Saturday, February 24
Centennial Park | Port Charlotte, Fla.
3:30 PM
Michigan State University
2-5
6
vs
2
Marshall
1-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Marshall
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
6
4
Michigan State
0
1
2
0
2
0
1
0
X
6
12
0
Powers Complete-Game Propels Spartans To Win Over Marshall
2/24/2024 6:46:00 PM | Baseball
Spartan senior southpaw chalks up nine Ks in Victory for MSU.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Senior pitcher Nick Powers' complete-game propelled Michigan State baseball to a 6-2 Victory for MSU over Marshall Saturday afternoon at the 2024 Snowbird Baseball Classic at a sunny and breezy Centennial Park in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Powers rang up nine strikeouts and scattered six hits, but didn't allow a Marshall base runner to safely reach second after the first inning, while getting help from his defense that turned a season-high three double plays.
After allowing two runs on two hits in the opening frame, Powers settled in and had three-up, three-down innings for the next seven stanzas, facing four batters in the ninth, but ringing up his ninth and final strikeout for the last out.Â
Powers is the first Spartan pitcher to throw a complete-game since 2019 when Mike Mokma went the distance vs. Ohio State on March 9, 2019 in Greenville, S.C.
"Today was a good day, for me and our team, I went into today knowing after everything that went on yesterday knowing that I knew I had to do something good today and give our team the chance to win. Thankfully, I was able to do that," Powers said. "The defense behind me today was just unbelievable, making plays for me all around the field with double plays, and Jack Frank laying out in the outfield making plays for me. And then the bats just came alive today, which is really good to see. We got the lead and we kept the lead, and we ended up pulling it out in the end."
Along with the three double plays by the infield, Powers got superb backing from his outfield all day, including senior outfielder Jack Frank, who made back-to-back catches in foul territory down the right-field line, with the second coming on an athletic catch in foul territory, rolling over the bullpen pitchers' mound and colliding with the bench and the fence.
Powers' effort helped MSU rebound from two losses in the opening day of action on Friday, falling to Indiana State, 7-6, in 10 innings, and losing to Marshall, 20-10 in the night cap.
"I'm really proud of the way our guys responded after a really tough day yesterday, when we let one slip away and then the game got away from us in game two," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Our guys are very mentally tough and we knew we were going to have to be very focused today. Our guys were enthusiastic from the first pitch to the last."
Marshall got on the board in its first at bat, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first. Michigan State got a run back in the second before taking the lead in the third and didn't look back, adding on two in the fifth and one in the seventh, while Powers stymied the Herd's bats the rest of the contest for the complete game.
"I thought Nick Powers' effort today was incredible," Boss said. "To throw a complete game this early in the season was one thing, but was also very efficient and didn't really get behind in the count all day long, and he was very much in command of everything. That was a blueprint for how to do it and I'm really proud of the toughness our guys showed today."
After utilizing 12 pitchers in Friday's pair of games, the Spartans needed a solid, lengthy outing out of Powers, and he more than delivered.
"Nick has been around for a long time, so he knows how to pitch in these games, and he knows if he's in the strike zone, then he's going to have some success. He's an easy guy to give the ball to."
Power got the ball to start and kept the ball for the game's entirety, taking the mound in the ninth looking to finish it out.
"I was really just trying to make it like any other inning, I tried not to make a big deal out of it because I knew I had to get three outs to end the game and the game doesn't end until those outs are made" Powers said about going out for the ninth inning and what was going through his head. "I just stayed in my approach and put all my trust in Vandy (MSU pitching coach Mark VanAmeyde), and the pitch calling, and didn't get behind much in the pitch count the entire game was very successful, so just sticking with our approach, pound the zone and trusting in the guys behind me is ultimately what won us the game today."
Powers secured the Victory for MSU in the ninth, book-ending the frame with strikeouts, starting off with a KL, then yielded a single, but then got a popup and then rang up his ninth and final strikeout of the game for the last out.
"I was feeling excitement and joy, but a little bit of tiredness too," Powers said about what he was thinking when strike three ended the game. "That was the longest I've ever thrown (in innings), the most pitches I've ever thrown, so I was just super happy to finally get that complete game."
