Spartans Open 2026 Season With Weekend Series At No. 8 Louisville

Friday, February 13

Jim Patterson Stadium | Louisville, Ky.

2 PM

Michigan State University

Louisville

Photo by: Brown and Co.

Spartans Open 2026 Season With Weekend Series At No. 8 Louisville

2/12/2026 5:26:00 PM | Baseball

MSU BSB Notes at Louisville

MSU Makes First Trip To Louisville Since 1994.

• Michigan State baseball will open its 142nd season of baseball this weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, taking on the No. 8-ranked Louisville Cardinals in a three-game series at UofL's Jim Patterson Stadium Friday-Sunday, Feb. 13-15 ... The 2026 season-opener is on Friday in a 2 p.m. ET first pitch, moving up an hour earlier from originally scheduled time and announced on Tuesday ... Game two of the series is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday's series finale is also scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time ... The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.

• The Spartans and Cardinals are facing off in a multiple-game series for the first time ever ... MSU and UofL are meeting for the first time since 2012 when playing in the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla., with the Cardinals clipping the Spartans, 7-6 ... Michigan State is making its first visit to Louisville since 1994.

• All three of this weekend's games will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, available through "Watch Live" link at MSUSpartans.com, or through the ESPN app ... Max Thoma will handle play-by-play duties for Friday's season and series-opener, with Nick Ziniti providing analysis ... Saturday's game two will again have Thoma on the mic for play-by-play, with Cole Sturgeon handling analysis ... Sunday's series finale will be a simulcast with the UofL radio broadcast.

• All three games will also be airing on Louisville's radio network, with "Listen Live" links available on MSUSpartans.com.

• Fans can also follow the action through "Live Stats" links on MSUSpartans.com.

MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES JAKE BOSS JR. CONTRACT EXTENSION
• Michigan State athletics announced a contract extension for head baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. on Thursday ... With the extension, Boss' contract now runs through 2029.

• Boss is opening his 18th year at Michigan State and 19th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss enters the 2026 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons ... With 468 wins entering the 2026 season, Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins in 859 games.

SEASON 142 OF SPARTAN BASEBALL
• Michigan State is opening its 142nd season of baseball in 2026 and won its 2,500th all-time Victory for MSU vs. Eastern Michigan on May 6, 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 enters the 2026 season with an all-time record of 2,503-2,223-30 (.529) in 4,756 games played.

SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
• Between the 2023 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in the season-opener, the 2024 season-opening 10-3 win over Merrimack and last year's 2-0 blanking of Western Michigan, the Spartans have been victorious in their season-opener in six of the last seven seasons ... overall, MSU is now 14-3 in the previous 17 season-openers under Coach Boss, only losing in 2013 vs. Furman, 2018 at Fresno State and 2022 at UNLV.

LIGHTIN' UP THE SCOREBOARD ON OPENING DAY
• The Spartans' 10 runs on Opening Day on Feb. 16, 2024 in the 10-3 Victory for MSU was Michigan State's second-straight season-opener scoring 10+ runs after hanging 15 runs in 2023 opener ... MSU has now plated double-figure runs in its season-opener five times in the 17 seasons under Coach Boss, joining 2012 (W, 11-4 vs. St. Johns), 2016 (W, 11-5 vs. Presbyterian), 2020 (W, 15-3 vs. Morehead State), 2023 (W, 15-8 vs. Michigan) and 2024 (W, 10-3 vs. Merrimack).

BIG INNING IN GAME ONE OF SEASON
• Despite not scoring in the opening inning of the 2025 lid-lifter to the season, the Spartans have had big innings to begin the season the previous two years.

• In the 10-3 win over Merrimack in the 2024 season-opener, MSU had a six-run ninth inning to break the game open, sending nine batters to the plate, scoring six runs on five hits, and taking advantage of two Merrimack errors.

• The big inning against Merrimack marked the second-straight opener that MSU plated four or more in the game, as the Spartans had two big innings in the 2023 opener, with a five-run sixth stanza and a 7-run eighth inning in the 15-8 Victory for MSU over Michigan in Phoenix, Ariz.

SERIES TO OPEN SEASON
• Michigan State is playing a series to open the season for the first time since a four-game, three-day series at UNLV to open the 2022 season.

