Although tonight’s experience — playing in an actual big league stadium — also should be fun, senior first baseman Jeff Holm said he and his teammates will have a much more business-like approach than they did April 5.

“It’s not going to be all fun and games like the Crosstown Showdown,” Holm said of what’s being dubbed the Clash at Comerica. “It’s on our schedule — it counts toward our wins and losses. So we’re definitely going to come out with a lot of fire.”

Along with the excitement of playing on the Tigers’ home field, today will be a rematch of a 3-1 loss suffered by the Spartans on March 30 at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field. The Chippewas (18-18) pulled out the win by outhitting the Spartans 10-6 just days after MSU finished off a three-game sweep of archrival Michigan.

After the loss, head coach Jake Boss Jr. said the Spartans “didn’t show up at all” and that he was “embarrassed” by what he described as one of the worst losses since he came to East Lansing before the 2009 season. Still, Boss said Tuesday that tonight’s game is not about revenge but instead is another game against an in-state opponent.

“What’s done is done,” Boss said. “We always try to get up to play our in-state rivals. They’re always important games, so whatever happened last time — whether we won or they won — I don’t think that really plays into it a whole lot.”

Boss’ players, however, have a differing opinion.

“I would say it’s a little revenge,” junior catcher Andy Johnson said. “We’re a little sour about losing earlier. They’re a good club, but we definitely want to go put our best forward and put our best effort out there and hopefully come up with the W (today).”

But that doesn’t mean Johnson and the Spartans won’t do their best to enjoy the opportunity they have tonight. Boss said that a select number of his players have had the chance to play in Comerica Park for their high school teams or for an all-star game.

For most of the MSU players, though, it will be their first opportunity to play in an MLB ballpark. Holm called the game the “chance of a lifetime,” and Johnson said it was a dream come true.

“It’s all of our dreams to play in the big leagues one day — to play in parks like Comerica,” Johnson said. “So being able to have that come true right now in college, it will be a great experience and something we’ll remember for the rest of our careers.”

Adding to the uniqueness of tonight’s game is that it will be the first college game ever played at Comerica Park with Central Michigan playing as the host team.

Holm said he and his teammates realize how special the opportunity is for them and added that it should bring out the best in all of them. Boss, meanwhile, said he is glad he could help provide his players with such a memorable moment.

“It’s neat for our guys to experience and be able to say they were a part of something that nobody else has done before,” Boss said. “It’s one of those things that is a part of the whole college experience and really what I think our jobs here are — to create these kind of opportunities to tell their children and grandchildren.”

But the Spartans want more than to simply be a part of something special.

Johnson said it’s nice to be one of the first two college teams to play in Comerica Park but, even more so, wants to be the first college team to go into the stadium and walk out victorious.

“That would be really special,” Johnson said. “It’s something that nobody else will be able to say they’ve ever done. We’ll be in the history books for saying we’ve done that, and I think we have a good chance.”