"We have great leadership, but they truly believe in what they're doing, they believe in our process, they have respect for staff and what we do." Gymnastics head coach Mike Rowe said after their meet.

Meanwhile, baseball and softball faced road tests under challenging conditions, and rowing added a clean sweep to the spring résumé.

Gymnastics: Spartans make NCAA Championships for first time in 37 years

Last Thursday, the Spartans headed to University Park, Pennsylvania for the second round of the NCAA regionals where they walked away with their best regional semifinal finish, scoring 197.625 points with help from senior Gabrielle Stephens’s perfect ten on vault.

The win propelled them to advance to the regional final on Saturday where they took second place with a score of 198 behind LSU and will advance to their first NCAA championship in 37 years.

The Spartans held second place throughout the meet and finished just 0.050 points behind the Tigers.

"They know they have some more fuel in the tank," Rowe said "They're going to surprise some people at nationals."

The NCAA Championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Semifinal one is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET, with semifinal two at 9 p.m. ET. The top two teams from each session will advance to the four-team final on April 19.

Men’s Tennis: Spartans sweep the weekend

The team took on Northwestern last Friday and swiftly secured the match with a 6-1 win. The match was followed up with a sweep on Sunday, 4-0, in their battle against Illinois

Against Northwestern, the Spartans secured the doubles point early, with the third match going unfinished.

In singles, MSU won five of six matches. Northwestern’s Chad Miller handed junior David Saye the lone loss in a tight three-set match, 7-5, 6-2, 10-8.

On Sunday, Michigan State rolled past Illinois, clinching the doubles point, straight-set singles victories from freshman Mitchell Sheldon, freshman Vuk Radjenovic and senior Max Sheldon sealed the sweep.

"We're starting to play our best tennis down the stretch here," MSU men's tennis head coach Harry Judan said after the match on Sunday. "Hopefully we can keep that going as we finish the season."

MSU will head west to face USC on Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET and UCLA on Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. ET.

Women’s Tennis: Split weekend on the road

MSU women’s tennis delivered its fourth upset win of the season Saturday, defeating Purdue 4-3 on the road. The Spartans then fell 4-1 to Indiana on Sunday.

The win handed the Boilermakers their first home-court loss of the season.

The match was a back-and-forth battle, but the Spartans struck first, winning the opening doubles match and clinching the doubles point with a third-court win by freshman Amara Brahmbhatt and junior Matilde Morais.

Singles play stayed competitive, but Purdue’s comeback hopes ended when Morais won a third-set tiebreak after splitting the first two sets.

However, the momentum didn’t carry into Sunday.

Against Indiana, the Spartans dropped the doubles point and struggled in singles play. Freshman Ellie Blackford earned MSU’s only singles win, leveling the match at 1-1 with a straight-set victory. The Hoosiers then responded with three straight wins, handing the Spartans their first upset loss of the spring.

MSU will return home next weekend for back-to-back matches against Washington and Oregon at 12 p.m. at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.

Track and Field: Spartans dominate home invite

MSU made the most of its only home meet of the season, racking up 20 event wins in a dominant showing at the Spartan Invitational.

From the opening throws to the final relays, the Spartans delivered statement performances.

Junior Colby Morlock led the way in the field with a shot put victory and podium finishes in both the hammer throw and discus.

On the track, MSU swept the men’s 1500m, took first in both 4x100m relays and saw standout wins from graduate student Andrew Nolan, freshman Madison Osterberg and freshman Cameron Cheetam, who clocked his first collegiate win in the 400m.

With energy high and momentum building, MSU now turns its focus to the Virginia Invitational, scheduled for April 18-19.

Rowing: Spartans sweep Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti

MSU rowing swept all four races against Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Ford Lake Park in Ypsilanti.

The Spartans dominated across the board. The varsity eight boat finished over 25 seconds ahead of EMU, and MSU also took first and second in both the third varsity eight and fours races.

The team returns to action April 18-19 at the Big Ten Invitational in Sarasota, Florida.

Baseball: Weather woes and a tough loss

The baseball team’s series in Bloomington, IN was delayed due to inclement weather, with games postponed Friday and Saturday and the series starting Sunday, the side could not step up to the plate, falling to Indiana 6-4.

Despite nine hits and a late rally in cold, damp conditions, the Spartans couldn’t overcome defensive miscues.

The series continues Monday with a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled for 12:02 p.m., followed by game two at 4:02 p.m.

Softball: Late errors sink Spartans in Toledo sweep

MSU softball dropped both games in a two-game series against Toledo this past weekend.

The games were originally scheduled in East Lansing, but flooding at Secchia Stadium forced a move to Toledo’s Scott Park, sending the Spartans on the road Friday.

MSU sparked a three-run rally in the third inning of game one, but the bats fell silent afterward in a 5-3 loss.

In game two, the teams traded early runs before MSU pulled ahead 5-2. But a late error opened the door for Toledo, which scored four in the seventh to walk off with a 6-5 win.

The Spartans travel to Champaign, Illinois for their next matchup against Illinois on Friday, April 11 at 6 p.m.

As the spring season hits its stride, momentum is building across the board for the Spartans. With postseason play beginning for some and others just getting started, the next few weeks could define MSU’s athletic calendar.

Whether it’s a national championship push or a Big Ten rivalry clash, Spartan sports are bringing the heat this spring.