Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
23-30
Illinois State
33-22
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 1 |
Spartans Celebrate Seniors In Grand Fashion With Walk-Off Run-Rule Victory For MSU Over ISU
5/16/2026 10:35:00 PM | Baseball
Bright belts “walk-off” grand slam for 18-8 run-rule rout of Redbirds as third senior in line-up to homer in final home game of regular-season for the Green & White.
Senior catcher Noah Bright made sure it was a bright and joyous day with a "walk-off" grand slam in his final at bat in a home game for the Green & White.
YES WAY!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 16, 2026
Noah Bright with "walk-off" grand slam in final AB at home for 18-8 (8-inn.) run-rule Victory for MSU!!
All 3 seniors in lineup homered on Spartan Senior Celebrations Day!!
He's jersey # 18, had 18th hit & scored 18th run of day!!#VictoryForMSU | @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/kE1W49VqyN
It was the second-straight season that MSU's regular-season concluded with a walk-off, as in 2025, Randy Seymour delivered the walk-off single for an 11-10 walk-off Victory for MSU over Minnesota.
MSU drew its bye in this season's Big Ten Conference schedule on the final weekend, and hosted ISU from the Missouri Valley Conference, as the Redbirds also had a bye in their league schedule, this weekend in a three-game weekend series.
Michigan State moves to 23-30 with the win, while Illinois State slides to 33-22, after the Spartans took two of three from the Redbirds. This weekend's MSU and ISU series was the first meeting between the Spartans and Redbirds since 2016, and was the first meeting not only on campus, but outside the state of Florida, as the three previous match-ups were played in the Sunshine State.
MSU now leads leads the all-time series, 4-2. The Spartans have out-scored the Redbirds, 43-8 in the last three wins by the Green & White, including Friday's 10-0, 7-innings, run-rule triumph, before ISU bounced back to win Friday's game, 6-3, setting up Saturday's rubber match.
With Saturday's Victory for MSU, head coach Jake Boss Jr. passed legendary head coach Danny Litwhiler for number two on the Michigan State Baseball Coaches All-Time Wins List with his 490th win at Michigan State.
"I've said it all the time, it's truly an honor and a dream come true to be the head coach here at Michigan State," Boss said. "It's extremely humbling and a great privilege to pass "Skip" (Litwhiler) on the wins list. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of great coaches on staff with me and a lot of terrific players to contribute to getting all those wins."
With Today's Victory For MSU, Spartan Baseball Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. passed legendary head coach Danny Litwhiler for number 2 on the Michigan State Baseball Coaches All-Time Wins List with his 490th win at Michigan State!!#VictoryForMSU pic.twitter.com/xqP2msyAnO
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 16, 2026
Bright's homer capped all three seniors in the line-up to hit a home run on Saturday, joining infielder Randy Seymour and outfielder Nick Williams in going yard.
"I'm still in shock," Bright said. "That was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life. It's not even close."
VICTORY FOR MSU!!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 17, 2026
High fives & handshakes + lots of hugs ALLLLLL around as MSU celebrates Senior Celebrations Day in GRAND style!!
Finals score:
MSU 18, ISU 8 (8 inn.)
Bright's "walk-off" grand slam for the Victory for MSU, as all 3 SRs in lineup homer!!#VictoryForMSU pic.twitter.com/SYVmVQbDa5
Bright, who wears jersey number 18, had the 18th hit of the day and scored the 18th run of the game, and was mobbed by his teammates at home plate to cap a joyous Spartan Senior Celebrations Day.
"It was super special. I knew it had a chance off the bat," Bright said. "All I said to myself before that last pitch was, 'Lord, please don't let me strike out.' That's all I said. I knew I was the only senior who hadn't hit a home run yet today. It was just unbelievable. I was crying around the bases."
Before the game, MSU wrapped its Spartan Senior Celebrations weekend, honoring the second part of the 2026 Spartan Senior Class, who are all making their final appearances at Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium this weekend.
Pitcher Carter Monke, Williams, pitcher Tommy Szczepanski, Bright, Seymour and pitcher Nolan Higgins were recognized. On Friday evening, the Spartan seniors recognized were a pair of players, in pitchers JD Greeley and Andrew Siler, along with Student Managers Frank Lollo, Sedona Bassler and Becca Gawenda.
After the game, the eight Spartan seniors continued the Spartan Athletics tradition of kissing the Spartan head in center field, and posed for class and group photos with their teammates and families.
"I'm really happy for the seniors," Boss said. "I mean, every one of them means a lot to our program, and for a senior to hit a walk-off grand slam was unbelievable. Really one of the coolest things I think I've been a part of here. Every one of them contributed, not only today, but this whole weekend. And yeah, what a way to end it."
Seymour's HR was his team-leading 16th homer of the season, and he is now part of a four-way tie for second on MSU's single-season home runs list, tying Spartan great Kirk Gibson in 1978, along with Matt Riggins in 1996 and Bob Malek in 2002.
