Tuesday, May 6
East Lansing, Mich.
6:02 PM
Michigan State University
25-21
3
vs
1
Eastern Michigan
18-24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
2
Michigan State
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
X
3
7
4
Photo by: Hannah Garver/MSU Baseball Social Squad
Spartans Win 2,500th All-Time Victory For MSU With Win Over EMU Tuesday
5/6/2025 10:25:00 PM | Baseball
Michigan State becomes 35th NCAA Division I team, seventh B1G team with 2,500 wins.
EAST LANSING, Mich.-- Michigan State became the 35th NCAA Division I baseball team to reach 2,500 all-time wins with a 3-1 Victory for MSU over Eastern Michigan Tuesday night at a rainy Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium.
Michigan State is playing its 141st season of baseball in 2025. Baseball was the first organized varsity sport on campus with the first season of Spartan baseball in 1884, winning its first recorded game on May 19, 1884, 20-9 over Olivet, going 4-2 in the six-game schedule, and baseball has been played every season since, with only no varsity in 1944 due to World War II. MSU now has an all-time record of 2,500-2,217-30 (.530) in 4,747 games played.
"We talk about the history of our program, usually in the fall. We're proud of the fact that we're the first varsity here on campus," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think that all goes into the amount of pride that these guys have to put that jersey on. Being part of the 2,500th win maybe is part of that also, but there's a lot of tradition in this program, it goes back over 140 years. I think we're very appreciative that we have an opportunity to be a part of all of them."
After the game, the Spartans celebrated the milestone win and took a team photo with a special commemorative "2,500 Program Wins" MSU Baseball sign in left field.
"It's pretty cool. We had no idea until after the game, so it was a surprise. It's a cool moment to recognize milestones like that," said senior infielder and East Lansing, Michigan native Sam Busch, who has been coming to Spartan baseball games since he was a little kid.
MSU is the seventh Big Ten team to reach 2,500 wins, joining Michigan, USC, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State and UCLA.
"Truthfully, you know we try to keep every game consistent, and everyone is equally as important as the next, but o be a part of something like that, to make an impact on this program, is an honor," senior pitcher Dominic Pianto said after the game. "I love this school so much and so to be part of something this, historic, it's really an honor."
The history of the program was no where close to being lost on Pianto.
"We are the first varsity sport on campus. Being part of such a historic program, that in itself is huge to me. I found out we were the 'Aggies' originally. We were the agricultural school. That was a little fun fact I found out. Most importantly, being part of the program that is so historic and has such a long, long history. That's what I've really learned about being here. The culture of this place is the best," Pianto said beaming with Spartan pride.
Pianto made his mark on the historic game, pitching the final 2.0 innings and picking up the save. Pianto capped a solid pitching outing for the Spartans that began with freshman starting pitcher Aidan Donovan, who went 4.0 IP, ringing up three strikeouts and yielding just one hit. Graduate reliever Tyler Horvath pitched the next 3.0 IP with two Ks and one hit, before Pianto took over.
"We pitched a great game, those guys were lights out," Boss said. "I'm really proud of Aidan Donovan, he struggled a little bit in the first two innings, and then really settled into it and left on a positive note. The bullpen was great. We kicked it around a little bit for them, and those guys made big pitches when they had to. In the fourth inning where we made three errors, and then committing another error again in the ninth, but Dom (Dominic Pianto) made big pitches when he had to. So, that's what it takes. Some days we are going to play good defense, and some days we're going to struggle a little bit. So, it's about picking each other up, and I think our pitching staff really did that tonight."
The pitching staff helped MSU beat EMU for the sixth-straight time in the series and 12 of the last 15 meetings. The last five meetings in a row and eight of the last nine meetings that were decided by two runs or less. MSU now leads the all-time series, 102-61-1, including 69-32-1 in East Lansing.
Michigan State improved to 25-21 overall on the season, while EMU slid to 18-24.
With Tuesday's win, MSU completed its circuit of not only the state's directional schools, but also the Division I baseball teams in the state, having already played Western Michigan and Central Michigan, as well as Michigan, and Oakland. The Spartans are now 5-5 in official games against fellow Mitten State opponents, as well as playing one exhibition against the Lansing Lugnuts in the annual Crosstown Showdown. MSU plays its 12th and final in-state game on Wednesday at Western Michigan.
Pianto gave the Spartans winning momentum going into that game, picking up his second save of the season.
"I credit a lot to the preparation that we do. I think that our pitching coach, Coach Van Ameyde, has done a really spectacular job, in terms of preparing us mentally, physically, as well as just the pitch calling," Pianto said. "He's calling the pitches throughout the game, and he's doing a great job in my opinion. I have full confidence in every single thing he calls. He comes and talks to me on the mound, and he just tells me the situation. I felt great about it and knew that we were going to get the job done."
The Spartan pitchers got the job done Tuesday, stymieing the Eagles' bats to just four hits.
Meanwhile, the MSU offense had seven hits, led by senior outfielder Nick Williams going 2-for-2 with an RBI triple in the third inning to put MSU ahead, 2-0. Junior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and scored the Spartans' insurance run in the eighth on a sac fly by Busch. Senior designated hitter Noah Bright was 1-for-3 with a run scored, which was MSU's first of the night, coming in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from senior outfielder JT Sokolove after Bright led off the frame with a single.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-4 with a run scored, being driven in on N.Williams' triple in the third after a one-out single. Fellow sophomore, outfielder Parker Picot added MSU's other hit, adding a sac bunt in the second to move Bright to third.
EMU scored its lone run of the night in the fourth frame, taking advantage of three Spartan errors in the frame, but the Spartan pitchers kept the Eagles at bay the rest of the night.
"That was just a gutty performance, and those guys hadn't really thrown in a little whole because of finals last week, and we didn't get to our bullpen very much," Boss said. "I thought we pitched it pretty good against Oregon over the weekend too. Aidan (Donovan), Ty (Tyler Horvath), and Dom (Dominic Pianto) really hadn't thrown that much in the last two weeks, so it's good to run them back out there and good to see them have success."
MSU will look to continue the success on Wednesday, heading to Kalamazoo, Mich. on Wednesday, May 7 to play Western Michigan at 4 p.m. at WMU's Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.
The Spartans then make the cross-country trek to Los Angeles, to play a B1G weekend series at No. 25 USC, Friday-Sunday, May 9-11.
MSU wraps up regular-season action against Minnesota in a three-game B1G series, Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17, in which will be MSU Senior Weekend Celebrations, presented by HAP.
The Spartans' 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.
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.
Michigan State is playing its 141st season of baseball in 2025. Baseball was the first organized varsity sport on campus with the first season of Spartan baseball in 1884, winning its first recorded game on May 19, 1884, 20-9 over Olivet, going 4-2 in the six-game schedule, and baseball has been played every season since, with only no varsity in 1944 due to World War II. MSU now has an all-time record of 2,500-2,217-30 (.530) in 4,747 games played.
"We talk about the history of our program, usually in the fall. We're proud of the fact that we're the first varsity here on campus," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think that all goes into the amount of pride that these guys have to put that jersey on. Being part of the 2,500th win maybe is part of that also, but there's a lot of tradition in this program, it goes back over 140 years. I think we're very appreciative that we have an opportunity to be a part of all of them."
After the game, the Spartans celebrated the milestone win and took a team photo with a special commemorative "2,500 Program Wins" MSU Baseball sign in left field.
"It's pretty cool. We had no idea until after the game, so it was a surprise. It's a cool moment to recognize milestones like that," said senior infielder and East Lansing, Michigan native Sam Busch, who has been coming to Spartan baseball games since he was a little kid.
MSU is the seventh Big Ten team to reach 2,500 wins, joining Michigan, USC, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State and UCLA.
"Truthfully, you know we try to keep every game consistent, and everyone is equally as important as the next, but o be a part of something like that, to make an impact on this program, is an honor," senior pitcher Dominic Pianto said after the game. "I love this school so much and so to be part of something this, historic, it's really an honor."
The history of the program was no where close to being lost on Pianto.
"We are the first varsity sport on campus. Being part of such a historic program, that in itself is huge to me. I found out we were the 'Aggies' originally. We were the agricultural school. That was a little fun fact I found out. Most importantly, being part of the program that is so historic and has such a long, long history. That's what I've really learned about being here. The culture of this place is the best," Pianto said beaming with Spartan pride.
Pianto made his mark on the historic game, pitching the final 2.0 innings and picking up the save. Pianto capped a solid pitching outing for the Spartans that began with freshman starting pitcher Aidan Donovan, who went 4.0 IP, ringing up three strikeouts and yielding just one hit. Graduate reliever Tyler Horvath pitched the next 3.0 IP with two Ks and one hit, before Pianto took over.
