Friday, April 21
Fisher Stadium | Ann Arbor, Mich.
4 p.m.
Michigan State University
23-12, 6-4
3
at
5
Michigan
20-17, 8-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Michigan State
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
3
9
0
Michigan
1
3
0
1
0
0
0
0
X
5
12
0
MSU Nipped By UM Friday In Series Opener
4/21/2023 9:10:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans topped by Wolverines, 5-3.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball was edged by Michigan, 5-3, Friday afternoon at UM's Ray Fisher Stadium, in a hard-fought opener to the three-game Big Ten Conference weekend series.
Friday's match-up lived up to its billing as a clash of two top teams in the league standings.
"I thought it was a pretty good baseball game. I thought we hit some balls hard, I'm pleased with our guys' effort and it's kind of one of those nights I guess," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said.
MSU had nine hits, but were denied of several others by the UM defense, with several line drives that were snared. The Wolverines had 12 hits, with several just barely finding open spaces in the shallow outfield.
"We had a chance in the seventh inning and hit a ball hard and I thought got a little bit unlucky and hit it right at the second baseman and got doubled off and I guess that's how the game goes sometimes," Boss said. "But I think maybe we get dunked and dumped a little bit there early in the game with some flares and some balls that weren't hit very hard and again, that's why it's such a great game."
Michigan State is now 23-12 overall and 6-4 in B1G action with the loss, while Michigan improved to 20-17 overall and 8-5 in conference competition with the win.
Friday's game was the first of the three-game weekend series, with game two on Saturday, scheduled for 2 p.m., with Sunday's series finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
"I'm pleased with our effort today, we'll be back at them tomorrow and we still have a chance to win the series, and that's the goal every weekend. It's hard to sweep anybody, so we're a little bit behind the eight ball right now, but we'll have a good effort tomorrow and be ready to go," Boss said.
The defeat was only MSU's third loss on a Friday this season, as the Spartans had won their previous three Friday games in series-openers, and were 6-2 on Fridays this season before the loss in Ann Arbor, including beating Michigan in the season-opener on Friday, Feb. 17 at the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. Friday's loss also marked the first time that MSU has been dealt defeat in back-to-back official games since March 6 and 8.
Two Spartans had multiple hits, led by junior infielder Mitch Jebb going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while junior outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler were all 1-for-3, junior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-4 and redshirt-freshman pinch hitter Jacob Anderson was 1-for-1.
Mayes and junior outfielder Brock Vradenburg had an RBI apiece, both coming on sacrifice flies. Kark added a run scored, with the game's lone double, while Jebb knocked the Spartans' lone triple, adding to his B1G lead with his fifth three-bagger of the season.
Freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa started and went 4.0 IP, scattering nine hits, five runs, with two walks and three strikeouts. Redshirt-sophomore Noah Matheny went 3.0 IP, yielding just two hits, with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Gavin Sitarz threw the final 1.0 IP, with only one hit, getting a pitcher's best friend with a double play to end the bottom of the eighth.
MSU threatened in its first at bat, with Farquhar leading off with a walk, but was later erased from the basepaths on a fielder's choice off the bat of Vradenburg. Busch followed with a two-out single through the right side, sending Vradenburg scampering around to third, but a groundout thwarted the threat by the Spartans.
Michigan got on the board with a run in the first on an RBI triple by Jonathan Kim, before Dzierwa rang up a strikeout and flyout to end the frame, leaving the score 1-0.
Frank led off the top of the second with a single through the right side, preceding a ground-rule double to the gap in left center by Kark, with the ball bouncing over the wall on one hop, stopping Frank at third. Mayes insured that Frank wasn't stranded at third with a sac fly to center to bring Frank in and move Kark to third. Three batters later, Jebb singled through the left side to drive in Kark for a 2-1 visiting Spartan lead.
The visitors' lead was short-lived as Michigan scored three runs on four hits in the second, before Dzierwa induced a fielder's choice with the bases load to end the Wolverine rally, but not before they had taken a 4-2 advantage. UM added to its lead in the fourth with a solo home run.
Jebb started off the top of the fifth with a triple off the wall in right center, and Vradenburg drove him in with a sac fly to center, pulling MSU within 5-3.
The Spartans threatened in the sixth, as Frank led off with a single, but was erased from the basepaths trying to steal second. Mayes later singled and Ziegler followed by getting hit by a pitch, and UM made a pitching change, bringing in Jacob Denner to replace starter Noah Rennard, and a flyout ended the rally for the Green & White without a run.
MSU again threatened in the seventh, getting two on after Vradenburg walked and Anderson followed with his pinch-hit single, but a line drive off Broecker's bat was snared by UM second baseman Ted Burton, who stepped on second to double up Vradenburg and thwart the threat for the Spartans. Michigan State went down in order in the eighth and ninth.
The Spartans and Wolverines continue their series on Saturday, scheduled for 2 p.m., before wrapping up on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Fans can follow the MSU baseball action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
Friday's match-up lived up to its billing as a clash of two top teams in the league standings.
"I thought it was a pretty good baseball game. I thought we hit some balls hard, I'm pleased with our guys' effort and it's kind of one of those nights I guess," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said.
MSU had nine hits, but were denied of several others by the UM defense, with several line drives that were snared. The Wolverines had 12 hits, with several just barely finding open spaces in the shallow outfield.
"We had a chance in the seventh inning and hit a ball hard and I thought got a little bit unlucky and hit it right at the second baseman and got doubled off and I guess that's how the game goes sometimes," Boss said. "But I think maybe we get dunked and dumped a little bit there early in the game with some flares and some balls that weren't hit very hard and again, that's why it's such a great game."
