Login to view embedded media

Wide receiver TJ Sheffield, a Purdue transfer who was previously committed to Michigan State, has reopened his recruitment.

Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that this was more so a mutual decision as Sheffield still was working through some things academically (he had some classes to finish up) and MSU understood it may have needed to look at other options.

MSU will be pursuing at least one other wide receiver in the spring transfer portal window. If Sheffield is able to get all of his academics affairs in order, it is possible that Michigan State circles back to him later as well. For now, both MSU and Sheffield want to make sure he has a home, so opening things up os the best thing for both parties right now.

As we don’t know the complete story, we are not going to get more specific than that, and we do ask that you keep that info here in the message board.

Full article to come.

Login to view embedded media

A new regime in East Lansing brings fresh minds on both sides of the ball to complement Jonathan Smith’s vision for the Michigan State program. Particularly on offense, change is welcomed with open arms by fans after the last couple years that were stained with inconsistency and a glaring lack of identity under the previous coaching staff.

New offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren has been encouraged so far by the progress the team has made in adjusting to a new offense throughout the spring practices thus far.

More here:

Friday Recap​

Softball Downed by Penn State​

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Michigan State softball was defeated by Penn State on Friday afternoon, 10-0, in game one of its three-game B1G series at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.

MSU moves to 14-24 (1-10 B1G) on the season while Penn State improves to 29-8 (8-2 B1G).

Senior Liv Grey (9-11) made the start for Michigan State in the circle, with junior Faith Guidry and senior Ashlyn Roberts also pitching for MSU. Roberts was most effective for the Spartans tossing two scoreless innings and striking out one.

Sophomores Hannah Hawley and Britain Beshears, and senior Alexis Ross recorded hits for the Spartans during Friday's game. Seniors Jenae Wash and Collette Allen reached base via walk.

The Nittany Lions got off to a quick start scoring four runs in the first inning. A two-out home run extended the PSU advantage to 6-0 in the second. Penn State took a 10-0 lead over MSU in the third after a grand slam.

Michigan State looked to get on the scoreboard in the third and fourth innings with two runners on and just one out in each frame. Penn State's pitching worked back-to-back ground outs in each inning to stifle the Spartan scoring opportunities.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

---

Saturday Recap​

Softball Battles Penn State Close in Game Two​

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Michigan State out-hit Penn State on Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell to the Nittany Lions, 6-3, in game two of the weekend conference series at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.

MSU recorded eight hits on the day led by a pair from sophomore Hannah Hawley. All nine Spartan starters reached base and seven starters tallied base knocks.

The Spartans move to 14-25 (1-11 B1G) with the loss while Penn State improves to 30-8 (9-2 B1G).

Junior Madison Taylor (2-10) pitched her third complete game in her last four starts for MSU, striking out three in six innings. Taylor allowed five earned runs on six hits.

Hawley led the Spartans with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate that included a lead-off home run in the first inning. Sophomore Britain Beshears and senior Jenae Wash each doubled as MSU posted three extra-base hits on the day. Junior Macy Lee, sophomore Sydney Doloszycki, and seniors Collette Allen and Anna Fox all singled. Junior Mik Anthony and senior Alexis Ross reached via walk.

With Hawley's home run the Spartans have two hitters with double-digit home runs this season for the first time since 2017 (Beshears, Hawley). Michigan State had four batters reach double figures in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland).

Michigan State started game two on the right foot, quickly scoring two runs in the top of the first. Hawley led-off the game with a home run on the second pitch she saw. Beshears just missed a homer to right-center, doubling off the wall to score sophomore Hailey Bila who pinch ran for Lee.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
The Nittany Lions were quick to knot things up at 2-2 using a two-run homer in the home half of the first. After Taylor pitched a scoreless second, Penn State took a 3-2 lead on a solo shot to right in the third.

Base hits by Wash and Fox to lead-off the fourth put two runners in scoring position for MSU, but an untimely double play ended the Spartan scoring threat.

PSU extended its advantage to 5-2 using a two-run single with two down in the bottom of the fourth.

Both sides traded runs in the fifth frame as Michigan State used a two-out Nittany Lion error to cut the lead to 5-3. Hawley didn't give up on the play and scored from second on a ground ball between first and second base. Penn State gained the run back in the home half on a sacrifice fly.

Login to view embedded media
Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

---

Sunday Recap​

Softball Stuns Nittany Lions to Wrap Weekend​

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In the final game of its three-game series at Penn State, the Michigan State softball team came away victorious, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.

A win improves Michigan State to 15-25 (2-10 B1G) on the season while the Nittany Lions fall to 30-9 (9-3 B1G). The Spartans have now surpassed their win total from a season ago after earning their 15th victory of 2024.

Senior Ashlyn Roberts earned the start for the Spartans, the first of her MSU career after arriving on campus last season. Roberts pitched well through 3.1 innings, taking a shutout into the fourth before running into trouble. The Sammamish, Wash. native struck out two, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Junior Madison Taylor (3-10) came on in relief of Roberts and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Taylor struck out two and allowed just three hits.

Sophomore Britain Beshears led MSU at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Collette Allen doubled, and sophomore Kayla Bane slugged her first home run of the season, a two-run shot down the left field line. Junior Mik Anthony tied Bane for the game-high in RBI with two. Sophomore Sydney Doloszycki, senior Jenae Wash and senior Alexis Ross singled. Reaching base twice via walk was sophomore Hannah Hawley.

The Spartans struck first for the second-straight day when Beshears laced a two-out single up the middle to score Fox from second base.

Login to view embedded media
MSU forced a Nittany Lion pitching change with none out in the second after Anthony's two-RBI single scored Allen and Bane. Doloszycki continued Michigan State's strong inning with a two-out RBI single to put the Spartans ahead 4-0.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Penn State cut MSU's lead in half in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run off the bat of Liana Jones.

Bane got those runs back for Michigan State in the fifth, picking a perfect time for her first home run of the season. Wash advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by the Nittany Lion third baseman to open the inning, putting one in scoring position for Bane, who sent a ball over the fence in left.

Login to view embedded media
The Nittany Lions looked to make a comeback, loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings. Taylor navigated trouble well and helped her own cause by making plays with her glove to get out of the frames scoreless. Penn State stranded eight baserunners over the final three innings of Sunday's game.

