"On the Road Again."
That is the tune the MSU baseball team is singing after a short week of home games. But the Spartans might not be singing the words that follow ("just can't wait to get on the road again").
MSU returned to Kobs Field last Wednesday after playing 22 consecutive road games to start the season.
After posting a 5-17 mark away from East Lansing, the Spartans played only three of five scheduled home games last week due to inclement weather. MSU (7-18 overall, 1-4 Big Ten) won two of the three in chilly conditions.
But the road is calling again, as MSU will venture to Eastern Michigan (8-15) to play at 5 p.m. today at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti.
"We do need to pick up a win on the road," sophomore rightfielder Jim Deliz said. "It feels better being at home, but you've got to win them on the road, too."
Manager Ted Mahan doesn't seem to be too concerned with heading back on road.
"We've improved the last two weeks, especially offensively," Mahan said. "We've been scoring runs and getting a lot of good at-bats. We're getting better - no question.
"We've won two of our last three games and we could have won that one (we lost)."
To pick up their eighth win of the season, the Spartans will have to out-hit a potent Eagle offensive attack.
Eastern Michigan infielder Derrick Peterson is hitting .408 while leading the team in doubles (10) and slugging percentage (.579).
Eagles' outfielder Ryan Goleski is the deep-ball threat with a team-leading six home runs and 21 RBI.
Eastern Michigan manager Roger Coryell will send left-hander Dave Pieron to the mound. Pieron (3-3, 4.17 ERA) is the staff's ace, striking out 27 batters in 36 2/3 innings of work.
But, junior right-hander Bryan Gale thinks this is a game MSU should win. In fact, he's looking for revenge from last season.
Gale pitched a scoreless inning against the Eagles last year, but the Eagles rallied from a 10-7 deficit, scoring four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to walk out of East Lansing with a 12-10 upset victory.
"We're just looking to pick up a win," Gale said. "Last year, we had a real successful year, but we lost games we should have won. I think we played Bowling Green and Eastern, but they beat us. Those were the one or two wins that kept us from getting into the tournament.
"Teams we should beat are teams we have to beat. They're from a smaller school, so they're a team we should beat."
As Mahan will do for most of the season, a number of different pitchers will take the mound.
The probable starter is freshman right-hander Chris Toepper (0-1, 6.48), who has started each of the last two Wednesday games.
Because of wintry conditions, the game still has a chance to be postponed. Coryell will make the decision early today.