Michigan State is now 23-12 overall and 6-4 in B1G action with the loss, while Michigan improved to 20-17 overall and 8-5 in conference competition with the win.
Friday's game was the first of the three-game weekend series, with game two on Saturday, scheduled for 2 p.m., with Sunday's series finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
"I'm pleased with our effort today, we'll be back at them tomorrow and we still have a chance to win the series, and that's the goal every weekend. It's hard to sweep anybody, so we're a little bit behind the eight ball right now, but we'll have a good effort tomorrow and be ready to go," Boss said.
The defeat was only MSU's third loss on a Friday this season, as the Spartans had won their previous three Friday games in series-openers, and were 6-2 on Fridays this season before the loss in Ann Arbor, including beating Michigan in the season-opener on Friday, Feb. 17 at the MLB Desert Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. Friday's loss also marked the first time that MSU has been dealt defeat in back-to-back official games since March 6 and 8.
Two Spartans had multiple hits, led by junior infielder Mitch Jebb going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while junior outfielder Jack Frank was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler were all 1-for-3, junior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-4 and redshirt-freshman pinch hitter Jacob Anderson was 1-for-1.
Mayes and junior outfielder Brock Vradenburg had an RBI apiece, both coming on sacrifice flies. Kark added a run scored, with the game's lone double, while Jebb knocked the Spartans' lone triple, adding to his B1G lead with his fifth three-bagger of the season.
Freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa started and went 4.0 IP, scattering nine hits, five runs, with two walks and three strikeouts. Redshirt-sophomore Noah Matheny went 3.0 IP, yielding just two hits, with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Gavin Sitarz threw the final 1.0 IP, with only one hit, getting a pitcher's best friend with a double play to end the bottom of the eighth.
MSU threatened in its first at bat, with Farquhar leading off with a walk, but was later erased from the basepaths on a fielder's choice off the bat of Vradenburg. Busch followed with a two-out single through the right side, sending Vradenburg scampering around to third, but a groundout thwarted the threat by the Spartans.
Michigan got on the board with a run in the first on an RBI triple by Jonathan Kim, before Dzierwa rang up a strikeout and flyout to end the frame, leaving the score 1-0.
Frank led off the top of the second with a single through the right side, preceding a ground-rule double to the gap in left center by Kark, with the ball bouncing over the wall on one hop, stopping Frank at third. Mayes insured that Frank wasn't stranded at third with a sac fly to center to bring Frank in and move Kark to third. Three batters later, Jebb singled through the left side to drive in Kark for a 2-1 visiting Spartan lead.
Here's a look at how the Spartans scored their 2 runs in the 2nd on Mayes' sac fly scoring Frank, and Jebb's single, driving in Kark.
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 21, 2023
MSU 2
UM 1
Mid 2nd#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @caseymayes3 | @jebb_mitch pic.twitter.com/bPdiV9fMfG
The visitors' lead was short-lived as Michigan scored three runs on four hits in the second, before Dzierwa induced a fielder's choice with the bases load to end the Wolverine rally, but not before they had taken a 4-2 advantage. UM added to its lead in the fourth with a solo home run.
Jebb started off the top of the fifth with a triple off the wall in right center, and Vradenburg drove him in with a sac fly to center, pulling MSU within 5-3.
Mitch Jebb doin' Mitch Jebb things again...
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 21, 2023
The @B1Gbaseball leader in triples adding to his league lead with his 5th triple of the season... Vradenburg drives him in with a sac fly!!
MSU 3
UM 5
T5th#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @jebb_mitch pic.twitter.com/7lSAeb3l4Y
The Spartans threatened in the sixth, as Frank led off with a single, but was erased from the basepaths trying to steal second. Mayes later singled and Ziegler followed by getting hit by a pitch, and UM made a pitching change, bringing in Jacob Denner to replace starter Noah Rennard, and a flyout ended the rally for the Green & White without a run.
MSU again threatened in the seventh, getting two on after Vradenburg walked and Anderson followed with his pinch-hit single, but a line drive off Broecker's bat was snared by UM second baseman Ted Burton, who stepped on second to double up Vradenburg and thwart the threat for the Spartans. Michigan State went down in order in the eighth and ninth.
Mitch Jebb doin' Mitch Jebb things again...
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 21, 2023
The @B1Gbaseball leader in triples adding to his league lead with his 5th triple of the season... Vradenburg drives him in with a sac fly!!
MSU 3
UM 5
T5th#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @jebb_mitch pic.twitter.com/7lSAeb3l4Y
The Spartans and Wolverines continue their series on Saturday, scheduled for 2 p.m., before wrapping up on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Fans can follow the MSU baseball action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Noah Rennard (6-2)
L: Dzierwa, Joseph (4-2)
S: Mitch Voit (4)
Batting:
2B: Kark, Dillon 1
3B: Jebb, Mitch 1
RBI: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Mayes, Casey 1
SF: Vradenburg, Brock 1 ; Mayes, Casey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jebb, Mitch 1 ; Frank, Jack 1 ; Kark, Dillon 1
CS: Frank, Jack 1
HBP: Ziegler, Greg 1
Batting:
3B: Jonathan Kim 1
HR: Ted Burton 1
RBI: Cody Jefferis 2 ; Ted Burton 1 ; Jonathan Kim 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cody Jefferis 2 ; Ted Burton 1 ; Mitch Voit 1 ; Gabe Sotres 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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LHP
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OF
/ Baseball
INF
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INF
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RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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