Sunday, April 30
McLane Stadium at Kobs Field | East Lansing, Mich.
1:05 p.m.
Michigan State University
9
vs
2
Northwestern
Photo by: MSU Baseball Social Squad
Kark Sparks Spartans To Series Sweep With 9-2 Victory For MSU Sunday
4/30/2023 6:02:00 PM | Baseball
Junior infielder knocks 3-run HR and two triples, Powers posts season-high six Ks to help Michigan State to first B1G sweep of the season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Dillon Kark sparked Michigan State baseball to a 9-2 Victory for MSU over Northwestern Sunday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field as the Spartans swept the Wildcats in the Big Ten Conference three-game weekend series.
Kark, a junior infielder, knocked a three-run home run and two triples, while junior starting pitcher Nick Powers rang up a season-high six strikeouts in 6.0 IP, in helping MSU record its first B1G series sweep of the season. After Friday's series opener was postponed due to inclement weather, the teams played a doubleheader on Saturday with the Spartans sweeping the twinbill with 8-3 and 6-3 wins before Sunday's series sweep clincher.
"Sweeps are big," a happy MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "After dropping the series last weekend, we kind of get ourselves back on track at 10-5 in Big Ten play and you figure if you can go 2-1 on average every weekend, you have a chance to do some pretty good things at the end of the year. It's hard to sweep anybody, I don't care if you're playing at home or on the road, or who you're playing, it's hard to win three games and in this case, in two days against the same opponent, so I'm really proud of our guys."
Kark was one of those guys for Boss and the Spartans, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate with five RBI and two runs scored.
"It's a big day. Dillon doesn't run great and I think he'll tell you that, so if he's going to hit a triple, it's probably going to have to be here at home, where you hit it up on the hill there and you can run for a long time," Boss said about Kark's two triples, that were both in the gap in right center and up the small hill as part of the banks of the Red Cedar River. "Any backside singles, doubles, triples, home runs, that's an indicator of a pretty grooved in swing at that point in time. He missed his pitch earlier in the bat on the home run and then got it I think another two pitches later and didn't miss it. Guys that are locked in are able to make that adjustment."
Kark's Sunday performance was a bounce back from going hitless in game two of the DH and series on Saturday.
"I had a tough game two, but I just learned from it and came into this game with a clear mindset, and yeah, had a good day," Kark said. "It was good to see and we got the win, so that's even better."
Overall it was MSU's second-straight weekend series sweep at home, after taking three from Western Illinois on April 14-15 in a non-conference weekend series, and also sweeping Indiana State in a shortened weekend series to just a doubleheader on March 19, due to inclement weather. This weekend's B1G series sweep was nearly a year to the date of the Spartans' last league sweep, taking three from Minnesota, April 29-May 1 last season.
With Sunday's win, Michigan State improves to 28-13 overall and 10-5 in B1G action, moving up to sole possession of second-place in the conference standings. MSU has won five in a row as part of 11 of last 14. Â Northwestern suffered defeat for the sixth time in its last seven games, and is now 7-31 overall and 3-12 in B1G play, dropped the last three conference series.
The Spartans have won the last four meetings with the Wildcats and MSU has now won 11 of the last 17 meetings with NU and 19 of the last 27 in the series, now with a 103-55-1 all-time series advantage.
Michigan State posted its 25th game this season with double-digit hits in 41 total games, knocking 14 hits Sunday, sparked by Kark's three extra-base hits. Fellow junior infielder Mitch Jebb was also 3-for-5 with a double and two singles, while sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double, knocking two RBI.Â
Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg was also 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored, and junior infielder Trent Farquhar was also 2-for-5 with a run scored. Senior outfielder Casey Mayes was 1-for-4 with an RBI and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch drew a walk and scored a run. Junior outfielder Jack Frank also drew two free passes and scored a pair of runs.
Junior starter Nick Powers fired a season-high six strikeouts through 6.0 IP, scattering five hits with two runs, two walks. Powers registered a pair of three-up, three-down innings and only had more than one Wildcat on base in one frame through five, before the sixth inning when NU broke through with its only runs of the day. Â In earning the win Sunday, Powers moved to 5-0 on the season, tying for the team-lead in wins with fellow Spartan southpaw, freshman Joseph Dzierwa.Â
Sophomore Noah Matheny (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K), senior Andrew Carson (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) and sophomore Ryan Szczepaniak (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) secured the win for Powers.
The Spartans struck in the second stanza as Kark drew a two-out hit by pitch and Mayes followed by lacing a double down the left field line, and Kark scampered around to score MSU's first run of the day.
