Friday
Dzierwa’s Career-High Dozen Ks and Spartan Bats Tame Cougars, 9-2, Friday
Junior southpaw fires career-high for third-straight career outing; MSU 5-0 for first time since 2016.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Behind a career-high 12 strikeouts from Joseph Dzierwa and a season-high 13 hits, Michigan State baseball walloped Washington State, 9-2, Friday at a windy and chilly Whataburger Field at Corpus Christi, Texas in the opening game of the Kleberg Bank College Classic.
With Friday's Victory for MSU, the Spartans are 5-0 first time since 2016 when they started 6-0. WSU slides to 0-5. Friday was also the first-ever meeting on the baseball diamond between the Spartans and Cougars.
Dzierwa posted his third-straight outing either tying or setting a new career-high dating back to last season, after he fired 11 Ks vs. Nebraska in the 2024 season-finale, then 11 Ks last Friday in Cary, N.C. vs. Western Michigan, before Friday's dozen punchouts.
Friday's 12 strikeouts by the Spartan southpaw were the most by an MSU pitcher since Sam Benschoter rang up 17 Ks in 9.1 IP of relief on April 21, 2021 vs. Nebraska. Dzierwa's 12 Ks were also the most in the Big Ten to date, and he now has two of the top five single-game pitching performances in the league in the midst of the second weekend of the season.
"Joseph was really, really good again today," MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "He was in control the whole way and had multiple pitches for strikes, and he was pretty efficient, even with a lot of strikeouts, he only threw 83 pitches, and he got a lot of outs early in the count. He also fielded his position really well, and I thought he defended the bunt extremely well today. So, all-in-all, a really good day for him."
Friday's game time temperature in Corpus Christi was 41 degrees, with windy conditions.
Despite the cold conditions, MSU's bats were hot on Friday, as the Spartans knocked a season-high 13 hits with eight of the nine starters having at least one hit. The Spartans also were blazing on the basepaths, swiping a season-best seven stolen bases.
"I'm really proud of our guys, I thought we played the brand of baseball that we want to play, today," Boss said. "We got great pitching out of Joseph, we played really good defense, and we were aggressive on the bases. We ran a little bit and we bunted it a little bit. It was a tough day to hit because of not only the temperature, but the wind was blowing straight in, so anything in the air didn't go anywhere. So we really felt like we had to try to manufacture some runs, and I thought we did a really good job of forcing the issue there in the first and then again in the eighth."
MSU hung four runs on the board in the top of the first, then adding a run in the seventh before four more in the eighth.
The Spartans' 4-run first frame was their second big inning of the season, after just one in the opening four games, but was one of two in the game, adding four more in the eighth. MSU's offense adjusted to the conditions, as all 13 hits were singles, including six infield hits, with Picot and Seymour knocking back-to-back singles to short in the eighth.
Dzierwa went 7.0 innings with one hit and one walk, and those both came in the first frame, and he was nearly perfect after that until the sixth with, hitting a batter with one out, but then got two flyouts to end the inning.
After striking out the first seven batters faced last week vs. WMU, Dzierwa appeared to be starting Friday afternoon's contest the same way, ringing up Ks on the first two WSU batters. However, he then yielded a two-out walk followed by a single, but then chalked up his third punchout of the inning to slam the door on any thoughts of a rally the Cougars might have had.
Dzierwa then retired the next 14 Cougar batters faced with a total of 10 Ks through five innings, before hitting a batter in the sixth inning. In the seventh, he induced a popup and then fired back-to-back strikeouts looking to end his day with the 12 punchouts in 7.0 IP, with only one hit, one walk and one hit-by-pitch, in only 83 pitches.
Redshirt-sophomore pitcher Tate Farquhar took over in the eighth and went 1.2 IP with two Ks, two hits, three walks and allowed two runs in the ninth, before the Spartans went to the bullpen and brought on Dominic Pianto. The senior reliever made his season debut in dramatic fashion, chalking up a strikeout to end the game and spark the Victory for MSU celebration.
Offensive-wise, four different Spartans had two hits apiece, as graduate outfielder JT Sokolove (2-for-3), senior outfielder Nick Williams (2-for-4), senior infielder Sam Busch (2-for-5) and junior outfielder Parker Picot (2-for-4) all had multiple hits. All four scored at least one run, with N.Williams and Picot touching home twice, while Sokolove and Busch had a run each.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay and graduate catcher Caleb Berry were both 1-for-4 with a run scored, while junior infielders Randy Seymour and Jacob Anderson were 1-for-3 and 1-for-4, respectively. Junior pinch-hitter Jake Dresselhouse was 1-for-1.
