SCOUTING REPORT: MSU Meets Minnesota In BTT
Leading Off... MSU Meets Minnesota In First Round Of B1G Baseball Tournament
• Michigan State will take on 12th-ranked Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament on Wednesday, May 23 at 6 p.m. ET at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The Spartans finished the regular season 20-30 overall and 11-12 in B1G action to earn the No. 8 seed, while Minnesota is the No. 1 seed and regular-season B1G champion with a 37-13 overall and 18-4 B1G ledger.
• MSU is making its fourth appearance in the last five seasons, missing last year, and it is the Spartans' 14th overall appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans played 14 B1G games against Big Ten Tournament qualifying teams, going 6-8, as well as three non-conference games, facing Michigan in one game and Illinois in two games that didn't count toward conference competition, going 7-10 this season against B1G Tournament teams.
• Michigan State qualified for the B1G Tournament in dramatic fashion, entering the final weekend of regular-season action tied with Maryland for eighth. The Terrapins owned the tiebreaker by way of taking the three-game series with the Spartans, 2-1, April 27-29. While MSU needed to just win one more game on the weekend than Maryland did, the Spartans went out and did one better, winning two more than the Terps did, as MSU took two-of-three from Ohio State, while Maryland was swept at Indiana.
• MSU enters the B1G Tournament not only leading the conference in stolen bases with 98, but the 2018 Spartans are also tied for the MSU single-season team stolen base record, as the 98 base swipes is tied with the 2005 squad for the top mark in program history.
• The Spartan pitching staff currently has 396 strikeouts, good for the No. 4 spot on MSU's single-season team strikeout list, needing four more Ks to become the fourth-straight squad to reach the 400 K plateau. The 2015 staff had 409, while ringing up 420 strikeouts last season and the 2016 squad has the top mark with 466 Ks.
• Fans can follow Wednesday's B1G Tournament match-up with Minnesota through “Live Stats,” “Listen Live” and “Watch Live” links found at MSUSpartans.com. The Big Ten Network will televise all games of the B1G Baseball Tournament live, with each game also available on the BTN2Go platform, either online at btn2go.com or through the BTN2Go app. All of the MSU action will also be carried on the Spartan Sports Network live audio stream. The broadcast will be available exclusively at SpartanSportsNetwork.com and on the network’s 24/7 app for mobile devices (available on iTunes and Google Play). Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action alongside Jake Boss Sr. providing analysis.
Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. Earns 300th Victory For MSU
MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.earned his 300th victory at the helm of the Spartans with MSU’s 6-0 blanking of Rutgers on March 30. Last season, Boss won his 300th career game as a collegiate head coach. In his 10th season as the MSU head coach, Boss now has a 313-232 (.574) record. He coached his 500th game leading the Spartans in the opening weekend at Fresno State. Boss is also in his 11th overall season as a collegiate head coach and has a 338-267 (.559) ledger, coaching his 600th career game last weekend at Minnesota.
Boss is the fourth head coach in the Spartans’ history to reach the 300-win plateau, and reached 300 wins the fastest of the previous coaches, as Boss is in his 10th season at the helm.
Name Years Wins
John H. Kobs 1935-63 576
Daniel W. Litwhiler 1964-82 489
Thomas W. Smith 1983-95 377
Jake Boss Jr. 2009-pres. 312
Home Staters
Michigan State has 21 players on its 2018 roster from the state of Michigan, while Minnesota has 20 players who are natives of the North Star State. While the Spartans do not have any Minnesota players on its roster, the Gophers have one player from Michigan, in sophomore first baseman Jacob Herbers, who is a native of Battle Creek, Mich.
MSU B1G Tournament History
Michigan State is making 14th overall appearance and its fourth in the last five years. The Spartans are making their seventh B1G Tournament in the 10 years under head coach Jake Boss Jr., going 9-12 in the conference tourney under Coach Boss, winning at least one game in five of the previous six visits as well as two games in four of the six tournaments.
MSU is making its third trip to an Omaha-hosted B1G Tournament, making the conference postseason tournament in 2014 and 2016 hosted by Omaha. In 2014, the No. 6 seed Spartans went 2-2, beating third-seeded Illinois in the opening round, 2-1, before losing to No. 2 Nebraska, 3-2, but bouncing back to beat Illinois again, 11-2, before falling to No. 1 seed Indiana, 7-4, as the Hoosiers advanced to the title game and won the conference crown. In the 2016 B1G Tournament, the seventh-seeded Spartans upset No. 2 seed Nebraska, 5-1, and No. 6 seed Maryland, 4-3, before falling to No. 4 seed Ohio State twice, 3-2 in 10 innings, and 7-3, as OSU also advanced to the championship game and won the title.
Series History vs. Minnesota
Michigan State is 42-88 all-time vs. Minnesota, having just faced each other two weeks ago on May 11-13 in a three-game series in Minneapolis. The Spartans won the opener with the No. 16-ranked Gophers, 6-5 on May 11, before dropping the middle game, 10-5, and the series finale, 3-1. MSU made its first trip to Minneapolis since 2015, as the Spartans and Gophers didn't face each other in 2016 and Minnesota visited East Lansing last season. After MSU had won three in a row in the series, Minnesota has won seven of the last eight. The Spartans' win in this season's series opener snapped a five-game Gopher win streak in the series. Minnesota swept last season's series in East Lansing, including a pair of 1-run ballgames in a doubleheader on April 1, 3-2 and 4-3, before a 9-4 contest in the series finale on April 2. Under Coach Boss, MSU is 12-11 against Minnesota.
Michigan State vs. Minnesota In B1G Tournament
The Spartans are 2-6 against the Gophers in B1G Tournament action, last meeting in 2011, when the No. 2 seed MSU beat No. 5 seed Minnesota, 6-3, on the way to the Spartans' B1G Championship. Wednesday is the second meeting between MSU and Minnesota when the Gophers have been the No. 1 seed, as they were in 2002 when the No. 3 seed Spartans lost, 6-0.
Michigan State vs. Minnesota Series Breakdown
Overall: 42-88 / H: 24-36 / A: 16-46 / N: 2-6 / Series Streak: MINN W2
First Met: May 14, 1925 - East Lansing, Mich. - MSU W, 5-2
Last Meeting: May 13, 2018 - Minneapolis - MINN W, 3-1
Last Meeting In B1G Tournament: May 28, 2011 - MSU W, 6-3
Spartan Career Success Vs. Gophers
Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley is hitting .346 in his short two-year career vs. Minnesota, boosted by going 6-for-12 (.500) last season in three games, with four RBI ... senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly is hitting .250 in his career vs. the Gophers, going 6-for-24 with one HR and three RBI, all of which came this season in the three-game series in Minneapolis ... junior reliever Riley McCauley has a 0.00 ERA with one save and five strikeouts in three career appearances vs. Minnesota, with all five Ks coming in two games against the Gophers two weeks ago ...
