Photo by: Jeremy Fleming
Spartan Trio Tabbed To B1G Baseball Preseason Players To Watch List
2/12/2025 4:06:00 PM | Baseball
Dzierwa, McKay and Seymour collect preseason accolades.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- 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 Wednesday, ahead of Friday's 2025 season-opening action around the league.
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 pitcher Joseph Dzierwa, junior infielder Randy Seymour and sophomore infielder Ryan McKay garnered preseason recognition for the Spartans.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, is a B1G Preseason Player to Watch for the second year in a row. The Spartan southpaw adds to his preseason honors list, which includes being tabbed Baseball America's Big Ten Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, as well as being named Perfect Game's Preseason Third-Team All-American and also tabbed to D1Baseball's Top 150 College Draft Prospect list at No. 121.
Dzierwa was second in the B1G in both innings pitched (84.0) and strikeouts (91) last season, along with third in the B1G overall in WHIP (1.19), third in B1G only in IP (48.2), sixth in B1G only in strikeouts (43), 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 2024 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 and the first since March 11, 2023 when Adam Berghorst rang up 11 Ks vs. Western Carolina at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
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 in 2024, finishing No. 3 on MSU's team strikeouts list and the most since 445 in 2019.
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.
Entering his junior season in 2025, Dzierwa has 151 career strikeouts, needing just 19 more to crack MSU's career top 10 strikeouts list, as Mick VanVossen (2012-15) and Mickey Sinks (1959-61) are tied for No. 10 with 180 strikeouts.
Seymour, a native of Frankfort, Ill., was one of three Spartans to both start and play in all 51 games, starting all 51 games at shortstop. He posted a .257 average with 46 hits, seven doubles and three HR, with 19 RBI, adding 41 runs scored, 15 walks and nine steals. Along with leading the team in sac bunts (5), Seymour also ranked tied for second on the team in runs scored (41), second in hit by pitch (9), third in stolen bases (9), tied for fifth in doubles (7) and fifth in both hits (46) and at bats (179)
The Spartan infielder logged a season-long six-game hitting streak (Feb. 24-March 8), with a total of 10 hits in the six games, with three hits at Georgia (Feb. 28), along with book-ending streak with two in first game of spurt, vs. Marshall (Feb. 24) and last game, vs. Western Michigan (March 8), adding one hit each vs. Western Michigan (March 2), vs. Florida State (March 2) and vs. Illinois (March 3). Seymour posted 15 multiple hit games, with two hits in 13 contests while knocking a career-high three hits in two games, first in the Victory for MSU at Georgia (Feb. 28), going 3-for-4, and then at Minnesota (May 12), going 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored. He also scored a career-high four runs in game at Georgia, part of 11 multiple-run outings
In the field, Seymour led the Spartan defense with 146 assists and added 70 putouts, highlighted by career-high eight assists vs. Western Michigan (April 17) and career-high four putouts vs. Ball State (Feb. 17) at Charleston, S.C., and was part of 28 fielding double plays, which ranked tied for second on the team.
McKay, a Clarkston, Mich. native, played in 47 games last year, making 46 starts, all at second base. He was second in the B1G and 13th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout (13.5), with just 14 strikeouts in 189 at bats. McKay hit .302 with a .381 slugging percentage and .348 on-base percentage, logging seven doubles, one triple and two home runs, adding 31 RBI, along with 12 walks and four stolen bases.
He was third on team in RBI, tied for fourth in RBI and fourth in stolen bases, also ranking fourth in total bases (72). McKay also had the longest hitting streak on team at 16 games (April 14 - May 14), part of at least one hit in 17 of final 19 games of season, also bursting onto the scene with a seven-game hitting streak (Feb. 17-March 3) in first seven games, finishing the season with at least one hit in 36 of 47 games played.
McKay belted the first home run of collegiate career on May 10 at Minnesota and added his second homer two days later (May 12), both going to right center at Minnesota's Siebert Field, and both bouncing over the scoreboard at the softball field beyond the wall.
One of McKay's other highlights from his first as a Spartan was knocking an RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth against Rutgers to drive in teammate Nick Williams for the 3-2 Victory for MSU on March 31 and clinch the series for Michigan State.
In the field, McKay led the Spartan defense in being a part of team-high 29 double plays, including a pair of double plays in six games, while making 117 assists and 86 putouts.
Michigan State baseball's 2025 season opening weekend schedule in Cary, N.C., has been altered due to inclement weather in the forecast.
Rain and wind are forecast for the Cary area Saturday afternoon and evening, and into Sunday.
Michigan State will now square off with Western Michigan on Friday, Feb. 14 in a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m. with game one slated for seven innings followed by game two for nine innings.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, MSU will battle Monmouth in a doubleheader starting at 9:30 a.m. in a pair of nine-inning contests.
No games are currently scheduled for Sunday.
The weekend schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats."
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 pitcher Joseph Dzierwa, junior infielder Randy Seymour and sophomore infielder Ryan McKay garnered preseason recognition for the Spartans.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, is a B1G Preseason Player to Watch for the second year in a row. The Spartan southpaw adds to his preseason honors list, which includes being tabbed Baseball America's Big Ten Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, as well as being named Perfect Game's Preseason Third-Team All-American and also tabbed to D1Baseball's Top 150 College Draft Prospect list at No. 121.
Dzierwa was second in the B1G in both innings pitched (84.0) and strikeouts (91) last season, along with third in the B1G overall in WHIP (1.19), third in B1G only in IP (48.2), sixth in B1G only in strikeouts (43), 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 2024 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 and the first since March 11, 2023 when Adam Berghorst rang up 11 Ks vs. Western Carolina at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
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 in 2024, finishing No. 3 on MSU's team strikeouts list and the most since 445 in 2019.
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.
Entering his junior season in 2025, Dzierwa has 151 career strikeouts, needing just 19 more to crack MSU's career top 10 strikeouts list, as Mick VanVossen (2012-15) and Mickey Sinks (1959-61) are tied for No. 10 with 180 strikeouts.
Seymour, a native of Frankfort, Ill., was one of three Spartans to both start and play in all 51 games, starting all 51 games at shortstop. He posted a .257 average with 46 hits, seven doubles and three HR, with 19 RBI, adding 41 runs scored, 15 walks and nine steals. Along with leading the team in sac bunts (5), Seymour also ranked tied for second on the team in runs scored (41), second in hit by pitch (9), third in stolen bases (9), tied for fifth in doubles (7) and fifth in both hits (46) and at bats (179)
The Spartan infielder logged a season-long six-game hitting streak (Feb. 24-March 8), with a total of 10 hits in the six games, with three hits at Georgia (Feb. 28), along with book-ending streak with two in first game of spurt, vs. Marshall (Feb. 24) and last game, vs. Western Michigan (March 8), adding one hit each vs. Western Michigan (March 2), vs. Florida State (March 2) and vs. Illinois (March 3). Seymour posted 15 multiple hit games, with two hits in 13 contests while knocking a career-high three hits in two games, first in the Victory for MSU at Georgia (Feb. 28), going 3-for-4, and then at Minnesota (May 12), going 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored. He also scored a career-high four runs in game at Georgia, part of 11 multiple-run outings
In the field, Seymour led the Spartan defense with 146 assists and added 70 putouts, highlighted by career-high eight assists vs. Western Michigan (April 17) and career-high four putouts vs. Ball State (Feb. 17) at Charleston, S.C., and was part of 28 fielding double plays, which ranked tied for second on the team.
McKay, a Clarkston, Mich. native, played in 47 games last year, making 46 starts, all at second base. He was second in the B1G and 13th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout (13.5), with just 14 strikeouts in 189 at bats. McKay hit .302 with a .381 slugging percentage and .348 on-base percentage, logging seven doubles, one triple and two home runs, adding 31 RBI, along with 12 walks and four stolen bases.
He was third on team in RBI, tied for fourth in RBI and fourth in stolen bases, also ranking fourth in total bases (72). McKay also had the longest hitting streak on team at 16 games (April 14 - May 14), part of at least one hit in 17 of final 19 games of season, also bursting onto the scene with a seven-game hitting streak (Feb. 17-March 3) in first seven games, finishing the season with at least one hit in 36 of 47 games played.
McKay belted the first home run of collegiate career on May 10 at Minnesota and added his second homer two days later (May 12), both going to right center at Minnesota's Siebert Field, and both bouncing over the scoreboard at the softball field beyond the wall.
One of McKay's other highlights from his first as a Spartan was knocking an RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth against Rutgers to drive in teammate Nick Williams for the 3-2 Victory for MSU on March 31 and clinch the series for Michigan State.
In the field, McKay led the Spartan defense in being a part of team-high 29 double plays, including a pair of double plays in six games, while making 117 assists and 86 putouts.
Michigan State baseball's 2025 season opening weekend schedule in Cary, N.C., has been altered due to inclement weather in the forecast.
Rain and wind are forecast for the Cary area Saturday afternoon and evening, and into Sunday.
Michigan State will now square off with Western Michigan on Friday, Feb. 14 in a doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m. with game one slated for seven innings followed by game two for nine innings.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, MSU will battle Monmouth in a doubleheader starting at 9:30 a.m. in a pair of nine-inning contests.
No games are currently scheduled for Sunday.
The weekend schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats."
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