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Baseball takes two of three during weekend for fifth straight Big Ten series win

May 11, 2015
<p>Men's baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. encourages players from third base in the third game of the series against the University of Illinois on May 5, 2013, at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans won 4-3 after trailing 3-1 for a majority of the game. Danyelle Morrow/The State News</p>

Men's baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. encourages players from third base in the third game of the series against the University of Illinois on May 5, 2013, at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field. The Spartans won 4-3 after trailing 3-1 for a majority of the game. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Photo by Danyelle Morrow | The State News

The Spartan baseball team (31-19 overall, 13-8 Big Ten) took two of three game against Penn State (18-28 overall, 6-14 Big Ten) over the weekend for the teams fifth straight Big Ten series win.

"Obviously it's good to win the series, that's the goal when you go in," head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "We didn't swing the bat great this weekend but we got some big at-bats when we needed them in the last two games."

The five-series winning streak in the Big Ten began at the beginning of April when the team took two of three from Northwestern (16-35 overall, 6-15 Big Ten). 

The team then swept Rutgers (17-34-1 overall, 5-16 Big Ten) in their first meeting as conference foes. Following the sweep of the Scarlet Knights the Spartans took two of three from Indiana (28-20 overall, 9-10 Big Ten) and before the Penn State series the team took another two of three from Purdue (16-34 overall, 3-17 Big Ten).

MSU began the weekend with a 5-3 loss to the Nittany Lions, followed by a 5-4 win in game two and finishing the weekend off with a 3-1 win on senior day.

Prior to the team's 3-1 win on Sunday the team acknowledged its eight seniors — outfielder Anthony Cheky, closer Jeff Kinley, first baseman Ryan Krill, infielder Ryan Richardson, catcher and first baseman Blaise Salter, outfielder Chase Toth, pitcher Mick VanVossen and infielder Mark Weist.

The seniors, as they have been all year long, were a key factor in MSU's success this weekend. Richardson had three RBI over the weekend, Kinley, normally a closer, earned the win in just his third start of the season going 7.0 innings and giving up just one run.

There are four regular season games remaining for the Spartans — one mid-week game against Central Michigan and a three game series against Minnesota.

"Minnesota is going to play hard, if you have to play them you prefer to play them at the beginning of the year rather than at the end," Boss said. "They're always better at the end of the year, they always continue to improve as the weather improves."

With school over the team can put baseball first and now that the post-season is just around the corner, Boss said his team is excited for what's to come.

"It's a good time of the year, school's over now and that load is lightened a little bit so guys will have an opportunity to concentrate on baseball," Boss said. "Guys are excited about being able to participate in the Big Ten tournament, we feel like we have a chance to do some pretty good things."

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