Photo by: Sarah Smith
Six Spartans Collect All-Big Ten Accolades
5/23/2023 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
Conference honors announced ahead of B1G Tournament.
OMAHA, Neb. -- Six Michigan State baseball players garnered Big Ten Conference accolades as the conference office announced the league's postseason awards ahead of the start of the B1G Baseball Tournament Tuesday.
Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg collected First Team All-Big Ten honors, while senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush, junior infielder Trent Farquhar and redshirt-sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker were named to Second Team All-Big Ten. Junior infielder Mitch Jebb was tabbed to the Third Team All-Big Ten list, while pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Rush was also named MSU's Sportsmanship Award honoree.Â
Michigan State's six All-Big Ten honorees this season gives Michigan State a total of 60 All-Big Ten accolades in the 15 seasons under head coach Jake Boss Jr. It is also moves Michigan State's All-Freshman Team honorees to 24 total, as the Spartans have had at least one freshman collect the accolade in the last 14 years that the awards were presented, as they were not presented in 2020, due to the canceling of the remainder of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six All-B1G honorees is the most since 2016 when six Spartans were also honored. Vradenburg is MSU's first First Team All-B1G award also since 2016. Â
Vradenburg, a native of Pasadena, Calif., was named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and a semifinalist for the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy. He enters Tuesday's Big Ten Tournament game second the B1G and ranks 34th in the NCAA in batting average (.397). Vradenburg also ranks third in the B1G and 38th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.56), while also ranking sixth in the conference and 39th in the country overall in hits (81). The Spartan first baseman is third in the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.218. Vradenburg also is fourth in the B1G and 44th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.488), along with ranking fourth in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.730). He also ranks fourth in the league and 33rd in the nation in total bases (149). He is also third in the B1G and 31st in the NCAA in RBI (66), while ranking fourth in the league and 36th in the country in RBI/game (1.27)
Rush, a local standout from Grand Ledge, Mich., was tabbed to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, and is currently third in the B1G and ranks tied for 15th in the NCAA in saves with 10. Â He posted two saves in as many days with one each in Thursday and Friday night's wins over Indiana to clinch a berth in the B1G Tournament for the Spartans. With the 10 saves, Rush becomes just the fourth Spartan reliever with double-digit saves in a season. The 10 saves also moves Rush up to No. 4 on MSU's single-season top 10 saves list. Rush also has 12 career saves, moving up to tied for No. 5 on MSU's career saves list.
Farquhar, a native of Highland, Mich., is seventh in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (8.9 AB per K), with just 23 strikeouts in 204 ABs. He is also fourth in the B1G and 54th in the NCAA in doubles (19), along with fourth in the league and 78th in the nation in doubles per game (0.37). Farquhar also is ninth in the league in batting average (.353), and also sixth in the B1G and 108th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.471). Additionally, he ranks eighth in the conference in runs (58), just behind teammate Brock Vradenburg (61), and also ranking 10th in the league and 112th in the nation in runs per game (1.12). The Spartan second baseman is also 10th in the conference in hits (72).
Broecker, a Chicago, Ill., native, was a Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List honoree. He tops the B1G in caught stealing by (19), seven more than the No. 2 spot. At the plate, Broecker is also just outside the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories, including tied for 14th in on-base percentage (.448), 21st in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at .995, and tied for 23rd in slugging percentage (.547). The Spartan catcher is also tied for 32nd in the league in home runs (8).Â
Jebb, a Saginaw, Mich., native, earns All-B1G honors for the third-straight year, after garnering Third Team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2022 and named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021. He  leads the B1G and is fourth in the NCAA in triples with seven, ahead of teammates Casey Mayes (5), Brock Vradenburg (4), and Sam Busch and Dillon Kark (3). Jebb also leads the league and ranks fourth in the nation in triples per game (0.15). Jebb is 16th in the B1G in stolen bases (13) with 13 swipes in 47 games played.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, is tied for fourth in the B1G in wins with six. Dzierwa, who earned the B1G Freshman of the Week Award on April 10, is also fourth in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (2.45), along with just outside the top 10 in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84) and tied for 23rd in BAA (.271). He also is 11th in the league in innings pitched (69.2), and is 21st in the conference in strikeouts, leading the Spartan staff with 54.
The six All-B1G honorees helped lead the Spartans to their first Big Ten Tournament berth since 2018, and eighth-seeded MSU will take on regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Maryland in Game 3 of Tuesday's opening day, with first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT. The 41st Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament will be held Tuesday-Sunday, May 23-28, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha (formerly TD Ameritrade Park) in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.Â
The Spartans vs. Terrapins winner will face the winner between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 5 Rutgers in Game 8 on Thursday, May 25 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT, while the losers of MSU-UMD and NEB-RUT play in Game 6 on Thursday, May 25 at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Tuesday's MSU game and all of the 2023 B1G Baseball Tournament will be televised on Big Ten Network, and MSU's games will also be carried on the Spartan Media Network, and "Listen Live" links, as well as "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" will be available on MSUSpartans.com.