At the plate, junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 4-for-4 with three RBI, knocking a double and two singles. C.Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State. C.Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish. C.Williams then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
Junior outfielder Nick Williams was 3-for-4 with two runs and a ribbie. Sophomore shortstop Randy Seymour went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and was a pivotal part of all three double plays on the afternoon. The senior duo of outfielder Jack Frank and infielder Dillon Kark both went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while freshman infielder Ryan McKay also went 1-for-4.
C.Williams led off the second with a double and later scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Kark. In the third, Seymour sparked the rally with a leadoff HBP, stole second and moved up to third on a Marshall error on the play, and N.Williams smacked a double down the line in left. Two batters later, C.Williams drove him in with a single.
Seymour again started the Spartan rally in the fifth, leading off with a bunt single and moved up to second on another Herd error, and Frank plated him with a single up the middle. After Frank was wiped off the basepaths, N.Williams singled to left and two batters later, C.Williams singled to bring N.Williams in to score after originally being thrown out at home, but an obstruction call on Marshall infielder ruled him safe for a 5-2 lead.
MSU tacked on their sixth and final run in the seventh, as once again, Seymour sparked the Spartan spurt with a single up the middle. Seymour went first-to-third on a single by N.Williams, and two batters later, C.Williams knocked an RBI single to center to bring Seymour in with the ballgame's final run.
Michigan State continues its Spring Break trip playing at Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in a 6 p.m. first pitch in Athens, Ga.
The Spartans then return to their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., to play in the First Pitch Invitational I Friday-Sunday, March 1-3, taking on Western Michigan on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m., then facing Florida State on Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m., before finishing up the weekend playing Illinois on Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m.
Â
Â
Powers rang up nine strikeouts and scattered six hits, but didn't allow a Marshall base runner to safely reach second after the first inning, while getting help from his defense that turned a season-high three double plays.
After allowing two runs on two hits in the opening frame, Powers settled in and had three-up, three-down innings for the next seven stanzas, facing four batters in the ninth, but ringing up his ninth and final strikeout for the last out.Â
Powers is the first Spartan pitcher to throw a complete-game since 2019 when Mike Mokma went the distance vs. Ohio State on March 9, 2019 in Greenville, S.C.
"Today was a good day, for me and our team, I went into today knowing after everything that went on yesterday knowing that I knew I had to do something good today and give our team the chance to win. Thankfully, I was able to do that," Powers said. "The defense behind me today was just unbelievable, making plays for me all around the field with double plays, and Jack Frank laying out in the outfield making plays for me. And then the bats just came alive today, which is really good to see. We got the lead and we kept the lead, and we ended up pulling it out in the end."
Along with the three double plays by the infield, Powers got superb backing from his outfield all day, including senior outfielder Jack Frank, who made back-to-back catches in foul territory down the right-field line, with the second coming on an athletic catch in foul territory, rolling over the bullpen pitchers' mound and colliding with the bench and the fence.
Powers' effort helped MSU rebound from two losses in the opening day of action on Friday, falling to Indiana State, 7-6, in 10 innings, and losing to Marshall, 20-10 in the night cap.
"I'm really proud of the way our guys responded after a really tough day yesterday, when we let one slip away and then the game got away from us in game two," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "Our guys are very mentally tough and we knew we were going to have to be very focused today. Our guys were enthusiastic from the first pitch to the last."
Marshall got on the board in its first at bat, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first. Michigan State got a run back in the second before taking the lead in the third and didn't look back, adding on two in the fifth and one in the seventh, while Powers stymied the Herd's bats the rest of the contest for the complete game.
"I thought Nick Powers' effort today was incredible," Boss said. "To throw a complete game this early in the season was one thing, but was also very efficient and didn't really get behind in the count all day long, and he was very much in command of everything. That was a blueprint for how to do it and I'm really proud of the toughness our guys showed today."
After utilizing 12 pitchers in Friday's pair of games, the Spartans needed a solid, lengthy outing out of Powers, and he more than delivered.
