The Michigan State University baseball team kicked off their first home conference series of the season on Friday with a doubleheader against the Illinois Fighting Illini. In a dramatic series filled with delays, the Spartans were unable to secure a victory in either game.
The Spartans fought hard, especially in the first game, where they held a lead through the first seven innings. However, MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. and his team were unable to maintain their advantage and ultimately fell short in both games.
Game One: MSU 6, Illinois 9
The doubleheader was delayed due to inclement weather in East Lansing, but after a long wait, the Spartans took the field with their ace left-handed pitcher, junior Joseph Dzierwa, on the mound.
Dzierwa threw six solid innings, allowing just one run and five hits on 93 pitches, with three strikeouts. While Dzierwa was on the mound, the Spartans maintained full control, never trailing during his time in the game.
"Joe competes his tail off," Boss Jr. said postgame. "I don’t know if today was his best stuff, but he figured out ways to get outs. That’s what he does. That’s what a Friday night guy does. I think he’s one of the best left handed arms in the country, and he’s going to give us that kind of effort every time he takes the mound."
The scoring began in the bottom of the first inning when senior first baseman Sam Busch hit a double deep into center field, bringing in senior center fielder JT Sokolove and sophomore second baseman Ryan McKay to give MSU an early 2-0 lead. Senior left fielder Nick Williams followed with a hit to bring Busch home, increasing the lead to 3-0 for the Spartans.
Junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Schmitt took the mound for Illinois, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, seven hits, and two strikeouts on 97 pitches.
The next two innings were scoreless for both teams until a sacrifice fly from sophomore right fielder Vytas Valincius in the fourth inning brought in junior third baseman Kyle Schupmann, cutting the Illini deficit to 3-1.
MSU responded in the next two innings, starting with a sacrifice fly from junior shortstop Randy Seymour that brought in senior catcher Caleb Berry, who had reached base with a double to deep left-center. Seymour’s deep ball extended the Spartan lead to 4-1 in the fifth. The Spartans further increased the lead in the sixth, with RBI hits from Sokolove and Berry, making it 6-1 in favor of MSU.
Before the final three innings, Dzierwa saw his night come to a close, bringing in senior Dominic Pianto in his place. It was once the bullpen entered the game that the game went downhill for the Spartans, beginning in the seventh as Jennings was walked with the bases loaded by Pianto to make it a 6-2 ball game.
After several pitching changes, the game took a dramatic turn in the eighth inning. Illinois put together a six-run rally, with RBIs from junior shortstop Jack Zebig and sophomore right fielder Collin Jennings. Jennings hit a three-run homer to left-center, giving Illinois their first lead of the game.
The rough eighth inning was enough to seal the Spartans’ fate, as they were unable to score in the final two innings, resulting in a 9-6 victory for Illinois.
Game Two: MSU 3, Illinois 10
40 minutes following the comeback finish from Illinois in game one of the double header, the two Big Ten foes took the field once more to end the day.
The second game was less dramatic than the first, with a true pitching duel in the first six innings. The Spartans started junior right-hander Nolan Higgins, who pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs, five hits, and striking out three on 84 pitches. Illinois countered with junior right-hander Ben Plumley, who also went six innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits.
As in the first game, the final three innings decided the outcome. Illinois sparked a dominant seventh inning with a two-run home run by junior catcher Will Johannes, the second of his Division I career, and his second of the night.
Following the home run, MSU turned to their bullpen, with sophomore left-hander Garrett Brewer allowing three more runs before being pulled. By then, Illinois had extended their lead to 6-1. A home run by junior designated hitter Nick Groves helped fuel a nine-run inning, with RBIs from Illinois’ Jennings, Valincius, and senior second baseman Coltin Quagliano.
Illinois’ nine-run seventh inning sealed a dominant win. The Spartans' only bright spots came from deep shots by Williams in the fifth and McKay in the eighth.
Despite the rough game, Boss Jr. liked what he has seen from Williams this season.
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"(Williams) doesn’t strike out a whole lot, the ball is in play a lot, and you know that’s why we recruited him," Boss Jr. said. "This year I think he’s a little bit frustrated, but at the same time, he’s not going to strike out a whole lot, which gives him a chance."
The Spartans fell 10-3 in the second game of the doubleheader.
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