MSU Opens Greenville Action Against Clemson Wednesday

MICHIGAN STATE (5-5, 0-0 B1G) vs Clemson / at 2022 First Pitch Invitational
Teams	Michigan State vs. Clemson / Michigan State, Cincinnati, Kansas, Western Carolina
Location	Fluor Field \|\| Greenville, S.C.
Tickets	Greenville Drive Ticket Office
Weather	High/Low - Wed: 66^° / 46^° \| Fri: 64^° / 44^° \| Sat: 48^° / 22^° \| Sun: 55^° / 33^°
Game Notes	MICHIGAN STATE \| CLEMSON \| CINCINNATI \| WESTERN CAROLINA \| KANSAS
Social Media	@MSUbaseball \| MichiganStateBaseball @msu_baseball
Television	None
Game 1	MSU vs. Clemson - Wednesday, March 9 - 6 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Matchup	CU: #30 FR RHP Billy Barlow (0-0, 2.79 ERA) MSU: #8 SO RHP Harrison Cook (0-0, 12.86 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live Through Greenville Drive YouTube Channel \| Listen Live through Clemson Radio
Game 2	MSU vs. Cincinnati - Friday, March 11 - 2 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Matchup	UC: #11 G-SR LHP Tristan Weaver (2-1, 4.41 ERA) MSU: #24 SO LHP Nick Powers (1-1, 5.56 ERA) -OR- #32 SR RHP Zach Iverson (0-2, 4.20 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live Through Greenville Drive YouTube Channel
Game 3	MSU vs. Western Carolina - Saturday, March 12 - 2 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Matchup	WCU: #10 JR LHP Eric Wallington (0-1, 5.06 ERA) MSU: #24 SO LHP Nick Powers (1-1, 5.56 ERA) -OR- #32 SR RHP Zach Iverson (0-2, 4.20 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live Through Greenville Drive YouTube Channel
Game 4	MSU vs. Kansas - Sunday, March 13 - 1 p.m. ET
Probable Pitching Matchup	KU: #34 SO RHP Kolby Dougan (0-0, 4.50 ERA) MSU: #42 FR RHP Ryan Szczepaniak (2-0, 2.92 ERA)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch Live Through Greenville Drive YouTube Channel \| Listen Live through Kansas Radio

Leading Off... MSU Opens Greenville Action Against Clemson Wednesday
Spartans Tangle With Tigers Before Hosting 2022 First Pitch Invitational

• Michigan State continues the second leg of its Spring Break trip, flying from Minneapolis to Greenville, S.C. on Sunday night to spend the second leg of the trip at their home-away-from home, Fluor Field ... MSU will open action facing Clemson on Wednesday, March 9 in a 6 p.m. start time, before hosting the 2022 First Pitch Invitational, Friday-Sunday, March 11-13, playing Kansas for the second-straight weekend, along with Cincinnati and Western Carolina.

• The Spartans will battle the Bearcats of Cincinnati on Friday, March 11 in a 2 p.m. first pitch, followed by taking on Western Carolina on Saturday, March 12, also in a 2 p.m. start time, before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, March 13 against Kansas in a 1 p.m. first pitch.

• Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com, with video streaming from the Greenville Drive's YouTube channel ... Wednesday's contest against Clemson, as well as Sunday's weekend finale will also be on the radio with a "listen live" link at MSUSpartans.com, from Clemson and KU's radio.

ANOTHER RANKED FOES
• MSU is facing a ranked opponent for the third-straight game, as Clemson enters Wednesday's game ranked No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, as well as in the Top 25 of several other rankings.

• The Spartans battled Notre Dame tough last Saturday in the Cambria Classic in Minneapolis, losing 2-1 in a pitchers' duel, as the Irish were ranked in the top 13 of the four major polls: No. 12 in USA Today Coaches andD1BaseballTop 25 Poll; No. 13 in NCBWA Poll and No. 9 in Collegiate Baseball's Poll ... MSU then knocked off West Virginia, 9-3, as the Mountaineers were No. 25 in the Perfect Game Top 25, while ranking among others receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches and NCBWA Polls, the only two major polls that have others receiving votes.

CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• Michigan State is cuing up the James Taylor tune again this season, as this weekend's trip is part of the annual trip to Greenville and the Palmetto State for the Spartans.

12TH FIRST PITCH INVITATIONAL
• The 2022 edition of the First Pitch Invitational is the 12th event, returning after missing the 2021 version due to COVID-19 restrictions.

FAMILIAR FOES IN FIRST PITCH INVITE
• Michigan State is facing familiar opponents in the 2022 First Pitch Invitational, as both Kansas and Western Carolina were part of the last Invitational in 2020, Feb. 28-March 1, the Spartans' second-to-last weekend of action before the remainder of the season was cancelled to the COVID ... MSU beat KU, 8-7 on Feb. 28, on a walk-off by Zach Iverson, before the Spartans caged the Catamounts, 4-3, on a defensive walk-off, with Bryce Kelley making a throw from center field to catcher Gabe Sotres at the plate for the tag and the final out for the defensive walk-off.

SERIES HISTORIES VS. GREENVILLE OPPOSITON
• MSU vs. CU: Michigan State leads the all-time series with Clemson, 10-9-1, but the Tigers have won the last two and six of the last seven meetings, including the last time, coming at Fluor Field, on March 7, 2018 ... MSU opened a 6-0 lead after three innings vs. then-No. 10 Clemson, before the Tigers had a 9-run fifth frame, and the Spartans tried to rally in the ninth, loading the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a popup and a strikeout ended the threat and the game ... junior third baseman Marty Bechina belted a deep drive to left that drifted foul before the strikeout ... while the Spartans are 9-4-1 against the Tigers in games played at Clemson, MSU is 1-5 vs. Clemson in neutral site match-ups, with all of the last six meetings coming in Greenville.

MSU vs. UC: The Spartans lead the Cincinnati series, 10-2, winning the last five in a row ... Saturday is the first meeting since Feb. 22, 2013, which was also in Greenville, won by MSU, 14-9 ... Michigan State has a 5-1 series advantage in neutral site meetings, with the 2013 contest the only other previous game in Greenville ... The Spartans have won the last five meetings, with the Bearcats last series win coming in the 1971 NCAA Regionals, 8-7, in East Lansing.

• MSU vs. WCU: MSU leads, 3-1 ... Saturday is the fourth meeting in the last five years, including the last three meetings, as the Catamounts played in the 2019 and 2020 First Pitch Invitationals ... The Spartans have a 3-1 series lead, and all four meetings have been played at Fluor Field in Greenville, with MSU winning 5-3 in 2008 and 4-1 in 2013, before WCU won the 2018 meeting, 6-4 in 11 innings, with the Spartans bouncing back to win 4-3 in 2020 on the defensive walk-off.

MSU vs. KU: After not meeting in the previous 135 years of Spartan baseball, Michigan State and Kansas are not only meeting for the third time in the last three seasons, but are squaring off for the second time in as many weekends of the 2022 season, as the Spartans grounded the Jayhawks, 11-2, last Friday in Minneapolis ... MSU and KU's first meeting was on Feb. 28, 2020, won by MSU, 8-7, on a Zach Iverson walk-off single during the 2020 MSU First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field.

ABOUT FLUOR FIELD
Opened in 2006, Fluor Field is a 5,700-seat stadium, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox ... Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox ... The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard ... Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky's Pole" in right field ... Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills.

GREENVILLE / SPARTAN CONNECTIONS
• Owner/President of the Greenville Drive is MSU alum Craig Brown, who was the 2016 Alumnus of the Year at the Michigan State First Pitch Dinner ... In the winter of 2017, Craig and his wife, Vicki (Huber) Brown, were named the Michigan State University Alumni Association's Philanthropists of the Year ... Craig Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Eli Broad College of Business, majoring in accounting, in 1973 ... Vicki Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Education, majoring in special education, in 1975.

