Friday, April 7
Jackson Field | Lansing, Mich.
6:05 p.m.
Michigan State University
vs
Ohio State
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Spartans Host Buckeyes In Two-Day, Three-Game B1G Series At Jackson Field
4/6/2023 3:24:00 PM | Baseball
MSU and OSU will play single game Friday, followed by doubleheader Saturday.
| MICHIGAN STATE (16-9, 4-2 B1G) vs OHIO STATE (14-13, 1-5 B1G) | |
| Location | Jackson Field || Lansing, Mich. |
| Tickets | Free Admission |
| Weather | High/Low -- Fri: 49° / 31° | Sat: 56° / 35° |
| Game Notes | MICHIGAN STATE | OHIO STATE |
| Social Media |  @MSUbaseball |  MichiganStateBaseball  @msu_baseball |
| Television | None |
| Game 1 | Friday, April 7 | 6:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | OSU: #34 JR LHP Isaiah Coupet (3-2, 3.25 ERA) MSU: #16 FR LHP Joseph Dzierwa (2-1, 4.67 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live - none |
| Game 2 | Saturday, April 8 | 1:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | OSU: #10 SO LHP Gavin Bruni (1-0, 4.44 ERA) MSU: #8 R-SO RHP Harrison Cook (3-1, 5.74 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live - none |
| Game 3 | Saturday, April 8 | 4:35 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Matchup | OSU: TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #46 JR LHP Nick Powers (1-0, 6.19 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live - none |
• Michigan State continues Big Ten Conference action this weekend hosting Ohio State in the three-game weekend series, Friday-Saturday, April 7-8 ... due to the Red Cedar River flooding at Old College Field, the three games in two day set will be played at Jackson® Field™ home of the Lansing Lugnuts ... Friday's series opener is slated for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch, with Saturday's doubleheader scheduled for a 1:05 first pitch, with the second half of the twinbill to follow approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
• MSU's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
• Fans can follow the weekend's action with "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans, and no video streaming will be available.
• For the seventh-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis.
• Michigan State just played at Jackson® Field™ on Tuesday night in the annual Crosstown Showdown, presented by Delta Dental, taking on the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, in a seven-inning exhibition at Jackson® Field™ on a rainy Tuesday night that did not count towards either team's record ... the Lugnuts pulled away from a 4-3 ballgame in the top of the third with a three-run bottom of the third and a five-run fifth frame for a 12-3 final score.
SPARTAN STRONG
It has been just over a month since the mass shooting on the East Lansing campus on the night of Monday, Feb. 13, when three MSU students were killed and five were hospitalized. Michigan State University canceled classes the remainder of the week following the deaths of the three students – juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner and sophomore Brian Fraser.
Michigan State players are wearing "Spartan Strong" stickers on their helmets in a tribute of the three lives lost and for the five students still hospitalized, and several players have personal tributes as well.
Classes resumed on Monday, Feb. 20.
MEDIA ADVISORY (when discussing the events of Monday, Feb. 13)
• Can describe the shooting that happened on Feb. 13 as "The violence the Michigan State community experienced."
• Refrain from or be spare with the use of adjectives: Horrific, senseless, devastating, etc.
• Please use "students" instead of "victims."
• Referring to this event as "a tragedy" is okay. Saying "tragic loss of life" is also okay.
B1G START
Michigan State has opened Big Ten action with a 4-2 record, the best start to conference action since 2016 when MSU also started 4-2 ... the Spartans have won two-straight series in as many weekends to open B1G play, after only winning one conference series in 2022, and also marking the first time since 2016 that MSU has won its first two series of league play ... Michigan State four wins is already halfway to all of last year's B1G win total, as MSU was 8-16 in conference competition last year.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z!!
Michigan State and Ohio State last played a three-game B1G series at Jackson® Field™ in 2008, the same year that Beyoncé and Jay-Z tied the knot, with the three games coming just one week after the wedding ... in 2008, Jackson® Field™ was known as Oldsmobile Park, and was the Spartans' home field before MSU's McLane Stadium at Kobs Field was built ... MSU and OSU played April 11 and 13 in 2008, also playing a single game followed by a doubleheader on the 13th, and all three were tight, one-run contests, with the Buckeyes winning the opener, 4-3 in 11 innings, and game one of the DH, 5-4, before the Spartans won the finale, 1-0.
SPARTANS FROM OHIO
• Michigan State has two players from the state of Ohio: junior outfielder Jack Frank (Strongsville/Strongsville HS) and freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa (Haskins/Otsego HS).
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 19 players on its 2023 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Buckeyes have 26 Ohio native ... Michigan State has two aforementioned players from Ohio on its roster, while Ohio State has one Michigander on its roster in outfielder Trey Lipsey (Southfield/Birmingham Grove).
B1G ROAD OPENERS
Michigan State is coming off a Big Ten Conference road series at Rutgers, with the Spartans taking two of three from the Scarlet Knights ... despite falling in Sunday's series finale by a 10-5 score, MSU won the series with a 3-2 triumph on Friday and a 10-4 Victory for MSU on Saturday, as Michigan State won its second-straight series in as many weekends to open B1G play, after only winning one conference series in 2022.
With Friday's win, MSU was victorious in its first B1G road game since 2017, when the Spartans won, 12-4, at Illinois ... MSU lost at Michigan, 12-3, in 2018; at Nebraska, 4-1, in 2019; no B1G game in 2020; at Michigan, 8-7, in 2021, at Ohio State, 13-5, in 2022 ... the Spartans are 7-6 in B1G road openers under head coach Jake Boss Jr., not playing a league game in 2020 ... MSU opened B1G play at home for the second-straight season, marking the first time since at least 1990 that the Spartans hosted B1G openers in back-to-back seasons, after hosting Illinois in the league lid-lifter last season, falling in a DH, 11-3 and 9-2, and then hosted Purdue in the B1G opener this season, falling 5-4 in the series opener.
A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEKEND
• Michigan State hit the road for its first B1G road series, playing a three-game set at Rutgers. MSU opened the weekend with a 3-2 win in a hard-fought pitcher's duel. The Spartans scored their three runs in rapping out nine hits, and won despite leaving 12 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings. The Scarlet Knights scored two runs on eight hits and left eight runners on bases, including the bases loaded in the third frame.