Northwestern initially appeared to tie it in the top of the fifth, as Wildcat third baseman Evan Minarovic hit a slicing ball down the field line on a 3-2 count that was first called a home run, but then after an official review, was overturned and called a foul ball. Minarovic walked on the next pitch and a strikeout later ended the inning to keep the score 1-0.
MSU took advantage and expanded its lead with a four-spot in the home half of the fifth, as Farquhar led off with a single and two batters later Vradenburg laced a double down the line in right. That brought Broecker to bat and the Spartan catcher knocked a two-run triple to the gap, up the hill and to the wall in right center. Two batters later, Frank drew a walk, and Kark clocked his second triple of the day to drive in both Broecker and Frank for a MSU's third and fourth runs of the frame and a 5-0 lead.
Northwestern closed to 5-2 with a two-run top of the sixth, knocking three hits and a sac fly.
That would be the closest the Wildcats would get as the Spartans pulled away with a four-spot in the home half of the seventh. After the signing and stretching, Busch and Frank drew back-to-back walks, to bring Kark up to bat. The Spartan third baseman crushed a pitch over the scoreboard for a three-run home run for his third extra base hit of the day to go with two triples in his previous at bats. Ziegler later singled, and after a Northwestern pitching change, Farquhar knocked a single and Ziegler scored on a throwing error on the play to extend MSU's lead to 9-2, and that remained the score for the rest of the game to seal the Victory for MSU and the Spartan series sweep.
Michigan State is off next week for Finals week on MSU's campus, before opening the May ledger and the final month of the regular-season by hitting the road to Champaign, Ill., to take on Illinois in the three-game B1G weekend series, Friday-Sunday, May 5-7. The Spartans vs. Fighting Illini series opens on Friday at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT, then the series second game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT, and wrapping up with the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.
MSU's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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Kark, a junior infielder, knocked a three-run home run and two triples, while junior starting pitcher Nick Powers rang up a season-high six strikeouts in 6.0 IP, in helping MSU record its first B1G series sweep of the season. After Friday's series opener was postponed due to inclement weather, the teams played a doubleheader on Saturday with the Spartans sweeping the twinbill with 8-3 and 6-3 wins before Sunday's series sweep clincher.
"Sweeps are big," a happy MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "After dropping the series last weekend, we kind of get ourselves back on track at 10-5 in Big Ten play and you figure if you can go 2-1 on average every weekend, you have a chance to do some pretty good things at the end of the year. It's hard to sweep anybody, I don't care if you're playing at home or on the road, or who you're playing, it's hard to win three games and in this case, in two days against the same opponent, so I'm really proud of our guys."
Kark was one of those guys for Boss and the Spartans, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate with five RBI and two runs scored.
"It's a big day. Dillon doesn't run great and I think he'll tell you that, so if he's going to hit a triple, it's probably going to have to be here at home, where you hit it up on the hill there and you can run for a long time," Boss said about Kark's two triples, that were both in the gap in right center and up the small hill as part of the banks of the Red Cedar River. "Any backside singles, doubles, triples, home runs, that's an indicator of a pretty grooved in swing at that point in time. He missed his pitch earlier in the bat on the home run and then got it I think another two pitches later and didn't miss it. Guys that are locked in are able to make that adjustment."
Kark out of the ballpark!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 30, 2023
Have a day Dillon Kark!!
After a HBP and two triples in first three plate appearances, Kark crushes ball over the scoreboard in left for a 3-run #KarkBlast!!
That was Kark's 5th HR of the season!!#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @KarkDillon pic.twitter.com/Bq8c6RSZmZ
Kark's Sunday performance was a bounce back from going hitless in game two of the DH and series on Saturday.
"I had a tough game two, but I just learned from it and came into this game with a clear mindset, and yeah, had a good day," Kark said. "It was good to see and we got the win, so that's even better."
Overall it was MSU's second-straight weekend series sweep at home, after taking three from Western Illinois on April 14-15 in a non-conference weekend series, and also sweeping Indiana State in a shortened weekend series to just a doubleheader on March 19, due to inclement weather. This weekend's B1G series sweep was nearly a year to the date of the Spartans' last league sweep, taking three from Minnesota, April 29-May 1 last season.
With Sunday's win, Michigan State improves to 28-13 overall and 10-5 in B1G action, moving up to sole possession of second-place in the conference standings. MSU has won five in a row as part of 11 of last 14. Â Northwestern suffered defeat for the sixth time in its last seven games, and is now 7-31 overall and 3-12 in B1G play, dropped the last three conference series.