As President of the Greenville Drive, Mr. Brown focuses on the activities that result in the Drive being part of the fabric of the community ... Fluor Field, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary season, is one of a handful of privately owned stadiums in America and was named Ballpark of the Year upon its debut in 2006 ... Mr. Brown is also the CEO of Keelers Ridge Associates (KRA), an investment and consulting firm that is engaged in entrepreneurial activities involving sports, technology, and marketing. Mr. and Mrs. Brown actively support academic and athletic programs at Michigan State ... Craig also serves on the Athletic Director's Advisory Council and chairs Spartan Innovations ... Formerly, he oversaw the MSU Foundation Board ... In recognition of their generosity, an area of the Spartan Stadium North End Zone bears their names ... The Browns also belong to MSU's Empower Extraordinary President's Capital Campaign Cabinet.

• 1967 Michigan State baseball alum Bill Wooley, who was the 2020 Alumnus of the Year at the MSU Baseball First Pitch Dinner, and his wife, Mary, live in nearby Greer, South Carolina.

Wooley was a four-year letterwinner for the Spartan baseball team from 1964-67. He was utility infielder on the freshman team in 1964 for head coach Tom Smith, before moving up to varsity and was utility infielder and team manager from 1965-67 for head coach Danny Litwhiler.

A native of Detroit, Mich., Wooley graduated from Michigan State University College of Business in 1967 with a bachelor's of business administration (BBA) with general business and marketing emphasis. Wooley began his business career in July 1967 with the Dupont Corporation, in the textile fibers division in New York City, where he worked for nine years until 1976. He joined Johnson & Johnson in the healthcare industry in 1976 with a career track in sales, product management, where he was General Manager/ Vice President for 22 years before retiring in 1998. Wooley was Chairman of the Board for NICORE, Inc. (1999-2006) and was president of the private startup company with products to treat congestive heart problems, before retiring in 2006.

Wooley was also an assistant baseball coach at Eastlake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida for 12 years, where he coached approximately 10 players who made it to Major League Baseball, most notably utility player Chris Coghlan, who was in the Majors for 10 years, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 with the Florida Marlins, also playing for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

Wooley and his wife, Mary (Bigelow), who is a 1967 MSU alum with her education degree, met at MSU in the fall term of their freshman year and dated all through college, and have been married 52 years. They have three children, twins Daniel and Deborah, and daughter Alicia, and four grandchildren.

NORTH CAROLINIAN IVERSON CLOSE TO HOME
• MSU senior pitcher/infielder Zach Iverson is from Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where the Spartans have traditionally flown into on most of their trips to Greenville.

• Iverson has played the majority of his time on the mound this season, moving into the Spartan starting lineup after mostly handling MSU's closer duties in 2021, posting six saves ... This season, Iverson has made three starts, sharing the team-lead with 14 Ks in a team-leading 15.0 IP, logging a 4.20 ERA ... He's also played in appeared as a pinch runner and defensive sub this season.

• In 2018, Iverson was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team at both third base and utility player.

• Iverson attended Providence Day High School, where he earned first-team USA TODAY High School Sports all-state honors as an outfielder. Iverson also earned all-conference accolades after hitting .506 with 48 RBI, eight doubles and six HR, while posting a 0.93 ERA with two wins and five saves in 13 appearances on the mound ... He broke school records for single-season RBI (48) as well as single-season saves and career saves (11) ... Prior to the 2018 season, Iverson was named one of the Top 30 Impact Freshmen in the Big Ten by TenInnings.com.

FORMER FURMAN PALADIN IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY
• Redshirt-freshman pitcher Dominic Pianto played at Furman in 2020, before transferring to Michigan State after the Paladins discontinued baseball, and frequently played at Fluor Field ... Pianto, a native of Hendersonville, Tenn., missed all of his first season as a Spartan in 2021 with an injury.

• This season Pianto has made two appearances on the mound, earning one save in logging five Ks in 5.0 IP ... Pianto picked up the save in MSU's 12-6 win at UNLV to complete the Saturday sweep of the DH on Feb. 19, going 4.0 IP with four strikeouts.

THREE SPARTANS TABBED TO CAMBRIA COLLEGE CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
• Three Michigan State baseball players were tabbed to the Cambria College Classic All-Tournament Team, announced late Sunday night following the conclusion of the three-day tournament.

