"I try to make everything just me versus me, because I think that's what baseball is," Dzierwa said. "If you execute and get your pitch, I think it's you versus you. If you control the things you can control, you'll be off better."

Dzierwa’s last two outings against Ohio State and Michigan were rocky. Against the Buckeyes, MSU won, but he allowed six runs — five earned — on six hits and two walks. A week later at Michigan, he gave up 10 hits and three earned runs while striking out just three in his second loss of the year.

Dzierwa and pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde met on Monday to diagnose the struggles. Teams were sitting on his 94 mph fastball — his best pitch — and looking to tee off. After over an hour of work, they adjusted his approach, leading to a greater reliance on off-speed pitches Friday night.

"Obviously my fastball is probably my best pitch, and teams were using that against me," Dzierwa said. "I think they were sitting on it, especially early in these past three games. So we went, we changed to more change-ups and off-speed."

Oregon couldn’t adjust. The Ducks boast the Big Ten’s top power lineup, but their stars Jacob Walsh and Ryan Cooney combined to go just 1-for-7, waiting for fastballs that never came.

Friday marked the first time this season Dzierwa pitched into the eighth — and he tied his career high for strikeouts in a Big Ten game.

With at least two starts remaining, Dzierwa’s 86 strikeouts rank ninth for a single season in MSU history. He already sits fourth all-time with 237 career strikeouts, trailing only Bryan Gale’s 277. If he returns for his senior year, he’ll likely shatter the record.

Last summer, the 6-foot-8 southpaw committed to Vanderbilt before deciding to stay in East Lansing. He said he knows he made the right choice.

"Those first two weeks when I came back here, I kind of struggled," Dzierwa said. "But these past few months have been awesome, especially with these guys."

Dzierwa threw 119 pitches with 76% strikes and never faced a three-ball count. MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said he just keeps getting better.

"It's been fun for us to watch," Boss said. "Obviously, the year is not over, so he's got a couple more outings to go, and then hopefully in the tournament. But I think he proved tonight against a really, really good offensive team he's one of the best left-handed arms in the country."

Crowds of professional scouts were in attendance to watch two of the Big Ten’s premier arms in action. MLB.com lists Dzierwa as the 70th-best prospect entering the draft this summer. It’s not certain that he will declare for the draft, but his skills match up with many other MLB-ready pitchers in the country.

Dzierwa leads the Big Ten with a 2.20 ERA and ranks second with 86 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .197 against him.

The Spartans will try to take the series today at 3:30 p.m., sending sophomore Tate Farquhar to the mound.

"I thought Joe, especially, was locked in," Boss said. "But everybody from one to nine was locked in. We knew we had our work cut out for us. That's what it takes against a really good ball club."

As the Spartans fight to secure a Big Ten Tournament spot, Friday’s performance served as a reminder of the potential MSU holds when everything clicks. Behind Dzierwa’s dominance and renewed energy in the dugout, the team showed it can compete with the nation’s best. With just a few weekends left, every game — and every arm — will matter.