Anderson drove in a team-high two RBI, while McKay, N.Williams, Picot, Seymour and senior infielder Will Shannon all had an RBI apiece.
Michigan State entered Friday having scored 14 runs on 16 total hits in the four games of the opening weekend, but got the offensive rolling on Sunday.
The Spartans erupted out of the gates with a four-run first frame. Sokolove got hit-by-pitch and stole second. McKay then followed by driving him in, then proceeded to steal second and move to third on a wild pitch. N.Williams came to bat and brought McKay in with an infield single to third, and then the Spartan outfielder swiped second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the play. N.Williams wasn't on third for long, as Shannon drove him in with a groundout.
That brought Busch to the plate, and he laced a single to center, and then joined in the stolen base party, swiping second. Graduate transfer Berry then smacked a single to left for his first Division I hit, as he transferred from NAIA level Milligan University (Tenn.). With runners on first and third, Berry stole second, but a throwing error on the play allowed Busch to score, completing the Spartans' big inning and a 4-0 lead.
Similar to the chilly conditions, the scoreboard was frozen at that score until the seventh, when Picot led off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. Seymour sacrificed Picot over to third, and Anderson single to left to plate Picot for a 5-0 advantage.
N.Williams led off the eighth with a single, then freshman pinch-hitter Isaac Sturgess drew a walk. Two batters later, N.Williams and Sturgess successfully executed the double-steal, before Berry followed with a walk to fill the bags full of Spartans. After a Washington State pitching change, Picot and Seymour then knocked their RBI infield singles in succession to bring in N.Williams and Sturgess, respectively. Berry then darted home on a wild pitch. Anderson followed with an RBI groundout to bring Pico in to score, for MSU's fourth run of the frame, as well as its ninth and final run of the game with a 9-0 lead.
Wazzu scratched the shutout in the top of the ninth with back-to-back hits after only one hit through the first eight innings, and pushed across two runs, before Pianto came on to slam the door and seal the Victory for MSU.
Saturday
Spartans Ground Islanders, 8-3, Saturday For First 6-0 Start Since 2016
McKay leads MSU offense reaching base in all five at-bats.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Michigan State baseball is 6-0 for the first time since 2016 after the Spartans grounded the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8-3, Saturday night at a damp Whataburger Field at Corpus Christi, Texas to conclude the second day of action at the Kleberg Bank College Classic.Ironically, 2016 is also the last time that MSU played in the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, and also like 2016, the streak included a win over TAMU-CC, with a near-identical 9-3 Victory for MSU on Feb. 27, 2016, and the Spartans moved to 6-0 the next day with a 6-2 win over UCF.
Just like Friday's opening day, Saturday's game time temperature in Corpus Christi was 42 degrees, but unlike Friday's windy, dry conditions, Saturday was damp as the game was played in a continual mist that fell throughout the game.
Michigan State will conclude the 2025 visit to Corpus Christi and the Kleberg Bank College Classic on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT against new Big Ten Conference member UCLA in a non-conference contest, as the Spartans and Bruins don't play each other during the regular-season.
MSU will be attempting to go for a 7-0 record to start the 2025 season on Sunday, which would be the first 7-0 start since 1964.
While Sunday's battle against the Bruins is a non-conference game, Michigan State and UCLA also have the distinction of being the first match-up of B1G teams, giving the first-year league member Bruins their first taste of B1G baseball, even if Sunday's game won't count in the conference standings as a league contest. Neither USC, Oregon or Washington have played any other B1G foes this season.
The Spartan offense was paced Saturday night by sophomore infielder Ryan McKay reached base all five times he was at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, along with two walks and getting hit-by-pitch once, and scored three runs.
Senior catcher Noah Bright joined McKay with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while senior infielder Nick Williams was 1-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored and three walks.
Junior outfielder Jake Dresselhouse was 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored, while junior infielder Randy Seymour was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and senior outfielder JT Sokolove was 1-for-5 with a run scored. Senior designated hitter Christian Williams had an RBI and a walk in two AB.
Junior starting pitcher Nolan Higgins went 4.1 IP, scattering four hits and yielding three runs, while striking out four and walking one. Graduate reliever Zach Maxey went 2.2 IP with two hits, one walk and three Ks, coming on with the bases loaded and limited the damage. Sophomore reliever Logan Pikur finished out the final 2.0 IP with just one-hit, scoreless ball.
For the second time in as many games, MSU struck first in its opening at bat, after a four-run first frame on Friday, the Spartans plated one run in the top of the first on Saturday night.
McKay drew a 1-out walk and moved to second on a passed ball. After N.Williams walk, Bright tapped an infield single to load the bases. C.Williams then chopped a fielder's choice to short to drive in McKay for the 1-0 lead.
