Led by a strong seven-inning effort by sophomore starter David Garner and a pair of home runs by freshman designated hitter Blaise Salter and junior catcher John Martinez, the Spartans (33-17 overall, 12-9 Big Ten) overpowered the Hawkeyes (20-26, 8-13) and took the game, 7-3, Sunday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
Despite another strong pitching performance — this time by junior pitcher Andrew Waszak — the Spartans (32-17 overall, 11-9 Big Ten) let a lead evaporate late in the game and fell 2-1 to the Hawkeyes (20-25, 8-12) Saturday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
Despite hitting four batters in the game — including three in one inning — senior pitcher Tony Bucciferro scattered five hits and struck out nine batters in a complete game shutout effort to lead the Spartans (32-16 overall, 11-8 Big Ten) over Iowa (19-25, 7-12), 6-0, Friday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
The MSU baseball team continued to honor a season-long commitment made to itself of approaching midweek contests with the same intensity and focus of critical weekend games with Wednesday’s 7-2 victory against Toledo at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field. The win came on the heels of another midweek matchup with a Mid-American Conference foe the day before when the Spartans (31-16 overall, 10-8 Big Ten) defeated Western Michigan on the road, 15-7. “We put a priority on that in the beginning of the year,“ head coach Jake Boss Jr.
David Garner would not let the MSU baseball team go down without a fight. After dropping the first two of the weekend series to No. 13 Purdue, the sophomore pitcher from Niles, Mich. rose to the occasion by striking out seven in a complete game shutout on Sunday to give the Spartans a 5-0 victory against the Boilermakers.
Looking to repeat as Big Ten champions this season, MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. knew he would be relying on a relatively youthful roster to do so. With four incoming freshman turning down opportunities to play professionally, many of the young Spartans have been expected to contribute since day one, and they have done just that all year. As the regular season enters its final month now, those freshmen and other young players will be called on and asked to do more and more.
On a blustery Sunday afternoon at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field, the third time truly was a charm for the MSU baseball team. In a close game with Minnesota, the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs in both the seventh and eighth innings, only to come out of each situation with no runs to show for their efforts. When the game went into extra innings tied at four, freshman right fielder Jimmy Pickens tripled to left-center field, and two straight singles later, the bases were loaded with no outs again.
Coming into the series with Minnesota, the MSU baseball team turned the momentum of hot bats into a four-game winning streak.
In game one of a Saturday double-header at McLane Baseball Stadium, the MSU baseball team beat Minnesota 3-1 in 11 innings on a bases loaded, walk-off walk. With one out and the game tied at two in the bottom of the 11th, freshman right fielder Jimmy Pickens reached first on a fielder’s choice.
After a slow start on offense that carried up to the midway point in the season, it appears the MSU baseball team is starting to turn the corner. The Spartans (24-12 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) erupted for 44 runs within their last three games against Indiana, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, and they have gotten consistent offense at the top of the order for the first time this season.
Led by a four-hit, three-RBI day by freshman first baseman Ryan Krill, the Spartans defeated Central Michigan 11-1 on Wednesday at Theunissen Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
After taking care of business against Western Michigan on Tuesday, the MSU baseball team has little chance to rest before getting back to work for the rest of its week. Continuing a seasonlong pursuit of capturing midweek games against in-state opponents, the Spartans (23-12 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) hit the road for a 3:05 p.m. matchup with Central Michigan on Wednesday at Theunissen Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
In recalling the way his season ended a year ago, Justin Scanlon doesn’t want to overlook the importance of midweek games. The then-junior shortstop of the MSU baseball team was part of a group that was on the outside looking in as co-Big Ten champion Illinois nabbed the only Big Ten slot in the NCAA Tournament.
Looking to keep pace in the Big Ten race, the MSU baseball team took both games of a doubleheader Sunday against Indiana 6-0 and 20-10, in Bloomington, Ind. Although head coach Jake Boss Jr. was pleased with the Spartans for registering a big day at the plate with 26 combined runs and 38 hits, he was most excited his team won two of three games in its first series spent entirely away from East Lansing.
After dropping two out of three against Michigan last weekend and a lopsided loss at the hands of Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, the MSU baseball team will look to right the ship in Big Ten play on Friday with the first of three games against Indiana in Bloomington, Ind. With Wednesday’s 13-5 walloping by the Eagles in the past, the Spartans (20-11 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) are challenged to raise the level of fervency in their play against the Hoosiers (15-18, 5-4).
For the first four batters of Wednesday’s game against Eastern Michigan, the MSU baseball team appeared to be on the way to a solid day at McLane Baseball Stadium and Old College Field. After senior right-hander Tim Simpson retired the Eagles in order on nine pitches in the top of the first, junior outfielder Jordan Keur led off the Spartans’ half of the inning with a double to left-center field.
Even in understanding the nature of the game, Jordan Keur has grown tired of hearing about the faults of the MSU baseball team on offense. At some point, something had to give. After stranding 34 runners on base in the weekend series with Michigan, the junior left fielder and the Spartans’ (20-10 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) bats overcame frigid weather and an offensive slump to beat Notre Dame 8-2 on Tuesday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
For the MSU baseball team, last weekend was a disappointing one. Not only did the Spartans (19-10 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) drop two of three games, they did so against rival Michigan. MSU’s one win in the series came Sunday in a 10-8 thriller that lasted 13 innings, and junior Tony Wieber, who was the winning pitcher against the Wolverines, said he hopes that springboards the Spartans forward as they prepare for a 3:05 p.m. matchup with Notre Dame on Tuesday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
The MSU baseball team has assembled a pitching core to compete with any team in the nation. But great pitching is useless without offensive support. Jake Boss Jr. acknowledges that this much is true. But as the Spartans found out this weekend, there’s a fine line between the theory of scoring runs and the literal production of them.
On paper, the MSU baseball team has an offense to compete with any team in the Big Ten and many teams across the country.