Spartans Topped Twice By Illini Friday

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State baseball was defeated by Illinois twice on Friday in a doubleheader at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium, spoiling MSU's Big Ten Conference home opener.

Inclement weather in the weekend forecast altered the schedule to playing three games in two days with a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Saturday, slated for 12 p.m. starts both days. However, the start of Friday's action was delayed for an hour-and-a-half, starting game one of the doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. At the end of the seventh inning, there was nearly a 45-minute delay due to lightning in the area.

With the two losses, MSU is now 16-10 overall and 3-5 in B1G action, while Illinois moves to 14-10 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The Illini have now won the last five series with the Spartans, as Illinois has won the last six games in the series and 11 of the last 12 meetings.

In Friday's B1G home opener and the series opener, the Spartans plated three runs in the home half of the first frame, adding one in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to lead 6-1 after six stanzas, only to be overtaken by the Illini with one run in the seventh, then six in the eighth to take an 8-6 lead. Illinois added a run in the ninth for the 9-6 final score.

Spartan starting southpaw, junior Joseph Dzierwa limited Illinois to only one run through 6.0 IP, spraying five hits with three strikeouts. After winning in his first six starts of the season, MSU suffered its first loss this season in a game that Dzierwa started, as the lefty holds at 5-0 on the year after Friday's no-decision, just his second ND of the season.

"Joseph competes his tail off. His stuff is really good. I don't know if today was his best stuff, but he figured out ways to get outs, and that's what he does, that's what a Friday night guy does," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "It was unfortunate, the way that the game got played out, but we know that we are going to get an outstanding effort out of Joseph every time he takes the mound. I think he's one of the best left-handed arms in the country, and he is going to give us that kind of effort every time he takes the mound."

Game two was scoreless for the first four frames before Illinois got on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, only for Michigan State to answer with a solo home run by senior outfielder Nick Williams in the home half of the first to tie it back up.

"Nick's a good hitter. He doesn't strike out a whole lot, puts the ball is in play a lot, and that's why we recruited him," Boss said. "He has been a little bit up and down this year, I think he's a little bit frustrated, but at the same time he's not going to strike out a whole lot, which gives him a chance. He's not over-matched by velocity a lot. He had the one home run today. Nick knows the strike zone; he doesn't chase out of the strike zone very much. It's a crazy game; you can square a ball up and get nothing to show for it, or you can flare a ball into right center for a base hit that everybody thinks is great. He doesn't have some of the numbers that I think maybe he should, just based on the fact that I think he's squared a lot of balls up really all year long and doesn't have a whole lot to show for it, so I'm happy for him for getting a home run tonight.

After neither team scored in the sixth, Illinois scored nine runs in the top of the seventh to open a 10-1 lead. MSU got a run back in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double by sophomore outfielder Parker Picot, and one in the eighth on a solo home run into the Red Cedar River by sophomore infielder Ryan McKay, for the final score of 10-3.

Game 1: Illinois 9, MSU 6
For the 10th game this season, MSU scored in the first inning, as senior infielder Sam Busch got the Spartans on the board with a two-run double off the wall in left center. Senior outfielder JT Sokolove led off with a single, stole second, then McKay walked. A groundout by graduate catcher Caleb Berry served as an unofficial sacrifice by moving Sokolove and McKay up a base, and Busch's knock drove them both in.

Two batters later, N.Williams drove Busch in with a single through the left side to give the Spartans an early 3-0 lead.

That remained the score until the top of the fourth, when Illinois strung together a single and double, followed by a sacrifice fly to deny Dzierwa of the shutout, closing to 3-1.

The Spartans regained a 3-run cushion in the bottom of the fifth, as Berry knocked a 1-out double to the left-center gap. Berry moved to third on an Illini error. After Busch drew a walk, Illinois made a pitching change, replacing starter Tyler Schmitt with Payton Hutchings. Junior infielder Randy Seymour greeted Hutchings with fly ball to right to drive in Berry, putting MSU ahead, 4-1.

The Spartans plated a pair of runs in the sixth, as senior designated hitter Will Shannon and sophomore outfielder Parker Picot led off with back-to-back singles. Sokolove later drove Shannon in with a single, while Berry plated Picot with a sac fly for a 6-1 Spartan advantage.