Bryan Broecker's bat boosted the Spartans to a 10-4 Victory for MSU on Saturday, clinching the series win for the Green & White. Broecker, the Spartans' sophomore catcher, belted a grand slam in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the sixth inning, adding a single in the fourth to finish a triple shy of the cycle, ending the game 3-for-4 with six RBI and two runs scored. The grand slam by Broecker was MSU's first grand slam since Trent Farquhar also mashed a grand slam on the road, coming on March 21, 2022 at Nebraska. Broecker was the first Spartan with six RBI since Brock Vradenburg had six ribbies on Feb. 19, 2022.
Michigan State was denied the weekend series sweep with a 10-5 loss to Rutgers Sunday in the series finale. MSU's five-game win streak came to an end with Sunday's loss, but the Spartans have won 11 of the last 13 games. The Green & White scored its five runs on nine hits, led by junior infielder Trent Farquhar going 3-for-5 with one RBI and a run scored. Sophomore designated hitter Sam Busch and junior infielder Brock Vradenburg both blasted home runs for the Spartans, with Busch belting a solo round-tripper in the third for MSU's first run of the day. Vradenburg blasted a three-run opposite field homer in the eighth. It was Vradenburg's team-leading seventh home run of the season, while Busch belted his fourth round-tripper of the year and is third on the team.
VRADENBURG ON 2023 GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
• Michigan State baseball's Brock Vradenburg has been named to the 2023 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, announced Wednesday by USA Baseball, continuing the process of identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country ... The list features 45 of the nation's best athletes from both college and high school baseball ... Vradenburg is one of only two players from Big Ten Conference teams on the 45-player list, joined by Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht.
Twenty-four athletes have played their way onto the list since the announcement of the Preseason Watch List on February 10. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue maintaining a rolling list of athletes throughout the season, allowing players to play themselves into consideration for the award before the announcement of the semifinalists on May 22.
Vradenburg, a junior infielder from Pasadena, Calif., leads the B1G and ranks 12th in the NCAA in batting average (.442) ... Vradenburg also leads the B1G and ranks fifth in the NCAA in hits per game (1.84), while also leading the conference and 23rd in the country overall in hits (46) ... the Spartan first baseman also leads the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.294 ... Vradenburg also tops the B1G and ranks 29th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.525) along with ranking second in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.769), as well as tied for sixth in the conference in home runs (7) ... he also ranks fourth in the league and 39th in the nation in total bases (80).
He is also fourth in the B1G and 62nd in the NCAA in RBI (34), while ranking fourth in the league and 39th in the country in RBI/game (1.36) ... he also is third in the B1G and leads the team in runs (33), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (29) ... Vradenburg is also third in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (10.4 AB per K) ... he also is tied for fifth in the league in triples (2), matching teammate Casey Mayes and trailing co-league leaders teammates Sam Busch and Mitch Jebb (3).
ABOUT OHIO STATE
• The Buckeyes tote a 14-13 overall record and 1-5 B1G ledger to town for this weekend's conference series ... OSU is coming off a 7-6 win over Kent State on Tuesday night ... last weekend, Ohio State lost a three-game series with Minnesota, falling in the opener, 3-2, on Friday, before bouncing back to win Saturday's middle game, 6-2, but then dropped the rubber match by an identical, 6-2, score ... OSU opened B1G action at Indiana, getting swept by the Hoosiers, March 25-26, in Bloomington.
Graduate catcher Cole Andrews leads five Buckeyes hitting over .300, posting a .338 average with a team-leading 20 RBI, while tying for the team lead with six doubles and two triples, adding two HR ... freshman catcher Matthew Graveline is hitting .333 with 14 RBI, five doubles and two HR, while senior infielder Nick Erwin is hitting at a .322 clip with 16 RBI, six doubles and one HR ... junior outfielder Kade Kern posts a .305 average, leading OSU with 55 total bases, with six doubles, one triple and five HR, notching 18 RBI and shares the team lead with seven stolen bases, while sophomore infielder Tyler Petteroni rounds out the .300 hitting Buckeyes at a .301 average with 11 RBI.
On the mound, junior lefty Isaiah Coupet is Friday's probable starter, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.25 ERA, making six starts in seven appearances, with 52 strikeouts against 12 walks in 36.0 IP, with a .208 BAA ... Saturday's game one probable starter is sophomore southpaw Gavin Bruni, who is 1-0 with a 4.44 ERA in seven starts, with 33 Ks and 12 BB in 26.1 IP, limiting the opposition to .229 ... Saturday's game two probable starter is currently TBA for the Buckeyes ... freshman left-handed releiver Landon Beidelschies had 13 appearances with a team-leading four saves, posting 27 Ks and 15 BB in 19.0 IP, and a .214 BAA.
Ohio State head coach is Bill Mosiello, who is in his first season after being named the Buckeyes' new head coach on June 16, 2022 ... Mosiello came to OSU after nine seasons at TCU, where he helped the Horned Frogs to four straight appearances in the College World Series (2014-17) and seven NCAA Tournaments ... during Mosiello's nine years in Fort Worth, TCU won seven Big 12 titles.
DANNY LITWHILER ELECTED TO MICHIGAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
• Legendary Michigan State baseball head coach Danny Litwhiler, the all-time winningest head coach in Spartan baseball history, will be joined by the all-time winningest head coach in Western Michigan baseball history, Fred Decker as the Class of 2023 for the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Decker and Litwhiler will be inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame at Jackson® Field™ on Friday, July 7, during the Lansing Lugnuts' game against the Lake County Captains.
The Class of 2023 was determined by vote of a nine-member committee comprising Joe Block, Mark Ditsworth, Fred Heumann, Mario Impemba, Bill Killian, Rich Maloney, Tim Staudt, Mark Uyl and Clyde Weir.
Originally founded on January 28, 2015, and housed at Jackson® Field™, the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame's mission is to honor the state's baseball heroes of yesterday, celebrate the national pastime today, and inspire the baseball fans and ballplayers of tomorrow. The Hall of Fame celebrates all levels of baseball, from youth to high school to college to the Major Leagues.