Mother Nature For The Win
Michigan State has battled Mother Nature as much as any other opponent this season, as the Spartans have had four games cancelled due to inclement weather, as well as numerous other games rescheduled due to weather. The Spartans have had two games scheduled with Eastern Michigan cancelled, including April 4 at East Lansing and April 24 at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, as well as one game against Nebraska on April 6 cancelled and one game versus Valparaiso on April 14 cancelled.
MSU also rescheduled single-day games to playing doubleheaders vs. Rutgers (April 30), Valparaiso (April 13) and Penn State (May 5), as well as pushing back the start time of the game vs. Nebraska on April 7 and at Michigan on March 25 due to weather.
Nail-Biters
For the second time in as many seasons, Spartan fans may have paid for their entire seat, but they have only needed the edge of them, as 28 of MSU’s 50 games of the 2018 season have been 1-run or 2-run games, with the Spartans posting a 6-8 mark in the 14 1-run contests, as well as 14 other 2-run games, which MSU is also 6-8. All three games of the Northwestern series April 20-22, two of the three games vs. Maryland April 27-29 and two of the three games at Minnesota May 11-13 were determined by two runs or less.
The Spartans’ 28 games decided by two runs or less out of 50 games is not only the most in the B1G but is tied for the second-most in the country by both number and percentage (56.0 pct.) (according to combined research collection by Zach Fisher of Michigan State and Chris Rash of Elon), one behind Cincinnati and Gonzaga for number and behind Gonzaga's 56.9 pct.
The 14 1-run games is tied for 14th-most in the country by both number and percentage, with William & Mary having the most 1-run games in the country with 23, while Cincinnati has 20, followed by Virginia, Saint Mary's and Elon with 19 each. MSU's B1G opponent from the first weekend in May, Penn State, has 18 1-run games, while this season’s opening opponent, Fresno State, has been in 16 1-run games. MSU is joined by UMass Lowell with 14. Michigan State played Fresno State in the opening weekend of the season and three of the four games of the weekend series were 1-run games. The Spartans also edged Arizona, 3-2, on March 4.
Last season, Michigan State was involved in a total of 17 1-run games, as well as three 2-run games. MSU was 5-12 in 1-run games and 3-0 in 2-run contests.
1-Run Games
William & Mary 23 of 54 games (42.6%)
Cincinnati 20 of 54 games (37.0%)
Virginia 19 of 52 games (36.5%)
Saint Mary's (Ca.) 19 of 54 games (35.2%)
Elon 19 of 56 games (33.9%)
Penn State 18 of 49 games (36.7%)
Gonzaga 18 of 51 games (35.3%)
Arizona 17 of 53 games (32.1%)
Fresno State 17 of 54 games (31.5%)
Fordham 16 of 52 games (30.8%)
Santa Clara 16 of 52 games (30.8%)
UNCW 16 of 53 games (30.2%)
Virginia Tech 16 of 54 games (29.6%)
Michigan State 14 of 50 games (28.0%)
UMass Lowell 14 of 51 games (27.5%)
Loyola Marymount 13 of 51 games (25.5%)
Coastal Carolina 12 of 55 games (21.8%)
Stetson 11 of 52 games (21.2%)
Games Decided by 1-2 Runs
Cincinnati 29 of 54 games (53.7%)
Gonzaga 29 of 51 games (56.9%)
Michigan State 28 of 50 games (56.0%)
Santa Clara 28 of 52 games (53.9%)
Fordham 28 of 52 games (53.9%)
Elon 28 of 56 games (50.0%)
Saint Mary's (Ca.) 27 of 54 games (50.0%)
William & Mary 26 of 54 games (48.1%)
UNCW 25 of 53 games (47.2%)
Virginia Tech 24 of 54 games (44.4%)
Penn State 23 of 49 games (46.9%)
Virginia 23 of 52 games (44.2%)
Fresno State 23 of 54 games (42.6%)
UMass Lowell 22 of 51 games (43.1%)
Loyola Marymount 22 of 52 games (42.3%)
Arizona 22 of 53 games (41.5%)
Stetson 21 of 52 games (40.4%)
Coastal Carolina 20 of 55 games (36.4%)
Double-Digit Hits
Michigan State has double-digit hits in 14 games this season, including five of the last nine games, and the Spartans are 9-5 when posting double-figure hits, losing to No. 10 Clemson on March 7 despite 14 hits, a loss to Valparaiso on April 13 with 11 hits, a loss to Michigan on May 9 with 11 hits, a loss at No. 16 Minnesota on May 12 with 11 hits and a loss to Ohio State on May 17 despite a season-high 16 hits. MSU’s most recent double-digit hit outing was 10 in the B1G Tournament-clinching win over Ohio State on May 19.
Spartans Swiping ‘Em Up Boosted By Sophomore Speedsters
MSU enters the B1G Tournament leading the league and ranking 13th in the NCAA in stolen bases with 98, as well as ranking tops in the conference and 11th in the country in stolen bases per game (1.96).
The Spartans’ total is bolstered by swiping eight against Niagara on March 15. Overall, MSU stole 18 stolen bases in the four-game series with the Purple Eagles, swiping five on March 17. The Spartans also swiped six bases at Penn State on May 5.
MSU has now swiped three or more bases in 15 games this season, as along with the aforementioned pair of games with eight and five swipes vs. Niagara and six at Penn State, the Spartans had five base swipes in three other contests, first in the nightcap of the doubleheader at Fresno State on Feb. 17, vs. Furman on March 9 and at Northwestern on April. 20.
Individually, sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley leads the conference and ranks tied for seventh in the country with 32 stolen bases, while fellow sophomore outfielders Danny Gleaves and Justin Antoncic are second and tied for 13th in the conference with 24 and 14 swipes, respectively, with Gleaves ranking tied for 40th in the NCAA. Junior outfielder Dan Chmielewski adds 10 stolen bases.
Now with 98 stolen bases, the 2018 Spartans have tied the 2005 squad for the most team stolen bases in program history. It also marks the third time in the last five years that MSU has swiped 88 or more bases, as along with the 2014 team, the 2017 Spartans have the No. 3 spot with 96 stolen bases.