• The 2022 season was the fifth-straight season of opening a season with a multi-game series:
2018 - at Fresno State
2019 - at New Orleans
2020 - vs. Morehead State (Shipyard Park - Charleston, S.C.)
2021 - vs. Maryland (Fluor Field - Greenville, S.C. - *Due to the start of the season being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, MSU played B1G-only ledger)
2022 - at UNLV

• MSU has played in either an Invitational or Classic the last three seasons to open the season, having played an in-state foe in two of the last three years:
2023 - vs. Michigan (MLB Desert Invitational - Phoenix, Ariz.
2024 - vs. Merrimack (Swig & Swine Classic - Shipyard Park - Charleston, S.C.)
2025 - vs. Western Michigan (USA Baseball Complex - Cary, N.C.)

A LOOK AT LOUISVILLE
• Louisville enters the 2026 season-opening weekend ranked in the Top 18 of all five major Top 25 polls ... The Cardinals are No. 8 in the D1Baseball Poll, as well as No. 10 in the NCBWA Poll, No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, No. 16 in the Perfect Game Poll and No. 18 in the Baseball America Poll.

• The Cardinals are coming of a palindromic 42-24 record in 2025, posting a 15-15 record in ACC play, finishing 10th in the league, and being eliminated form the 2025 ACC Championship in the first round ... Louisville was selected to the NCAA Tournament and upset No. 2 Vanderbilt on the way to winning the Nashville Regional, and hosted Miami in the Super Regional ... The Cardinals won the opener, 8-1, before falling in game two, 9-6, setting up the rubber match and won, 3-2, to earn the trip to Omaha and the 2025 College World Series ... UofL opened the MCWS with a 4-3 loss to Oregon State, before bouncing back with an 8-3 rout of Arizona, and avenged the loss to Oregon State with a 7-6 win, before falling to Coastal Carolina, 11-3, to end the Cardinals' season.

• Louisville returns four position player starters from the 2025 College World Series team – Alex Alicea, Tague Davis, Lucas Moore and Zion Rose.

• The Cardinals return 50.4 percent of their at-bats (1119 of 2220), 48.2 percent of home runs (41 of 85), 47.3 percent of RBIs (225 of 476) and 75.3 percent of stolen bases (122 of 162).

• Louisville's pitching staff returns 16 of 22 players that recorded an inning on the mound in 2025, bringing back 63.6 percent of its innings (356.2 of 561).

• Louisville featured one of the best offenses in the country last spring, ranking third nationally in hits, sixth in stolen bases and top 20 in doubles and triples.

• UofL head coach Dan McDonnell is opening his 20th season leading Louisville, amassing a total record of 793-359-1 ... McDonnell is entering the 2026 campaign as the second-winningest active coach in Division I baseball (.688) and just seven wins away from 800.

RETURN OF THE MACK-ay
• Michigan State has three of its top five battling average leaders from a year ago returning in 2026, led by junior infielder Ryan McKay, who led MSU and ranked 27th in the B1G with a .319 average last season, the lone Spartan and one of 46 players to hit over .300.

• McKay also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles.

• Additionally, McKay led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats.

OTHER RETURNING NUMBERS
• Senior catcher Noah Bright was fourth for MSU last season with a .277 average ... Bright added 15 RBI and 18 walks.

• Senior infielder Randy Seymour was fifth, hitting .268 ... Seymour was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He also ranked second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... Also, he not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game.

• MSU also returns number seven and eight on its top 10 batting average list from a year ago in senior outfielder Nick Williams (.266) and junior outfielder Parker Picot (.261).

• Williams is second among returners and was third overall on the team in on-base percentage (.405), as well as fourth in runs scored (48) and fifth in RBI (29) ... He was also tied for fourth in HR (5) and third in triples (2).

• Picot led not only MSU but also shared the lead in the B1G last season in triples (5) ... He also is the top Spartan returner and was second overall on the team last season in slugging percentage (.500), RBI (37) and HR (8).

• The Spartans lost their second and third top hitters to graduation in catcher Caleb Berry (.297) and infielder Sam Busch (.289). Busch also led MSU in slugging percentage (.584), RBI (62), HR (15) and total bases (111).

• On the mound, returns senior right-hander Nolan Higgins, who is the Spartans' top returner and tied of the team lead in starts (15), tying with Joseph Dzierwa, who was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year last season ... Higgins also is MSU's top returner in strikeouts and was No. 3 overall on the team (39), as well as the top returner and No. 2 on the team in innings pitched (61.1).