The Spartans have won the last four meetings with the Wildcats and MSU has now won 11 of the last 17 meetings with NU and 19 of the last 27 in the series, now with a 103-55-1 all-time series advantage.
Michigan State posted its 25th game this season with double-digit hits in 41 total games, knocking 14 hits Sunday, sparked by Kark's three extra-base hits. Fellow junior infielder Mitch Jebb was also 3-for-5 with a double and two singles, while sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double, knocking two RBI.Â
Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg was also 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored, and junior infielder Trent Farquhar was also 2-for-5 with a run scored. Senior outfielder Casey Mayes was 1-for-4 with an RBI and junior outfielder Greg Ziegler was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch drew a walk and scored a run. Junior outfielder Jack Frank also drew two free passes and scored a pair of runs.
Junior starter Nick Powers fired a season-high six strikeouts through 6.0 IP, scattering five hits with two runs, two walks. Powers registered a pair of three-up, three-down innings and only had more than one Wildcat on base in one frame through five, before the sixth inning when NU broke through with its only runs of the day. Â In earning the win Sunday, Powers moved to 5-0 on the season, tying for the team-lead in wins with fellow Spartan southpaw, freshman Joseph Dzierwa.Â
Strikeout looking!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 30, 2023
With the dugout ready to celebrate, Powers with another 1-2-3 inning on two flyouts to Ziegler in CF, then ringing up fourth strikeout of day!
Mid 4th |
NW 0
MSU 1
Frank to lead off B4th#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/kBQJ1AIrfZ
Sophomore Noah Matheny (0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K), senior Andrew Carson (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) and sophomore Ryan Szczepaniak (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) secured the win for Powers.
The Spartans struck in the second stanza as Kark drew a two-out hit by pitch and Mayes followed by lacing a double down the left field line, and Kark scampered around to score MSU's first run of the day.
Northwestern initially appeared to tie it in the top of the fifth, as Wildcat third baseman Evan Minarovic hit a slicing ball down the field line on a 3-2 count that was first called a home run, but then after an official review, was overturned and called a foul ball. Minarovic walked on the next pitch and a strikeout later ended the inning to keep the score 1-0.
MSU took advantage and expanded its lead with a four-spot in the home half of the fifth, as Farquhar led off with a single and two batters later Vradenburg laced a double down the line in right. That brought Broecker to bat and the Spartan catcher knocked a two-run triple to the gap, up the hill and to the wall in right center. Two batters later, Frank drew a walk, and Kark clocked his second triple of the day to drive in both Broecker and Frank for a MSU's third and fourth runs of the frame and a 5-0 lead.
Broecker for THREEEEEEEEE!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 30, 2023
The Spartan catcher knocks a 2-run triple to the gap in right center, up the hill and to the wall, driving in Farquhar (single) and Vradenburg (double) to add the Green & White's lead!!
NW 0
MSU 3#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @BryanBroecker pic.twitter.com/tnb91QXyio
Dillon Kark entered the day with just one triple in 121 AB this season.... he has TWO triples today in two official AB!!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 30, 2023
His 2nd triple of the day was a 2-RBI driving in Broecker and Frank!!#GoGreen | #SpartanStrong | @KarkDillon pic.twitter.com/KH5aKUvjOF
Northwestern closed to 5-2 with a two-run top of the sixth, knocking three hits and a sac fly.
That would be the closest the Wildcats would get as the Spartans pulled away with a four-spot in the home half of the seventh. After the signing and stretching, Busch and Frank drew back-to-back walks, to bring Kark up to bat. The Spartan third baseman crushed a pitch over the scoreboard for a three-run home run for his third extra base hit of the day to go with two triples in his previous at bats. Ziegler later singled, and after a Northwestern pitching change, Farquhar knocked a single and Ziegler scored on a throwing error on the play to extend MSU's lead to 9-2, and that remained the score for the rest of the game to seal the Victory for MSU and the Spartan series sweep.
VICTORY FOR MSU!!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) April 30, 2023
Final score from McLane Stadium at Kobs Field:
Michigan State 9, Northwestern 2
High fives and handshakes all around as Spartans sweep the weekend series with the Wildcats!!#VictoryForMSU | #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/2uAQgaFn7L
Michigan State is off next week for Finals week on MSU's campus, before opening the May ledger and the final month of the regular-season by hitting the road to Champaign, Ill., to take on Illinois in the three-game B1G weekend series, Friday-Sunday, May 5-7. The Spartans vs. Fighting Illini series opens on Friday at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT, then the series second game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT, and wrapping up with the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT.
MSU's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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