TEAM STOLEN BASES
1. 2005 98
2018 98
2.2017 96
4. 2014 88
5. 2010 86
1978 86
7. 1988 80
8. 2006 78
1969 78
10. 2011 77
Bryce Burning The Basepaths to New Record
Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley leads the B1G and ranks tied for seventh in the NCAA in stolen bases, swiping 32 bases on the season. He is also fourth in the nation in stolen bases per game at 0.67.
Kelley nearly doubled his season output in the Niagara series, swiping six in the four games, including two each on March 15 and 16 before swiping five in the three games vs. Michigan.
Kelley has stolen at least one base in the last four games as part of 24 total games this season. He has multi stolen bases in seven games, led by a career-high three at Michigan on March 23.
The three stolen bases in one game is one of three times this season that a Spartan has swiped three in a game, joining Danny Gleaves, who has done it twice, with three base swipes vs. Illinois on March 9 in Greenville and at Penn State on May 5.
King Kelley
Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley become the Spartans' new stolen base king in the win over Ohio State on May 18, and now has 32 stolen bases, passing former teammate Brandon Hughes' record of 30 set just last season.
Fellow sophomore outfielder Danny Gleaves is close behind, currently at the No. 5 spot with 24 base swipes.
SINGLE SEASON STOLEN BASES
1. Bryce Kelley 28 2018
2. Brandon Hughes 30 2017
3. Anthony Cheky 29 2014
4. Steve Preston 27 1988
5. Danny Gleaves 24 2018
6. Anthony Cheky 23 2013
Jeff Holm 23 2010
Steve Money 23 1994
9. Jimmy Pickens 22 2014
Brandon Eckerle 22 2011
Brandon Eckerle 22 2010
12. Joe Gavel 21 1969
Kirk Gibson 21 1978
14. Chuck Fawcett 20 1932
Jeff Holm 20 2011
-- Justin Antoncic 14 2018
-- Bryce Kelley 13 2017
-- Dan Chmielewski 12 2017
Gleaves-ing A Vapor Trail
Sophomore outfielder Danny Gleaves isn’t too far behind Kelley in the B1G rankings with 24 base swipes, ranking second in the B1G and tied for 40th in the NCAA, boosted by swiping three in a game on two different occasions: vs. Illinois on March 9 and at Penn State on May 5, as well as two on three different occasions, at Fresno State on Feb. 17, vs. Illinois on March 10 and at Northwestern on April 20.
Gleaves became the first Spartan to swipe three bases in a game since former teammate Brandon Hughes stole three vs. Central Michigan on May 16, 2017. Kelley recently joined Gleaves in the three base swipe outing.
Swiping Duo Of 20/20
Sophomore outfielders Bryce Kelley and Danny Gleaves are bidding for the modern Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, being part of the 20/20 club, as the Spartan duo are not only the only pair in the Big Ten with 20 or more stolen bases, but they're just part of six sets of two or more players in the country with 20+ stolen bases:
Fordham - Jake MacKenzie (34), Billy Godrick (27) and Alvin Melendez (26)
Louisville - Josh Stowers (33), Jake Snider (22) and Tyler Fitzgerald (21)
Michigan State - Bryce Kelley (32) and Danny Gleaves (24)
Southern Illinois - Connor Kopach (31) and Alex Lyon (29)
George Washington - Isaiah Pasteur (30) and Robbie Metz (24)
Norfolk State - Justin Hayes (27) and Tony Leite (24)
Spartan Hurlers Ringing Up The Strikeouts
As a staff, Michigan State pitchers are fifth in the B1G in strikeouts with 396, as well as fourth in the league in strikeouts per nine innings (8.1) and sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.84).
Senior Ethan Landon and junior Riley McCauley are both ranked in the top 15 of the B1G for strikeouts. Landon is seventh with 72 and McCauley is 15th with 59. Redshirt-freshman Mason Erla and sophomore Mitchell Tyranski are not too far behind with 53 Ks each.
Climbing Strikeout Record Book
The Spartan pitching staff currently has 396 strikeouts, good for the No. 4 spot on MSU's single-season team strikeout list, needing four more Ks to become the fourth-straight squad to reach the 400 K plateau. The 2015 staff had 409, while ringing up 420 strikeouts last season and the 2016 squad has the top mark with 466 Ks.
TEAM STRIKEOUTS
1. 2016 466
2. 2017 420
3. 2015 409
4. 2018 396
5. 2002 390
6. 2012 389
7. 1998 380
8. 2004 378
9. 2014 355
10. 2010 335
11. 2011 332
12. 1987 324
KL Is Gonna' Rock You
The Spartan pitching staff is also the only staff in the B1G with three pitchers in the top 16 for strikeouts looking, as sophomore Mitchell Tyranski and redshirt-freshman Mason Erla are tied for 12th with 18 KLs each, while senior Ethan Landon is 16th with 17 strikeouts looking.
Chalking Up The Ks
Michigan State’s pitching staff bolted out of the gates by firing a season-high 17 strikeouts in the 5-4 loss at Fresno State in the season-opener on Feb. 16, the Spartans’ most Ks since firing 19 punchouts vs. Campbell on March 17, 2017.
The Spartans have 14 double-digit strikeout outings this season, including at one point logging a stretch of three in a row and four in give games. Most recently, Michigan State had 12 strikeouts in the 6-5 win at No. 16 Minnesota on May 11.
MSU also had double-figure Ks in two of the three games at Northwestern, with 10 punchouts on April 22 and 11 Ks on April 20, which came on the heels of 12 Ks against Valparaiso in the opener of a twinbill on April 13. The Spartans also fired 11 Ks vs. Nebraska on April 8, a day after chalking up 10 strikeouts against the Huskers. MSU also had 12 Ks in two games against Niagara, adding 11 vs. Fresno State on Feb. 17, 11 vs. Pepperdine on Feb. 24, 11 vs. Michigan on March 24 and 10 vs. Illinois on March 9 as well as 10 vs. Central Michigan on March 21.
Landon-ing It In The Strike Zone
Spartan senior hurler Ethan Landon has rung up a career-high tying nine strikeouts twice this season, first posting nine punchouts in 6.2 IP at Fresno State on Feb. 17, then doing so in 8.0 IP vs. Michigan on March 24. Landon also struck out eight in 7.0 IP at Northwestern on April 20. He has rung up six in four different games, giving him six or more Ks in seven of his 14 outings this season.