• Sophomore right-hander Aidan Donovan was No. 3 on the MSU staff in games started (8), with 17 strikeouts, in 11 appearances, making eight starts.

• Senior righty reliever Tommy Szczepanski returns after leading MSU is opposing batting average (.188), and ranking fifth on the team in ERA (4.00).

KLUG RETURNS TO LOUISVILLE
• Michigan State junior right-hander Josh Klug began his college career at Louisville, playing for the Cardinals in 2024, making three relief appearances and did not all an earned run or a hit in 2.0 IP of work ... Klug made his collegiate debut vs. Northern Kentucky (April 30), and also made appearances vs. Vanderbilt (May 7) and North Carolina (May 12), retiring both batters faced against UNC.

NEW NUMBER, WHO DIS?
• Michigan State junior outfielder Parker Picot changed his jersey number from number 13 in 2025 to wearing number 11 in 2026.

NEWCOMERS
• Michigan State has 16 newcomers on the 2026 roster, with 10 freshmen and six transfers:

NO                   NAME POS     HT        HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
            29        Sam Beemer   RHP     FR        Lake Orion, MI/Lake Orion Community HS
            43        Bobby Crane   LHP      FR        Grosse Pointe, MI/U of Detroit Jesuit HS
            13        CJ Deckinga     INF/OF FR        Minooka, IL/Minooka HS
            44        Isaiah Domey INF       FR        New Baltimore, MI/Anchor Bay HS
            24        Anthony Elezaj            C          FR        Rochester, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
            26        Andrew Everson          RHP     FR        Brighton MI/Brighton HS
            32        Steve Fountain            RHP     FR        West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield HS
            22        JD Greeley       RHP     GR       Blakeslee, PA/Pocono Mountain West HS/Monmouth
            31        Ben Kochany   RHP     JR         Bay City, MI/Bay City Western HS/Saginaw Valley State
            7          Carter Monke RHP     GR       Mount Olive, IL/Mount Olive HS/Illinois State
            30       Jasen Oliver     INF       JR         Almont, MI/Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS/Indiana
            5          Trent Rice       OF        JR         Macomb, MI/Marine City Cardinal Mooney Catholic HS/Oakland
            38        Kyle Rudolph   RHP     FR        Peachtree City, GA/Starr's Mill HS
            42        Andrew Siler   LHP      GR       Avon, OH/Avon HS/Tiffin
            2          Cole Van Ameyde        INF       FR        Lake Orion, MI/Brother Rice HS
            6          Davis Weeks    RHP/INF           FR        Edwards, IL/Dunlap HS

FROM FOE TO FRIEND
• One of MSU's 16 newcomers is graduate right-handed pitcher JD Greeley, who came to MSU from Monmouth and he was on the mound for last season's meeting between MSU and Monmouth on Feb. 15, 2025 in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Complex ... Greeley went 6.0 IP, holding the Spartans to just two hits and two runs, one earned run, with four Ks and two walks, as MSU beat Greeley and Monmouth, 2-0.

DANDY VANDY FAMILY
• One of the 10 Spartan freshmen is infielder Cole Van Ameyde, who is the son of Spartan pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde ... Cole not only joined his father in college baseball, but also his two brothers ... His older brother Chase is a sophomore pitcher at Notre Dame, while his twin brother, Clay, is a freshman outfielder at Oakland.

• The Spartan Van Ameydes will face off against their family members three total times this season, as MSU plays at Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 8 and the Spartans host the Irish on Wednesday, April 22, while Michigan State hosts Oakland on Tuesday, April 14.

TRIO OF SPARTAN BASEBALL PLAYERS TABBED TO BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
• Three Michigan State baseball players were tabbed to the Big Ten Conference Players To Watch List, announced Wednesday by the conference office ahead of this weekend's 2026 season opening across the country.

Senior pitcher Nolan Higgins, junior infielder Ryan McKay and senior infielder Randy Seymour were recognized. McKay and Seymour are now two-time B1G Players to Watch selections after both collecting the accolade last season, while Higgins was recognized with his first conference recognition.

A native of Wixom, Michigan, Higgins tied Joseph Dzierwa for the most starts in 2025 with 15, good for tying for fifth in the B1G and ranking tied for 73rd in the NCAA ... Higgins pitched 61.1 IP, which ranked second on the team behind Dzierwa's 91.2 IP, and ranked 34th in the B1G ... Along with leading the Spartan staff for returners in starts, he also is the top returner in strikeouts with 39 Ks ... Higgins fired three or more Ks in eight of the 15 outings, including the first four of the season all with four or more, highlighted by a season-high five Ks vs ... Cornell on March 7, and later matching that with five punchouts in the Spartans' B1G Tournament clinching Victory for MSU over Minnesota on May 17 ... He also went at least 5.0 IP in five starts, led by a season-high 6.0 IP on three different outings.

