Freshman infielder Ryan McKay (1) dives back to first base during a game against Niagara University at McLane Baseball Stadium on April 7, 2024.
MSU baseball cracks the NCBWA Top 25 at No. 23, marking its first ranking since 2016.
The Spartans (6-1) have been fueled by dominant pitching, a stark contrast to last season. Junior Joseph Dzierwa has yet to allow an earned run in two starts, limiting opponents to just two hits. His dominance earned him Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for the second straight week.
"He's been really good," head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think he has a really good understanding now, in his third year, of what it takes to be a number one guy and he's embraced that."
MSU last appeared in the rankings at No. 23 in the 2016 Baseball America poll before reaching the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
Before falling to UCLA last Sunday, MSU opened 6-0 for the first time since 2016.
Last weekend, MSU handled Washington State (9-2) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (8-3). On Friday, Dzierwa struck out a career-high 12 batters, allowing just one hit and one walk. Against UCLA, MSU built a 6-0 lead, but a nine-run fourth inning from the Bruins led to a 15-9 loss.
Boss credited the team’s experience as its biggest strength.
"When you run a guy like Joseph Dzierva on Friday night, you feel pretty good about the effort that you’ll get out there," Boss said. "We have a lot of guys here now that are starting to get their opportunity and are taking advantage of it."
MSU will spend the next two weeks in Greenville, South Carolina, facing Harvard in a three-game series this weekend before a single game against Western Carolina on March 5. The Spartans will then host the First Pitch Invitational, featuring Winthrop, UAB, and Cornell.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
