In the tenth annual Crosstown Showdown — an exhibition between the Michigan State University baseball team and the Lansing Lugnuts, the class-A Midwest League affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays — ended in the Lugnuts’ favor, winning their fifth-straight matchup between the Spartans by a final score of 4-1 at Cooley Law School Stadium in downtown Lansing.
Although the Michigan State Spartans fell short of the college baseball playoffs after consecutive losses to Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament, four players from the team realized their lifelong aspiration when they received calls corresponding to a pick in the MLB draft.
Needing only one win to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament title game entering the weekend, MSU baseball season came to an end following a 4-3 loss Saturday and a 7-3 Sunday loss to eventual Big Ten Tournament champions Ohio State University.
With a guaranteed berth in the Big Ten tournament, the pressure was off of Michigan State on Senior Day, May 21.
While the Spartans still have one game remaining in the regular season, the win against the in-conference Maryland Terrapins sealed the Spartans a spot in the Big Ten baseball tournament for the third straight year.
The Michigan State baseball team started the last series of the regular season off with a home loss to Maryland, 6-3.
After losing two of three to the Iowa Hawkeyes in their last Big Ten road trip of the season and losing 12-1 to Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, MSU is now in sixth place in the Big Ten.
Baseball at MSU started with humble beginnings. It was the first organized sport at the State Agricultural College in athletic history, which was MSU’s second university name. Students organized the team and played local communities including the Capital Club of Lansing.
MSU baseball junior catcher Matt Byars, like his game, is quiet. Much like his 6-foot-1, 188 lbs. frame, his numbers are not over-imposing.
Jake Boss Jr. has always been around baseball. And to be around baseball is to be around his father.
Since the early 1970s Brian Pushie has been attending MSU baseball games. The 63-year-old Detroit resident said he has seen a lot of change during the time period he has enjoyed Spartan baseball, including the construction of a new stadium.
It was all Michigan all game long, until a Spartan rally in the eighth inning won game two of a three game set against the Wolverines in come from behind fashion, by a final score of 7-6.
Redshirt junior pitcher Cam Vieaux was unable to pick up a win for the Spartans for his second straight start.
Head coach Jake Boss Jr. and the Spartans have one goal in mind for this weekend — to win the series. This goal is the standard for MSU in every matchup, especially when it comes to conference play.
MSU baseball defeated the Toledo Rockets on Wednesday, 4-1.
MSU's game against Indiana Sunday was not only a key Big Ten matchup, it was the start of a rotational shift for Spartan baseball. Junior pitcher Joe Mockbee had appeared in 18 games for the Spartans as a reliever before this weekend.
On Sunday, #23 MSU baseball in the rubber match of a tightly contested conference series between the Spartans (27-9, 8-3 conference) and Indiana (22-15, 7-4). The Spartans move down to third place in the Big Ten after the loss, while Indiana rises to fourth in the conference standings. MSU went with Joe Mockbee on the mound to start the game.
Every Friday afternoon you can see him take the mound for the Spartans. He is the helm of MSU’s pitching staff and for good reason — he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the Big Ten. Redshirt junior Cam Vieaux has pitched a spectacular brand of baseball this season and because of that other teams loathe him, but respect him.
MSU looked to rebound against Indiana for game two of a three game weekend matchup against the Hoosiers. The Spartans dropped a close 3-2 game on Friday but slammed the door on the Hoosiers in game two, defeating Indiana in blowout fashion by a final score of 9-0.
Friday afternoon’s outing against Indiana was an uncharacteristic one for MSU starting left-hander Cam Vieaux. It wasn’t a bad start by any stretch of the imagination — just bad. Prior to the sixth inning against IU, Vieaux had only allowed three hits and two walks through five innings of work while striking out seven Hoosiers.