Photo by: MSU Baseball Social Squad
Trio Of MSU Baseball Players Garner All-Big Ten Recognition
5/21/2024 6:30:00 PM | Baseball
Conference announces postseason awards.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Three Michigan State baseball players garnered Big Ten Conference recognition as the conference office announced the league's postseason awards.
Senior outfielder Jack Frank earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, while sophomore pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was tabbed to the Second Team All-Big Ten list. Senior infielder Dillon Kark was named MSU's Sportsmanship Award honoree.Â
Michigan State's three All-Big Ten honorees this season gives Michigan State a total of 63 All-Big Ten accolades in the 16 seasons under head coach Jake Boss Jr.Â
Frank's First Team All-Big Ten accolade combined with last year's First Team All-Big Ten honoree Brock Vradenburg for the Spartans' first back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten awards since 2016, the end of three-straight seasons collecting First Team recognition.Â
A native of Strongsville, Ohio, Frank led the Big Ten in B1G only games with a .439 average, as well as a .509 on-base percentage in B1G only games, ranking second in the league, as well as a .724 slugging percentage and a 1.233 in B1G only games, both also ranking second in the conference, in addition to a 1.089 OPS in all games, ranking fifth in the league. In overall games, Frank was tied for seventh in doubles (17), tying with Kark. Frank knocked 11 doubles in B1G only games, also good for second, boosted by four doubles in the final weekend series of the weekend against Nebraska.Â
Frank also swiped 19 stolen bases on the season, finishing fourth in the league overall.
One of three Spartans to start and play in all 51 games, Frank also led the Spartans in average (.383), slugging percentage (.573) and on-base percentage (.467), along with runs scored (55), hits (80), triples (3), home runs (9), stolen bases (19) and total bases (130).
Additionally, Frank left his mark on MSU's career lists, including tied for No. 2 for doubles (48), No. 3 for runs (155), No. 5 for stolen bases (52), tied for No. 7 for home runs (26) and No. 10 for hits (226).
Dzierwa, a native of Haskins, Ohio, was second in the B1G in both innings pitched (84.0) and strikeouts (91), third in the B1G overall in WHIP (1.19), third in B1G only in IP (48.2), sixth in B1G only in strikeouts (43). He was also eighth overall in K/9 (9.7), ninth in the B1G overall in ERA (4.07) and tied for 14th in the B1G overall in BB/9 (2.9).
In his final outing of the season, Dzierwa rang up a career-high 11 strikeouts against Nebraska on May 17, topping his previous career-best of nine Ks done four previous times this season, most recently vs Michigan on May 3. Dzierwa was the only Spartan pitcher to chalk up double-digit strikeouts this season.
Dzierwa's 11 Ks was the first double-digit strikeout outing by a Spartan pitcher at home since April 25, 2021 when Sam Benschoter chalked up 17 strikeouts in 9.1 IP of relief that was also against Nebraska.
With the 91 strikeouts on the season, Dzierwa had a big role in the Spartan pitching staff amassing 420 total strikeouts on the season, finishing No. 3 on MSU's team strikeouts list and the most since 445 in 2019.Â
Dzierwa made his mark in MSU's record books, as the 91 strikeouts are No. 8 on MSU's single-season Top 10 strikeouts list, the most by a Spartan pitcher since 2016 when Dakota Mekkes rang up 96.
Kark, a native of White Lake, Michigan, tied for seventh in the B1G overall in doubles (17), joined by Frank.Â
Additionally, Kark was joined by Frank and teammate Randy Seymour as the only three Spartans to start and play in all 51 games. Kark led MSU in RBI (42), while sharing the team lead with Frank for doubles (17), in addition to second in hits (71), tied for second in triples (1), third in slugging percentage (.466), fourth in runs scored (38), tied for fourth in home runs (4) and fifth in average (.324).
Michigan State baseball honored the nine 2024 Spartan seniors making their final appearance at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field: Harrison Cook, Jack Frank, Dillon Kark, Nick Powers, Sam Thompson, Greg Ziegler, along with student managers Jack Behan, Olivia Hans, George Hunt, Chloe Lanning and Ava Woodruff. The Spartans sent their seniors out in style with an 11-6 Victory for MSU over Nebraska on May 18. The Spartans' 11 runs was the most scored on the Huskers by the home team in a Nebraska B1G road game, while matching the most runs scored on them by a B1G opponent, matching 11 scored by Maryland.