Login to view embedded media
UP NEXT
Michigan State will be back in action for a midweek rivalry contest when the Spartans meet Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. At 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. Tuesday night's game will be televised on Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Jennie Ritter calling the action.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Friday Recap​

MSU Takes Early Doubles Point, Falls to Minnesota on the Road, 4-2​

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Michigan State women's tennis team took an early lead securing the doubles point against Minnesota on Friday afternoon, but falls short on the road, 4-2.

The Spartans (10-12, 1-7 B1G) began the dual dominating on the double courts. On court one, Ayshe Can and Liisa Vehvilainen rolled through the pairing of Anali Kocevar and Emma Belluomini, 6-1. The point was clinched over on court three, the duo of Nicole Conard and Matilde Morais would ease their way through Zeyneb Sarioglan and Aiva Schmitz, 6-1.

Momentum would shift to the Gophers (11-9, 4-4 B1G) taking a 3-1 advantage winning courts No. 3 (retired), No. 6 in straight sets (6-0, 6-3), and No. 4 in two sets (6-2, 6-1).

Sophomore Issey Purser continues to have a solid year two, tying her win total from last season (14) with a victory on court No. 5 in two sets, 6-3, 6-3, bringing the Green and White within one point.

Minnesota would ice the match on the top court in three sets.

Michigan State will have its final road test of the season as it travels to Wisconsin on Sunday, April 14, first serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

---

Sunday Recap​

Spartans Drop Final Road Dual to No. 25 Wisconsin​

MADISON, Wisc. – The Michigan State women's team drops its final road bout of the regular season at No. 25 Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon, 4-0.

The Badgers started the dual taking the doubles on court No. 2 in clean fashion, 6-0, then would secure the point against the Spartans top court, 6-1.

Wisconsin's hot rackets continued over on the singles courts, securing courts No. 1 (6-2, 6-2), No. 3 (6-1, 7-5) and No. 4 (6-1, 6-1) in straight sets.

Over on court No. 5, freshman Natalie Stasny was in a back-and-forth battle against Areil Johnson. Bouncing back from a tough 6-4 loss to Johnson in the first set, Stasny was pushing for a third set with a 5-4 lead in the second set before the match was abandoned.

Michigan State will be back in action at home this weekend as it closes out the season with a weekend slate. The Spartans face Nebraska on Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m., then will honor their seniors for Senior Day on Sunday, April 21 against Iowa, first serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State Rowing will participate in it's second race of the year and lone dual meet, facing ninth-ranked Michigan close to home at Belleville Lake in Bellville, Michigan.

It will be the Spartans' second race under first-year head coach Stacey Rippetoe. MSU posted strong results at the season-opening Sunshine State Invite in Sarasota, Fla. where each of the seven Spartan boats qualified for grand finals on Friday, March 29. In the grand finals Saturday the 2V4 highlighted the Spartan performances, medaling in second place.

Result updates will only be available following the race on MSUSpartans.com and via @MSU_Rowing on Instagram and X.

Racing Schedule:
9:15 am - 3V4
9:27 am - 4V8
9:39 am - 2V4
9:51 am - 2V8
10:03 am - 1V4
10:15 am - 3V8
10:30 am - 1V8

All times Eastern Standard Time.

Tentative Lineups
Varsity 8+:
Coxswain – Lizzie Johnston, 8 – Jayden Schmaltz, 7 – Alice Bradley, 6 – Sabrina Gottschalk, 5 – Ella Kubas, 4 – Ugne Rudaityte, 3 – Ella McKenzie, 2 – Jillian Cox, B – Maya Elbaranes
Second Varsity 8+:
Coxswain – Ellise Flessland, 8 – Sophia Ring, 7 – Sophia Parker, 6 – Ava Woodard, 5 – Claudia Kingma, 4 – Freya Engel, 3 – Carolynn Garner, 2 – Abby Marek, B – Lucy Botting
Varsity 4+:
Coxswain – Sophia Stauffer, 4 – Avery Rugg, 3 – Julie Armstrong, 2 – Madisen Holtz, B – Lily Devereaux
Second Varsity 4+:
Coxswain – Kendall Gonya, 4 – Kaleigh Yunker, 3 – Kat Borders, 2 – Lillian Davidson-Walshe, B – Alaina Roush
Third Varsity 4+:
Coxswain – Kate Galazin, 4 – Haley Rinehart, 3 – Lauren Droska, 2 – Breanna Berry, B – Isabelle Radakovich
Third Varsity 8+ (Novice):
Coxswain – Kate Heinecke, 8 – Georgi Hedberg, 7 – Lindsay Farrall, 6 – Ruby Vanden Boom, 5 – Emma Ellis, 4 – Sarah Carlson, 3 – McKenna Reardon, 2 – Kendyl Baron, B – Samantha Sweeney
Fourth Varsity 8+ (Novice):
Coxswain – Delaney Huiskens, 8 – Reagan Korte, 7 – Katie Delaney, 6 – Colleen Blackwood, 5 – Juliana Antovski, 4 – Ava Matz, 3 – Kate Lillie, 2 – Emily Crofut, B – Avery Talley

Preview courtesy of MSU Athetlics.

Spartan Take Four Buckeyes to Third-Sets but Fall at No. 1 Ohio State Saturday​

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 18 Michigan State Men's Tennis took four Buckeyes to third sets in singles, but fell 1-6 at the hands of top-ranked Ohio State on the road on Saturday.

"Obviously not the result we wanted here," head coach Harry Jadun said. "Playing on the road against the top team in the country you've got to really believe and you've got to accelerate when you've got a lead and today we had spots where we didn't press on them enough. A lot to build on and hope to see these guys again down the road but off the Penn State we go."

Sophomore Ozan Baris claimed the Spartans lone point on the day. The 14th-ranked player in the nation topped 28th-ranked Justin Boulais, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, winning on a 29-shot rally which he finalized with a lob of Boulais at the net.

Baris breaks the Buckeyes streak of 13 straight sweeps of the Spartans, claiming the first MSU point against OSU since 2013. He ties the team lead with 13 wins and as the top-ranked Big Ten player moves to 5-0 in conference play in 2024.

Things started slowly for the Spartans, dropping doubles decisions 6-3 on courts two and three and winning just two of six first sets to start singles play.

