Bryce Kelley (17), right, looks to low-five senior infielder Dan Durkin (9), left, after he scored a run against the University of Michigan on April 18, 2017 at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines defeated the Spartans, 12-4. Kelley is one of five seniors who returned to play in the 2021 season.
Three MSU Spartans were voted by the Big Ten baseball coaches to the Preseason Honors list: sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley, senior right-handed pitcher Jake Lowery and junior right-handed pitcher Riley McCauley.
Kelley led the Spartans last season with a .353 batting average, good for third in the conference. The left fielder from Rockford was named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American and the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman teams last season.
Lowery, a native of Howell, was second on the team in strikeouts with 70 last season, with 18 of his 22 appearances coming in relief. He struck out 11 Northwestern Wildcats last season on April 28 in only 5.2 innings.
McCauley, who served as MSU’s closer last season, will get a starting nod this year. His nine saves last season tied him for fourth in the conference in 25 appearances. The native of Sterling Heights had a stretch of 12.1 innings pitched without surrendering a run.
The Spartan baseball season begins on Friday in Fresno, California, where MSU will take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in a four-game weekend series.
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