This past weekend, MSU showed they’re capable of defeating a strong Big Ten foe in Penn State (16-7, 5-4). On Friday, Spartan ace Joseph Dzierwa led the way in a 4-0 shutout of the Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions bounced back from their first shutout loss of the year with an 11-5 win over MSU. Penn State scored four runs in back-to-back innings, pushing past MSU and starting pitcher Nolan Higgins.

Game three was the closest of the series, with both teams putting up multi-run innings. MSU added runs in the eighth and ninth innings to secure its first Big Ten series win of the year.

Next on the Spartans' Big Ten slate is Illinois, which has been inconsistent at times. The Fighting Illini lost to Michigan and Northwestern, dropping two games to each. Illinois currently sits 13th in the conference.

Despite a roaring offense, Illinois' pitching staff has struggled, posting a Big Ten second-worst team ERA of 6.68 and an opponent batting average of .291. MSU will have to capitalize on offense if it wants to come out with the series win. 

Second baseman Ryan McKay has been on fire, going 13-for-18 with three walks since the Spartans’ win against Oakland on March 19. Penn State had no answer for the sophomore, who now leads the Big Ten in walks and ranks seventh in batting average at .386. On Monday, McKay was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week alongside Iowa's Reese Moore.

MSU shines as a team at the plate, with five starters hitting .280 or better and a team OPS of .832. McKay isn’t the only one off to a hot start; designated hitter Will Shannon and catcher Caleb Berry are both hitting over .300 in conference play.

Once Spartan batters reach base, they’re not afraid to steal. The team ranks third in the conference for stolen bases, averaging nearly two per game. Center fielder JT Sokolove, who transferred from Illinois State for his senior year, brings speed to the lineup. Last season, Sokolove was 20-for-21 in stolen bases, and he’s already notched 10 steals this season.

"JT is a guy that is just a pest at the top of the order, he's a tough out," head coach Jake Boss said. "He'll work a walk, he'll get hit by a pitch, he's on base a lot, and then when he's on base, he creates some havoc for our opponents."

In both weekday games so far, pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde has used five or more pitchers in MSU’s version of a bullpen day. Expect a similar approach against the Fighting Irish. MSU is 1-4 in games featuring five or more pitchers, allowing an average of 8.2 runs per game.

Notre Dame is coming off a winless series against No. 25 Georgia Tech, where the Yellow Jackets outscored the Fighting Irish 37-14. Notre Dame now sits at the bottom of the ACC with a 1-8 conference record.

MSU is well-equipped for a win against Notre Dame, with Berry and Shannon beginning to blossom. The first pitch for Wednesday’s game against Notre Dame is set for 3:05.

MSU’s pitching staff has featured two main starters in Dzierwa and Higgins, but lacks a third reliable option. In game three against Iowa last week, freshman Aidan Donovan started, lasting just 1 1/3 innings and allowing eight earned runs on eight hits in a 10-0 loss.

In Sunday’s game three, Van Ameyde turned to sophomore LHP Gannon Grundman, who lasted three innings and allowed just one run. He shared innings with sophomore RHP Logan Pikur, who threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

After Dzierwa and Higgins, Donovan has made the most starts with four. However, with a 6.89 ERA, the freshman’s starts haven’t gone as planned, as opponents are hitting .314 against him.

Wednesday’s game will air on ACC Network at 6 p.m., while this weekend’s games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.