With a four-game sweep of Penn State, the MSU baseball team solidified the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
“We played well. It was a great weekend for us,” Spartan manager Ted Mahan said. “After four games like that we’re certainly very confident.”
The Spartans (36-17 overall, 16-12 Big Ten) outscored the Nittany Lions 62-10 over the weekend, providing plenty of reason for confidence.
MSU defeated Penn State (23-30, 11-19) 16-7 on Friday. The 16 runs were the most scored against a Big Ten foe all season, and the Spartans tallied 16 in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader and again on Sunday.
The Big Ten Tournament starts Wednesday in Minneapolis.
As the regular-season conference champ, the Minnesota Golen Gophers earned the right to host the double-elimination tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Spartans begin tournament play at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday against No. 6 seed Northwestern (24-27, 14-15).
MSU won the only series the two played 2-1 in Evanston, Ill.
The tournament appearance is the first for the Spartans since 1994, when MSU lost its first two games of the tournament and went home empty-handed.
“For me personally, it’s the first time I’ve been a part of this,” senior center fielder Chris McCuiston said. “Everybody is ready to play. We have the capability.”
McCuiston couldn’t say exactly what motivated MSU against Penn State, but said he hopes the team can sustain it in the tournament.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said. “Everything is really contagious. Once somebody leads the way, everyone else just follows suit.”
MSU trailed 2-0 entering the top of the fourth Sunday. But back-to-back home runs from McCuiston and senior designated hitter Kyle Geswein ignited an eight-run inning, en route to a 16-3 win.
The homers not only gave the Spartans the lead for good, but they were each historic.
McCuistons 14th blast raised his RBI total to 67, a new single-season MSU record. And Geswein’s 12th homer pushed his career total to 34, tying him with Matt Riggins (1993-96) as MSU’s career home run leader.
For Saturday’s doubleheader, the Spartans looked no further than the local newspaper for motivation.
Junior right fielder Bob Malek said a Nittany Lion player was quoted as saying the Spartans were nothing.
“Everyone saw it, including our pitching staff,” Malek said. “We went out there and shut them out for 14 innings.”
MSU vented its frustration with the article in the form of 16-0 and 14-0 wins. Malek, who finished the weekend with eight RBIs, said the pitching staff was outstanding.
“They did a great job,” he said. “Even when the game got out of hand, they still pitched like it was a close game.”
Senior pitcher Nick Bates (9-3) didn’t pitch against the Nittany Lions, leaving him one win shy of becoming MSU fourth pitcher all-time to reach 10 wins.
Mahan said he decided before the weekend ever started that Bates wouldn’t pitch if MSU won the first two games.
“We didn’t use him this weekend because he has a little soreness in his right forearm,” Mahan said.
“We’re confident that Nick can start Wednesday.”
Bates won in his only start of season against the Wildcats, a 3-1 victory.
In the win, he worked seven innings, allowing only six hits and one walk, while striking out seven. The only run was unearned.
A repeat performance could be critical to the Spartans hopes of advancing.
“You’ve got to win the first game,” Mahan said. “If you don’t, you’ve got to win five games in three days.
“It’s imperative you get off to a good start.”