A special pre-game ceremony will see Decker's and Litwhiler's Hall of Fame plaques revealed beyond the left field wall. The full Western Michigan and Michigan State baseball families are invited to attend.
A native of Colon, Mich., Fred Decker first made his name at Western Michigan University as a two-time All-American outfielder, taking the Broncos to the 1963 College World Series. After coaching for two seasons at Portage Central, Decker returned to Kalamazoo to join the WMU staff. He was named Western Michigan head baseball coach in 1976, going on to win 791 games, 401 in the Mid-American Conference – both marks set MAC records. Over the course of his 29 years steering the Broncos, Decker's teams produced 95 MLB draftees. He led the Broncos to the 1982 and 1983 MAC West Division titles and the 1989 MAC championship, when he was named the MAC Coach of the Year and the Mideast Regional Coach of the Year.
Danny "Skip" Litwhiler made a name for himself through both success and invention during his 29 seasons at MSU. Following the end of his playing career, he turned to coaching, arriving in East Lansing from Florida State in 1964. Litwhiler went on to win 489 games and two Big Ten titles, making three NCAA Tournament appearances and producing 13 Major Leaguers, including Kirk Gibson, Rick Miller and Steve Garvey. He further impacted baseball by conducting clinics in over 10 countries and introducing the radar gun to gauge pitching velocity, Diamond Grit to dry wet fields and a special bat to hone bunting technique among more than 100 innovations. His coaching theory resonates to this day: Teach baseball, and then win.
For more information, visit michiganbaseballhall.org or call (517) 485-4500.
400 FOR BOSS
• MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. picked up career win No. 400 on April 24, 2022 with the Spartans' 11-7 Victory for MSU at Northwestern ... Boss now has 424 career wins with 399 in his 14th year at MSU (2009-pres.) after 25 wins in his lone season at Eastern Michigan (2008) ... at the time, Boss became the seventh active Big Ten head coach to reach 400 career wins and is now one of eight active B1G head coaches with 400+ career wins, but would only become just the third B1G active head coach with 400 wins leading their current B1G team ... Boss also became the second active NCAA Division I head coach in the state of Michigan, joining close friend and former assistant coach Billy Gernon at Western Michigan, now with 416 (259 in his 13th season at WMU (2011-pres.) and 157 in nine seasons at Purdue Fort Wayne (2000-08), and is now one of three in the state, joined by first-year Michigan head coach Tracy Smith ... Boss also became the 103rd active Division I head coach to reach 400 career wins.
The 2023 season-opener vs. Michigan under Tracy Smith was the first of four B1G opponents this season under the leadership of a head coach with over 400 career wins, as MSU played at Rutgers and Steve Owens last weekend, March 31-April 2, at Michigan and Smith again (April 21-23), at Iowa and Rich Heller (May 12-14), at Illinois and Dan Hartleb (May 5-7) ... Michigan State doesn't play Minnesota and the Dean of the B1G coaches in John Anderson, nor playing Penn State and Rob Cooper.
Current Big Ten Head Coaches By Career Wins (as of 4/3/23)
John Anderson - Minnesota 1,354
Steve Owens - Rutgers 1,000
Rich Heller - Iowa 987
Tracy Smith - Michigan 821
Dan Hartleb - Illinois 519
Rob Cooper - Penn State 473
Jim Foster - Northwestern 433
Jake Boss Jr. - Michigan State 424
Current Big Ten Head Coaches By Wins At Current B1G Team (as of 4/3/23)
John Anderson - Minnesota 1,354
Dan Hartleb - Illinois 519
Jake Boss Jr. - Michigan State 399
Rich Heller - Iowa 298
Rob Cooper - Penn State 187
Rob Vaughn - Maryland 158
Jeff Mercer - Indiana 119
Steve Owens - Rutgers 86
Will Bolt - Nebraska 80
Greg Goff - Purdue 64
Tracy Smith - Michigan 17 (287 at Indiana (2006-14)
Bill Mosiello - Ohio State 14
Jim Foster - Northwestern 3
• Boss is also just one win from his 400th win at Michigan State, and would become just the third Spartan head coach to reach 400 Victories for MSU.
Michigan State Baseball Coaches By Wins (as of 3/21/23)
John H. Kobs 576 1935-63 (39)
Daniel W. Litwhiler 489 1964-82 (19)
Jake Boss Jr. 399 2009-pres. (14th)
Thomas W. Smith 377 1983-95 (13)
Ted Mahan 256 1996-2005 (10)
SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE AND IT GAVE IN THE SPARTANS' FAVOR
• Michigan State entered the opening weekend of B1G play leading the league with 12 caught stealing by, while Purdue led the league in stolen bases, with 50 (2.6 per game) ... when the dust settled, the Spartan pitchers, catchers and defense didn't allow a stolen base to Purdue, with zero in three games ... meanwhile, the Spartans were 6-of-7 swiping bases, including two each by junior infielder Mitch Jebb, senior outfielder Casey Mayes and junior outfielder Jack Frank.
NO STEALS FOR YOU
• Individually, sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker leads the B1G with 11 caught stealing by, four more than the No. 2 spot in the league, Thomas Bramley of Penn State, with seven.
HOME RUNS AND RUNS GALORE
• Michigan State blasted five round-trippers on the way to a 19-10 Victory for MSU at Charleston Southern on March 4.
• The five Spartan home runs was their most since knocking eight round-trippers on March 26, 2017 at Illinois.
• The 19 runs at CSU was MSU's most runs since scoring 22 vs. UNC Greensboro (W, 22-16) on Feb. 25, 2017.
• Michigan State mashed three home runs in the win at Western Michigan on March 28, which was MSU's fourth game this season with multiple home runs, before adding two round-tripper at Rutgers on April 2 for a total of five contests ... the Spartans have three or more homers in four of those five occasions, with three home runs in two games and a season-high five homers at Charleston Southern on March 4.
• Junior outfielder Jack Frank leads all active Spartans with 14 career home runs, including nine career solo home runs, after completing the second half of back-to-back home runs at Western Michigan on March 28 with teammate Sam Busch, smacking a solo shot after Busch blasted a two-run HR ... Frank also hit his second home run of the season, as well as his 12th career HR at the time, but the three-run home run on March 4 at Charleston Southern was his first three-run round tripper of his career.
• Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg knocked two homers in the Charleston weekend, vaulting him from fifth on the active HR list with six to temporarily tie for second with senior outfielder Casey Mayes with eight four-baggers ... both of Vradenburg's home runs in Charleston were of the two-run variety, and he now is tied with Mayes for the lead among active Spartans in two-run HRs ... on the season, Vradenburg now leads the team with seven HR, as part of 12 total career homers, blasting his team-leading seventh at Rutgers on April 2.
• Junior infielder Dillon Kark crushed his third round-tripper of the season on March 19 at Indiana State, and his sixth career, but it was his first two-run homer.
• Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter and East Lansing native Sam Busch bashed a two-run home run in the fourth inning of game two against Purdue on March 26, crushing a shot over the wall in right and into the Red Cedar River for his first home run at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field ... Busch now has four home runs on the season, with three of them going for the two-run variety, before knocking a solo homer at Rutgers on April 2.
• Senior catcher Sam Thompson belted his first HR as a Spartan and just his second collegiate home run with a solo shot at Western Michigan on March 28 ... Thompson is the eighth different Spartan with a round-tripper this season.
DOUBLE-DIGITS IN HITS AND RUNS AND HIIIIIIITTTS AND RUUUUUNNNNNSSSS COLUMNS
• MSU has posted double-digit runs in seven games this season
--15 runs vs. Michigan on Feb. 17 in season-opener
--13 runs at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--Season-high 19 runs at Charleston Southern on March 4
--10 runs vs. Kansas on March 11
--10 runs at Indiana State in G2 of DH on March 19
--12 runs vs. Purdue in G2 on DH on March 26
--10 runs at Rutgers on April 1.
--Michigan State is 7-0 when scoring double-digit runs.
• The Spartans had their streak of double-digits hits halted at seven-straight games with only seven in the game vs. Western Michigan on March 22 and then had their first back-to-back game with single-digit hits with only nine in game one of the series vs. Purdue, but then got back on track with 10 and 13 hits in games two and three, respectively, and added 11 hits at Western Michigan on March 28, before coming up one hit shy in each of the three contests at Rutgers March 31-April 2 ... overall, MSU has had 10+ hits a total of 16 total times in the 25 games this season:
--Season-high 19 hits at Charleston Southern on March 4
--18 hits vs. Michigan on Feb. 17
--15 hits (three times): vs. Fresno State on Feb. 19, at Grand Canyon on Feb. 20 and vs. Wofford on March 8
--14 hits (twice): both games of DH at Indiana State on March 19
--13 hits vs. Purdue in G2 on DH on March 26
--12 hits at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--11 hits (four times): at Presbyterian on Feb. 26; vs. Air Force on March 6 and vs. Kansas on March 11; at Western Michigan on March 28.
--10 hits (three times): vs. Western Carolina in both meetings on March 10 and March 11; vs Purdue in G1 of DH on March 26
--MSU is 13-3 when posting double-digit hits.
• Michigan State has posted both double-digit hits and runs in six games:
--15 runs on 18 hits vs. Michigan on Feb. 17 in season-opener
--13 runs on 12 hits at USC Upstate on Feb. 24
--Season-high 19 runs on season-high 19 hits at Charleston Southern on March 4
--10 runs on 10 hits vs. Kansas on March 11
--10 runs on 14 hits in G2 of DH at Indiana State on March 19
--12 runs on 13 hits in G2 of DH vs. Purdue on March 26
--Michigan State is 6-0 when posting double-digit runs and double-digit hits in same game.
MSU TEAM NOTES
• Michigan State is hitting .310 as a team, which ranks second in the Big Ten and ranks 32nd in the NCAA ... MSU is also fifth in the conference and 68th in the country in slugging percentage (.488).
• The Spartans are also fifth in the B1G and rank 95th in the NCAA in hits with 276.
• MSU tops the B1G and ranks sixth in the NCAA in total triples (14), while also leading the league and ranking sixth in the nation in triples per game (0.56).
• The Spartans are third in the B1G in stolen bases (41) and also third in stolen bases per game (1.64).
• Michigan State ranks eighth in the league in total runs (186) and 10th in doubles (47).
• Michigan State is averaging 11.0 hits and 7.4 runs per game.
• MSU's pitching staff is fourth in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (4.42), while ranking seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.94) and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.6).
SPARTAN PLAYER NOTES
• MSU's bats are led by their infield, as first baseman Brock Vradenburg tops the team with a .442 average, while second baseman/shortstop Trent Farquhar is second at .389, followed by back-up first baseman/DH Sam Busch at .333 and junior shortstop Mitch Jebb at .304.
• Infielders also make up the top three leaders and four of the top five in run scored in Vradenburg (1st-33) Farquhar (2nd-29), junior third baseman Dillon Kark (T-3rd-19) and Jebb (5th-18) ... Spartan infielders also have three of top five team marks for RBI, in Vradenburg (1st-34), Busch (2nd-25) and Farquhar (4th-18) ... infielders also have four spots for total bases in Vradenburg (1st-80), Farquhar (2nd-54), Busch (3rd-50) and Kark (5th-38).
• Junior first baseman Brock Vradenburg leads the B1G and ranks 12th in the NCAA in batting average (.442) ... Vradenburg also leads the B1G and ranks fifth in the NCAA in hits per game (1.84), while also leading the conference and 23rd in the country overall in hits (46) ... the Spartan first baseman also leads the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.294 ... Vradenburg also tops the B1G and ranks 29th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.525) along with ranking second in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.769), as well as tied for sixth in the conference in home runs (7) ... he also ranks fourth in the league and 39th in the nation in total bases (80) ... he is also fourth in the B1G and 62nd in the NCAA in RBI (34), while ranking fourth in the league and 39th in the country in RBI/game (1.36) ... he also is third in the B1G and leads the team in runs (33), just ahead of teammate Trent Farquhar (29) ... Vradenburg is also third in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (10.4 AB per K) ... he also is tied for fifth in the league in triples (2), matching teammate Casey Mayes and trailing co-league leaders teammates Sam Busch and Mitch Jebb (3).