In the second sets, Ohio State completed straight-set wins on courts three and four to push it's lead to 3-0. Two Spartans won their first sets of the day to force third sets, however, the two who won their first sets dropped the second, sending a total of four matches to third sets.

With no matches to spare, the Spartans would have to claim each of the four deciding third sets to complete a comeback and defeat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1999. Ohio State persisted, however, powering through 6-3 and 6-1 third set wins at No. 5 and No. 6 to clinch and push things out of reach.

"We had spots where we were up, but they did what great teams do and bounced back and took those matches," Jadun said.

After Baris put MSU on the board, redshirt freshman Aristotelis Thanos, playing at No. 2 singles for the first time while both Baris and graduate student Ronald Hohmann III are in the lineup, was the last Spartan standing. He would drop the final set, 3-6, to the nation's 19th-ranked Cannon Kingsley to end his streak of 11 straight matches won.

Up Next
The Spartans travel to State College, Pa. to look to bounce back against bottom of the league Penn State Sunday, with first serve set for 1 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions have lost 14 straight and have been swept 10 times on the year, last against Michigan, 0-4 on Friday.

Results
No. 18 Michigan State 1, No. 1 Ohio State 6
Singles
1. #14 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #28 Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
2. #19 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) def. Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3
3. #16 JJ Tracy (OSU) def. #43 Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 6-3, 7-5
4. #25 Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. Sebastien Collard (MSU) 7-5, 6-4
5. #114 Robert Cash (OSU) def. Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1
6. Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. David Saye (MSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
1. #20 Andrew Lutschaunig/Justin Boulais (OSU) vs. #6 Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) 5-4, unfinished
2. #80 Robert Cash/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. Sebastien Collard/Taym Alazmeh (MSU) 6-3
3. Cannon Kingsley/JJ Tracy (OSU) def. Graydon Lair/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-3
Michigan State 20-4 (6-1); National ranking #18
Ohio State 24-1 (6-0); National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,6,5,1,2)

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

---

No. 18 Men's Tennis Wins Five in Straight Sets in 6-1 Victory at Penn State​

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – 18th-ranked Spartans Men's Tennis clinched it's program-best 21st win of the season with a 6-1 road victory over Penn State on Sunday, bouncing back to 7-1 in B1G play.

"Great match today on the road against a tough Penn State team," head coach Harry Jadun said. "The guys came out hot at one and two doubles and in singles, fast starts all around. Unfortunately, Ronnie's opponent played really well and it was a tough day for him but everyone else was in firm control of their matches from the jump to the finish and that's what we were hoping to do."

The win marks the first time since 1970 the Spartans have accumulated seven wins in a Big Ten season, the second most in program history since the Big Ten Champion 1967 squad went 9-0. It is also the Spartans' first win on the Nittany Lions home courts since April 22, 2012.

Match Recap
The Spartans took an early lead in doubles, as the No. 6-ranked duo of junior Max Sheldon and sophomore Ozan Baris won 6-2 on main court, as did the pairing of freshman Taym Alazmeh and graduate student Sebastien Collard on court two.

MSU took advantage of the momentum and dominated in five of the six singles matches. It was senior Luke Baylis who got off his court fastest, winning 6-0, 6-2 in the sixth spot, moving his season record to 4-1, 2-0 in conference play.

The ensuing matches finished with straight-set victories for MSU in quick succession. Collard won on court two, 6-1, 6-3, his 13th win of the season.

It was sophomore David Saye that would clinch the Spartans another tally in the win column, dropping just one set en route to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. Then followed Sheldon, 6-2, 6-1 on court four, his team-leading 14th win of the season. The Nittany Lions would get one back on main court, but Alazmeh settled the score at 6-1 with a 6-4, 6-3 straight-set victory.

Next Up
MSU wraps up the regular season with a match against in-state rivals Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday, April 20. Both teams sit at 7-1 in the Big Ten, tied for second in the league standings behind national No. 1 Ohio State, who topped both mitten state sides on the weekend.

"There won't be a lack of motivation this next week with our next match being Michigan on the road, so we've got to get back to East Lansing and prepare for that match," Jadun said.

Results
No. 18 Michigan State 6, Penn State 1
Singles
1. #102 Miko Eala (PSU) def. #43 Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Sebastien Collard (MSU) def. Stefan Simeunovic (PSU) 6-1, 6-3
3. David Saye (MSU) def. Ari Cotoulas (PSU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Nolan Ranger (PSU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Jack Martuccio (PSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Luke Baylis (MSU) def. Alexander Sterin (PSU) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
1. #6 Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Nolan Ranger/Ari Cotoulas (PSU) 6-2
2. Sebastien Collard/Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Stefan Simeunovic/Jack Martuccio (PSU) 6-2
3. Miko Eala/Alexander Sterin (PSU) vs. Aristotelis Thanos/Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 3-4, uf

Match Notes:
Michigan State 21-4; National ranking #18
Penn State 4-18
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,3,4,1,5)

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's women's golf team plays its final tournament before the postseason starts this weekend, competing in the Lady Buckeye Invitational at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.
The two-day, 54-hole tournament tees off on Saturday, April 13 on the par-72, 6,319-yard course on the Ohio State campus. The final round will be held on Sunday, April 14. Both days start with 8:30 a.m. shotgun starts. Each of the 12 teams will have six players competing and the lowest four scores count toward the team total.

Dates: Saturday, April 13 – Sunday, April 14
Course: OSU Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio
Live Scoring: Golfstat
Par/Yardage: 72 / 6,319 yards
Format: Stroke play, 54 holes, play five, count four
Schedule: Saturday – Rounds 1 & 2 (8:30 a.m. shotgun); Sunday – Round 3 (8:30 a.m. shotgun)

LINEUP
1. Katie Lu
2. Leila Raines
3. Shannon Kennedy
4. Brooke Biermann
5. Paula Balanzategui
6. Valentina Rossi
IND. Ella Weber

THE LADY BUCKEYE INVITATIONAL FIELD
In addition to No. 31 Michigan State, the 12-team field includes Illinois (No. 62), Indiana (No. 75), Iowa, Kent State (No. 66), Minnesota (No. 57), host Ohio State (No. 38), Nebraska (No. 69), Penn State, Purdue (No. 32), Rutgers and Wisconsin (No. 70).