Landon is seventh in the B1G with 72 strikeouts, including 16th with 17 strikeouts looking, as well as seventh in innings pitched with 81.1 IP, along with just outside the top 15 in the league in both ERA at 4.20 and opposing batting average at .262.
The Spartan hurler had a stretch of earning the win in three of five starts, along with MSU earning the win but getting a no-decision in a 6-5 win at No. 16 Minnesota.
Now with 72 strikeouts this season, Landon has not only topped the 50 Ks mark for the second time of his career, but he has surpassed 59 punchouts during his sophomore season of 2016 for his career-best.
For his career, Landon now has 165 strikeouts, needing just 15 more to crack the MSU career strikeouts top 10 list, as Mick VanVossen (2012-15) and Mickey Sinks (1959-61) are tied for the No. 9 spot with 180 career Ks.
McCauley-ing Lots Of Strikes
MSU junior pitcher Riley McCauley fired a career-high 12 strikeouts in the loss at Fresno State in his first-ever start on Feb. 16. After making 25 relief appearances last season, McCauley moved to the starting rotation and made the first start of his career and went 6.0 complete, allowing just one run on two hits, walking two and firing a career-high 12 strikeouts. McCauley becomes the first MSU pitcher with 12+ Ks since Cam Vieaux chalked up 13 vs. UConn, March 15, 2015.
McCauley’s 12 strikeouts is tied for the most in a single-game so far this season in the Big Ten, joined by Jonathan Stiever of Indiana (vs. Pacific on March 9) and Tyler Blohm of Maryland (vs. Stetson on March 24).
The Spartan righty is 15th in the B1G with 59 total strikeouts this season.
Back Out Of The Pen For McCauley
After starting in his first seven appearances, Spartan junior pitcher Riley McCauley has shifted back to the bullpen for his last 10 appearances and has been lights out.
In those 10 appearances, primarily as the Spartans' closer, McCauley did not allow a run in nine of those 10 appearances in 15.0 IP, with 23 strikeouts, while chalking up five saves and a 1-0 record over that span, yielding just 14 hits, and just three of them being for extra bases.
McCauley is tied for seventh in the B1G overall in saves with five, as well as fifth in B1G only games with five saves.
Mason Mowing ‘Em Down
MSU redshirt-freshman pitcher Mason Erla is seventh in the B1G in opposing batting average at .220, as well as tied for 12th in strikeouts looking with 18.
Now with six wins this season, Erla leads the Spartan staff and ranks tied for eighth in the B1G.
Erla is also just outside the top 15 in the conference in both ERA, now at 3.91, along with innings pitched, now at 73.2 IP, as well as just outside the top 20 in the B1G in strikeouts with 53 punchouts. For the season, Erla is 6-4 with a 3.91 ERA, logging 53 strikeouts in 73.2 IP.
Erla started and went 6.0+ IP in both of MSU’s shutouts this season. He fired six Ks vs. Rutgers on April 1, which was his second-highest outing of the season behind his career-best nine vs. Niagara on March 17, and he now has five or more punchouts in four of his last seven outings after five strikeouts at Penn State on May 5.
Erla Earning Awards
MSU redshirt-freshman pitcher Mason Erla has made a smashing return to action from a season-ending injury last February. Erla has been extra effective in his four starts, most recently on March 10 in Greenville, stymieing Illinois with just one hit allowed in 6.1 IP, striking out five to earn the win on the way to being named B1G Freshman of the Week.
Nearly Noneski By Tyranski
MSU sophomore reliever Mitchell Tyranski has a 2.23 ERA in 25 appearances this season, allowing just 10 earned runs. He had a streak of four appearances without allowing a run snapped with a run on April 7 vs. Nebraska, but has not allowed a run in a total of 17 of his 24 appearances.
Despite allowing a run for the first time in five appearances, Tyranski struck out a career-high nine batters vs. Nebraska, nearly doubling his previous high of five vs. Pepperdine (2/24). Tyranski pitched 4.0 innings vs. the Huskers, picking up his second save of the season.
Tyranski made his first start of his career on March 7 vs. No. 10 Clemson, and went 3.2 IP without a run and stymieing the high-powered Clemson offense to just one hit, while striking out three.
The Spartan lefty is tied for 11th in the B1G with four saves, as well as tied for ninth in B1G only stats with two saves in conference games. Tyranski is also tied for 12th overall in strikeouts looking with 18 KLs, eighth in conference only contests with 13 batters struck out looking. He also is tied for sixth with the 25 appearances and tied for seventh with 24 games in relief, overall, as well as tied for seventh in B1G only stats with 12 appearances and tied for seventh in B1G only with 12 games in relief.
Tyranski now has 40.1 IP this season, with 53 strikeouts and allowing just 31 hits and 10 earned runs, holding opposition bats to a paltry .211. Tyranski would rank second in the B1G in opposing batting average and fourth in ERA, but he doesn’t reach the minimum requirement for innings pitched.
Tyranski earned his first collegiate victory in MSU’s 5-2 win at Pepperdine on Feb. 24, going 4.1 IP, grounding the Waves’ bats allowing just one hit, while striking out five and walking just one, in picking up his first win of his career.
He picked up his first career save in the 4-2 victory for MSU over Illinois on March 10, going 1.1 IP with just one hit and one strikeout.
Glowing Gleaves
Spartan sophomore outfielder Danny Gleaves has hit .349 (15-of-43) over his last 14 games, with two doubles and one triple in that span, logging a .442 slugging percentage and a .404 on-base percentage, along with swiping eight stolen bases.
Gleaves currently leads MSU's active players with a .276 average, ranking second on the team with 24 stolen bases, and third on team with a .339 on-base percentage.
Gleaves was 4-for-4, including two doubles, and stole three bases in the nightcap at Penn State on May 5.
Gleaves is the first Spartan to go 4-for-4 in a game this season and the second to have four hits in a game, as junior infielder Royce Ando was 4-for-5 against Clemson on March 7. It was the second time this season and third of his career that Gleaves has swiped three or more bases in a game, also doing so against Illinois on March 9. His career-best was four stolen bases at UNCG last season on Feb. 25, 2017.
All-Around Antoncic
Spartan sophomore infielder/outfielder Justin Antonic is second among active players with a .270 average, as well as tied for second with seven doubles and third with 14 stolen bases, while leading the team with 22 walks.
With two triples, Antoncic is also second on the team and tied for 14th in the B1G. Antoncic is also tied for 13th in the league in stolen bases (14). He is tied for eighth in B1G only games with seven stolen bases.