• Junior second baseman Trent Farquhar is third in the B1G and 30th in the NCAA in doubles (12), along with leading the league and ranking 20th in the nation in doubles per game (0.48), in addition to ranking eighth in the conference in runs (29), just behind teammate Brock Vradenburg (33), and also ranking seventh in the league in runs per game (1.16) ... Farquhar is also fifth in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (9.8 AB per K), with just 11 strikeouts in 108 ABs ... the Spartan second baseman is also sixth in the conference and 76th in the country in hits (42), while ranking third in the B1G and 25th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.68) ... he also is sixth in the league in batting average (.389).
• Junior infielder Mitch Jebb is tied for the B1G-lead and tied for 29th in the NCAA in triples, with teammate sophomore designated hitter/infielder Sam Busch, each with three triples ... Jebb also leads the league and ranks 18th in the nation in triples per game (0.15) ... Jebb is also seventh in the B1G and 104th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout (9.6 AB per K) ... the Spartan shortstop is also 12th in the B1G in hits per game (1.30), with 26 hits in 20 games played ... Jebb is also fifth in the league in stolen bases per game (0.45), with nine swipes in 20 games played, ranking 11th in the B1G in total stolen bases (9).
• Senior outfielder Casey Mayes is tied with Vradenburg for second on the team and fifth in the B1G in triples (2), while ranking tied for 11th in the league in triples per game (0.09) ... Mayes also is ninth in the conference in stolen bases (10) and 11th in stolen bases per game (0.40).
• Freshman pitcher Joseph Dzierwa is seventh in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (2.21), along with 11th in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.44) ... Dzierwa also joins with sophomore pitcher Harrison Cook to rank tied for eighth in the league in wins (3) ... Dzierwa is also eighth in the B1G in innings pitched (36.2) ... Carson is also 11th in the league in batters SO looking (11).
• Senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush leads the B1G and ranks tied for ninth in the NCAA in saves (6).
• Sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker tops the B1G in caught stealing by (12), five more than the No. 2 spot.
RUSH-ING UP RECORD LISTS
Senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush currently has six saves, which leads the Big Ten and ranks tied for ninth in the NCAA.
Rush posted just two saves in 21 appearances in all of 2022 as part of only two total saves in 38 previous appearances through his first three years on the Spartan staff ... Rush registered five saves in eight appearances in March of 2023 season alone, and now with six saves on the year, is just one shy of MSU's single-season top 10 list … leads the Big Ten in saves overall and the five saves in the month would lead the Big Ten overall on its own.
Now with eight career saves, Rush is also one save from moving into MSU's career top 10 saves list, joining former teammate Indigo Diaz as part of a seven-way tie for the No. 10 spot, Diaz is currently in the NY Yankees minor league program and pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
DOUBLE THE WALK-OFFS FOR KARK
Junior infielder Dillon Kark has a walk-off inside-the-park home run to complete Michigan State's comeback in a 6-5 Victory for MSU over Western Carolina on March 10 in the opening game of the 2023 First Pitch Invitational at Fluor Field in Greenville.
• Kark smacked his second walk-off home run in as many seasons, with a walk-off over-the-fence home run variety on March 18, 2022 for a 4-3 win over Houston Baptist, and Kark was also the last Spartan with a walk-off home run, and the last walk-off Victory for MSU was two days later, also over Houston Baptist, and matching Friday's score of 6-5.
MAYES TRIPLING WAY UP RECORD LIST
Senior outfielder Casey Mayes has two triples on the season, with his second of the season coming in Greenville ... Mayes now has 11 triples for his career, vaulting up to tie for No. 4 on MSU's career triples list, one of six Spartans in program history with 11, most recently by Cam Gibson (2013-15), and needing one more to crack into the Top 3.
MSU'S BROECKER ON BUSTER POSEY NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CATCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST
• Michigan State catcher Bryan Broecker was tabbed to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List, announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
Broecker, a sophomore from Chicago, Ill., is one of four Big Ten catchers on the 65-player list, joined by Ohio State senior Cole Andrews, Nebraska sophomore Josh Caron, Indiana senior Matthew Ellis, as well as only one of 10 sophomores on the list.
"Bryan is an outstanding leader, and he is an extremely hard worker, who just continues to get better and better," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Last season, he led the Big Ten by throwing out 22 potential base-stealers, and had a very good year behind the plate for us last year and we expect that to continue into the 2023 season."
Last season, Broecker was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and was the Spartans' primary catcher all season, leading the B1G in caught stealing by nabbing 22 stolen base attempts, six more than the second spot. In B1G only action, Broecker threw out 11 base stealing attempts, also leading the league and posting three more than the number two spot.
At the plate, Broecker hit .271 overall, ranking tied for fifth on the team, as well as fourth on the team in runs scored (31) and fifth in hits (48), along with third in hit by pitch (7).
This season, Broecker already leads the B1G with nine caught stealing, including two at Charleston Southern on March 4 and three more vs. Air Force on March 6. The nine caught stealing by is four more than the next-best mark in the B1G. Broecker is also hitting .302 at the plate with two HR, one triple and one double, logging eight RBI.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• The Spartans played in their fourth different professional stadium on the night April 4 at Jackson® Field™ home of the Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's in the 2023 Crosstown Showdown, and were topped in a seven-inning exhibition by a 12-3 final score.
The 2023 season opened with three games of the MLB Desert Invitational for MSU's first games played in two different professional stadiums ... overall, MSU is slated to now play seven official games and one exhibition contest in four different professional stadiums.
The Spartans also played four games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, taking on Wofford (March 8), then hosting the 2023 First Pitch Invitational on March 10-12 against Western Carolina and Kansas, having the final game vs. Kansas on March 12 rained out.
Last season, MSU played in five different professional stadiums, and playing 15 official games, along with one exhibition contest.
The Spartans played at US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, for the Minnesota Cambria Classic, for the first meeting with Notre Dame on March 5, along with Kansas (March 4) and West Virginia (March 6), going 2-1 ... MSU also played at its home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, March 9 & 10-13, going 2-2.