Illinois closed to 6-2 in the top of the seventh.

The nearly 45-minute lightning and rain delay came after the end of the seventh. Illinois came out of the break with its 6-run rally, boosted by a 3-run home run over the wall in right by Collin Jennings put the visiting Illini ahead, 8-6.

Illinois added a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run by Jacob Schroeder.

Seymour tried to spark a Spartan rally in the bottom of the ninth, leading off with a double. After junior outfielder Jake Dresselhouse reached on an error to put two MSU runners on base, the rally and game came to a close without any more scoring.

In game one, four Spartans had multiple hits, led by Picot going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Shannon was 2-for-3 and scored a run, while Sokolove was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Busch was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, with two RBI, both coming on a 2-run double in the first frame. Berry was 1-for-3, with an RBI and a run scored. Seymour and N.Williams were both 1-for-4 with an RBI apiece.

On the mound, Dzierwa started and 6.0 IP, scattering five hits while ringing up three strikeouts, yielding three walks and one run, as MSU suffered its first loss this season in a game that Dzierwa started.

The reliever trio of senior Dominic Pianto (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB), sophomore Logan Pikur (1.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K) and senior Tyler Horvath (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K) finished out the game.

Game 2: Illinois 10, Michigan State 3
After four innings of scoreless baseball, Illinois got on the board with a solo home run by Will Johannes for a short-lived 1-0 Illini lead.

The Spartans quickly countered in the home half of the fifth frame with N.Williams smashing a 425-foot solo home run to left-center field to tie it up at 1-all.

Illinois broke the game open with nine runs in the top of the seventh to take a 10-1 lead.

MSU got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, after Seymour knocked a 1-out single to center. Picot followed with a double off the wall in center and Seymour scampered around to score.

The Spartans got another run back in the home half of the eighth as McKay led off with a solo homer down the right-field line, over the wall and into the Red Cedar River to pull MSU within 10-3, but that would be the closest the home team would get, as the game ended by that tally.

N.Williams ended 1-for-2 with the solo HR, while McKay, Picot and Seymour finished 1-for-3, with McKay also knocking the solo homer, while Picot had an RBI and Seymour scored a run. Junior infielder Jacob Anderson was also 1-for-2, while Sokolove was 1-for-4, and freshman pinch hitter Dayton Murphy knocked his first hit of the season.

Junior Nolan Higgins started on the mound, going 6.0 IP, scattering five hits, while yielding four runs, with four walks and three strikeouts. Sophomore Garrett Brewer (0.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB), graduate Zach Maxey (0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R) and junior Tommy Szczepanski (2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K) finished out the game.

The Spartans and Illini wrap up their condensed series of three games in two days with the series finale on Saturday in a 12 p.m. start time.

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," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.

MSU meets the Lansing Lugnuts, High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, at Jackson® Field™ on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in the Crosstown Showdown.

In collaboration with Michigan State Baseball and Southside Community Kitchen, the Lansing Lugnuts will be hosting a canned food drive at the 2025 Crosstown Showdown. Donations accepted include: Cash, Non-Expired Canned Fruit, Pudding, and Single Ingredient Canned Items. Fans that bring a donation item will receive a $5 ticket voucher for a future Lansing Lugnuts game.

MSU resumes regular-season action on Wednesday, April 2, hosting Bowling Green at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium in a 6:02 p.m. first pitch.

Michigan State baseball tickets are available online at msuspartans.evenue.net, by contacting the Spartan Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or by email at tickets@msu.edu for questions or more information.

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Team Stats

Parker Picot

JT Sokolove

Sam Busch

Will Shannon

Players Mentioned

Jacob Anderson

Caleb Berry

Garrett Brewer

Sam Busch

Jake Dresselhouse

Joseph Dzierwa

Nolan Higgins

Tyler Horvath

Zach Maxey

Ryan McKay

Dayton Murphy

Dominic Pianto

Parker Picot

Logan Pikur

Randy Seymour

Will Shannon

JT Sokolove

Tommy Szczepanski

Nick Williams