LIVE SCORING
Golfstat

ABOUT THE SPARTANS
The Lady Buckeye Invitational will be the fifth event of the spring season for the Spartans, who have two top-5 finishes and four top-10 finishes.

Michigan State is coming off a fifth-place finish among 16 teams at the Clemson Invitational, with junior Katie Lu leading the way, tying for 10th place at 2-under par 214. The Spartans won the Briar's Creek Invitational on March 12, firing a 4-under par 860 as a team, with Lu and classmate Brooke Biermann sharing medalist honors at 5-under par 211.

Lu has enjoyed a strong season this year, leading the team in scoring average (71.00), with two individual wins and eight top-20 finishes in nine events. Biermann is second on the team with a 72.58 scoring average and five top-20 finishes, while senior Leila Raines carries a 73.00 average in 24 rounds with three top-20 showings.

The lineup this weekend also includes sophomore Paula Balanzategui, who carries a 74.62 scoring average, has posted one top-10 finish this year, Shannon Kennedy (75.50 scoring average), senior Valentina Rossi (75.93) and freshman Ella Weber, who will compete as an individual.

SPARTANS AT THE BRIAR'S CREEK INVITATIONAL
The Lady Buckeye Invitational has been good to the Spartans over the years, as Michigan State has won the tournament six times, the most of any school outside of host Ohio State. MSU's Lady Buckeye championships under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll have come in 2005, 2011, 2013 and 2017. MSU topped Texas by one stroke in the final round to win in 2017, finished third in 2018 and second in 2019. The Spartans finished as the runner-up in 2023, with Brooke Biermann tying for sixth place at 2-under par 214.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State Track & Field student-athletes will compete at two weekend meets as three women's distance runners take on the highly touted Bryan Clay Invite as MSU sprinters, throwers and jumpers head to the James Madison University Invite.

The JMU Invite will take place in Harrisonburg, Va. on Saturday, April 13 and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

At the Bryan Clay Invite in Azusa, Calif. MSU junior and Canadian Olympic Team hopeful Kate Stewart-Barnett will compete in the 3000m Steeplechase on Thursday, graduate student Katie Osika will run the 5000m race on Friday and graduate student Lauren Freeland will race the 1500m on Saturday. The races will be streamed on Flo Track.

Season Headlines Review
Spartan Invite – April 5 | East Lansing, Mich.
Spartans Collect 15 Event Wins on Home Grounds
Graduating seniors contributed to several top performances at their final home meet, the Spartan Invite presented by Auto-Owners Insurance.

Spartans won 15 events on the day including nine of ten consecutive events to end the day, including three straight sweeps of the podium on the track at Ralph Young Field. 21 soon-to-be Spartan Track and Field graduates were recognized during the senior day celebrations.

Raleigh Relays – March 28-30| Raleigh, N.C.
Spartans in all Specialties Solid Throughout Raleigh Relays
At the competitive three-day Raleigh Relays, Spartans across all event specialties put together solid performances, starting with a throws team sweep of the shot put in the first events of day one.

Freshman Jessica Stieb kicked things off, winning the collegiate shot put at 15.99m. Sophomore Colby Morlock won the men's shot put by over two feet behind an 18.53m PR, completing the Spartan sweep of the shot Thursday.

Running unattached and coming off the back of a Big Ten steeplechase title last outdoor season, junior Kate Stewart-Barnett won the 3000m steeplechase at 10:01.08 Friday. National runner-up in the heptathlon during the Indoor season and fellow Olympic hopeful graduate student Heath Baldwin showed his consistent progress with two PRs and third place finishes in the long jump (7.35m) and 110m hurdles (13.81s), also claiming fourth in the pole vault.

Clyde Hart Classic – March 22-23 | Waco, Texas
Men's Sprints Highlight Outdoor Opener
On the first meet day of the outdoor season Friday, it was the senior Kendel Hammock that delivered, posting a 400m hurdles winning time of 53 seconds flat.

On Saturday, junior Noah Sage followed it up with Michigan State's other podium finish of the weekend, a 46.57 400m dash time, which is good for the 13th fastest in NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field on the young season.

Other notable performances included a pair of top-five finishes on the women's side. On Friday, sophomore Natalie Blake pole vaulted to a fourth-place finish at 4.00m. Freshman and MSU Indoor shotput record holder Jessica Stieb tossed the shot 16 meters, good for fifth.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Michigan State offered a scholarship to class of 2025 three-star offensive lineman Drew Nichols on Monday.

Nichols currently attends Murrieta Valley High School in California, and has grown up in the Golden State his whole life, but has family connections to Michigan State.

It was during a phone conversation with Michigan State offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jim Michalczik ("Coach M") and director of player of personnel/offense Sean Levy when Nichols learned about the offer.

Following the phone call, Nichols detailed his emotions about the offer and discussed his thoughts about MSU with Spartans Illustrated.

"I know Michigan State is a great school because my Mom’s three brothers attended it," Nichols explained. "I’m looking forward to learning more about the football culture."

More here:

Thinking a nice sized WR would sure hit the spot

Class of 2025 three-star defensive back Alijah Jones made the trip from Severn, Maryland to East Lansing, Michigan on Saturday to check out Michigan State for an unofficial visit.

The Archbishop Spalding High School standout was able to watch MSU's second scrimmage this spring, which took place in Spartan Stadium, meet with the coaches, attend team meetings, learn about the school's academic offerings and more.

Of course, Michigan State's new coaching staff is led by head coach Jonathan Smith. Jones is building a strong relationship with the staff, and he was able to spend quality time with cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and secondary coach Blue Adams while on campus. He also had a good meeting with Kurt Richardson, who plays a pivotal role for the Spartans as the program's director of engagement.

Jones was accompanied on the trip by his high school teammate, and one of Michigan State's other secondary targets, class of 2025 three-star cornerback Jayden Shipps.

Following the visit, Jones spoke to Spartans Illustrated in detail and recapped the experience.

"My favorite part was being in the stadium and the energy ... I definitely plan on taking an official visit at MSU."

David Klein (@SpartanHoops_DK) takes a deep dive into the state of the Spartans roster and he assesses possible transfer portal targets.

More on Michigan State's roster outlook for the 2024-25 season:

The Michigan State football program has landed a commitment from preferred walk-on offensive lineman Hayden Lorius. He visited in late January when he received the PWO offer. He also had offers from several Division II, Division III and NAIA schools.

Lorius is also a two-time state champion power lifter.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Article coming soon, but Sissoko has entered the portal.

Login to view embedded media

Hoggard enters the NBA draft while retaining his college eligibility. He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft.

Scouting Report:

Hoggard is a big-bodied 6-4 point guard who excels in all aspects of the game except for shooting the rock.

He’s a feisty defensive player who plays an aggressive style.

He is good from the FT line and has a pretty good touch around the rim."



---------------

Earlier in the day he entered the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament to draw attention

Since 1953, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament has invited 64 senior college basketball players from across the nation to compete before professional scouts. Eight teams of eight players play a 12 game tournament over 4 days, with each player hoping to reach their dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.

Over the years, the P.I.T. has welcomed players that are now household names, like Rick Barry, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Dave Cowens, Scottie Pippen, Tim Hardaway, Dennis Rodman, Jimmy Butler
.

In his latest podcast Rod said that if a particular job opened up we’d be losing a second assistant. He wouldn’t say who it was, but later in the show Eric let it slip that it was Wojcik. Anyone know what school he was talking about or what the odds are of him leaving?

As we've been reporting, now official:

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace." -The Simpson Family

Michigan State hosted 2026 three-star cornerback De'Mari Clemons for an unofficial visit on Thursday, and the Buffalo, New York native left East Lansing with a re-offer from MSU's new coaching staff.

Clemons had previously been offered by the Spartans from then-cornerbacks coach Jim Salgado under the last regime. Now, with a whole new coaching new staff at Michigan State, led by head coach Jonathan Smith, Clemons still has an opportunity to play for MSU in the future.

The re-offer from the new Michigan State coaching staff means a lot for Clemons. While on the visit, he was able to spend quality time with cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, secondary coach Blue Adams, director of scouting Darius Hicks and others.

Clemons spoke with Spartans Illustrated to detail his visit, reflect upon the re-offer and provide his thoughts on Michigan State's football program.

"I had time to talk to Coach Blue (Adams), Coach Meat, and a few others," Clemons said. "They all had the same tune on what it takes to be a Michigan State Spartan and the expectations they expect from the athletes, which is to be great, and most importantly, how they prepare their athletes for life after football."

Spartans battling Boilermakers in first visit to West Lafayette since 2019.​

• After a weekend hiatus from league play, Michigan State baseball resumes Big Ten Conference action with a three-game weekend series at Purdue, Friday-Sunday, April 12-14 at Purdue's Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Ind. ... The series opens on Friday at 6 p.m. ET, followed by Saturday's game two at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. ET.

• The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.

• Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live," "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, where available, at MSUSpartans.com.

• For the eighth-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis ... There will be no Spartan Media Network broadcast from Purdue, but the "Listen Live" link will be for Purdue's broadcast.

COACH VAN AMEYDE AWAY FROM TEAM
• Michigan State will be without veteran pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde (VAN-uh-mead) for an extended amount of time, as he will be away from the team after undergoing a successful kidney transplant on March 20.

HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Boilermakers have 13 Indiana natives on their roster.

SPARTANS FROM INDIANA
• Michigan State has one player from the state of Indiana: junior designated hitter/catcher Christian Williams (Carmel/Carmel HS) ... Purdue senior outfielder Weston Gingerich is one of the 13 Indiana natives on the Boilermakers' roster and is also from Carmel (Guerin Catholic).

MICHIGANDER BOILERMAKERS
• Purdue has two players from the state of Michigan on its roster in graduate catcher Aaron Dolney (Plymouth/Detroit Country Day HS/Eastern Michigan) and freshman pitcher Easton Storey (Brighton/Brighton HS)

MSU VS. INDIANA TEAMS
• This weekend's series against Purdue will be MSU's fifth of six different opponents from the state of Indiana on the Spartans' 2024 regular-season schedule, having played six games against teams from Indiana and had another rained out ... Michigan State enters this weekend 3-3 against Indiana teams, as MSU has already played Ball State (L, 4-1, on Feb. 18 in Charleston, S.C.) and Indiana State (L, 7-6 (10 inn.) in Port Charlotte, Fla. ... the Spartans won the three-game series with Evansville (March 15-17), taking the opener, 11-3, before dropping game two, 5-3 in 11 inn., but then bouncing back to win the series with a 6-5 Victory for MSU ... Michigan State also beat Purdue Fort Wayne, 11-1 in 8-innings via run-rule ... MSU was scheduled to take on Notre Dame on April 2 at South Bend, but it got rained out and no make-up date has been announced yet, but the Spartans and Irish are scheduled to meet April 30 at East Lansing ... MSU also plays one of the two Big Ten teams from Indiana this season, playing at Purdue this weekend in West Lafayette, but does not play Indiana during the regular-season.

BOSS 800
• Tuesday's game vs. Central Michigan was MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s 800th game at the helm of the Spartans, becoming the third MSU baseball head coach to coach 800 games leading the Spartans, joining John Kobs and Danny Litwhiler.

Coach Years Gms. W L T Pct.
John H. Kobs 1935-63 (39) 969 576 377 16 .603
Daniel W. Litwhiler 1964-82 (19) 859 489 362 8 .574
Jake Boss Jr. 2009-pres. (16th) 800 430 370 0 .538

LAST TIME OUT LOOK BACK
• Michigan State was shutout by Central Michigan, 10-0, in 7 innings via the run-rule on Tuesday, April 9, just one day off from being one year to the day of MSU's last run-rule loss, coming on April 8, 2023 vs. Ohio State, losing 13-2 in 7 innings in game 1 of a doubleheader, bouncing back to win the nightcap, 16-3 in 7 innings, for an alternating run-rule doubleheader result.

• MSU was shutout for just the second time this season and both times the Spartans had five or fewer hits, with five hits Tuesday, and three hits in a 2-0 loss to Lehigh on Feb. 17 in Charleston, S.C.

LAST WEEKEND SHUT OUT RECAP
• Michigan State blanked Niagara, 9-nil in the opener of last weekend's series opener, as MSU posted its first shutout since March 20, 2022 when the Spartans beat Houston Baptist, 1-0.

• Spartan starter sophomore southpaw Joseph Dzierwa went 7.0 IP, before senior reliever Aaron Mishoulam (1.0 IP) and freshman reliever Garrett Brewer (1.0 IP) finished it off for the combined shutout ... in the last blanking, three Spartans pitchers also combined for the shutout as well, with Nick Powers (6.1 IP), Andrew Carson (1.2 IP), Kyle Bischoff (1.0 IP) vs. Houston Baptist, March 20, 2022.

• Dzierwa was dominant, as he tied his career-high for third time this season with nine strikeouts in 7.0 IP as MSU snapped hot-hitting Niagara's eight-game win streak Friday.

• He retired 11-straight Niagara batters with six strikeouts in that span, covering the first through the fourth innings.

• After allowing two singles to open the game, Dzierwa got out of the inning with a flyout, then back-to-back Ks ... He opened the second with two more strikeouts in a row for four in a row, part of the 11-straight retired Purple Aces, until a single in the top of the fourth.

• Dzierwa, Mishoulam and Brewer combined to stymie Niagara's bats as they came into game ranking No. 16 in the NCAA with a team average of .321, averaging over 11 hits and nine runs per game, and were held in check to five hits and no runs Friday night ... Two Purple Eagles were in the top 15 in the nation in average, as Eric Rataczak was No. 13 at .446, while Nick Monile was hitting .438 coming into Friday ... They were a combined 1-for-8 with a strikeout apiece, with Monile lacing a two-out single in the fourth for the lone hit between them ... Rataczak had a season-long 13-game hitting streak snapped by going hitless for just the fourth time this season.

PUTTIN' THE SWEET IN HOME SWEET HOME
• Michigan State is off to a 7-5 ledger at home after winning the home-opening series over Evansville March 15-17, winning two of three, and beating Purdue Fort Wayne on March 19, before losing to Oakland on March 27 ... MSU went 17-4 at home last season and the Spartans have now won 30 of their last 42 home games (30-12) in their last 42 home games dating back to the 2022 season.

POWERS NO. 125 ON D1BASEBALL'S TOP 150 STARTING PITCHERS
• Senior left-handed starting pitcher Nick Powers is No. 125 on D1Baseball.com's Top 150 Starting Pitchers and is the lone Spartan representative on the publication's mid-season player rankings.

• Powers leads MSU with a 2.57 ERA, logging a 4-2 record in seven starts, including one complete game ... he has 36 strikeouts to just seven walks, yielding 16 runs, 14 earned, in 49.0 IP.

• Powers is fifth in the B1G and 61st in the NCAA in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.14), while ranking third in the league in both wins (4) and walks allowed per nine innings (1.29), along with fourth in WHIP (1.08).

FRANK-ING FAST ON THE BASEPATHS AND UP THE RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank snagged three stolen bases in the weekend series vs. Niagara, now with 16 on the season and 49 stolen bases for his career ... with the 49 swipes, Frank has climbed within one of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen bases, one shy of Brandon Hughes (2015-17).

• Frank is also third in the B1G and 39th in the NCAA with the 16 stolen bases ... he also is fourth in the conference and 46th in the country in stolen bases per game (0.53).

• The 16 swipes is just three shy of his single-season career-high of 19 stolen bases last season, and is his third-straight double-digit swipes season after 10 in 2022.

SPARTANS VS. BOILERMAKERS SERIES NOTES
MSU making first trip to West Lafayette since 2019 ... The Spartans have won the last two three-game series played in West Lafayette as part of winning the last six three-game series, including taking last year's series in East Lansing in both teams' B1G openers ... Purdue won the opener on March 24, before game two was postponed until March 26 for a doubleheader, with MSU winning both, 5-4 and 12-6 ... Prior to last season's meeting, the Spartans welcomed Purdue to East Lansing in 2021, when MSU hosted Purdue and Penn State during the COVID-19 pandemic altered schedule of only a Big Ten Conference-only ledger in 2021, with some weekends featuring three-team pod play ... Michigan State hosted Purdue and Penn State on April 9-12 and played Purdue and Illinois in Champaign, Ill., on April 16-18 during the 2021 season ... The Spartans and Boilermakers have alternated win streaks in the series, with MSU winning the last two after Purdue won the previous four, that came on the heels of a three-game Spartan win streak in the series ... overall, MSU leads the all-time series, 87-77, while the series is level at 41-41 in games played at West Lafayette, with MSU winning four of the last six match-ups at Alexander Field winning the last six three-game series since Purdue's last series win in 2012 in West Lafayette, a year after Michigan State was the last team two sweep a three-game set in the all-time series, winning all three in 2011 in East Lansing ... Purdue was the last team in the series to post a sweep in West Lafayette doing so in 1987, back when the teams played four-game series, doing so until 2006, before shifting to playing three-game series in 2007.

ABOUT PURDUE
• The Boilermakers are 20-13 overall and 5-4 in B1G action ... Purdue is coming off a 9-3 loss to Indiana State on Tuesday night, as ISU pulled away from a 2-2 tie entering the eighth inning with a three-run eighth and four runs in the ninth before the Boilermakers added a run in the ninth ... the Indiana State loss snapped a four-game win streak for Purdue, as the Boilermakers swept Rutgers last weekend in Piscataway, N.J., winning the opener, 5-3 in 10-innings, before capturing the series with an 8-6 triumph and completed the sweep with a 5-3 in on Sunday.

• Purdue is hitting .283 as a team, with 317 hits (9.6 pg) and 254 runs (7.7 pg), with 32 HR ... the Boilermakers also have 50 stolen bases (1.5 pg).

• Redshirt-freshman catcher/first baseman Luke Gaffney leads Purdue and ranks third in the B1G and 63rd in the NCAA in batting average at .395 ... Gaffney also shares the team-lead and ranks tied for second in the conference and 50th in the country in RBI (39) ... He's also ranked second in the B1G and 27th in the NCAA in hits (51), in addition to ranking fourth in the league and 34th in the nation in hits per game (1.6) ... Gaffney is second on the team in HR (6), while tied for second on the team in both doubles (10) and triples (2).

• Senior catcher Connor Caskenette is tied with Gaffney with the 39 RBI, while adding a team-high seven HR.

• Redshirt-sophomore infielder Camden Gasser leads Purdue and ranks fifth in the B1G in stolen bases (13), while fifth-year outfielder Mike Bolton Jr. is seventh with 11.

• On the mound, Friday's starter is graduate left-hander Jordan Morales, who has a 4-3 record with a 4.00 ERA, ranking seventh in the B1G in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.3) ... Morales has 43 Ks to just 10 BB in 45.0 IP in eight starts, allowing a .291 average to the opposition.

• Saturday's starter is senior southpaw Luke Wagner, who is 4-0 with a 4.93 ERA, logging 31 Ks to 11 BB in 38.1 IP, with a .340 BAA.

• Senior lefty Jonathan Blackwell is Sunday's probable starter, with a 2-2 mark and a 5.01 ERA, also with 31 strikeouts and 11 walks in 32.1, with the opposition hitting .258 against him.

• Senior righty reliever Jackson Dannelley leads the B1G with five saves, logging an 0-3 record with 4.66 ERA, ringing up 31 Ks to 15 BB, while stymieing the opposition bats to the tune of just .180, and had been a part of both of Purdue's shutouts.

• Purdue head coach Greg Goff is in his fifth year engineering the Boilermakers with a 96-96 mark in West Lafayette, and has a 422-435-1 all-time career record in his 19th season as a head coach.

SPARTANS VS. SOUTHPAWS
• Michigan State is slated to be facing three left-handed starters, as all three of Purdue's probable starters are southpaws ... MSU is currently 4-7 against lefty starters.

COMMON OPPONENTS
• Michigan State and Purdue have two common opponents in Rutgers and Indiana State, and would have a third in Notre Dame, as the Boilermakers lost to their in-state foes Fighting Irish, 11-2 on March 5, but MSU's game at Notre Dame scheduled for April 2 was rained out ... MSU lost to Indiana State on 7-6 in 10-innings on Feb. 23 in Port Charlotte, Fla., while Purdue has played Indiana State twice, losing 8-7, on March 26 in Terre Haute, and lost to the then No. 18th-ranked Sycamores, 9-3, this past Tuesday in West Lafayette ... The Spartans took two of three from Rutgers in a three-game B1G weekend series March 29-31, dropping the opener, 4-2, before winning game two, 5-2, and the rubber match, 3-2 ... The Boilermakers went out to Piscataway, N.J., and swept the Scarlet Knights, winning 5-3 in 10-innings in game one, 8-6 in game two, and completing the sweep with a 5-3 in on Sunday.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – 18th-ranked Men's Tennis will travel for a pair of critical Big Ten matches at national No. 1 Ohio State Saturday and Penn State Sunday, with first serves set for noon.

With both the Spartans and Buckeyes sitting atop the B1G standings with unblemished records, it is likely that Saturday's winner will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title if they win their Sunday match as well. MSU faces bottom of the table Penn State while OSU hosts No. 35 Michigan, who is also in pole position in league play.

With one win Michigan State would tie the program's second best Big Ten season with seven wins (last 1970) and with a weekend sweep the 2023-24 Spartans would be off to their best B1G start since winning the league title at 9-0 in 1967.

Last Time Out
Last weekend the Spartans achieved the winningest season in program history with a 5-2 win over Purdue on Saturday, April 6, MSU's 19th win, and extended that historic mark the following day with a 7-0 sweep of No. 62 Indiana on senior day in East Lansing.

Sunday's shutout of the Hoosiers marked the first time the Spartans have racked up multiple 7-0 sweeps in a Big Ten season since the ITA moved to the best-of-seven format in 1993 and first time with multiple B1G sweeps in a season since 1967.

Spartans in ITA DI Men's Tennis Rankings Update (April 9, 2024)
Singles

• No. 14 – Ozan Baris
• No. 43 – Ronald Hohmann III
• No. 112 – Graydon Lair

Doubles

• No. 6 – Max Sheldon/Ozan Baris
• No. 61 – Ronald Hohmann III/Sebastien Collard
• No. 73 – Ozan Baris/Ronald Hohmann III

They've got Chemistry
In 23 matches second-year head coach Harry Jadun has lined up 19 different doubles pairings, all of which have recorded at least one win while 14 of the duos have winning records.

Scouting No. 1 Ohio State
The Buckeyes are 23-1 on the season, 5-0 in conference play and have held the top spot in the national rankings for 11 consecutive polls since Jan. 17. OSU has won seven straight, it's lone loss on the season being 2-5 on the road at No. 12 Texas on March 10.

Buckeyes in ITA DI Men's Tennis Rankings Update (April 9, 2024)
Singles

• No. 16 – JJ Tracy
• No. 19 – Cannon Kingsley
• No. 25 – Jack Anthrop
• No. 28 – Justin Boulais
• No. 114 – Robert Cash

Doubles

• No. 2 – Robert Cash/JJ Tracy
• No. 20 – Justin Boulais/Andrew Lutschaunig
• No. 49 – Alexander Bernard/JJ Tracy
• No. 67 – Jack Anthrop/Preston Stearns
• No. 80 – Bryce Nakashima/Robert Cash
• No. 86 – Justin Boulais/Robert Cash

Series History vs. Ohio State
Ohio State hold the series lead between the two sides, 55-39, 33-18 in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes have won the last 31 matchups, including 13 straight sweeps as the Spartan last got a point in 2014 and last came out on top 4-2 on April 29, 1998 in the Big Ten tournament. MSU last won in Columbus on March 21, 1998.

Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions are 4-16 on the year, 0-5 in conference action, while having lost 13 straight as their last win was a narrow 4-3 victory on Feb. 4 against Mount St. Mary's. PSU has been swept nine times on the season. Penn State is not ranked nor represented in the ITA's top 125 singles player nor top 90 doubles pairings.

Series History vs. Penn State
Penn State is 27-13 all-time against Michigan State, 18-5 in State College, Pa.. The Spartans came out on top in the last meeting between the two squads, 4-1 in East Lansing on April 9, 2023. The Spartans last defeated the Nittany Lions in their home territory on April 22, 2012.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Following a three-match homestand, the Michigan State women's tennis team are back on the road this weekend as its slated to take on Minnesota on Friday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Then the Spartans will also travel to Wisconsin on Sunday, April 14, first serve is slated for 1 p.m. ET.

KNOW THE FOE: MINNESOTA

Minnesota enters the weekend with a 10-9 overall record with a 3-4 B1G record. In their last outing, the Gophers were shutout in a pair of duals to two nationally ranked B1G foes last weekend, falling to No. 32-ranked Illinois, 4-0, and No. 37-ranked Northwestern, 7-0. Minnesota has defeated two ITA ranked opponents this season with victories over No. 48-ranked Purdue, 4-1, and No. 62-ranked Iowa, 4-1.

It will be the 45th all-time meeting between the Spartans and the Gophers with two of the three last meetings going in the favor of MSU. Minnesota leads the all-time series 29-15.

KNOW THE FOE: WISCONSIN

Wisconsin enters the week with a 15-3 overall record and is the No. 25-ranked team in the latest ITA rankings. The Badgers are 6-1 in conference play, they suffered their first conference lost last weekend in a controversial fashion. Originally beating No. 37-ranked Northwestern, 4-3, but a lineup protest filed by Northwestern regarding the No. 1 and No. 2 singles position. The committee decided the No. 2 singles point is awarded to the Wildcats, giving them the 4-3 victory over Wisconsin.

The Badgers have one ITA ranked singles competitor in No. 78 Maria Sholokhova who leads the team in single dual victories with a 15-3 record. Along with Sholokhova, three other players amassed 10 or more single wins this dual season; Taylor Cataldi is second on the team with a 13-3 record; Ariel Johnson follows with a 11-2 record and Xinyu Cai rounds out the group with a 10-2 record. On the doubles court for Wisconsin, the winningest group has been the pairing of Caltaldi and Rosie Gross-Garcia whit an 8-1 record and are a perfect 6-0 on the No. 3 court.

The Badgers own the all-time head-to-head series record, 14-46. Despite the historic record, the last 10 meetings been back-and-forth between the two programs with Wisconsin winning six matches to the Spartans four.

B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Freshman No. 92-ranked Ria Bhakta became the first Spartan since 2019 to be named the Big Ten Women's Tennis Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Wednesday, following her top 20 victory against Michigan's No. 19-ranked Julia Fliegner last Saturday. The Delray Beach, Florida, native Bhakta would pull off a come from behind victory over Fliegner for the biggest victory of her young career. Bhakta worked her way back after dropping the first set, 4-6, to rattle off two-straight set victories (6-4, 1-0 [11-9]) in a true back-and-forth matchup.

Bhakta has been Michigan State's top performer on the singles court garnishing an impressive 10-2 overall record in the dual season, 2-1 in B1G duals and 8-2 in her last 10 complete matches.

Login to view embedded media
A NEW FACE IN THE RANKINGS

Following her impressive victory last weekend, Bhakta has earned national recognition with her first collegiate ranking, entering at No. 92 in the latest ITA singles ranking.

For the eighth week in a row, the Green and White tandem of senior Ayshe Can and graduate student Nicole Conard appeared in the ITA doubles ranking. The doubles stock continues to rise as they jumped up three spots this week to No. 34.

Login to view embedded media
Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - After defeating Western Michigan in a midweek contest on Wednesday the Michigan State softball program is back on the road for a three-game series against Penn State in State College, Pa. Action kicks off on Friday, April 12 with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch. All games throughout the weekend will be streamed on B1G+.

ABOUT PENN STATE
Penn State is 28-8 overall and 7-2 in B1G action. The Nittany Lions have seen success at home going 11-1 in State College. PSU is No. 27 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings with a signature win over Arkansas in non-conference.

The Nittany Lions rank #86 nationally in batting average (.289), #77 in ERA (2.96), #171 in fielding (.960), #121 in OBP (.358), #66 in scoring (5.22) and #47 in SLG (.480).

Bridget Nemeth is one of the best pitchers in the country as a freshman ranking #18 in ERA and #42 in strikeouts. Nemeth is 17-1 with a 1.17 ERA, .90 WHIP and 114 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. Opponents hit just .191 against her. Mady Volpe leads the team in pitching appearances (27) with a 3.83 ERA in 80.1 innings of work. Opponents hit .237 against her.

Penn State has five starters hitting over .300 led by Kaitlyn Morrison's .350. Maddie Gordon is hitting .345 and her 14 doubles rank #15 nationally. Emily Maddock, hitting .328, is one of the toughest players to strike out in the country with just three strikeouts in 116 at-bats. Haylie Brunson leads the team with 30 RBI hitting .289.

SPARTANS SPLIT MIDWEEK CONTESTS
Michigan State played a pair of midweek games this past week prior to arriving in State College, Pa. The Spartans were defeated by Michigan on Tuesday night, 11-5, before defeating Western Michigan on Wednesday, 4-3.

Macy Lee was 3-for-3 on Tuesday against the Wolverines, adding a walk to have a perfect night at the plate. Britain Beshears and Anna Fox each had two hits for MSU. Sydney Doloszycki and Hannah Hawley hit back-to-back home runs for the Spartans on Wednesday against Western Michigan. Madison Taylor allowed just three hits in the circle against the Broncos on Wednesday in a complete game effort.

DOLOSZYCKI DOING DAMAGE
Sophomore outfielder Sydney Doloszycki has been a bright spot in the Spartan lineup over the last seven games, matching MSU's longest individual hitting streak of the season (Alexis Ross, 7). Over her last seven games, Doloszycki is hitting a team-high .450 (9-for-20) with three home runs, seven runs scored, five RBI and five walks. In that span, Doloszycki leads MSU in batting average (.450), OBP (.560), SLG (.950) and OPS (1.510).

PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 38 home runs through 37 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (44 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 36 nationally in home runs per game (1.03). The Spartans are now tied for No. 7 in program history for single season home runs.

#1 - 66, 2017
#2 - 53, 2011
#3 - 50, 2007
#4 - 46, 2009
#5 - 44, 2019
#6 - 41, 2016
#7 - 38, 2024/2015

UP NEXT
After its series with Penn State, Michigan State will head to Ann Arbor, Mich. for a midweek game at intrastate rival Michigan on Tuesday, April 16. First pitch on Big Ten Network is set for 7:02 p.m.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.