Michigan State players cheer on a teammate from the dugout at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor on April 25, 2025.
Michigan State University capped a busy spring weekend with podium finishes in rowing and golf, event wins in track and field, a walk-off softball victory and an NCAA regional berth in men’s tennis.
The rowing team finished second at the Dale England Cup, men’s golf climbed to third at the Big Ten Championships, and MSU throwers claimed three titles at Grand Valley State. Softball split its series with Iowa on a walk-off homer, while baseball was swept by Michigan.
The weekend concluded in Columbus, where men’s tennis defeated USC in the Big Ten quarterfinals to secure an NCAA regional spot.
"We’re going to play some teams that aren’t in our conference, aren’t in our region, that we haven’t seen before," MSU men's tennis head coach Harry Judan said. "But (we're) really excited to get down there."
Men’s tennis earns NCAA Regional spot after Big Ten run
The third-seeded Spartans defeated USC 4-2 in the Big Ten quarterfinals on Friday in Columbus, before falling 4-0 to UCLA in the semifinals.
Against USC, senior Max Sheldon tied the program record for career wins, notching his 167th.
MSU secured the doubles point with two wins, while the third match went unfinished. In singles play, the Spartans gave up two points, but freshman Matthew Forbes clinched the match with 6-3 and 7-5 victories.
Against second-seeded UCLA, the Spartans failed to secure the doubles point and couldn’t generate momentum in singles, falling 4-0 to the Bruins.
MSU now shifts its focus to the NCAA Regionals, where the Spartans will face North Alabama in Starkville, Mississippi, on Friday, May 2, at 11 a.m. ET.
"Last year we advanced past the first round, hopefully this year we can make a deeper run," Jadun said. "It starts with one."
Rowing places second at Dale England Cup
In Bloomington, Ind., MSU rowing finished second at the Dale England Cup, totaling 27 points across NCAA boat events. The varsity eight led the way, placing just behind Indiana with a time of 7:31.28.
The third varsity/novice eight also placed second, finishing ahead of Indiana. MSU’s fourth varsity/second novice eight earned the team’s lone race win, beating both Notre Dame and Indiana.
The Spartans will next compete in the Sprints Regatta in Worcester, Massachusetts, facing 26 crews across heats and finals.
Men’s golf climbs leaderboard for third-place Big Ten finish
MSU men’s golf jumped five spots on the final day of the Big Ten Championships in Timonium, Maryland, securing a third-place finish. The Spartans posted the third-best score of the final round despite challenging conditions.
Sophomore Lorenzo Pinili led the Spartans, finishing fifth overall at 1-under-par 209 to earn Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors. Junior Caleb Bond rebounded from a tough second round with a 2-under 68, tying for the lowest individual round on Sunday.
The third-place finish marked MSU’s fifth top-four result in its last six tournaments, building momentum as postseason play nears.
Throwers dominate for track and field at Grand Valley
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MSU throwers delivered standout performances at the Grand Valley State Extra Weekend Meet, earning three event wins and setting multiple personal bests.
Senior Elle Adrian claimed the women’s hammer throw with a personal-best mark of 59.45 meters. Senior Valadian Pallett took second with a personal-best 59.03 meters and added a third-place finish in the discus.
Graduate student Joshua DeVries continued his strong season, winning the men’s hammer throw with a career-best 65.52 meters. Sophomore Jessica Stieb added a win in the women’s shot put with a throw of 16.15 meters.
MSU track and field will next compete at the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, May 2–3.
Softball walks off in dramatic fashion against Iowa
MSU softball hosted Iowa over the weekend, dropping two of three games in the series.
On Saturday, the Spartans earned a 4-2 win after a 3-1 loss on Friday. Trailing 2-1 with two outs in the seventh, junior Kaelin Cash delivered a three-run walk-off homer to beat Iowa at Secchia Stadium.
Following Saturday’s win, MSU celebrated its seniors on Sunday in their final home game at Secchia Stadium.
Iowa built a 6-0 lead early, but MSU began to respond in the second when sophomore Kendall Smiley drove in pinch runner freshman Ava Coffinger on a sacrifice fly.
Smiley stayed hot, ripping a two-run triple in the fourth and later scoring on a groundout by senior Jenae Wash to trim the deficit.
But the Spartans couldn’t maintain the momentum and dropped the finale 6-4, losing the series.
MSU will travel to Eugene for a three-game series against Oregon, beginning Friday, May 2, at 9 p.m. ET.
Baseball swept by Michigan despite late rally
MSU baseball endured a tough weekend against rival Michigan, dropping all three games. The Wolverines won the opener 8-2 and followed with a 9-2 victory on Saturday.
On Sunday, Michigan jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first, but MSU rallied late with solo home runs to pull within one before ultimately falling 6-5.
"I think the energy we showed in the ninth, and the fight that we showed in the ninth, was something to build off of," MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said.
Next, the Spartans will host Oregon for a three-game series at McLane Stadium, beginning Friday, May 2, at 6:02 p.m.
As the calendar turns to May, MSU enters a critical stretch — transitioning from regular-season play into pivotal postseason events and high-stakes road matchups.
With championship aspirations on the line, Michigan State teams aim to build on a strong weekend and carry momentum deeper into the spring season.