Antoncic also owns a share MSU’s longest active reached base streak, as his streak of 19 games was halted in the loss at Penn State on May 4, tying senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly for longest on the team, as Roskelly’s ended on April 29 vs. Maryland. Antoncic also had a 12-game reached base streak earlier in the season.
All-Tournament Accolades For Antoncic
Spartan sophomore infielder/outfielder Justin Antonic was named to the Dairy Queen Classic B1G/Pac-12 Challenge All-Tournament Team. Antoncic hit .462 for the weekend, including his first home run of his Spartan career off No. 11 UCLA, adding two doubles. He also posted the first three-hit outing of his career going 3-for-4 vs. Arizona, and also made a career-high six putouts in the field. He was also part of MSU’s three-run ninth inning rally for a 3-2 walkoff win over Arizona on Sunday, with a single and later scored the tying run. Antoncic also extended his hit streak to five-straight games, with multi-hit games in the last two outings.
Roskellying It Lately
Senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly hit .750 (6-for-8) in the two games against Nebraska with two runs scored. Roskelly has hit .291 (32-for-110) over his last 29 games, raising his average from .080 entering MSU’s game on March 21, to its present level of .268, dipping down from .300 entering the series vs. Maryland on April 27-29.
Roskelly owns MSU’s longest hitting streak of the season at 15 games, which was halted on April 28 vs. Maryland, as well as the Spartans’ longest reached back streak of the season at 19 games, which was stopped on April 29 vs. Maryland.
He is second on MSU with a .415 slugging percentage and is sixth on the team with a .321 on-base percentage.
Roskelly has a strong liking for Nebraska pitching, as his last three outings with three hits have been against the Huskers, with three hits in both games last weekend vs. Nebraska, which was not only a season-high output, but was his first three-hit game since last season vs. the Huskers on May 12, 2017.
Bechina Be Hittin’
Junior third baseman/outfielder Marty Bechina is hitting .344 (22-for-64) over his last 20 games played with an .516 slugging percentage and a .440 on-base percentage over that period. Bechina has five extra base hits in that stretch with three home runs and two doubles, along with 10 RBI.
For the season, Bechina shares the team lead with six HRs, as well as topping the team with eight doubles, adding a triple for a total of 15 extra base hits.
Bechina was 3-for-5 with two RBI vs. Western Michigan on April 18. He had a home run in each game of the twinbill with Valpo on April 13, going 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in the opener before going 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs in the second game.
He also had a pair of solo home runs in back-to-back games of the Minnesota series, belting both of them to nearly the same spot in left field, in the sixth inning of the win on May 11 and to lead off the fifth inning of the loss on May 12.
Bechina was also 3-for-5 on Friday vs. Ohio State, part of at least one hit in nine of the last 11 games.
Chmashing Chmielewski
Junior outfielder Dan Chmielewski went 7-for-16 (.438) in the four games against Niagara, with two doubles and two triples, rapping an extra base hit in each game. Chmielewski finished with seven RBI, including four in the series opener, with three coming on a bases-loaded double as part of a five-run inning for the Spartans, boosting them to a 10-1 win.
For the season, Chmielewski has three triples, which is tied for fourth in the B1G. Chmielewski also is fourth on the team with 13 RBI and tied for fourth with three doubles, hitting .223 on the season.
Chmielewski had an on-base streak of 10-straight games earlier this season.
McGuire For Two
Senior first baseman Zack McGuire shares the team lead with six home runs, and all six are two-run round-trippers. He had a pair of two-run jacks in the Northwesten series, adding a big two-run shot on Saturday vs. Ohio State.
Two-Run Thunder
Michigan State has 20 home runs so far this season and 11 of them are of the 2-run variety, including three in the opening weekend, adding one at Pepperdine, one vs. Niagara, one against Rutgers and one vs. Notre Dame. Senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly belted the Spartans’ first home run of the season, blasting a two-run home run to left field in the eighth inning, capping a four-run frame for the Spartans. Sophomore infielder/outfielder Justin Antoncic belted the first round-tripper of his Spartan career in the loss to UCLA.
All four of MSU’s runs in the 5-4 loss at Fresno State on Feb. 18 came via the long ball, with a pair of two-run home runs by junior third baseman Marty Bechina and senior first baseman Zack McGuire.
Bechina added a two-run round-tripper at Pepperdine on Feb. 24, after Roskelly had a solo shot the day before. Bechina and Roskelly share the team lead with two home runs each, ranking tied for 14th in the B1G. Against Niagara, McGuire belted a two-run round-tripper over the wall in right and into the Red Cedar River for MSU’s first home run at home this season. McGuire struck again with a two-run shot vs. Rutgers. Roskelly blasted a two-run shot to left against Notre Dame on April 10.
Freshman catcher Adam Proctor added a three-run shot vs. Notre Dame on April 10, as MSU now has eight of its 10 home runs be multiple-run round-trippers, including the last four homers.
McGuire had a pair of two-run blasts in the Northwestern weekend, smacking one in the first inning of the opening game Friday and another in the eighth inning of Sunday’s finale, retaking the lead for MSU at 6-5 for the final score.
The Spartans had a pair of two-run round-trippers last weekend in the Ohio State series, with Proctor belting a two-run HR into the Red Cedar River in Friday's game, and McGuire mashing one in the third inning of Saturday's Senior Day win.
All six of McGuire’s team-lead tying home runs this season have been two-run shots.
Streaking Spartans
Senior designated hitter Chad Roskelly had a 15-game hitting streak halted on April 28 vs. Maryland, and a 19-game reached back streak snapped a day later vs. Maryland, as the hit streak is the longest of the season for MSU and the reached base streak is tied for the longest, as sophomore outfielder/infielder Justin Antoncic also had a 19-game reached base streak, which was snapped May 4 at Penn State.
Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley enters the B1G tourney with the longest active hitting streak, now at four games, while fellow sophomore outfielder Danny Gleaves and junior outfielder Marty Bechina are next with three-game streaks each ... Along with Roskelly, freshman utility player Zach Iverson is the only other Spartan with a double-digit hitting streak at 10-games ... behind Roskelly's 15-game hitting streak and Iverson's 10-gamer, Gleaves and Kelley are tied for third with seven-game hitting streaks ... Antoncic and senior first baseman Zack McGuire had six-game hitting streaks ... Bechina, junior outfielder Dan Chmielewski and freshman infielder Ryan King are the other Spartans who have had five-game hitting streaks.