MSU's and the B1G Tournament schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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Junior infielder Brock Vradenburg collected First Team All-Big Ten honors, while senior relief pitcher Wyatt Rush, junior infielder Trent Farquhar and redshirt-sophomore catcher Bryan Broecker were named to Second Team All-Big Ten. Junior infielder Mitch Jebb was tabbed to the Third Team All-Big Ten list, while pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Rush was also named MSU's Sportsmanship Award honoree.Â
Michigan State's six All-Big Ten honorees this season gives Michigan State a total of 60 All-Big Ten accolades in the 15 seasons under head coach Jake Boss Jr. It is also moves Michigan State's All-Freshman Team honorees to 24 total, as the Spartans have had at least one freshman collect the accolade in the last 14 years that the awards were presented, as they were not presented in 2020, due to the canceling of the remainder of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six All-B1G honorees is the most since 2016 when six Spartans were also honored. Vradenburg is MSU's first First Team All-B1G award also since 2016. Â
Vradenburg, a native of Pasadena, Calif., was named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and a semifinalist for the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy. He enters Tuesday's Big Ten Tournament game second the B1G and ranks 34th in the NCAA in batting average (.397). Vradenburg also ranks third in the B1G and 38th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.56), while also ranking sixth in the conference and 39th in the country overall in hits (81). The Spartan first baseman is third in the B1G in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at 1.218. Vradenburg also is fourth in the B1G and 44th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.488), along with ranking fourth in the league and 37th in the nation in slugging percentage (.730). He also ranks fourth in the league and 33rd in the nation in total bases (149). He is also third in the B1G and 31st in the NCAA in RBI (66), while ranking fourth in the league and 36th in the country in RBI/game (1.27)
Rush, a local standout from Grand Ledge, Mich., was tabbed to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, and is currently third in the B1G and ranks tied for 15th in the NCAA in saves with 10. Â He posted two saves in as many days with one each in Thursday and Friday night's wins over Indiana to clinch a berth in the B1G Tournament for the Spartans. With the 10 saves, Rush becomes just the fourth Spartan reliever with double-digit saves in a season. The 10 saves also moves Rush up to No. 4 on MSU's single-season top 10 saves list. Rush also has 12 career saves, moving up to tied for No. 5 on MSU's career saves list.
Farquhar, a native of Highland, Mich., is seventh in the B1G in toughest to strikeout (8.9 AB per K), with just 23 strikeouts in 204 ABs. He is also fourth in the B1G and 54th in the NCAA in doubles (19), along with fourth in the league and 78th in the nation in doubles per game (0.37). Farquhar also is ninth in the league in batting average (.353), and also sixth in the B1G and 108th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.471). Additionally, he ranks eighth in the conference in runs (58), just behind teammate Brock Vradenburg (61), and also ranking 10th in the league and 112th in the nation in runs per game (1.12). The Spartan second baseman is also 10th in the conference in hits (72).
Broecker, a Chicago, Ill., native, was a Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List honoree. He tops the B1G in caught stealing by (19), seven more than the No. 2 spot. At the plate, Broecker is also just outside the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories, including tied for 14th in on-base percentage (.448), 21st in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at .995, and tied for 23rd in slugging percentage (.547). The Spartan catcher is also tied for 32nd in the league in home runs (8).Â
Jebb, a Saginaw, Mich., native, earns All-B1G honors for the third-straight year, after garnering Third Team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2022 and named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021. He  leads the B1G and is fourth in the NCAA in triples with seven, ahead of teammates Casey Mayes (5), Brock Vradenburg (4), and Sam Busch and Dillon Kark (3). Jebb also leads the league and ranks fourth in the nation in triples per game (0.15). Jebb is 16th in the B1G in stolen bases (13) with 13 swipes in 47 games played.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, is tied for fourth in the B1G in wins with six. Dzierwa, who earned the B1G Freshman of the Week Award on April 10, is also fourth in the B1G in walks allowed per nine innings (2.45), along with just outside the top 10 in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84) and tied for 23rd in BAA (.271). He also is 11th in the league in innings pitched (69.2), and is 21st in the conference in strikeouts, leading the Spartan staff with 54.
The six All-B1G honorees helped lead the Spartans to their first Big Ten Tournament berth since 2018, and eighth-seeded MSU will take on regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Maryland in Game 3 of Tuesday's opening day, with first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT. The 41st Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament will be held Tuesday-Sunday, May 23-28, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha (formerly TD Ameritrade Park) in Omaha, Neb., site of the NCAA Men's College World Series.Â
The Spartans vs. Terrapins winner will face the winner between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 5 Rutgers in Game 8 on Thursday, May 25 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT, while the losers of MSU-UMD and NEB-RUT play in Game 6 on Thursday, May 25 at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT.
Tuesday's MSU game and all of the 2023 B1G Baseball Tournament will be televised on Big Ten Network, and MSU's games will also be carried on the Spartan Media Network, and "Listen Live" links, as well as "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" will be available on MSUSpartans.com.
MSU's and the B1G Tournament schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates.
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