MSU Baseball Feature: Adrenaline Rush
5/19/2023 5:06:00 PM | Baseball
Wyatt Rush has settled in quite nicely as the closing pitcher for Michigan State's baseball team this, his sixth, collegiate season.
He already is among the Big Ten and NCAA Top 20 leaders for saves, and will leave his mark in the MSU single-season and career record book for saves, and nonetheless, Rush is savoring his final season in the Green & White.
"My dad graduated in 1978, so I was born and raised a Spartan. This has been my dream school my entire life," said Rush, who is a native of nearby Grand Ledge. "I remember being 11-years-old and sitting on the end of my bed crying to my dad because I didn't think I was going to be good enough to play baseball for Michigan State.
"So as soon as Coach Boss called and gave me the offer, it was kind of a no-doubter."
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. knew of Rush's connection to the school, and recognized it as an asset to his work ethic and heart that have led to his success on the mound.
"He's a local guy, and he loves Michigan State, and I think that's important. Obviously, he had ability, you combine all three of those and we just thought it was a really good fit," said Boss. "We knew that it meant a lot to him to put on the green and white and we knew he was going to work hard at it. He's done all that and more."
Rush has spent time improving a lot about his game and the program as a whole. Boss mentioned parts of his game that have grown.
"He's a hard worker. He's really improved defensively, which a lot of people don't think very much of as far as pitchers are concerned but it's a big part of the game at the college level," said Boss. "He's improved defensively. You can see he takes a field with confidence that maybe he didn't have a couple years ago."
Rush spent time playing as a starting pitcher at Lansing Community College for two seasons before becoming a Spartan. He was successful for the Stars, earning second-team All-America honors. Once he made the move to Michigan State, he found a new role pitching from the bullpen, a new challenge and an adjustment for sure.
"It's totally different," said Rush. "I mean, as a starter, you're pitching once a week, and you know when you're going to pitch and everything's kind of scripted for you. You can have a little bit more of a set routine and then out of the bullpen, I mean, that phone rings and it might mean you're in the game right now."
Throughout his college career, Rush has shown his ability to adjust and succeed through uncomfortable conditions, a good trait to have as a closer. It's a testament to him, but he'll be the first to tell you that it's a testament to those around him as well, whether it be teammates or Director of Student-Athlete Wellness, Dr. Molly McQueary.
"Each day coming to work and trying to learn something from any of the guys, from the older guys who've moved on and from the guys that I've kind of come up through here over the last four years," said Rush. "Just trying to pick their brains or learn something for each of them every single day that can help me help the team essentially.
"This year, with the addition of Dr. Molly McQueary in our sports psychology department, she's been huge. Just working on myself into high pressure situations in day to day life whenever I can. Like a big thing for our pitching staff this year has been getting in cold water, whether it's an ice shower or an ice bath, and just simulating those high pressure environments where your heart rates up and you're uncomfortable. Yeah, and being able to slow yourself down and be comfortable in that, in that situation. So that's good. That's really helpful, I think."
Beyond taking advice, ice baths, or any other strategy that has benefited his own game personally, it is hard to talk to anyone, or tell the story about Wyatt Rush without bringing up his leadership and locker room presence.
He's been a catalyst in the team's transformed dynamic towards being one that looks at itself in a positive light, working to improve and build itself into an even more successful program in the coming years.
"I feel like we've made a huge change myself, our other captains, and then just our group of seniors. I Feel like we've been able to re-frame the culture around the program," said Rush. "We've been able to shift to a really positive mindset, a growth mindset, and just work on doing something to help the guy next to you every day. Not so much about what I can do for myself, but what can I do for my buddy next to me? What can I do for the guy down the line? What can I do for the kids that's coming in for four years? So just really restructuring that mindset into like, let's leave this place better than we found it every single day."
Rush is as outspoken and passionate as anyone would hope or expect a lifelong fan of the Spartans to be. He accepts the responsibility as an older member of the team not because it was thrust upon him, but because he fits the role. This is not lost on Boss.
"If I need our leadership group to take care of something, Wyatt's the guy that I'm going to talk to first. He's a vocal guy, which you have to be as a leader," said Boss. "I think the leader has to be a vocal guy, and the leader has got to have guys that want to follow him.
"He's not afraid to step out of his comfort zone a little bit. He's not afraid to kind of call the shots and say, this is what we're going to do, this is how we're going to do it. He's taken that role and kind of run with it. It's fun to watch. I mean, you watch our team, and if you pay attention to what the dugout does. It's mostly Wyatt keeping those guys engaged in the ballgame."
The importance of Rush's role in the team, beyond that of being quite the effective closer, is quite hard to understate. It would also be difficult to find someone who values it more than the hometown kid and lifelong Spartan.
"I've always wanted to be here every single day," said Rush. "Me and Sam Busch, our other local guy, we've joked around a bunch about just living the dream. I mean, grow up, want to play baseball for Michigan State and you finally get to do it. And I couldn't ask for a better experience, man. And it's been everything that I hoped it would be."