Iverson takes a 10-game reached bask streak into the B1G tourney for the longest active streak for the Spartans, while Gleaves has an eight-game streak in tact ... Antoncic had a 19-game reached base streak snapped May 4 at Penn State, tying Roskelly for the longest of the season ... that was Antoncic’s second stretch of at least a 12-game reached base streak this season ... Kelley is next with a 13-game reached base streak ... Chmielewski, Iverson and McGuire have both had 10-game reached base streaks earlier this season.
You Get A Hit, And You Get A Hit
Sophomore outfielder Bryce Kelley leads MSU with 17 multiple hit outings, consisting of 13 games with two hits to go with four three-hit outings ... freshman shortstop Ryan King is second with 12 multi-hit outings, with two hits in 11 contests to go with one three-hit outing ... sophomore infielder/outfielder Antoncic has 11 multi-hit games with nine two-hit outings and a pair of three-hit games ... junior outfielder Marty Bechina has nine multi-hit outings, with six two-hit games and three outings with three hits ... sophomore outfielder Danny Gleaves tied the team-best with four hits at Penn State on May 5, tying junior infielder Royce Ando for the most hits in game this season for MSU, as Ando rapped four hits vs. No. 10 Clemson on March 7.
Late Inning Scoreboard Lighting
Of Michigan State’s 216 runs scored this season, a combined 104 runs (48.1 percent) have been scored after the fifth inning, plating 19 runs in the sixth, 35 in the seventh, 35 in the eighth, 14 in the ninth and one in extras.
Those numbers are bolstered by MSU’s nine-spot in the seventh inning against Nebraska on April 7, which is the most runs scored in an inning this season by the Spartans. MSU had a stretch of a big seventh inning in two of three games, hanging seven in the seventh against Notre Dame on April 10.
Michigan State also had a four-run eighth inning of game one in the opening weekend at Fresno State, adding one run in the first game of the doubleheader on Feb. 17. MSU scored two runs in the eighth against Washington on March 2. The Spartans scored three in the eighth vs. Niagara on March 15.
MSU had a big sixth inning on Feb. 24 at Pepperdine, plating four runs. The Spartans also plated two runs in the sixth frame at Fresno State on Feb. 18.
Scouting Minnesota
The regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Gophers are 37-13 overall and 18-4 in B1G action, winning their last five games and going 9-1 over their last 10 with the lone loss in that stretch to Michigan State on May 11. Minnesota enters the B1G Tournament ranked No. 11 in the D1Baseball.com Top 25 Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 Poll. Minnesota swept a weather-shortened series at Rutgers, winning Thursday's opener, 4-0, and 5-3 on Friday to win the series, before Saturday's game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Minnesota is hitting .300 as a team, and had four players with an average of over .300, led by junior infielder Terrin Vavra at .387 with 50 RBI, 10 doubles and nine HR, posting a .618 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage. Junior outfielder Ben Mezzenga adds a .379 average with 24 RBI, and seven doubles, adding 11 stolen bases.
The Gophers pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.16, with 378 strikeouts (7.6 pg) and 159 walks (3.2 pg). Wednesday's probable starter is junior right-hander Jake Stevenson, who has a 1-1 record with a 5.61 ERA, making six starts as part of 11 appearances, totalling 25.2 IP with 13 Ks and 12 BB with a .260 opposition average. Stevenson faced the Spartans in the series finale two weeks ago, getting the win after going 5.2 IP with four hits, one earned run, one strikeout and two walks. Freshman righty Max Meyer leads the Gophers and ranks second in the B1G with 14 saves, logging 33.2 IP with a 1.60 ERA and a 1-2 record, firing 40 Ks and nine walks, while limiting opponents to a paltry .147.
Minnesota head coach John Anderson is in his 37th season at the helm of the Gophers' program. Anderson has amassed an overall record of 1,281-836-3, and is the all-time winningest coach in Minnesota history and was the 10th-youngest collegiate coach to 1,000 wins. Anderson has a B1G record of 577-342 and is the all-time winningest coach in B1G history. Anderson and his assistant Rob Fornasiere, are in their 34th season together and are the longest tenured coaching pair in the nation.
Last Weekend Recap
Michigan State qualified for the B1G Tournament in dramatic fashion, entering the final weekend of regular-season action tied with Maryland for eighth, but the Terrapins owned the tiebreaker by way of taking the three-game series with the Spartans, 2-1, April 27-29. While MSU needed to just win one more game on the weekend than Maryland did, the Spartans went out and did one better, winning two more than the Terps did, as MSU took two-of-three from Ohio State, while Maryland was swept at Indiana. After dropping Thursday's opener in a 10-8 heartbreaker, MSU rallied from a 10-5 deficit in the ninth and had the game-winning run at the plate, but freshman catcher Adam Proctor's fly ball to right field was caught at the wall at the top of the berm. On Friday, MSU evened the series after getting pair of home runs from Chad Roskelly and Proctor combined with solid pitching from Mason Erla and Mitchell Tyranski to boost the Spartans to a 6-2 victory. Michigan State clinched the No. 8 spot in the B1G Tournament on Saturday with an 8-3 victory for MSU, completing the Spartans’ Senior Day celebrations.
Erla 10 Innings Big Ten Freshman Of The Week
Spartans redshirt-freshman pitcher Mason Erla was the 10 Innings Big Ten Freshman of the Week after his performance in Michigan State’s 1-0 win at Pepperdine on Feb. 25. Erla went 5.0 IP with four strikeouts and allowed just two hits with no walks, retiring 11 of the last 13 batters faced to earn his first collegiate win.
Chmielewski And McGuire Earn Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District® Accolades
Michigan State baseball student-athletes Dan Chmielewski and Zack McGuire were both named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Baseball Team on May 10, selected by CoSIDA, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Chmielewski and McGuire were both on the District 5 list, which consists of Division I schools in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The MSU duo are one of a pair of teammates, joined by Luke DeVenney and Zach Owings from Eastern Michigan, and were two of three players from Big Ten Conference teams honored in District 5, along with Jack Dunn of Northwestern. Chmielewski and McGuire were two of a total of four Big Ten players honored, joined by Dunn, Micah Coffey of Minnesota was recognized for District 6.
This is the second-straight year that Chmielewski and McGuire have earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Chmielewski and McGuire will now advance to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® ballot, with first- and second-team Academic All-America® honorees to be announced in June.
Last season’s honors made Chmielewski and McGuire the first Spartan baseball players to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors since Brandon Eckerle in 2011. Overall, they are 15th and 16th honors, and the 13th and 14th players, joining Eckerle as the Spartans’ only multiple honorees.