McKay, a native of Clarkston, Michigan, was not only a Preseason Player to Watch list, but he also earned postseason Second-Team All-B1G accolades in 2025 after leading the Spartans and ranking tied for 27th in the B1G with a .319 average ... He was the lone Spartan and only one of 46 players in the B1G to hit over .300 ... He also led MSU and ranked tied for fifth in the B1G with 20 doubles ... Additionally, he led the Spartans and ranked tied for 19th in the league in walks with 36 free passes, and was also among the league leaders in toughest to strikeout, with just 31 Ks in 210 at bats ... McKay also topped the team in on-base percentage (.421), while ranking third on team in slugging percentage (.495) ... Furthermore, McKay led MSU in multiple hit games with 18, including the only Spartan in the 2025 season with five hits in a game, which came in at Penn State (March 21), going 5-for-5 ... McKay started 54 games at second base, missing one game with illness, ranking second on team in both games played and games started, and led MSU in most games played at one position ... He was second on the team in both assists (117) and fielding double plays (25).

Seymour, a Frankfort, Illinois native, was second on the team and tied for sixth in the B1G in triples (3) last season ... He was also fifth on the team with a .268 average, also ranking second on the Spartans in triples (3), while ranking third on the team in hits (53), RBI (36) and stolen bases (9) ... He also not only topped the team, but led the Big Ten and ranked 14th in the NCAA in sacrifice bunts (12) ... Additionally, Seymour was second on the team in at bats (198) ... Seymour also led the Spartans in both games played and games started with 55, the only MSU player to start in all 55 games and also the only Spartan to play in every game ... He made 38 starts at shortstop and 17 at third base, leading the MSU defense with 128 assists and third in fielding double plays with 15.

McKAY COLLECTS THE PRESEASON ACCOLADES
• Along with being named a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch, Spartan junior infielder Ryan McKay also collected a handful of other preseason accolades.

• McKay was also on D1Baseball's Top 50 Second Basemen list, coming in at No. 4 among second baseman in the B1G and No. 31 in the NCAA.

• McKay was also on Baseball Media's Top 100 College Prospect List.

McKay is No. 72 on the 100-player list and is one of nine players from the Big Ten Conference on the list ... The Spartan second baseman joins UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky (No. 1), Oregon shortstop Maddox Molony (16), UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu (41), Northwestern shortstop Ryan Kucherak (53), USC pitcher Mason Edwards (55), UCLA third baseman/shortstop Roman Martin (73), UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino (92) and UCLA pitcher Logan Reddemann (95).

MSU BASEBALL'S DECKINGA NAMED TO D1BASEBALL'S PRESEASON TOP BIG TEN FRESHMEN LIST
• Michigan State baseball player CJ Deckinga was named one of the D1Baseball's Preseason Top Big Ten Freshmen list, announced by the platform ahead of the 2026 season kicking off this weekend.

• Deckinga, an infielder, was joined on the five-player list by UCLA pitcher Angel Cervantes, Iowa pitcher/outfielder Brody Irlbeck, Maryland infielder Ty Kaunas and Ohio State pitcher Jude Fisher.

• A native of Minooka, Illinois, Deckinga was a three-year letterwinner at Minooka High School, helping MHS to a 33-4 record in his senior season, and he was a two-time All-Southwest Prairie Conference honoree, registering a .400 batting average as a senior with 30 RBI, logging a .521 on-base percentage, .657 slugging percentage and a 1.179 OPS ... Deckinga was ranked as the No. 1 3B/OF and No. 8 overall player in the state of Illinois by Prep Baseball Report, and was selected to play in the Future Games as well as attend the Prep Baseball Report Super 60 and the PBR Illinois Preseason ProCase.

UP NEXT
• Michigan State has its second road series against a top-ranked opponent in as many weeks, heading to Austin, Texas next weekend for a three-game weekend series at No. 3 Texas, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 20-22.

• Friday's series-opener is slated for a 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch in the first-ever meeting the Spartans and Longhorns ... Saturday's game two of the series is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT start time, before Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT.