EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball returns to Secchia Stadium for a three-game B1G series against Minnesota this weekend April 14-16.
The Spartans enter weekend play with an overall record of 11-22 along with a 1-9 mark in the Big Ten as the team fights to get into contention for the 2023 Big Ten Tournament hosted in Champaign, Ill. Every remaining series is of the utmost importance as three teams ahead of the Spartans own 2-9 records. 12 of 14 Big Ten teams get into the tournament.
All three games will be streamed live on B1G+, with an audio only stream and live stats available on MSUSpartans.com. Links to live stats and streaming available here.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (subject to change)
Friday, April 14
vs. Minnesota – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Saturday, April 15
vs. Minnesota – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Sunday, April 16
vs. Minnesota – 12:00 p.m. EDT
ABOUT MINNESOTA
Minnesota enters the weekend 23-15 overall after taking two of three games from Indiana last weekend. The Golden Gophers are currently #30 in the NCAA RPI with Top 25 RPI victories over Oregon and Wichita St. Minnesota is 8-2 against teams ranked 101+ in the RPI, losing to Seattle and Colgate. The Spartans currently sit at #132 in the RPI. Minnesota is 9th in the Big Ten standings but have won four of their last six in conference play to sit at 4-5.
Minnesota ranks No. 120 nationally in batting average (.271), No. 23 in doubles (56), No. 62 in ERA (2.68), No. 77 in fielding percentage (.967), No. 114 in on-base percentage (.355), No. 82 in scoring (4.87), No. 40 in slugging percentage (.474) and No. 38 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.86).
Piper Ritter is in her third season at the helm of the Minnesota program and owns a 81-54-1 career record entering the weekend. Ritter previously spent 13 seasons as the team's pitching coach after playing for the Golden Gophers from 2001-04.
Three Gophers are hitting over .300 this season led by Taylor Krapf's .349 mark. Krapf leads the team in home runs (10) and is tied for the team-best in RBIs with 30. Kayla Chavez is hitting .333 and leads the team with 43 hits and 18 extra-base hits (11 doubles, one triple, six homers). Natalie DenHartog (7 home runs) and Jess Oakland (9 home runs) bring additional power to the lineup. Minnesota does not run a lot with just 13 stolen bases on the season.
Autumn Pease is one of the top pitchers in the country ranking No. 5 nationally in strikeouts (174), No. 16 in innings pitched (134.1) and No. 9 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.29). Pease is 16-6 heading into Friday with a 1.82 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .195 against her for the season. The Spartans will also see Jacie Hambrick who is 6-5 with a 2.65 ERA through 21 appearances. Opponents are hitting .246 off of Hambrick in 2023 over 68.2 innings of work.
MID-WEEK RECAP
Michigan State was defeated in each of its mid-week contests this week, falling 8-0 to Notre Dame and 5-2 to Michigan at Secchia Stadium. MSU scored two runs on five hits against the Wolverines and reached three times via walk. Freshman Mandy Esman recorded the lone RBI for Michigan State on a third inning fielder's choice.
The Spartans will play just one more mid-week game this season on Tuesday, April 18 at Michigan.
LOOKING FORWARD
Michigan State hits the road for the first time in two weeks next week as the team heads to Ann Arbor, Mich. and Champaign, Ill. The Spartans will take on the Michigan Wolverines in a mid-week contest next week on April 18 at 6:00 p.m. MSU travels to Champaign for a three-game B1G series next weekend, April 21-23, in an important series for B1G Tournament contention.
msuspartans.com
The Spartans enter weekend play with an overall record of 11-22 along with a 1-9 mark in the Big Ten as the team fights to get into contention for the 2023 Big Ten Tournament hosted in Champaign, Ill. Every remaining series is of the utmost importance as three teams ahead of the Spartans own 2-9 records. 12 of 14 Big Ten teams get into the tournament.
All three games will be streamed live on B1G+, with an audio only stream and live stats available on MSUSpartans.com. Links to live stats and streaming available here.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (subject to change)
Friday, April 14
vs. Minnesota – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Saturday, April 15
vs. Minnesota – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Sunday, April 16
vs. Minnesota – 12:00 p.m. EDT
ABOUT MINNESOTA
Minnesota enters the weekend 23-15 overall after taking two of three games from Indiana last weekend. The Golden Gophers are currently #30 in the NCAA RPI with Top 25 RPI victories over Oregon and Wichita St. Minnesota is 8-2 against teams ranked 101+ in the RPI, losing to Seattle and Colgate. The Spartans currently sit at #132 in the RPI. Minnesota is 9th in the Big Ten standings but have won four of their last six in conference play to sit at 4-5.
Minnesota ranks No. 120 nationally in batting average (.271), No. 23 in doubles (56), No. 62 in ERA (2.68), No. 77 in fielding percentage (.967), No. 114 in on-base percentage (.355), No. 82 in scoring (4.87), No. 40 in slugging percentage (.474) and No. 38 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.86).
Piper Ritter is in her third season at the helm of the Minnesota program and owns a 81-54-1 career record entering the weekend. Ritter previously spent 13 seasons as the team's pitching coach after playing for the Golden Gophers from 2001-04.
Three Gophers are hitting over .300 this season led by Taylor Krapf's .349 mark. Krapf leads the team in home runs (10) and is tied for the team-best in RBIs with 30. Kayla Chavez is hitting .333 and leads the team with 43 hits and 18 extra-base hits (11 doubles, one triple, six homers). Natalie DenHartog (7 home runs) and Jess Oakland (9 home runs) bring additional power to the lineup. Minnesota does not run a lot with just 13 stolen bases on the season.
Autumn Pease is one of the top pitchers in the country ranking No. 5 nationally in strikeouts (174), No. 16 in innings pitched (134.1) and No. 9 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.29). Pease is 16-6 heading into Friday with a 1.82 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .195 against her for the season. The Spartans will also see Jacie Hambrick who is 6-5 with a 2.65 ERA through 21 appearances. Opponents are hitting .246 off of Hambrick in 2023 over 68.2 innings of work.
MID-WEEK RECAP
Michigan State was defeated in each of its mid-week contests this week, falling 8-0 to Notre Dame and 5-2 to Michigan at Secchia Stadium. MSU scored two runs on five hits against the Wolverines and reached three times via walk. Freshman Mandy Esman recorded the lone RBI for Michigan State on a third inning fielder's choice.
The Spartans will play just one more mid-week game this season on Tuesday, April 18 at Michigan.
LOOKING FORWARD
Michigan State hits the road for the first time in two weeks next week as the team heads to Ann Arbor, Mich. and Champaign, Ill. The Spartans will take on the Michigan Wolverines in a mid-week contest next week on April 18 at 6:00 p.m. MSU travels to Champaign for a three-game B1G series next weekend, April 21-23, in an important series for B1G Tournament contention.
Softball Turns Focus to Minnesota - Michigan State University Athletics
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball returns to Secchia Stadium for a three-game B1G series against Minnesota this weekend April 14-16.
msuspartans.com
