Oregon has played the part of Big Ten kingpin, standing as the only conference team ranked in the national top 10. MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said this weekend would be a big challenge, but his guys are prepared. 

"Oregon is really, really good, just like a lot of other teams in our league," Boss said. "We have to play good baseball. The M.O. for us is when we play well, we have some success, and when we kick it around, we don't."

After facing a strong offensive team in Michigan, MSU now faces an even bigger challenge. The Ducks lead the Big Ten in home runs (83), slugging percentage (.532) and OPS (.950).

MSU managed nine, six and 10 hits across the series but struggled to deliver timely hits with runners on base, stalling comeback attempts.

Redshirt senior Sam Busch snapped a multi-game hitless streak Sunday with a home run and a pair of walks. Busch, an East Lansing native and captain, said the team is trying to take each game one at a time. 

"It starts in the locker room, making sure guys are dialed in every day," Busch said. "Every day is important to get the most out of it."

After batting just .197 last season, Busch has made major strides at the plate. He now owns a .314 batting average, a team-leading 1.054 OPS, and 12 home runs.

"It's been a lot of fun to watch Sam," Boss said. "When he came here, he was sick, he got COVID-19 and he was injured — it was a tough first year for him. The next year defensively, even by his own admission, he wasn't very good, and he turned himself into an outstanding defender. Watching that progression over the last couple of years, it's been a lot of fun to watch."

With just two errors, it was MSU’s best defensive weekend since the Big Ten opener against Iowa. Still, the Spartans rank second-to-last in fielding percentage, while Oregon — one of the conference’s surest defensive teams — leads the Big Ten.

Clean, consistent baseball will be the key as MSU looks to revamp its offense. Oregon also boasts a relentless pitching staff with a 4.43 team ERA. Grayson Grinsell and Collin Clarke have found consistent spots in the starting rotation. Grinsell holds the Big Ten’s third-best ERA at 2.97, with 68 strikeouts this season. He matches up closely with Spartan ace Joseph Dzierwa, who holds slight statistical edges.

After striking out three on Saturday, Dzierwa now has 75 punchouts this season. Last year, his 91 strikeouts ranked eighth all-time for a single season in MSU history. Averaging over six strikeouts per game, he’s on pace to surpass that mark and climb higher in MSU’s record books.

With three weeks left in the season, MSU is tied with Northwestern, Rutgers and Nebraska for the 10th spot in the conference. Now, 12 teams qualify for the Big Ten tournament after an expansion from eight teams. The Spartans look to make the tournament for the second time since 2018 and the ninth time with Coach Boss.

Game One of the weekend series is set for 6 p.m. Friday, May 2, with all games streaming live on Big Ten Plus.