Now sitting at 20-15 (6-9 Big Ten), the Spartans rank 11th in the conference, just ahead of a struggling Rutgers team. Despite the Big Ten's expansion to 17 teams, only 12 will qualify for the conference tournament.

Ohio State enters the weekend at the bottom of the Big Ten, with just two conference wins. For MSU, this is a pivotal stretch, as the team pushes to make its first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2023 — and just its second since 2018.

The Buckeyes’ two conference wins came in a home series against then-No. 10 Oregon in March. Since then, OSU has dropped six straight Big Ten games and eight of its last nine. But MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. isn’t taking them lightly.

"Don’t be fooled by their record," Boss said. "Everyone is this league is capable, including us, including them. We play them every year. It’s a good rivalry and they're gonna play hard."

When MSU returned north for its home opener in mid-March, redshirt senior first baseman Sam Busch felt the chill — both in weather and performance.

In his first 26 at-bats back in the Midwest, Busch hit just .230 across eight games. But the East Lansing native has surged since then, embracing his role as captain. Over the last nine contests, he’s batting .395 with 17 RBIs.

Busch has become a steady presence in the three-hole, and Boss said he’s grown into a leadership role on a roster full of transfers and underclassmen.

"Sam's showing great leadership on the field, and we need more of that," Boss said after a loss to Northwestern last Friday. "Sam's one of the only guys. I think we get pretty good leadership out of JT Sokolove, Ryan McKay and Caleb Berry as as well. We need more guys to act like those four guys."

Busch’s hot streak reflects a broader trend across the Spartan lineup. Over the past three games, MSU is averaging more than 10 hits and nine runs per contest.

The Spartans’ biggest setback has been defensive miscues. MSU ranks second-to-last in the Big Ten in fielding percentage, ahead of only Ohio State, and has committed 17 errors in its last 10 games. Boss said it’s been a recurring conversation.

"I think we're pitching certainly good enough defensively, it's been a little bit shaky defensively, so it kind of comes and goes," Boss said. "We need to still develop some consistency defensively, and we'll be okay."

The weekend series begins Friday, with first pitch moved up to 3:30 p.m. from its original 6 p.m. start due to forecasted thunderstorms. Each game will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.