After wrapping up a three-game series with Ohio State on Monday, the MSU baseball team doesn’t have a chance for much rest before a busy weekend.
Two days after the Spartans (17-8 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) knocked off the Buckeyes 10-5 to take two of three games in their first Big Ten series of the season, MSU will hit the road for a 6:05 p.m. game Wednesday against Eastern Michigan (10-17, 3-3 MAC) in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Wednesday’s game comes immediately before the Spartans play the Lansing Lugnuts in the Crosstown Showdown at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing and then open up a three-game series with Michigan (12-16, 0-3) at 5:35 p.m. on Friday in Ann Arbor.
Typically, MSU plays its three-game series on the weekend with maybe one or two midweek games thrown in the mix.
But with last weekend’s series with Ohio State played Saturday through Monday instead of Friday through Sunday because of weather, junior second baseman Ryan Jones said this week is a little bit different.
“It’s getting to be the middle of the season, and we know that type of stuff is going to happen,” Jones said.
“We just have to rest our bodies (Tuesday) and get back work Wednesday.”
While the Spartans are coming off a successful weekend against the Buckeyes, the Eagles lost two of three on the road against Ohio last weekend.
However, the last meeting between MSU and Eastern Michigan in 2011 saw the Eagles beat the Spartans 17-15 in 12 innings.
Eastern Michigan is 1-1 against Big Ten opponents this season, boasting a 12-2 win over Michigan on March 28 and a 13-4 loss to Ohio State the day before. Meanwhile, MSU is 2-1 against the MAC, most recently beating Central Michigan 6-5 last Wednesday.
Freshman right-hander Mick VanVossen (0-0) will start on the mound for the Spartans on Wednesday.
VanVossen owns a 3.86 ERA this season in two appearances, including a no-decision start against the Chippewas last week.
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