"Nick has been around for a long time, so he knows how to pitch in these games, and he knows if he's in the strike zone, then he's going to have some success. He's an easy guy to give the ball to."
Power got the ball to start and kept the ball for the game's entirety, taking the mound in the ninth looking to finish it out.
"I was really just trying to make it like any other inning, I tried not to make a big deal out of it because I knew I had to get three outs to end the game and the game doesn't end until those outs are made" Powers said about going out for the ninth inning and what was going through his head. "I just stayed in my approach and put all my trust in Vandy (MSU pitching coach Mark VanAmeyde), and the pitch calling, and didn't get behind much in the pitch count the entire game was very successful, so just sticking with our approach, pound the zone and trusting in the guys behind me is ultimately what won us the game today."
Powers secured the Victory for MSU in the ninth, book-ending the frame with strikeouts, starting off with a KL, then yielded a single, but then got a popup and then rang up his ninth and final strikeout of the game for the last out.
"I was feeling excitement and joy, but a little bit of tiredness too," Powers said about what he was thinking when strike three ended the game. "That was the longest I've ever thrown (in innings), the most pitches I've ever thrown, so I was just super happy to finally get that complete game."
At the plate, junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 4-for-4 with three RBI, knocking a double and two singles. C.Williams becomes the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 since Justin Antoncic knocked four hits in four at bats on April 7, 2019 vs. Indiana State. C.Williams sparked MSU's rally in the second inning with a leadoff double, then added an RBI single in the third that gave MSU a 3-2 advantage, a lead they didn't relinquish. C.Williams then added RBI singles in the fifth and seventh stanzas for the Spartans' insurance runs.
Junior outfielder Nick Williams was 3-for-4 with two runs and a ribbie. Sophomore shortstop Randy Seymour went 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and was a pivotal part of all three double plays on the afternoon. The senior duo of outfielder Jack Frank and infielder Dillon Kark both went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while freshman infielder Ryan McKay also went 1-for-4.
C.Williams led off the second with a double and later scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Kark. In the third, Seymour sparked the rally with a leadoff HBP, stole second and moved up to third on a Marshall error on the play, and N.Williams smacked a double down the line in left. Two batters later, C.Williams drove him in with a single.
Seymour again started the Spartan rally in the fifth, leading off with a bunt single and moved up to second on another Herd error, and Frank plated him with a single up the middle. After Frank was wiped off the basepaths, N.Williams singled to left and two batters later, C.Williams singled to bring N.Williams in to score after originally being thrown out at home, but an obstruction call on Marshall infielder ruled him safe for a 5-2 lead.
MSU tacked on their sixth and final run in the seventh, as once again, Seymour sparked the Spartan spurt with a single up the middle. Seymour went first-to-third on a single by N.Williams, and two batters later, C.Williams knocked an RBI single to center to bring Seymour in with the ballgame's final run.
Michigan State continues its Spring Break trip playing at Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in a 6 p.m. first pitch in Athens, Ga.
The Spartans then return to their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., to play in the First Pitch Invitational I Friday-Sunday, March 1-3, taking on Western Michigan on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m., then facing Florida State on Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m., before finishing up the weekend playing Illinois on Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m.
Â
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Powers, Nick (1-1)
L: Carter Lyles (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Owen Ayers 1
RBI: Owen Ayers 1 ; AJ Havrilla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tre Hondras 1 ; Owen Ayers 1
HBP: Jack Firestone 1
Batting:
2B: Williams, Nick 1 ; Williams, Christian 1
RBI: Frank, Jack 1 ; Williams, Nick 1 ; Williams, Christian 3 ; Kark, Dillon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, Nick 2 ; Williams, Christian 1 ; Seymour, Randy 3
SB: Dresselhouse, Jake 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1
HBP: Dresselhouse, Jake 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1
PO: Frank, Jack 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
4
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
Monday, May 19
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | April 17, 2025
Thursday, April 17
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 25 2025
Tuesday, March 25
Jake Boss | Baseball Press Conference | Mar. 11 2025
Tuesday, March 11