it's just a matter of doing it. You know, you got to get out and experience the speed of the game.

On camaraderie aspect of everyone getting on a plane together again, spending more time together in that setting and everything that goes into a road trip...
Yeah, that's a big part of it. You know, that's when the team was built, hanging out in the airport and in the hotels together, and things like that. We're not going to travel with everybody, unfortunately, some of the injured guys are going to stay back, and so that's a bit difficult. We did travel a little bit last year, just to the conference schools and things like that, but to get out and play, when we schedule we like to get out and play at as many different places as we can, where guys can see different parts of the country. Like I said, Las Vegas is a place that we've that we've never been during my time here as a team collectively. So, to get out and just experience that for the first time, we'll try to do some things on the practice day and kind of break up and keep them busy to and experience different things. I think we're going to go down and see Hoover Dam when we have some free time and things of that nature, but yeah, that's where the team comes together: the pregame meals, the film sessions, batting practice, locker room stuff, that's the forefront of it. The game obviously is a lot of fun, but all the other stuff that kind of goes into the trip is really, at the end of the day, is what these guys are going to remember 20-30 years from now.

UP NEXT:
• The Spartans head to Abilene, Texas to tangle with the Abilene Christian Wildcats in a four-game series, Feb. 25-27. MSU and ACU last met in the 2017 season-opening series, with the Spartans sweeping the four-game set in Abilene.

Michigan State Baseball Opens 2022 Season In Four-Game Series At UNLV

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Harrison Cook

Trent Farquhar

Zach Iverson

Mitch Jebb

Bryce Kelley

Nick Powers

Wyatt Rush

Ryan Szczepaniak

Zaid Walker

Michigan State Baseball Opens 2022 Season In Four-Game Series At UNLV

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Harrison Cook

Trent Farquhar

Zach Iverson

Mitch Jebb

Bryce Kelley

Nick Powers

Wyatt Rush

Ryan Szczepaniak

Zaid Walker

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