Head coach Jake Boss Jr. watches his team at bat during the eighth inning of MSU’s tournament game against Illinois on Friday at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. MSU fell to the Fighting Illini, 4-1.
Columbus, Ohio – Win or go home.
For the No. 2 seeded Spartan baseball team (35-20 overall, 16-10 Big Ten), the message is clear headed into Saturday’s matchup with Minnesota. After falling out of the winner’s bracket on Friday with a loss to top-seeded Illinois, MSU will meet the No. 5-seeded Golden Gophers at 3:35 p.m. today at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.
The Spartans have had success against Minnesota this season, as they swept them in three games in early April at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field. Since arriving at MSU in 2008, head coach Jake Boss Jr. has accumulated a record of 5-2 against the Golden Gophers and will look to extend that success today.
“I mean, there’s no game two without game one,” junior shortstop Justin Scanlon said on Friday night. “We gotta come out and play well against Minnesota and go from there and see what happens.”
With a win, the Spartans find themselves in a rematch with their co-Big Ten champion Illinois at 7:05 p.m today, where it will take two victories to take home the tournament crown.
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