Sophomore infielders Trent Farquhar and Mitch Jebb, along with junior outfielder Zaid Walker were the three Spartan representatives on the 13-player list, as MSU went 2-1 in the Classic, with the lone loss to No. 12 Notre Dame, 2-1, on Saturday. The Fighting Irish finished 3-0 and were the tournament champion.

The three Spartan players tied host Minnesota for the second-most on the All-Tournament Team list, while tournament winner Notre Dame had four players, including pitcher Austin Temple earning MVP honors.

Farquhar hit .462 (6-for-13) for the weekend with two RBI and two runs scored, as well as solid play all weekend at second base, featuring a running, somersaulting catch in shallow center field in the second inning of Friday's win over Kansas. He had multiple hits in the Kansas and West Virginia games as Farquhar now has a five-game hitting streak.

Jebb logged a .429 average (6-for-14) in the three games, including a career-high four hits and four RBI in Sunday's 9-3 win over nationally-ranked West Virginia. Jebb was a home run shy of the cycle Sunday, finishing with two triples and a double for the weekend, with 11 total bases and six RBI, adding one stolen base. Jebb joined his keystone corner mate Farquhar in solid defense all weekend as well, including snaring a line drive and stepping on second for a double play to end a bases-loaded threat in Sunday's win over WVU. Jebb has at least one hit in all 10 games this season and a 17-game hitting streak dating back to last season.

Walker posted a .455 average (5-of-11) with one double and a home run, coming on a two-run blast to left field in the second inning Friday vs. Kansas, sparking the Spartan offense on the way to an 11-2 win over the Jayhawks. Walker also had standout defense, highlighted by throwing out a runner in Sunday's win over West Virginia. Walker also had at least one hit in all three games this weekend and has a four-game hitting streak.

MICHIGAN STATE BASEBALL PLAYING MICHIGAN APRIL 15 IN CAPITAL CLASH AT JACKSON FIELD
Michigan State baseball's game against Michigan on Friday, April 15, will be played at Jackson® Field™, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, in the Capital Clash, it was announced Tuesday. The Capital Clash will be nationally televised on ESPNU, with first pitch slated for 5 p.m.

MSU and UM played the first game ever at the ballpark, then called Oldsmobile Park, on April 3, 1996. Michigan defeated Michigan State, 5-4, in 10 innings.

The Capital Clash is the Spartans' second game of the 2022 season played at Jackson® Field™ in a span of 10 days. Michigan State will also play the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2022 Crosstown Showdown presented by Delta Dental on Wednesday, April 6, resuming the Crosstown Showdown exhibition contest after a two-year hiatus.

"We really value our long-standing relationship with the Lansing Lugnuts, and being able to play not only the Crosstown Showdown, but also a nationally televised Big Ten Conference game there is exciting," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We're also proud to be part of the event celebrating the first-ever game played there. Over the last 25-plus years, we've had a great relationship with the Lugnuts and this is further proof of that. They do a great job with their facility and everything is a first-class operation, and we're just really excited to play two games there this season."

The Spartans vs. Wolverines Big Ten Conference weekend series is Friday-Sunday, April 15-17, with the series opener played at Jackson® Field™ on April 15, while games two and three of the series will be played at MSU's McLane Stadium at Kobs Field April 16-17.

Tickets for the Capital Clash are available for purchase at the Jackson® Field™ box office, online at lansinglugnuts.com and by calling (517) 485-4500.

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.

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.

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.

UP NEXT:
• Michigan State makes its 2022 home opener next weekend, hosting Houston Baptist in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 18-20 ... Friday's series and Spartan home-opener started at 4:05 p.m., before Saturday and Sunday both have 1:05 p.m. first pitch start times ... The Spartans and Huskies have only one previous meeting, with HBU winning, 3-1, on Feb. 20, 2015 in Arlington, Texas.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Harrison Cook

Trent Farquhar

Zach Iverson

Mitch Jebb

Bryce Kelley

Dominic Pianto

Nick Powers

Gabe Sotres

Ryan Szczepaniak

Zaid Walker