Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
Spartan Baseball Announces 2024 Non-Conference Schedule
11/17/2023 10:30:00 AM | Baseball
MSU opens season Feb. 16.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball announced its 2024 non-conference schedule Thursday. Head coach Jake Boss Jr. and the Spartans will have 32 non-conference games, opening on Friday, Feb. 16.
MSU's 2024 Big Ten Conference schedule will be announced at a later date.
The first 15 of the 32 non-conference games will be played away from East Lansing, before the home-opener on Friday, March 15, welcoming Evansville to McLane Stadium at Kobs Field for a three-game series. The Spartans' home schedule also includes a three-game series vs. Niagara, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. MSU also has eight home games, along with three road games against in-state and regional rivals, in addition to the 2024 Crosstown Showdown exhibition game.
Michigan State opens the 2024 season in Charleston, South Carolina at the Swig & Swine Classic at Shipyard Park, taking on Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 16, Seton Hall and Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 17, and Ball State on Sunday, Feb. 18.
"We've been to Shipyard Park a couple times now and Jason Murray runs that place and does a great job," Boss said. "It's a very unique setting with their fields right on the water, so we're excited to play in the Swig & Swine College Classic there. It's a very good field in that tournament so we're excited to go down there to start the season. Charleston is a great city and we've had good support down there so we're really excited about going back there."
The Spartans open their 2024 Spring Break trip in Holly Springs, North Carolina for a three-game series against Northern Kentucky on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25, before a midweek match-up in Athens, Georgia facing Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
"Facing Northern Kentucky the next weekend in Holly Springs, North Carolina is a place that we've never been before but it's got a very good reputation, so it will be a fun neutral site game for use on the front end of our Spring Break trip," Boss said. "We were able to schedule at road game at Georgia, which obviously is one of the better programs in the country and it's a place that we've also never been so we'll be excited to go down there and compete against those guys.
MSU then returns to its home-away-from home, Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina to meet Western Michigan on Friday, March 1, Florida State on Saturday, March 2 and Illinois on Sunday, March 3.
"The following weekend we host the first of back-to-back round-robin tournaments in Greenville, opening with Western Michigan, Florida State and Illinois, and then the second weekend with VCU, Western Carolina and Western Michigan; so two very good tournament fields," Boss said. "We have close ties with Western Michigan with Coach Gernon, and Florida State is a premier power across the country, and coached by Link Jarrett, who used to be at Notre Dame is doing a great job with that program, and it will be fun to have an ACC opponent in Greenville. Then, Illinois is very well-coached by Dan Hartleb, it's a first-class team and they do a great job with their program, and since we don't play them in Big Ten play, that allows us the opportunity to play them in a non-conference game and join us in the tournament."
Michigan State returns to Greenville the following weekend to play VCU on Friday, March 8, Western Carolina in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 9 and Western Michigan on Sunday, March 10.
"The next weekend with VCU, also very well-coached by Bradley LeCroy, who does a great job there. Western Carolina has been on the schedule a lot over the last number of years and that program is solid under Alan Beck, and they play the game the right way. We're glad to have Western Michigan join us there again that weekend as well, so it should be an exciting Spring Break trip for us," Boss said.
The Green & White open home action hosting Evansville in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field. Michigan State and Evansville have played six times, with a pair of three-game series in Evansville in 2011 and 2022.
"We open at home against Evansville, which is a return trip from 2022 when we down that there. Evansville has a solid program in the Missouri Valley and we've played them down there a couple times and we're excited to get them up here at home in East Lansing," Boss said.
MSU hosts Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, March 20, and also hosts a midweek, non-conference contest against Michigan on Tuesday, March 26, before hosting Oakland on Wednesday, March 27 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
"We play Michigan also in a non-conference game, both schools feel that it's good for the rivalry, but also good for our league, good for RPI and there's a lot of benefits of playing each other outside of our conference games, so we've that in the past and we'll continue to do that this season," Boss said.
Michigan State plays at Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 2, before taking on the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown at Jackson® Field™ on Wednesday, April 3.
The Spartans then host Niagara in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. Niagara is making a return trip to East Lansing after playing a four-game series in 2018 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
"The rest of the non-conference games are against teams that we have traditionally played here in the past, with the exception of Niagara. They were out here a few years ago and our bye weeks matched up again this year, so they'll be back out here this season.
MSU then opens a stretch of five-straight home midweek contests, starting with Central Michigan on Tuesday, April 9; then Bowling Green on Tuesday, April 16; Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 17 at Jackson® Field™; Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 30; before wrapping up the five-game home midweek stretch against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, May 8.
MSU's final non-conference game is Tuesday, May 14 at Western Michigan.
In addition to the upcoming Big Ten Conference schedule, further game, promotional and ticket information will be announced at a later date on msuspartans.com.
