And by knocking off the Wolverines 5-4 and 8-2 Sunday in a doubleheader at Ray Fisher Stadium at Wilpon Baseball Complex in Ann Arbor, the Spartans (15-5) were able to do just that, pulling off the three-game sweep of U-M (6-15) for just the second time in history.

“We’re excited,” head coach Jake Boss Jr. said after game two of the doubleheader.

“Sweeps are hard to come by regardless of who you’re playing. To play all three games on the road, that’s even tougher. Then you got your rival and a very good program, so this is a good feeling.”

After knocking off the Wolverines, 9-3, Friday, MSU was supposed to host U-M in its home opener Saturday. However, because of unplayable field conditions, the game was postponed, making Sunday a doubleheader. All three games also were nonconference games as the teams were left off the other’s Big Ten schedule this season.
In the first game Sunday, the starting pitching on both teams was the story.

For the Wolverines, it was left-hander Bobby Brosnahan, who pitched five scoreless innings, while MSU junior pitcher Tony Buccifero allowed only one run in six innings of work.

Buccifero had some early struggles when he faced runners on the corners and no outs already in the first inning. But he worked himself out of the jam thanks in large part to two strikeouts.
From that point on, Buccifero was on a roll for most of his final five innings of action.

“Getting out of that jam just sets the pace for the rest of the game, and it gives you so much more confidence,” Buccifero said. “If you can get out of that jam in the first inning, you can get out of any jam.”

U-M did strike first in the third inning with an RBI single, but sophomore designated hitter Jared Hook evened the score at one in the sixth inning when he drove in junior catcher Andy Johnson.

In the next inning, following a suicide squeeze that gave the Spartans a 2-1 lead, Johnson hit a 3-run homer to extend the lead to 5-1.

Although Wolverines’ pinch hitter Coley Crank hit a 3-run shot of his own in the bottom half of the seventh, it would not be enough as the Spartans hung on for the win.

Much like game one, the Spartan’s starting pitcher was instrumental in another victory in game two.

This time, it was freshman right-hander David Garner’s turn. Garner didn’t yield a run until the fifth inning when a wild pitch allowed U-M to score. When Garner came out in the sixth, he said it was because he was a little tired, but overall, he was happy to come out and perform well against the Wolverines.

“It felt great,” Garner said of the win.

“Growing up, I dreamed about it all the time. I hate Michigan — I always grew up hating Michigan, so this is great.”

Unlike the first game, the Spartans started the scoring early with one run in the first to give Garner some help.

Both teams went scoreless for the next two innings until freshman catcher Joel Fisher hit an RBI single followed by a 2-run triple by freshman outfielder Jeff Kinley.

Leading 5-1 heading into the top of the eighth, MSU picked up three insurance runs, allowing junior pitcher Bryce Jenney to close out the Wolverines easily in the bottom of the ninth.

After Johnson went 2-for-4 with three RBIs on his home run in the first game, the Spartans received production from a variety of players in the second game.

Four players had at least two hits, and six players drove in a run.