The Spartans played the Lansing Lugnuts in the Crosstown Showdown on April 6 at Jackson Field (L, 3-2 in exhibition), and then Michigan State returned to Jackson Field on April 15 to take on Michigan in the Capital Clash, losing the in-state battle ... MSU also played No. 12 Notre Dame at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers on April 26, winning 6-2.
Michigan State played at Penn State at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes minor league team, losing all three ballgames with the Nittany Lions May 8-9 ... MSU then played Nebraska at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, home of the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
EARLY HOME OPENER
• Michigan State's March 22 home opener date was among the earliest home-openers in program history, as the fourth-earliest date for the first home game ... March 22 trails 2018's first home game of March 15, last season's March 18 date, and the 2009 season's March 20 opener, which was also the scheduled start date for the 2019 opener, but was postponed due to weather.
HOME OPENER SUCCESS
• With MSU's 8-3 win over Western Michigan on March 22, Michigan State has now won 10 of its last 11 home openers and the Spartans improved to 13-2 in their first game of the year played at McLane Stadium under head coach Jake Boss Jr. ... The 2021 season's home opening loss to Indiana snapped MSU's eight-game home opener winning streak.
OPENING WEEK IN THE DESERT
• MSU started the season at the 2023 MLB Desert Invitational in the Phoenix, Arizona area, beginning with a 15-8 win over Michigan in the season-opener on Feb. 17, then split a day-night doubleheader with Fresno State, winning 7-4, and Arizona, losing 7-1, to wrap up the Desert Invite action ... the Spartans then wrapped up the extended weekend with a 7-1 win at Grand Canyon on Monday, the same GCU team that upset No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday night ... MSU playing its third game in 24 hours, after playing a day-night doubleheader on Sunday that started at 1 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. ET, beating Fresno State, 7-4, Sunday afternoon before losing to Arizona, 7-1, in the night cap, then taking on Grand Canyon in an 11 a.m. MT / 1 p.m. ET start time, before MSU flew home to East Lansing Monday evening.
CAROLINA IN MY MIND AND TRAVEL ITINERARY
• MSU's travel theme music for three-straight weeks from Feb. 24-March 12 was James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" as the Spartans played three-straight weekends in the Palmetto State.
Michigan State started its South Carolina trips in Spartanburg, S.C. area, playing in the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Baseball Classic, facing three different teams in three days, rotating with fellow visiting teams Northwestern and Toledo in playing at USC Upstate, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian ... MSU opened the weekend in an all-Spartans clash vs. USC Upstate, winning, 13-6, followed by heading to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on Gardner-Webb on Feb. 25, dropping a 7-3 contest in the first-ever meeting between MSU and GWU ... Michigan State concluded the weekend in the Spartanburg area with an 8-6 loss at Presbyterian on Feb. 26, in MSU's first visit to Clinton since 1948.
The Spartans opened their Spring Break week in South Carolina in Charleston, S.C., losing at College of Charleston, 11-3, on Friday, March 3, before sinking the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, 19-10, on Saturday, March 4, then losing, 10-3, back at College of Charleston on Sunday, March 5 ... Air Force played those two teams on the other days that MSU was playing them, and the Spartans and Falcons met at scenic Shipyard Park on Monday, March 6 with AF winning, 7-4.
After the game on March 6, the Spartans bussed from Charleston to Greenville, arriving there Monday night at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, the A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox ... MSU played Wofford and lost in 12-9 thriller on Wednesday, March 8, as MSU rallied from being down 9-1 in the third, including a 5-run ninth inning and had the tying run in the on-deck circle when the game ended.
The Spartans hosted the 2023 First Pitch Invitational Friday-Sunday, March 10-12 at Fluor Field, opening action with a 6-5 Victory for MSU over Western Carolina on junior infielder Dillon Kark's walk-off inside-the-park home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth, as MSU rallied from down 5-3 after the seventh inning with two runs in the eighth to tie it before Kark's heroics for the win ... the Spartans then played a split twinbill on Saturday, March 11, beating Kansas, 10-6, in the opener, knocking three triples in the first inning as part of a 5-run first frame adding a run in the second for a 6-0 lead, only to see Kansas come back and tie it with six runs in the fourth, before pulling away with a 3-run seventh and a run in the eighth ... in the nightcap, MSU got a gem from sophomore pitcher Adam Berghorst with a career-high 11 Ks in 6.0 IP, more than doubling his previous career-best of five Ks, most recently done in his last outing on March 6 vs. Air Force, and first done on March 27, 2021 vs. Indiana ... the 11 strikeouts by Berghorst was the first MSU pitcher with 10 or more Ks since Nick Powers rang up 10 strikeouts against the same Western Carolina and almost a year to the day on March 12, 2022 ... Sunday's finale vs. Kansas was rained out and won't be made up.
SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
• The 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the season-opener marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Spartans were victorious in their season-opener, getting back on the winning track after dropping last year's lid-lifter at UNLV following winning the previous three openers ... overall, MSU is 12-3 in the 15 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.
TWO MSU BASEBALL PLAYERS EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Michigan State baseball players Brock Vradenburg and Dominic Pianto both collected weekly award honors from the Big Ten Conference, the league office announced on Feb. 21 for the opening week of the season. Vradenburg garnered Player of the Week accolades, while Pianto was tabbed Co-Pitcher of the Week.
Both Vradenburg and Pianto collected their first career weekly B1G honors for their performances over the weekend in Phoenix, helping MSU to a 3-1 record, marking the third-straight season that the Spartans have opened 3-1 or better. Vradenburg is MSU's first B1G Player of the Week Award since Mitch Jebb collected the honor on March 16 of last season, while Pianto is the first Spartan to earn B1G Pitcher of the Week since Sam Benschoter on April 27, 2021.
Vradenburg, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., hit .556 (10-for-18) for the weekend with four RBI, seven runs scored, with a double and triple, and also drawing two walks. He posted a .600 on-base percentage for the weekend, along with a .722 slugging percentage, logging three hits in three of the four games and had two RBI each in a pair of games, along with scoring at least two runs in three of the four games, adding three runs in the win over Fresno State.
