Last week, in an error-riddled loss to Central Michigan, he had a strong start and head coach Jake Boss Jr. said Waszak pitched “good enough to win” but couldn’t quite put it all together.

But in Wednesday night’s 4-0 win against Eastern Michigan, Waszak took the next step in that progression to what amounts to the high point of his MSU career.

“I thought last week was a big step after Western and then tonight I hit my spots and just felt relaxed,” Waszak said. “It was probably one of the best games of my life.”

He worked efficiently and kept Eastern Michigan (21-21) batters off-balance, scattering two hits over seven and two-thirds innings in the shutout at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing. His record improves to 4-1 and he lowered his ERA from 7.47 to 6.0 in one fell swoop.

“He was hitting spots all over the place,” said junior catcher Seth Williams, who was behind the plate for each of those three outings. “He was down in the zone for the most part and he really bulldogged it out.”

Waszak threw well for the first four innings last week against the Chippewas before the Spartans collapsed in a five-run fifth inning. On Wednesday, he worked deeper into the game and out of a jam in the fifth thanks to a double play and flyout.

Waszak tallied a career-high seven strikeouts and threw 98 pitches in the outing. His previous best start — April 6 against Bowling Green — featured two runs allowed and five strikeouts in six innings in a 5-2 victory.

“He started out as kind of a thrower,” Williams said. “He’s definitely become a pitcher.”

Waszak received run support from his teammates in the third, fourth and seventh innings. The Spartans (28-11) got on the board first in the bottom of the third when Williams scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of junior shortstop Jonathan Roof.

They scratched another across an inning later when senior designated hitter Chris Roberts singled in freshman outfielder Jordan Keur. Roberts later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

In the seventh, Williams — who was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs — hit a solo homer to give MSU the final 4-0 lead. Sophomore reliever Trey Popp and senior closer Kurtis Frymier shut the door on the shutout.

Spartan pitchers were successful in maintaining momentum and keeping the Eagles’ bats ice cold in each instance MSU scored.

“When you score and they don’t,” Boss said, “It’s a pretty big momentum shift.”

MSU has one more game against a non-Big Ten foe (May 18 at Central Michigan) but can now shift its undivided attention to the conference, in which the Spartans are tied for first with Ohio State, Michigan and Northwestern.

“We’re looking at maybe winning the whole thing,” Williams said. “It couldn’t be a better feeling.”