"It's so cool" Seymour said of tying Gibson on the single-season HR list. "Especially after not being able to hit a bunch of home runs in my first two years here. So getting to come in here and leave my mark on this university is just an incredible honor."
Spartan bats are on fire!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 16, 2026
Randy Seymour ties Kirk Gibson for 2nd most HR's in school history with a monster solo HR!! 👏#GoGreen | @RandySeymour9 pic.twitter.com/iQUdvwDGyT
Bright finished the day 4-for-5 with the four RBI and three runs scored, capped with the grand slam on his final home game for the team he grew up rooting for since he was a little kid.
"This has been a dream come true," Bright said. "I carry a card in my back pocket that says 'Noah with a Michigan State S,' and it was cut off from my school worksheets. My dad gave it to me and wrote on the back before my first day here four years ago. I've played with it in my back pocket ever since. I grew up a Spartan fan, so my time here has truly been a dream come true."
Bright and Seymour were just two of the Spartan seniors with a banner day.
Williams was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two ribbies, with a home run. His single to lead off the bottom of the first frame extended his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by a Spartan this season.
Leaving in a hurry!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 16, 2026
Nick Williams continues an impressive day with a solo shot to extend the lead!#GoGreen | @NicklasWilliam1 pic.twitter.com/x42vtppuSr
The three Spartan seniors in the lineup were just part of a stat-stuffed lineup, as all nine players in the lineup, not only had at least one hit, but all nine scored and all nine had an RBI.
Junior Parker Picot joined the three seniors in the home run party with a pair of his own, continuing his scorching streak with eight homers in his last 10 games. Picot has bookended that 10-game spurt with two HR vs. UCLA on May 3, and adding two more on Saturday for his third multi-homer game of the season. He now has 13 homers for the season, with his two-run blast in the fifth frame and a three-run homer in the eighth.
See you later!!!
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) May 16, 2026
Parker Picot crushes a 2-run HR to left!! 🔥#GoGreen | @ParkerPicot pic.twitter.com/Gnl7QHtoBt
Sophomore infielder Dayton Murphy was 3-for-5 with two ribbies and a run scored, freshman CJ Deckinga was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one run driven in. Seymour was 1-for-5 with his solo HR in the fifth. Sophomore outfielder Khamaree Thomas went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI, sophomore designated hitter Isaac Sturgess was 1-for-3, scoring two runs and driving in another, and junior infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-4, touching home twice and knocking in a run.
On the mound, senior starter JD Greeley went 2.0 IP, with two strikeouts, two hits, one walk and one run. From there, six Spartan relievers kept the Redbirds in check, with junior Josh Klug (1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K), redshirt-freshman Brady Chambers (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K), freshman Kyle Rudolph (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K), senior Tommy Szczepanski (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K), junior Gannon Grundman (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) and senior Nolan Higgins (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K) closed it out.
Rudolph collected the win for his first collegiate victory.
Thanks in part to other results around the Big Ten Conference over the weekend, the Spartans qualified for the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai, Tuesday-Sunday, May 19-24, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Spartans are the No. 12 seed, and will face No. 5 seed Purdue in the tournament's opening game on Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT.
Further Big Ten Tournament information and ticket information will be announced later.
Michigan State's schedule is subject to change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow action with "Watch Live," "Listen Live" and "Live Stats" links where available.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rudolph, Kyle (1-3)
L: Roehler, Trenton (3-4)
Batting:
HR: Bakes, Ryan 1 ; Bakes, Brayden 1
RBI: Bakes, Ryan 2 ; Bakes, Brayden 3 ; Carrano, Michael 1 ; Stulga, Luke 1
SH: Machej, Eric 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bakes, Ryan 2 ; Bakes, Brayden 3 ; Machej, Eric 2 ; Barry, Nolan 1
HBP: Bakes, Ryan 1 ; Stulga, Luke 1
Batting:
2B: Thomas, Khamaree 1 ; Sturgess, Isaac 1 ; Deckinga, CJ 1
3B: Murphy, Dayton 1
HR: Williams, Nick 1 ; Bright, Noah 1 ; Picot, Parker 2 ; Seymour, Randy 1
RBI: Williams, Nick 2 ; Bright, Noah 4 ; Thomas, Khamaree 1 ; Picot, Parker 5 ; Sturgess, Isaac 1 ; Seymour, Randy 1 ; Deckinga, CJ 1 ; McKay, Ryan 1 ; Murphy, Dayton 2
SF: Sturgess, Isaac 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, Nick 3 ; Bright, Noah 3 ; Thomas, Khamaree 2 ; Picot, Parker 2 ; Sturgess, Isaac 2 ; Seymour, Randy 1 ; Deckinga, CJ 2 ; McKay, Ryan 2 ; Murphy, Dayton 1
SB: Williams, Nick 1 ; Bright, Noah 1 ; Thomas, Khamaree 1
HBP: Williams, Nick 1