The Spartans' first baseman started the season and the weekend going 3-for-5 with two ribbies and two runs scored in MSU's emotional win over Michigan, the Spartans' first game after the shooting on campus at MSU, as the Spartans rallied from down 5-1. He knocked in MSU first run of game with an RBI single in the first inning, then after drawing a walk in the third frame, roped a triple to the right-center gap in the fifth to spark the Spartan comeback, later scoring a run as well. In the eighth, he again sparked the rally leading off the inning with a single to center and two batters later scored the Spartans' first run of the inning, and later batted again in the inning, reaching on an RBI fielder's choice, part of a seven-run stanza.
Vradenburg went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the 7-1 Victory for MSU over Fresno State, including giving MSU the 3-2 lead when he scored in the third after a walk. He also sparked a Spartan rally in the fifth with a single to lead off the frame, coming around to score from first on a double by Jack Frank, then knocked a ground-rule double in the seventh into the bullpen down the right-field line. In the ninth, he laced a single and later came around to score MSU's final run of the game to secure the 7-4 win.
In the loss to Arizona, Vradenburg knocked his lone hit in the game with a single in the sixth.
He wrapped up the weekend going 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in the 7-1 win over Grand Canyon, the same team that beat No. 2 Tennessee on Saturday. Vradenburg got MSU's scoring going with an RBI single in the third inning for the Spartans' first run of the day, and came around to score the second and last run of the inning as the Spartans took a 2-0 lead. He started the Spartan rally in the seventh by leading off with a single and came around to score on a sac fly, and capped weekend with an RBI single in the eighth.
Pianto, a redshirt-sophomore relief pitcher from Hendersonville, Tenn., came on with two on and two outs in the first inning with MSU already down 2-0 to Fresno State in Sunday's game. He then went the remaining 8.1 innings of relief for a new career-long outing, ringing up a career-high tying four strikeouts, with just three hits and only yielding one earned run without a walk, as MSU rallied for a 7-4 triumph
The Spartan hurler rang up a total of five 3-up, 3-down innings in the eight innings he started the frame, starting with opening the second with back-to-back strikeouts, then worked around a one-out single in the fourth, another in-order inning in the fourth and fifth, ending with another K, before some defensive miscues led to Bulldog base runners in the sixth and scoring two runs, one earned, before getting out of the jam by fielding position on a comebacker and starting a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning. After retiring Fresno State in order in the seventh and eighth, he worked around a one-out single in the ninth, getting a popup and flyout to end the game and seal the Victory for MSU.
DOUBLE THE SPARTAN B1G AWARDS
• With Brock Vradenburg winning B1G Player of the Week and Dominic Pianto winning B1G Pitcher of the Week, it marked the first time since April 29, 2013 that two Spartan players collected weekly honors in the same week, when Blaise Salter collected Freshman of the Week accolades and Andrew Waszak was tabbed Pitcher of the Week ... it was the first time since Feb. 28, 2011 that two Spartans won both the Player and Pitcher awards in the same week, when Brandon Ecklerle was named the Player of the Week, while Kurt Wunderlich was the Pitcher of the Week.
MAYES MAKING MARK
• Last season, senior outfielder Casey Mayes led not just MSU, but also the B1G as part of ranking tied for third in the NCAA with seven triples ... Mayes picked up right where he left off, knocking a triple in game two in MSU's 7-4 win over Fresno State.
The triple vs. Fresno State was the 10th career triple for Mayes, moving into the MSU Career Top 10 Triples list, tying for No. 9 with Chris Roberts (2007-10), Alex Gagin (1989-92) and Abe Eliowitz (1931-33).
MICHIGAN STATE ONE OF 10 SCHOOLS WITH A CFP, MF4 AND CWS APPEARANCE
• Michigan State is one of 10 schools in the country with a College Football Playoff, Men's Basketball Final Four appearance and a College World Series appearance, including one of three Big Ten Conference schools:
Michigan State
Florida State
Georgia
LSU
Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oregon
Washington
TRIO OF SPARTANS EARN B1G PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH ACCOLADES
• 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 2023 season-opening action around the conference.
The conference coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.
Junior infielders Trent Farquhar and Mitch Jebb, along with senior outfielder Casey Mayes garnered preseason recognition.
Farquhar, a native of Highland, Mich., is now a two-time Preseason All-B1G honoree, after earning recognition last season ... he also has garnered B1G honors in the classroom, as he is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar accolades.
The Spartans' primary second baseman was the recipient of the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year MSU Team Award for the second-straight year ... Last season, he started all 54 games at second base, leading the Big Ten in fielding double plays with 39, helping MSU lead the B1G and rank fifth in the NCAA with 53 double plays, as well as leading the conference and ranking sixth in the country with 0.98 double plays per game ... For the season, Farquhar posted 143 assists and 115 putouts.
At the plate, Farquhar hit .271 with 29 RBI in 2022, as well as ranking tied for second on the team with six home runs, including the first grand slam of his Spartan career in MSU's season-finale at Nebraska on May 21 ... Farquhar was also second on the team with a .392 on-base percentage, 34 walks and eight hit by pitches, along with third in both runs scored (37) and doubles (13) ... He had a nine-game hitting streak (March 29 - April 13), ranking fourth on the Spartan squad, as well as ranking second with an 18-game reached base streak ... Farquhar was also fourth on the team in multiple hit games (14) and tied for fourth in multiple RBI games (6).
Jebb, a native of Saginaw, Mich., is also a two-time Preseason All-B1G award collector ... The Spartans' primary shortstop also earned Third-Team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2022 and named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021.
Jebb has been tabbed to several 2023 preseason MLB Prospects lists, including No. 44 on MLB's Top 100 Prospects; No. 60 on d1baseball.com's College Top 100 Prospects and the No. 76 MLB Draft Prospect by ProspectsLive.