A native of Shelby Township, Mich., junior outfielder Chmielewski has a 3.98 GPA as a psychology major. Chmielewski is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, as well as the 2017 MSU Distinguished Scholar-Athlete recipient. On the field, Chmielewski is hitting .236 this season and ranks third in the B1G in triples with three, as well as just outside the top 15 of the B1G rankings with nine stolen bases. Chmielewski had an on-base streak of 10-straight games earlier this season. He also has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage playing right field.
McGuire is a native of Sterling Heights, Mich., and the Spartan senior has a 3.78 GPA as a packaging major. He is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and the 2018 MSU Scholar-Athlete Award recipient. On the diamond, McGuire leads MSU with five home runs, all two-run round-trippers; shares the team-lead with 21 RBI; and ranks third on the team with a .365 slugging percentage. In the field, he has started 36 games at first base, where he ranks 13th in the B1G in putouts with 201 and is tied for 15th in the league in fielding double plays with 24.
Roskelly Walk-Off Repeat
Spartan senior catcher/first baseman/designated hitter Chad Roskelly drove in the game-winning run with a walk-off fielder’s choice in the 3-2 come-from-behind victory for MSU over Arizona on March 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Roskelly plated senior infielder Kory Young with the winning run, beating out the throw to first for the game-winner.
That was the Spartans’ first walk-off victory since a 7-6 win over Western Michigan last season on May 10, 2017 at Comerica Park, and was identical as it was also on a walk-off fielder’s choice and off the bat of Roskelly, with him beating out the throw at first in both wins.
Roskelly is one of three players in the country (according to available research) to drive in walkoff game-winning runs in identical fashion, joining Kyle Kasser from Oregon along with Nick Dalesandro of Purdue.
Roskelly - Michigan State - Fielder’s Choice
1) vs. Western Michigan (2017)
2) vs. Arizona (2018)
Kasser - Oregon - Walk
1) vs. Oregon State (2015)
2) vs. Mississippi State (2017)
Dalesandro - Purdue - Single
1) vs. Cal State Northridge (2016)
2) vs. Incarnate Word (2018)
Three MSU Baseball Players Collect Big Ten Preseason Plaudits
Michigan State had three players on the Big Ten Conference Preseason Players to Watch List, as the conference announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
The league’s coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.
MSU Preseason Honorees included sophomore outfielder/pitcher Bryce Kelley, senior pitcher Jake Lowery and junior pitcher Riley McCauley.
Kelley, a native of Rockford, Michigan, was a Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American last season, becoming the eighth Freshman All-American at MSU and the second under head coach Jake Boss Jr. to earn Freshman All-America accolades, joining second baseman Ryan Jones in 2010. Kelley was also on the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team, and was also the B1G Freshman of the Week. He was Michigan State’s starting left fielder in all 24 B1G games, playing in 41 games overall with 38 starts, and led MSU with a .353 batting average overall, ranking third in the B1G. Kelley was also seventh in the B1G only stats with a .364 batting average.
He hit safely in 22 of 24 conference games, featuring a pair of 10-game hitting streaks in conference only action, with 20 in last 21 league contests, ending the 2017 season on a 13-game overall hitting streak, which started a day after his previous 13-game hitting streak was halted, finishing the season with a hit in 26 of last 27 games and 29 in 31 games. Kelley also tied for 17th in the B1G with 13 stolen bases, ranking tied for 11th in the conference only stats with six swipes.
Lowery, a Howell, Michigan native, made 22 appearances including four starts, logging a 3.71 ERA in 51.0 IP. He ranked second on the MSU pitching staff and ninth in the B1G with 70 strikeouts, as well as leading the Spartans and ranking ninth in the B1G with 21 strikeouts looking. Lowery also ranked 10th in league for strikeouts in conference only games with 37 Ks, as well as tied for 11th with 11 batters struck out looking. After coming out of bullpen in his first 18 appearances, Lowery made four-straight starts.
Lowery’s bullpen highlights included earning a split shutout, pitching 2.1 IP with three strikeouts in 2-0 win over Ohio State (April 14). Lowery fired a combined 20 strikeouts in two-consecutive outings without an earned run, first chalking up a career-best 11 strikeouts in 5.2 IP in a no decision at Northwestern (April 28) and followed that with nine Ks in 7.2 IP vs. Iowa (May 6). Lowery added eight strikeouts in 3.0 IP without an earned run vs. Campbell (March 17), one of his four outings of 3.0 IP or more without an earned run.
McCauley is a native of Sterling Heights, Michigan, and appeared in 25 games last season as a reliever, is shifting to a starting role this season. Last year he posted a team-leading nine saves, which ranked tied for fourth in B1G and tied for 59th in the NCAA. The nine saves tied for the third on the MSU single-season saves list (since 1986). For the season, McCauley posted a 2.10 ERA in 25.2 IP with 36 strikeouts and 14 walks. He ranked 13th in the B1G in conference only games with 33 strikeouts in league play, and also tied for third in both appearances and games in relief in conference only games with 13.
He earned a save in his first five appearances, picking up his first career save in MSU’s 9-7 win at Abilene Christian (Feb. 18), with 1.2 IP, one strikeout and no earned runs. He also collected a pair of saves in as many outings at UNC-Greensboro, in the 5-4 win on Feb. 24, with two Ks in 1.0 IP and the 22-16 victory on Feb. 25 with 1.1 IP and one K. McCauley fired three or more strikeouts in eight outings, led by a career-high six Ks in career-high tying 3.0 IP at Michigan (May 19), and added five punchouts at Nebraska (May 14). He opened the season with streak of 6.2 IP without an earned run and later had stretch of 12.1 IP.
Hello Home
The Spartans’ 2018 slate includes a 12-game homestand as part of 26 total home games at Kobs Field at McLane Stadium. The 12 home games in a row is the longest homestand since 2000 when Michigan State had 14-straight home contests, while the 26 total home games are the most since 2005 when MSU also had 26.
Road Ready
Michigan State opened the season with its first 14 games away from home, including beginning with seven true road games followed by seven neutral games.
Two Of Spartans’ Five All-Big Ten Honorees Return in ‘18
Two of Michigan State’s five players that All-Big Ten accolades last season return in 2018 in designated hitter Chad Roskelly, who was tabbed to the All-Big Ten second team list, while outfielder Bryce Kelley was named to the all-freshman team.