"We pitched a great game, those guys were lights out," Boss said. "I'm really proud of Aidan Donovan, he struggled a little bit in the first two innings, and then really settled into it and left on a positive note. The bullpen was great. We kicked it around a little bit for them, and those guys made big pitches when they had to. In the fourth inning where we made three errors, and then committing another error again in the ninth, but Dom (Dominic Pianto) made big pitches when he had to. So, that's what it takes. Some days we are going to play good defense, and some days we're going to struggle a little bit. So, it's about picking each other up, and I think our pitching staff really did that tonight."
The pitching staff helped MSU beat EMU for the sixth-straight time in the series and 12 of the last 15 meetings. The last five meetings in a row and eight of the last nine meetings that were decided by two runs or less. MSU now leads the all-time series, 102-61-1, including 69-32-1 in East Lansing.
Michigan State improved to 25-21 overall on the season, while EMU slid to 18-24.
With Tuesday's win, MSU completed its circuit of not only the state's directional schools, but also the Division I baseball teams in the state, having already played Western Michigan and Central Michigan, as well as Michigan, and Oakland. The Spartans are now 5-5 in official games against fellow Mitten State opponents, as well as playing one exhibition against the Lansing Lugnuts in the annual Crosstown Showdown. MSU plays its 12th and final in-state game on Wednesday at Western Michigan.
Pianto gave the Spartans winning momentum going into that game, picking up his second save of the season.
"I credit a lot to the preparation that we do. I think that our pitching coach, Coach Van Ameyde, has done a really spectacular job, in terms of preparing us mentally, physically, as well as just the pitch calling," Pianto said. "He's calling the pitches throughout the game, and he's doing a great job in my opinion. I have full confidence in every single thing he calls. He comes and talks to me on the mound, and he just tells me the situation. I felt great about it and knew that we were going to get the job done."
The Spartan pitchers got the job done Tuesday, stymieing the Eagles' bats to just four hits.
Meanwhile, the MSU offense had seven hits, led by senior outfielder Nick Williams going 2-for-2 with an RBI triple in the third inning to put MSU ahead, 2-0. Junior infielder Randy Seymour was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and scored the Spartans' insurance run in the eighth on a sac fly by Busch. Senior designated hitter Noah Bright was 1-for-3 with a run scored, which was MSU's first of the night, coming in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from senior outfielder JT Sokolove after Bright led off the frame with a single.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-4 with a run scored, being driven in on N.Williams' triple in the third after a one-out single. Fellow sophomore, outfielder Parker Picot added MSU's other hit, adding a sac bunt in the second to move Bright to third.
EMU scored its lone run of the night in the fourth frame, taking advantage of three Spartan errors in the frame, but the Spartan pitchers kept the Eagles at bay the rest of the night.
"That was just a gutty performance, and those guys hadn't really thrown in a little whole because of finals last week, and we didn't get to our bullpen very much," Boss said. "I thought we pitched it pretty good against Oregon over the weekend too. Aidan (Donovan), Ty (Tyler Horvath), and Dom (Dominic Pianto) really hadn't thrown that much in the last two weeks, so it's good to run them back out there and good to see them have success."
MSU will look to continue the success on Wednesday, heading to Kalamazoo, Mich. on Wednesday, May 7 to play Western Michigan at 4 p.m. at WMU's Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.
The Spartans then make the cross-country trek to Los Angeles, to play a B1G weekend series at No. 25 USC, Friday-Sunday, May 9-11.
MSU wraps up regular-season action against Minnesota in a three-game B1G series, Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17, in which will be MSU Senior Weekend Celebrations, presented by HAP.
The Spartans' 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.
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
Pitching:
W: Donovan, Aidan (2-3)
L: GILLIES, Emmett (0-1)
S: Pianto, Dominic (2)
Batting:
2B: ZIRWAS, Devan 1
SH: SCHECHTERMAN, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: JELLISON, Bruce 1
CS: STECKO, Ty 1
Batting:
3B: Williams, Nick 1
RBI: Williams, Nick 1 ; Busch, Sam 1 ; Sokolove, JT 1
SH: Picot, Parker 1
SF: Busch, Sam 1 ; Sokolove, JT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McKay, Ryan 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1 ; Bright, Noah 1
SB: Seymour, Randy 1
PO: Bright, Noah 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ 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