Michigan State finished the 2024 season 24-27 overall and 11-13 in B1G action, missing the Big Ten Tournament by one game.Â
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Senior outfielder Jack Frank earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, while sophomore pitcher Joseph Dzierwa was tabbed to the Second Team All-Big Ten list. Senior infielder Dillon Kark was named MSU's Sportsmanship Award honoree.Â
Michigan State's three All-Big Ten honorees this season gives Michigan State a total of 63 All-Big Ten accolades in the 16 seasons under head coach Jake Boss Jr.Â
Frank's First Team All-Big Ten accolade combined with last year's First Team All-Big Ten honoree Brock Vradenburg for the Spartans' first back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten awards since 2016, the end of three-straight seasons collecting First Team recognition.Â
Congrats to Jack Frank on being a First Team All-Big Ten honoree!!#GoGreen | @JackF_22 pic.twitter.com/08taFxaC5r
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 21, 2024
A native of Strongsville, Ohio, Frank led the Big Ten in B1G only games with a .439 average, as well as a .509 on-base percentage in B1G only games, ranking second in the league, as well as a .724 slugging percentage and a 1.233 in B1G only games, both also ranking second in the conference, in addition to a 1.089 OPS in all games, ranking fifth in the league. In overall games, Frank was tied for seventh in doubles (17), tying with Kark. Frank knocked 11 doubles in B1G only games, also good for second, boosted by four doubles in the final weekend series of the weekend against Nebraska.Â
Frank also swiped 19 stolen bases on the season, finishing fourth in the league overall.
One of three Spartans to start and play in all 51 games, Frank also led the Spartans in average (.383), slugging percentage (.573) and on-base percentage (.467), along with runs scored (55), hits (80), triples (3), home runs (9), stolen bases (19) and total bases (130).
Additionally, Frank left his mark on MSU's career lists, including tied for No. 2 for doubles (48), No. 3 for runs (155), No. 5 for stolen bases (52), tied for No. 7 for home runs (26) and No. 10 for hits (226).
Congratulations to Joseph Dzierwa on earning Second Team All-Big Ten recognition!#GoGreen | @DzierwaJoseph pic.twitter.com/4HbIfvy4uU
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 21, 2024
Dzierwa, a native of Haskins, Ohio, was second in the B1G in both innings pitched (84.0) and strikeouts (91), third in the B1G overall in WHIP (1.19), third in B1G only in IP (48.2), sixth in B1G only in strikeouts (43). He was also eighth overall in K/9 (9.7), ninth in the B1G overall in ERA (4.07) and tied for 14th in the B1G overall in BB/9 (2.9).
In his final outing of the season, Dzierwa rang up a career-high 11 strikeouts against Nebraska on May 17, topping his previous career-best of nine Ks done four previous times this season, most recently vs Michigan on May 3. Dzierwa was the only Spartan pitcher to chalk up double-digit strikeouts this season.
Dzierwa's 11 Ks was the first double-digit strikeout outing by a Spartan pitcher at home since April 25, 2021 when Sam Benschoter chalked up 17 strikeouts in 9.1 IP of relief that was also against Nebraska.
With the 91 strikeouts on the season, Dzierwa had a big role in the Spartan pitching staff amassing 420 total strikeouts on the season, finishing No. 3 on MSU's team strikeouts list and the most since 445 in 2019.Â
Dzierwa made his mark in MSU's record books, as the 91 strikeouts are No. 8 on MSU's single-season Top 10 strikeouts list, the most by a Spartan pitcher since 2016 when Dakota Mekkes rang up 96.
Congrats to Dillon Kark on receiving MSU's B1G Sportsmanship Award!!#GoGreen | @KarkDillon pic.twitter.com/CVSRpISsnI
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 21, 2024
Kark, a native of White Lake, Michigan, tied for seventh in the B1G overall in doubles (17), joined by Frank.Â
Additionally, Kark was joined by Frank and teammate Randy Seymour as the only three Spartans to start and play in all 51 games. Kark led MSU in RBI (42), while sharing the team lead with Frank for doubles (17), in addition to second in hits (71), tied for second in triples (1), third in slugging percentage (.466), fourth in runs scored (38), tied for fourth in home runs (4) and fifth in average (.324).
Michigan State baseball honored the nine 2024 Spartan seniors making their final appearance at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field: Harrison Cook, Jack Frank, Dillon Kark, Nick Powers, Sam Thompson, Greg Ziegler, along with student managers Jack Behan, Olivia Hans, George Hunt, Chloe Lanning and Ava Woodruff. The Spartans sent their seniors out in style with an 11-6 Victory for MSU over Nebraska on May 18. The Spartans' 11 runs was the most scored on the Huskers by the home team in a Nebraska B1G road game, while matching the most runs scored on them by a B1G opponent, matching 11 scored by Maryland.
Michigan State finished the 2024 season 24-27 overall and 11-13 in B1G action, missing the Big Ten Tournament by one game.Â
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