Roskelly, a Macomb, Mich., native, played in 39 games, starting 29, all as designated hitter last season. He was third on the team with a .324 average and posted 24 RBI with three HR and six doubles. Roskelly tallied a .463 slugging percentage and a .427 on-base percentage, which would have tied for ninth in the B1G but he just missed the minimum requirement.
After starting the season slow after recovering from an injury, Roskelly ended the 2017 season with a hit in 13 of last 14 games, including a 13-game hit streak from April 28 - May 18. The 13-game hitting streak was tied for second-longest on the team. Roskelly hit .379 (22-for-58) over the last 15 games of the season with 14 RBI in the span, along with a .522 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage, which raised his average from .260 entering April 28 to finish with a .344 average. He ended the season on an MSU-best 17-game on base streak. Roskelly had eight multi-hit games, including four contests with four hits.
Kelley, a native of Rockford, Michigan, was a Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American last season, becoming the eighth Freshman All-American at MSU and the second under head coach Jake Boss Jr. to earn Freshman All-America accolades, joining second baseman Ryan Jones in 2010. Kelley was also on the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team, and was also the B1G Freshman of the Week. He was Michigan State’s starting left fielder in all 24 B1G games, playing in 41 games overall with 38 starts, and led MSU with a .353 batting average overall, ranking third in the B1G. Kelley was also seventh in the B1G only stats with a .364 batting average.
He hit safely in 22 of 24 conference games, featuring a pair of 10-game hitting streaks in conference only action, with 20 in last 21 league contests, ending the 2017 season on a 13-game overall hitting streak, which started a day after his previous 13-game hitting streak was halted, finishing the season with a hit in 26 of last 27 games and 29 in 31 games. Kelley also tied for 17th in the B1G with 13 stolen bases, ranking tied for 11th in the conference only stats with six swipes.
Kelley Freshman All-American
Michigan State’s Bryce Kelley was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. Kelley became MSU’s eighth Freshman All-American and second under head coach Jake Boss Jr., joining second baseman Ryan Jones in 2010. A native of Rockford, Michigan, Kelley was also on the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team and earned MSU’s Steve Garvey Most Improved Player award. Kelley led MSU with a .353 batting average overall, ranking third in the B1G. Kelley was also seventh in the B1G only stats with a .364 batting average. Kelley ended the season on a 13-game overall hitting streak, which started a day after his previous 13-game hitting streak was halted, finishing the season with a hit in 26 of last 27 games and 29 in 31 games.
A Numbers Game
In 2017, MSU’s offense led the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.378), while ranking second in the B1G in batting average (.290), second in slugging percentage (.440), on-base percentage (.378), doubles (113) and stolen base attempts (123), along with ranking third in stolen bases (96). The 96 stolen bases was the second-most in school history. On the mound, an MSU pitcher has led the B1G in ERA in both overall and conference games the last two seasons. Walter Borkovich led the B1G with a 2.01 overall ERA and a 0.64 ERA in league games in 2017. Additionally, MSU has posted its top three strikeout totals in school history in the last three seasons with 409 strikeouts in 2015, 466 punchouts in 2016 and 420 in 2017.
Spartan Roster Breakdown
Michigan State’s 2018 roster consists of eight seniors, six juniors, eight sophomores and 10 freshmen. The Spartan seniors include returning All-B1G honoree catcher/first baseman Chad Roskelly, along with Preseason B1G Honoree Jake Lowery, as well as pitchers Ethan Landon, Andrew Gonzalez and Keegan Baar, plus first baseman Zack McGuire, catcher Will Salter and infielder Kory Young.
Highlighting the juniors is pitcher Riley McCauley, who was a Preseason B1G Honoree, along with infielders Marty Bechina and Royce Ando, along with outfielder Dan Chmielewski. The junior class added a pair of junior college transfers in pitcher Evan Flohr and catcher Nic Lacayo.
The sophomore class is headlined by returning Freshman All-American and Preseason B1G honoree Bryce Kelley, as well as outfielder Danny Gleaves, infielder/outfielder Justin Antonic and pitchers Mitchell Tyranski, Mike Mokma, Sam Benschoter and Caleb Sleeman. A new sophomore to the Spartans’ roster is junior college transfer Bailey Peterson, who will see action both at infield and outfield.
The freshmen class has three redshirt-freshmen in pitchers Mason Erla and Zac Bianucci along with outfielder Joe Stewart. The true freshmen group includes utility player Zach Iverson, along with pitcher Jesse Heikkinen, infielders Ryan King, Brendan Regan and Peter Ahn, along with catchers Adam Proctor and Scott Combs.
Racking Up Awards On And Off The Field
Michigan State was recognized with the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award. Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were honored with the award, which recognizes teams coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the 2016-17 academic year. In total, 221 programs were recognized with the 2016-17 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award, including 70 high school programs and 60 teams from NCAA Division III. MSU had a 3.22 GPA this year, which is the highest in program history. The Spartans are one of two Big Ten teams on the 36-team list for NCAA Division I teams, joined by Minnesota.
Now Pitching For The Spartans...
Michigan State utilized 14 different pitchers last season, with 11 of them posting 10 or more, and five with 20+ appearances. Of those five pitchers with 20 or more appearances, two of them return in senior Jake Lowery and junior Riley McCauley. Last season, McCauley made 25 appearances, all in relief. He logged a team-leading nine saves, which ranked tied for fourth in B1G and tied for 59th in the NCAA. The nine saves tied for the third on the MSU single-season saves list (since 1986). For the season, McCauley posted a 2.10 ERA in 25.2 IP with 36 strikeouts and 14 walks. He ranked 13th in the B1G in conference only games with 33 strikeouts in league play, and also tied for third in both appearances and games in relief in conference only games with 13.
Lowery made 22 appearances including four starts, logging a 3.71 ERA in 51.0 IP. He ranked second on the MSU pitching staff and ninth in the B1G with 70 strikeouts, as well as leading the Spartans and ranking ninth in the B1G with 21 strikeouts looking. Lowery also ranked 10th in league for strikeouts in conference only games with 37 Ks, as well as tied for 11th with 11 batters struck out looking. After coming out of bullpen in his first 18 appearances, Lowery made four-straight starts to end the season.
Milestone Victories
Michigan State’s 2,300th win came on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, becoming just the fifth team in the Big Ten Conference and the 32nd team in the country with 2,300 wins. Here’s a closer look of MSU’s milestone wins:
1st Win May 19, 1884
100th Win May 26, 1905
500th Win April 25, 1945
1,000th Win May 13, 1972
1,500th Win April 27, 1991
2,000th Win April 6, 2010
2,300th Win Feb. 17, 2017
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