He is coming off a big summer of 2022 in which he finished ranked No. 3 on Baseball America's Top 50 Cape Cod League Prospects list, after helping the Harbor Hawks to the West Division Championship series, ending with a 22-16-6 record, hitting .356 in 149 at-bats, leading the Harbor Hawks with eight doubles and three triples, while swiping 26 stolen bases ... Jebb was also elected to the West Division All-Star Team for the 2022 Cape Cod League All-Star Game for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
Jebb was selected as the 2022 MSU John Kobs Most Valuable Player Award recipient as well as the Kirk Gibson Offensive Player of the Year for the team awards ... He led MSU and ranked tied for eighth in the B1G with a .356 average, also topping the team and ranking fifth in the B1G with 78 hits ... Additionally, Jebb led the team in stolen bases and walks, ranking eighth in the conference with 20 stolen bases and sixth in the league with 38 walks ... He was tied for second on team with six home runs ... Furthermore, Jebb led the B1G and ranked 17th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout - with just one K every 13.7 ABs - on just 16 Ks in 209 ABs.
He also tied for second on the team and tied for seventh in the B1G with three triples ... Jebb also had MSU's longest hitting streak (14 games) and reached base streak (19 games), along with team-high for multiple hit games (23) and multiple RBI games (12) ... The Spartan shortstop started the season on a 14-game hitting streak that was part of a 21-game hitting streak dating back to the last seven games of 2021 season ... He also had an eight-game hitting streak (April 29-May 11) and a seven-game hitting streak (April 17-26), as well as finishing the season with a six-game hitting streak (May 14-21), ending the year with at least one hit in 14 of the last 15 games, 29 of last 34 games ... Jebb did not go hitless in back-to-back games during the last 34-game stretch of the season, with that 34-game streak coming after only a stretch of consecutive games without a hit in a three-game spurt (March 25-27) during three-game Illinois series, one of only two teams that didn't have a hit against, joining one game vs. Purdue Fort Wayne ... He had at least one hit in 45 of the 54 games.
In the field, the Spartan shortstop was third in the B1G with 29 fielding double plays, and sixth in assists with 138 ... He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 16, for first career B1G weekly honor, for performance during MSU's four games during the week of March 7-13 in Greenville, South Carolina at Fluor Field, highlighted by belting two HR in the same game including a leadoff HR and then a two-run walk-off HR to cap the Spartan comeback in a 10-8 Victory for MSU over Cincinnati, for first multi-HR game of career.
Mayes, a Wichita, Kan. native, earns his first B1G recognition for playing, as he is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree, and recipient of the MSU Scholar-Athlete Award at the Spartan Academic Excellence Gala (April 11, 2022), for having the highest GPA on the baseball team ... He also earned the Jerry Sutton Student-Athlete MSU Team Award.
In 2022, Mayes started all 54 games, and was one of three Spartans to do so, joining Jebb and Farquhar ... Mayes made 49 starts in left field and five starts at DH ... He led MSU and the Big Ten as part of ranking tied for third in the NCAA with seven triples, including two in the Penn State series and added one at Michigan on May 17, scoring on an error on the play for a "Little League" home run.
Mayes also ranked second on the team with a .306 average, additionally ranking second on the team in hits (68), third in total bases (104), tied for third in stolen bases (11), fourth in slugging percentage (.468), fifth in home runs (4), runs scored (29) and RBI (28), and tied for fifth in doubles (10) ... He was also second on team with 21 multiple hit games with two hits in 15 games and three hits in six games.
The Spartan outfielder opened the season with a season-long eight-game hitting streak (Feb. 18-March 4), including six multiple-hit games in that stretch, highlighted by back-to-back three-hit outings in games against UNLV (Feb. 19 and 20) along with four games with two hits, including in all three games of the series at Abilene Christian (Feb. 27 and 28), going 6-for-11 with a double and triple in the three games.
He knocked in multiple RBI in six games to tie for third on the team, with two ribbies in four games, while driving in a career-high tying three RBI in two other games ... Additionally, he tallied three games with multiple extra-base hits ... In the outfield, Mayes made 90 putouts and had one assist.
BIG BATS RETURNING
• Michigan State returns its top five players in seven different offensive categories at the plate: batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, home runs and RBI.
All five of the Spartans' top average hitters return in Mitch Jebb (.356), Casey Mayes (.306), Jack Frank (.294), Brock Vradenburg (.280), Bryan Broecker (.271).
MSU also returns its top five in slugging percentage in Frank (.527), Jebb (.511), Christian Williams (.470), Mayes (.468) and Vradenburg (.446).
The Green & White also has its top five in on-base percentage back in Jebb (.448), Trent Farquhar (.392), Frank (.376), Vradenburg (.363) and Broecker (.358).
In runs scored, MSU has tops five returns in Frank and Jebb (38), Farquhar (37), Broecker (31) and Mayes (29).
Jebb also tops the five Spartan returners in hits (78), followed by Mayes (68), Frank (59), Farquhar (56) and Broecker (48).
In home runs, Frank led the way (9), preceding Farquhar and Jebb (6), Vradenburg (5) and Mayes (4).
Additionally, Jebb topped the team in RBI (46), followed by Frank (34), Vradenburg and Farquhar (29) and Mayes (28).
ALMOST ALL ROUND-TRIPPERS RETURNING
• Along with the top five for home runs last year, Michigan State returns 92.3 percent of its home runs from 2022, returning 36 of the 39 home runs from a year ago.
BIG RETURNS ON MOUND
• Michigan State's pitching staff also has big returns, with 68.9 percent of its strikeout totals returning, led by its top three for punchouts, led by team-leader, right-hander Harrison Cook (50), along with southpaw Nick Powers (45) ... While the Spartans lost the number four and five spots on the team totals, they do have the number six spot back in righty Ryan Szczepaniak (35).
Additionally, the Spartan pitchers have the top three for batters struck out looking back in staff-leaders Cook and Carson (18), along with Powers (13).
The Green & White also has a majority of its starts and innings pitched returning, including four of the top five, led by numbers one and two in Cook (13), followed by Powers (11), along with fourth in Szczepaniak (8) and tied for fifth in Aidan Arbaugh (4) ... overall, the Spartans have 72.2 percent (39 of 54) of their starts returning.
For innings pitched, MSU has four of the top five back in number two Powers (58.2), followed by Cook (53.2), Rush (43.2) and Szczepaniak (42.1) ... overall, the Green & White pitchers have 66.6 percent (313.1 of 470.2 IP) of their inning pitched back in 2023.
UP NEXT
• Michigan State is slated to play at Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 11 in a 6 p.m. start time, before hosting Oakland on Wednesday, April 12 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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