He already is among the Big Ten and NCAA Top 20 leaders for saves, and will leave his mark in the MSU single-season and career record book for saves, and nonetheless, Rush is savoring his final season in the Green & White.
"My dad graduated in 1978, so I was born and raised a Spartan. This has been my dream school my entire life," said Rush, who is a native of nearby Grand Ledge. "I remember being 11-years-old and sitting on the end of my bed crying to my dad because I didn't think I was going to be good enough to play baseball for Michigan State.
"So as soon as Coach Boss called and gave me the offer, it was kind of a no-doubter."
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. knew of Rush's connection to the school, and recognized it as an asset to his work ethic and heart that have led to his success on the mound.
"He's a local guy, and he loves Michigan State, and I think that's important. Obviously, he had ability, you combine all three of those and we just thought it was a really good fit," said Boss. "We knew that it meant a lot to him to put on the green and white and we knew he was going to work hard at it. He's done all that and more."
Rush has spent time improving a lot about his game and the program as a whole. Boss mentioned parts of his game that have grown.
"He's a hard worker. He's really improved defensively, which a lot of people don't think very much of as far as pitchers are concerned but it's a big part of the game at the college level," said Boss. "He's improved defensively. You can see he takes a field with confidence that maybe he didn't have a couple years ago."
Rush spent time playing as a starting pitcher at Lansing Community College for two seasons before becoming a Spartan. He was successful for the Stars, earning second-team All-America honors. Once he made the move to Michigan State, he found a new role pitching from the bullpen, a new challenge and an adjustment for sure.
"It's totally different," said Rush. "I mean, as a starter, you're pitching once a week, and you know when you're going to pitch and everything's kind of scripted for you. You can have a little bit more of a set routine and then out of the bullpen, I mean, that phone rings and it might mean you're in the game right now."
Throughout his college career, Rush has shown his ability to adjust and succeed through uncomfortable conditions, a good trait to have as a closer. It's a testament to him, but he'll be the first to tell you that it's a testament to those around him as well, whether it be teammates or Director of Student-Athlete Wellness, Dr. Molly McQueary.
"Each day coming to work and trying to learn something from any of the guys, from the older guys who've moved on and from the guys that I've kind of come up through here over the last four years," said Rush. "Just trying to pick their brains or learn something for each of them every single day that can help me help the team essentially.
"This year, with the addition of Dr. Molly McQueary in our sports psychology department, she's been huge. Just working on myself into high pressure situations in day to day life whenever I can. Like a big thing for our pitching staff this year has been getting in cold water, whether it's an ice shower or an ice bath, and just simulating those high pressure environments where your heart rates up and you're uncomfortable. Yeah, and being able to slow yourself down and be comfortable in that, in that situation. So that's good. That's really helpful, I think."
Beyond taking advice, ice baths, or any other strategy that has benefited his own game personally, it is hard to talk to anyone, or tell the story about Wyatt Rush without bringing up his leadership and locker room presence.
He's been a catalyst in the team's transformed dynamic towards being one that looks at itself in a positive light, working to improve and build itself into an even more successful program in the coming years.
"I feel like we've made a huge change myself, our other captains, and then just our group of seniors. I Feel like we've been able to re-frame the culture around the program," said Rush. "We've been able to shift to a really positive mindset, a growth mindset, and just work on doing something to help the guy next to you every day. Not so much about what I can do for myself, but what can I do for my buddy next to me? What can I do for the guy down the line? What can I do for the kids that's coming in for four years? So just really restructuring that mindset into like, let's leave this place better than we found it every single day."
Rush is as outspoken and passionate as anyone would hope or expect a lifelong fan of the Spartans to be. He accepts the responsibility as an older member of the team not because it was thrust upon him, but because he fits the role. This is not lost on Boss.
"If I need our leadership group to take care of something, Wyatt's the guy that I'm going to talk to first. He's a vocal guy, which you have to be as a leader," said Boss. "I think the leader has to be a vocal guy, and the leader has got to have guys that want to follow him.
"He's not afraid to step out of his comfort zone a little bit. He's not afraid to kind of call the shots and say, this is what we're going to do, this is how we're going to do it. He's taken that role and kind of run with it. It's fun to watch. I mean, you watch our team, and if you pay attention to what the dugout does. It's mostly Wyatt keeping those guys engaged in the ballgame."
The importance of Rush's role in the team, beyond that of being quite the effective closer, is quite hard to understate. It would also be difficult to find someone who values it more than the hometown kid and lifelong Spartan.
"I've always wanted to be here every single day," said Rush. "Me and Sam Busch, our other local guy, we've joked around a bunch about just living the dream. I mean, grow up, want to play baseball for Michigan State and you finally get to do it. And I couldn't ask for a better experience, man. And it's been everything that I hoped it would be."
Players Mentioned
RHP
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