MSU's 2024 Big Ten Conference schedule will be announced at a later date.
Mark your calendars and get your road trip snacks ready... the Spartans' 2024 non-conference schedule is here!! ⬇️
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) November 17, 2023
📰: https://t.co/3fF3OsweNH
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The first 15 of the 32 non-conference games will be played away from East Lansing, before the home-opener on Friday, March 15, welcoming Evansville to McLane Stadium at Kobs Field for a three-game series. The Spartans' home schedule also includes a three-game series vs. Niagara, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. MSU also has eight home games, along with three road games against in-state and regional rivals, in addition to the 2024 Crosstown Showdown exhibition game.
Michigan State opens the 2024 season in Charleston, South Carolina at the Swig & Swine Classic at Shipyard Park, taking on Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 16, Seton Hall and Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 17, and Ball State on Sunday, Feb. 18.
"We've been to Shipyard Park a couple times now and Jason Murray runs that place and does a great job," Boss said. "It's a very unique setting with their fields right on the water, so we're excited to play in the Swig & Swine College Classic there. It's a very good field in that tournament so we're excited to go down there to start the season. Charleston is a great city and we've had good support down there so we're really excited about going back there."
The Spartans open their 2024 Spring Break trip in Holly Springs, North Carolina for a three-game series against Northern Kentucky on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25, before a midweek match-up in Athens, Georgia facing Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
"Facing Northern Kentucky the next weekend in Holly Springs, North Carolina is a place that we've never been before but it's got a very good reputation, so it will be a fun neutral site game for use on the front end of our Spring Break trip," Boss said. "We were able to schedule at road game at Georgia, which obviously is one of the better programs in the country and it's a place that we've also never been so we'll be excited to go down there and compete against those guys.
MSU then returns to its home-away-from home, Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina to meet Western Michigan on Friday, March 1, Florida State on Saturday, March 2 and Illinois on Sunday, March 3.
"The following weekend we host the first of back-to-back round-robin tournaments in Greenville, opening with Western Michigan, Florida State and Illinois, and then the second weekend with VCU, Western Carolina and Western Michigan; so two very good tournament fields," Boss said. "We have close ties with Western Michigan with Coach Gernon, and Florida State is a premier power across the country, and coached by Link Jarrett, who used to be at Notre Dame is doing a great job with that program, and it will be fun to have an ACC opponent in Greenville. Then, Illinois is very well-coached by Dan Hartleb, it's a first-class team and they do a great job with their program, and since we don't play them in Big Ten play, that allows us the opportunity to play them in a non-conference game and join us in the tournament."
Michigan State returns to Greenville the following weekend to play VCU on Friday, March 8, Western Carolina in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 9 and Western Michigan on Sunday, March 10.
"The next weekend with VCU, also very well-coached by Bradley LeCroy, who does a great job there. Western Carolina has been on the schedule a lot over the last number of years and that program is solid under Alan Beck, and they play the game the right way. We're glad to have Western Michigan join us there again that weekend as well, so it should be an exciting Spring Break trip for us," Boss said.
The Green & White open home action hosting Evansville in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field. Michigan State and Evansville have played six times, with a pair of three-game series in Evansville in 2011 and 2022.
"We open at home against Evansville, which is a return trip from 2022 when we down that there. Evansville has a solid program in the Missouri Valley and we've played them down there a couple times and we're excited to get them up here at home in East Lansing," Boss said.
MSU hosts Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, March 20, and also hosts a midweek, non-conference contest against Michigan on Tuesday, March 26, before hosting Oakland on Wednesday, March 27 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
"We play Michigan also in a non-conference game, both schools feel that it's good for the rivalry, but also good for our league, good for RPI and there's a lot of benefits of playing each other outside of our conference games, so we've that in the past and we'll continue to do that this season," Boss said.
Michigan State plays at Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 2, before taking on the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown at Jackson® Field™ on Wednesday, April 3.
The Spartans then host Niagara in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7. Niagara is making a return trip to East Lansing after playing a four-game series in 2018 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.
"The rest of the non-conference games are against teams that we have traditionally played here in the past, with the exception of Niagara. They were out here a few years ago and our bye weeks matched up again this year, so they'll be back out here this season.
MSU then opens a stretch of five-straight home midweek contests, starting with Central Michigan on Tuesday, April 9; then Bowling Green on Tuesday, April 16; Western Michigan on Wednesday, April 17 at Jackson® Field™; Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 30; before wrapping up the five-game home midweek stretch against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, May 8.
MSU's final non-conference game is Tuesday, May 14 at Western Michigan.
In addition to the upcoming Big Ten Conference schedule, further game, promotional and ticket information will be announced at a later date on msuspartans.com.
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