MSU Starts Six-Game Road Swing at Rutgers

Michigan State (14-23,1-10 B1G) at Rutgers (19-21, 3-12B1G)
Dates/Location	Friday-Sunday, April 10-12 Piscataway, NJ \| Rutgers Softball Complex
Tickets	There is no admission charge for Rutgers softball games
B1G+ Webstreams	Friday (6 pm) \| Saturday (3 pm) \| Sunday (1 pm)
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Rutgers
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Around the Horn
What you need to know about Spartan softball

• Michigan State plays the first of two straight Big Ten road series this weekend at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights won a Tuesday non-conference game at Lehigh and enter the weekend with an 19-21 overall record, and are 3-12 in Big Ten play.

• MSU enters the weekend with a 14-23 overall record. Due to weather, last weekend's three-game series vs. Illinois was abbreviated to a Friday doubleheader: MSU won 7-0 in game one and fell 12-6 in game two. Field conditions forced the relocation of Wednesday's non-conference game to Oakland, and the homestanding Golden Grizzlies earned a 5-2 victory.

• The Spartans drew the three highest-ranked Big Ten teams in the conference to start the league season, opening at No. 5 UCLA, hosting No. 9 Nebraska, and traveling to Ohio State last weekend, which was ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll.

• Green and White batters have already posted nine triples this season, surpassing their total of eight from 2025. The Spartans are sixth among B1G teams in that category. The Spartans have smacked 51 doubles through 37 games. It is the most for an MSU squad since the 2022 team hit 60. Meanwhile, MSU has drawn 131 walks this season, (3.42 per game), which is eighth in the Big Ten. MSU averaged just over three walks per game last year (136 walk in 45 games) and is on pace to surpass that total.

• Britain Beshears went a team-best 4-for-5 at the plate in the Illinois DH, which included a homer, one RBI, one walk, and two runs scored. Earlier this week, she went 2-for-3 with a run scored against Oakland. She owns the squad's longest active hitting streak (five games) and has two base hits in each of the last three contests. Beshears has walked a team-high 22 times this year (T-11th, B1G). She has surpassed her career best of 20 that she set as a junior.

• Hannah Hawley and Britain Beshears each have 27 career home runs, which is good for fifth place all-time in program history. Twice this season the duo has homered in the same game, most recently vs. Villanova (2/14).

• Sophie Holverstott has started each of the last seven games and has played in 14 overall. Holverstott smacked her first career triple in Wednesday's game at Oakland, and delivered a team-best five RBI in the doubleheader against Illinois, when she had a double, a homer, and scored twice in six at-bats. Among her five base hits is a double, a triple and two homers all better than her freshman season totals. She also has 11 RBI.

• Kirsten Caravaca was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI in Wednesday's game at Oakland. On the season, she is batting .213 with eight RBI, which includes seven walks and two doubles. She has started 25 games behind the plate, recording 96 putouts, six assists, and five pickoffs, with just one error (.990 fielding pct.).

• Zoie Bernard has played all 37 games in the outfield and has led MSU in most offensive categories throughout the season. She owns or shares the team leads in batting average (.344), slugging (.568), on-base percentage (.431), hits (43), runs scored (23), doubles (12), triples (5), and stolen bases (7). She ranks second in the B1G and seventh nationally in triples, and fourth in the league in doubles.

• Jacey Schuler's last two outings have been complete games. Her Friday effort against Illinois was a one-hitter, striking out three and walking just two. She is also the pitcher of record in Wednesday's non-league effort at Oakland, scattering seven base hits and allowing just two earned runs. The sophomore leads the Spartan staff in starts (17) and wins (5).