Friday, February 14
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Western Michigan
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Photo by: Tim Cowie - Tim Cowie Photography
Spartans Sweep Broncos In Season-Opener Twinbill Friday
2/14/2025 11:44:00 PM | Baseball
Dzierwa chalks up 11 Ks in game one, MSU rallies from 3-0 deficit in nightcap.
CARY, N.C. -- Michigan State baseball opened the 2025 season with a doubleheader sweep over Western Michigan Friday in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Complex.
After inclement weather altered the weekend schedule, MSU and WMU played a 7/9-inning twinbill Friday and the Spartans rode junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa's arm with a career-high tying 11 Ks in 6.0 IP for the 2-0 win in game one. In the nightcap, WMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after five innings before Michigan State rallied with a four-run sixth inning and tacked on two in the top of the ninth for a 6-3 Victory for MSU.
The Spartans improved to 2-0, winning their season-opener for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, as well as improving to 14-3 in the 17 season-openers under head coach Jake Boss Jr.
Friday's two wins over WMU were MSU's seventh and eighth-straight wins over its in-state foes. Overall, Michigan State has won 11 of the last 12, 12 of the last 14 and 20 of the last 23 meetings with Western Michigan, as the Spartans cut the Broncos lead to 95-91 in the all-time series.
With Friday's close scores, a total of 14 of the last 20 meetings between MSU and WMU have been decided by three runs or less.
Dzierwa's 11 Ks Friday give him his career-best punchout total in back-to-back outings, as his previous time came in his final outing of 2024 against Nebraska on May 17, 2024.
The Spartan southpaw rang up seven-straight Ks to open the game, striking out the side in the first and second innings and the first batter of the third, on the way to a perfect game through 4.2 IP, retiring his first 14 batters faced.
After a pair of groundouts ended the third, a lineout and another grounder started the fourth, before another strikeout to end the inning. He started the fifth framed with two more Ks before yielding a single to WMU's Chris Akers, but then thwarted any threat the Broncos had with another strikeout, his 11th through 5.0 innings. Dzierwa worked around a 2-out walk and stolen base by inducing a groundout to end the sixth and his day.
"Joseph was dominant today and we needed him to be. I thought Western Michigan's guy, Ty McKinstry, threw really well also," MSU head coach Joseph Dzierwa said. "But Joe felt good and his velocity was good. He was in command of all of his pitches, and that's what we expected out of him. He's put the work in the offseason and I think he really impressed a lot of people today."
Sophomore Logan Pikur took over on the mound in the seventh, worked around a leadoff single with a strikeout, fielder's choice and groundout to end the inning and pick up his first save of not just the season, but of his career as well.
On the offensive side, MSU used just one hit off the bat of sophomore infielder Randy Seymour combined by taking advantage of two WMU errors in the fifth inning to get runners on second and third with only one out. Junior infielder Jacob Anderson laid down a sacrifice bunt to drive in sophomore outfielder Parker Picot from third, and Seymour scampered around from second and safely slid in under the tag for the two-run RBI by Anderson and the 2-0 Spartan advantage.
"Their guy was really throwing well, and we had one hit in the game, so we just felt like we were in a spot where we needed to kind of force the action a little bit," Boss said. "We had a situation with runners on second and third that aligned itself to that and Jacob Anderson laid down a great bunt and our base runners executed what they were supposed to do. We were fortunate to get two runs on the play, so that worked out in our favor, and thankfully, our pitching was really good, and able to throw a shutout."
In game two, redshirt-sophomore Ryan Szczepaniak took the mound to open the nightcap for his first action since 2023 after missing the entire 2024 season with an injury. He went 2.0 IP with three Ks, scattering three hits and two runs, before turning the ball over to three Spartan newcomers.
"It was really good to see Ryan on the mound tonight. He's been through a lot in the last couple of years, coming off an injury, and it looked like the velocity was good tonight," Boss said. "He went two solid innings and then he's probably a little disappointed with what happened in the third, but at the same time, it's a good place to build off of for him coming back after his injury. I'm really happy for him and proud of him, and the best is yet to come, I think, because he's only scratching the surface of what he's going to be like when he continues to get opportunities to run back out there.
Graduate relief pitcher Zach Maxey went the next 3.0 IP, chalking up five Ks and allowing one unearned run on one hit, to pick up the win in his Spartan debut. Freshman Aidan Donovan took over in the sixth and went 3.0 IP with a pair of punchouts with three hits without a run. Graduate reliever Tyler Horvath came out of the bullpen to open the ninth and worked around a leadoff double, before settling in and inducing a flyout, before fanning the next two Broncos to slam the door and secure the Victory for MSU and the doubleheader sweep in his Spartan debut.
"It was really good to see those three newcomers throw well tonight in their debuts," Boss said. "Even though you go through the fall and winter practice, you still sometimes don't quite know what to expect from the new guys when the lights go on. I thought all three of them really did a nice job. I thought Maxey kept us there, and allowed one hit and made an unfortunate error, but he worked his way out of a jam. I thought Donovan really threw well in his first collegiate appearance. Horvath did the same thing, I thought he threw really well and got that save for us, and that's a role he's accustomed to and he was really good at it for us today. I'm pleased with the bullpen. I think there's some really good hitters in that line-up over there for Western Michigan, and we made some pitches when we needed to."
At the plate, Seymour again provided a key hit with a two-run single in the top of the sixth, as MSU rallied from its 3-0 deficit. Senior outfielder JT Sokolove welcomed new WMU relief pitcher Matt Hoover in the top of the sixth by leading off with a single and stole second. Senior outfielder Nick Williams followed with a walk, which chased Hoover and brought on Joe Shapiro. Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay milked a walk to load the bases, and senior designated hitter Christian Williams drew another walk, driving in Sokolove to score. That chased Shapiro from the game and brought on Adam Lehmann with Seymour coming to bat.
The Spartan infielder laced a single through the left side to drive in N.Williams and McKay, and both C.Williams and Seymour moved up a base on a WMU throwing error on the play. Three batters later, senior catcher Noah Bright drew a walk to re-load the bases, and senior infielder Sam Busch came on to pinch-hit. He drew a bases-loaded walk to bring C.Williams in to cap MSU's four-run frame and take the lead.
While the Spartan bullpen kept the Broncos at bay, MSU added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Freshman designated hitter Isaac Sturgess, who replaced C.Williams in the seventh, drew a walk and advanced to second on a Seymour sac bunt. Two batters later, Picot drew a walk, then Bright smacked a single to right to drive in the speedy Spartan duo of Seymour and Picot for the three-run cushion at 6-3 and complete the scoring on the night.
Bright ended the game 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Seymour matched him with the pair of runs driven in, going 1-for-4. Sokolove was 2-for-4 with a run scored and added two stolen bases, while McKay was 1-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and added a swipe of his own. Picot was also 1-for-4 with a run scored.
MSU finished game two with seven hits and drew 11 walks, but left 12 runners on base.
"I didn't think we really played well in game two. We left a lot of opportunities out there, and we made an error that was disappointing," Boss said. "But at the same time, we got a couple big hits when we needed them. Randy Seymour had a big hit for us, and Noah Bright had a big hit for us, and we were finally able to put a crooked number up there towards the end. Again, credit Western Michigan's guys, they threw well and made pitches when they needed to and got out of jams. They did give us some opportunities, but we couldn't really capitalize on them until the sixth inning and then again in the ninth. I'm proud of our guys for hanging in there and continuing to battle and compete, and we were fortunate to win game two."
MSU has a quick turnaround, returning to the diamond on Saturday to battle Monmouth in a doubleheader starting at 9:30 a.m. with game one slated for seven innings followed by game two scheduled for a nine-inning contest. Rain and wind are forecast for the Cary area Saturday afternoon and evening, and into Sunday. 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."
After inclement weather altered the weekend schedule, MSU and WMU played a 7/9-inning twinbill Friday and the Spartans rode junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa's arm with a career-high tying 11 Ks in 6.0 IP for the 2-0 win in game one. In the nightcap, WMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after five innings before Michigan State rallied with a four-run sixth inning and tacked on two in the top of the ninth for a 6-3 Victory for MSU.
The Spartans improved to 2-0, winning their season-opener for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, as well as improving to 14-3 in the 17 season-openers under head coach Jake Boss Jr.
Friday's two wins over WMU were MSU's seventh and eighth-straight wins over its in-state foes. Overall, Michigan State has won 11 of the last 12, 12 of the last 14 and 20 of the last 23 meetings with Western Michigan, as the Spartans cut the Broncos lead to 95-91 in the all-time series.
With Friday's close scores, a total of 14 of the last 20 meetings between MSU and WMU have been decided by three runs or less.
Dzierwa's 11 Ks Friday give him his career-best punchout total in back-to-back outings, as his previous time came in his final outing of 2024 against Nebraska on May 17, 2024.
The Spartan southpaw rang up seven-straight Ks to open the game, striking out the side in the first and second innings and the first batter of the third, on the way to a perfect game through 4.2 IP, retiring his first 14 batters faced.
After a pair of groundouts ended the third, a lineout and another grounder started the fourth, before another strikeout to end the inning. He started the fifth framed with two more Ks before yielding a single to WMU's Chris Akers, but then thwarted any threat the Broncos had with another strikeout, his 11th through 5.0 innings. Dzierwa worked around a 2-out walk and stolen base by inducing a groundout to end the sixth and his day.
"Joseph was dominant today and we needed him to be. I thought Western Michigan's guy, Ty McKinstry, threw really well also," MSU head coach Joseph Dzierwa said. "But Joe felt good and his velocity was good. He was in command of all of his pitches, and that's what we expected out of him. He's put the work in the offseason and I think he really impressed a lot of people today."
Sophomore Logan Pikur took over on the mound in the seventh, worked around a leadoff single with a strikeout, fielder's choice and groundout to end the inning and pick up his first save of not just the season, but of his career as well.
On the offensive side, MSU used just one hit off the bat of sophomore infielder Randy Seymour combined by taking advantage of two WMU errors in the fifth inning to get runners on second and third with only one out. Junior infielder Jacob Anderson laid down a sacrifice bunt to drive in sophomore outfielder Parker Picot from third, and Seymour scampered around from second and safely slid in under the tag for the two-run RBI by Anderson and the 2-0 Spartan advantage.
"Their guy was really throwing well, and we had one hit in the game, so we just felt like we were in a spot where we needed to kind of force the action a little bit," Boss said. "We had a situation with runners on second and third that aligned itself to that and Jacob Anderson laid down a great bunt and our base runners executed what they were supposed to do. We were fortunate to get two runs on the play, so that worked out in our favor, and thankfully, our pitching was really good, and able to throw a shutout."
In game two, redshirt-sophomore Ryan Szczepaniak took the mound to open the nightcap for his first action since 2023 after missing the entire 2024 season with an injury. He went 2.0 IP with three Ks, scattering three hits and two runs, before turning the ball over to three Spartan newcomers.
"It was really good to see Ryan on the mound tonight. He's been through a lot in the last couple of years, coming off an injury, and it looked like the velocity was good tonight," Boss said. "He went two solid innings and then he's probably a little disappointed with what happened in the third, but at the same time, it's a good place to build off of for him coming back after his injury. I'm really happy for him and proud of him, and the best is yet to come, I think, because he's only scratching the surface of what he's going to be like when he continues to get opportunities to run back out there.
Graduate relief pitcher Zach Maxey went the next 3.0 IP, chalking up five Ks and allowing one unearned run on one hit, to pick up the win in his Spartan debut. Freshman Aidan Donovan took over in the sixth and went 3.0 IP with a pair of punchouts with three hits without a run. Graduate reliever Tyler Horvath came out of the bullpen to open the ninth and worked around a leadoff double, before settling in and inducing a flyout, before fanning the next two Broncos to slam the door and secure the Victory for MSU and the doubleheader sweep in his Spartan debut.
"It was really good to see those three newcomers throw well tonight in their debuts," Boss said. "Even though you go through the fall and winter practice, you still sometimes don't quite know what to expect from the new guys when the lights go on. I thought all three of them really did a nice job. I thought Maxey kept us there, and allowed one hit and made an unfortunate error, but he worked his way out of a jam. I thought Donovan really threw well in his first collegiate appearance. Horvath did the same thing, I thought he threw really well and got that save for us, and that's a role he's accustomed to and he was really good at it for us today. I'm pleased with the bullpen. I think there's some really good hitters in that line-up over there for Western Michigan, and we made some pitches when we needed to."
At the plate, Seymour again provided a key hit with a two-run single in the top of the sixth, as MSU rallied from its 3-0 deficit. Senior outfielder JT Sokolove welcomed new WMU relief pitcher Matt Hoover in the top of the sixth by leading off with a single and stole second. Senior outfielder Nick Williams followed with a walk, which chased Hoover and brought on Joe Shapiro. Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay milked a walk to load the bases, and senior designated hitter Christian Williams drew another walk, driving in Sokolove to score. That chased Shapiro from the game and brought on Adam Lehmann with Seymour coming to bat.
The Spartan infielder laced a single through the left side to drive in N.Williams and McKay, and both C.Williams and Seymour moved up a base on a WMU throwing error on the play. Three batters later, senior catcher Noah Bright drew a walk to re-load the bases, and senior infielder Sam Busch came on to pinch-hit. He drew a bases-loaded walk to bring C.Williams in to cap MSU's four-run frame and take the lead.
While the Spartan bullpen kept the Broncos at bay, MSU added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Freshman designated hitter Isaac Sturgess, who replaced C.Williams in the seventh, drew a walk and advanced to second on a Seymour sac bunt. Two batters later, Picot drew a walk, then Bright smacked a single to right to drive in the speedy Spartan duo of Seymour and Picot for the three-run cushion at 6-3 and complete the scoring on the night.
Bright ended the game 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Seymour matched him with the pair of runs driven in, going 1-for-4. Sokolove was 2-for-4 with a run scored and added two stolen bases, while McKay was 1-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and added a swipe of his own. Picot was also 1-for-4 with a run scored.
MSU finished game two with seven hits and drew 11 walks, but left 12 runners on base.
"I didn't think we really played well in game two. We left a lot of opportunities out there, and we made an error that was disappointing," Boss said. "But at the same time, we got a couple big hits when we needed them. Randy Seymour had a big hit for us, and Noah Bright had a big hit for us, and we were finally able to put a crooked number up there towards the end. Again, credit Western Michigan's guys, they threw well and made pitches when they needed to and got out of jams. They did give us some opportunities, but we couldn't really capitalize on them until the sixth inning and then again in the ninth. I'm proud of our guys for hanging in there and continuing to battle and compete, and we were fortunate to win game two."
MSU has a quick turnaround, returning to the diamond on Saturday to battle Monmouth in a doubleheader starting at 9:30 a.m. with game one slated for seven innings followed by game two scheduled for a nine-inning contest. Rain and wind are forecast for the Cary area Saturday afternoon and evening, and into Sunday. 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."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dzierwa, Joseph (1-0)
L: MCKINSTRY, Ty (0-1)
S: Pikur, Logan (1)
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Base Running:
SB: MALLY, Tanner 1
Batting:
RBI: Anderson, Jacob 2
SH: Anderson, Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Picot, Parker 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1
HBP: Seymour, Randy 1 ; Anderson, Jacob 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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AB
3
R
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H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballPursuit to Greatness | Spartans All-Access
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