In the third, MSU doubled up its lead, manufacturing a run after loading the bases on a pair of fielder's choice plays and a walk, before Dresselhouse beat out an infield single to third to drive in N.Williams and a 2-0 Spartan advantage.
TAMU-CC got on the board in the home half of the fifth with a solo home run in the fourth, to pull within 2-1.
The Spartans didn't waste any time countering, as Sokolove sparked the Spartan rally in the fifth frame, leading off with a single up the middle. McKay followed by getting hit by a pitch, to bring N.Williams to bat, and the senior outfielder roped a triple to the left-center gap to score the speedy Spartan duo of Sokolove and McKay. The Islanders made a pitching change and brought in Saline, Michigan native Braden LaRusso, whose first batter faced was his former Lansing Community College teammate from 2023 in Spartan senior Noah Bright, and Bright rudely welcomed his former teammate with an RBI single to right to plate N.Williams. Later in the inning, Picot reached on an error to bring Bright in to score, and Seymour followed by laying down a sac bunt to drive Dresselhouse in and a 7-1 Michigan State lead.
In the home half of the fifth frame, the Islanders plated a pair of runs, but graduate relief pitcher Zach Maxey stranded the Islanders with the bases loaded, keeping the home team at bay and the score 7-3, and they never threatened again.
MSU added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Again, McKay ignited the rally with a leadoff walk, N.Williams followed with a walk of his own. Bright then moved his Spartan teammates up a base with a sac bunt. After freshman pinch-hitter Isaac Sturgess was hit-by-pitch to load the bases, Dresselhouse reached on a fielder's choice to short, plating McKay for MSU's eighth and final run of the game.
Sunday
MSU Overtaken By UCLA In Wild Contest Sunday
Spartans dealt first defeat of season, finish weekend 2-1 and now 6-1 on year.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Michigan State baseball was overtaken by UCLA in a wild back-and-forth battle, 15-9, Sunday at a cloudy Whataburger Field at Corpus Christi, Texas on the final day of the Kleberg Bank College Classic.It was MSU's first defeat of both the weekend and the season, finishing Kleberg Bank College Classic action 2-1 and are now 6-1 on the season. UCLA also finished the weekend 2-1 and are also 6-1 on the year.
Along with the first loss of the weekend and season, Sunday's loss was also MSU's first defeat in Corpus Christi, after the Spartans went 3-0 there in 2016 in the Kleberg Bank College Classic, part of the last time that MSU opened 6-0.
While Sunday's loss denied Michigan State of its first 7-0 start to a season since 1964, the Spartans' 6-1 start is the best since 2016 when MSU also was dealt defeat in game number seven after a 6-0 start. Overall, the 2025 start is MSU's third 6-1 start under head coach Jake Boss Jr., joining 2011 and 2016.
UCLA is in its first season in the Big Ten Conference, and while Sunday's battle against the Bruins was a non-conference game, Michigan State and UCLA also had the distinction of being the first match-up of B1G teams, giving the first-year league member Bruins their first taste of B1G baseball, even as Sunday's game won't count in the conference standings as a league contest. Neither USC, Oregon or Washington have played any other B1G foes this season.
While Sunday was the first time meeting as B1G foes, it was the fifth all-time meeting between the Spartans and Bruins, and UCLA has now won all five meetings.
Sunday's game-time temperature of 48 and calm conditions, at first pitch at 10:30 a.m. local time, were the best of the weekend, after cold, windy, rainy conditions for the Spartans' previous two games of the weekend.
MSU rapped out 11 hits for its second double-digit hits total of the season, both coming this weekend after a season-high 13 hits on Friday. Senior infielder Sam Busch was 2-for-5 on Sunday with three RBI and two runs scored. Busch blasted the Spartans' first home run of the season with a solo homer to right to lead off the third for MSU's 6-0 lead.
Busch's fellow seniors, outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Noah Bright were the other two Spartans with multiple hits, as N.Williams was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Bright was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, senior outfielder JT Sokolove was 1-for-3 with a run scored, sophomore outfielder Parker Picot was 1-for-3 with two RBI, junior infielder Jacob Anderson was 1-for-4 with a run scored and junior outfielder Jake Dresselhouse was 1-for-5 with a run scored.
Freshman Aidan Donovan started on the mound for his first collegiate start, and went 3.0 IP with one strikeout, two hits and no runs. From there, Spartan relievers junior Tommy Szczepanski, sophomore Logan Pikur, graduate Tyler Horvath, senior Dominic Pianto, junior Ryan Szczepaniak and graduate George Viebrock III saw action on the mound.
For the second time in the three games this weekend, MSU plated four runs in the first inning, also doing so in Friday's win over Washington State.
On Sunday, McKay sparked the rally with a one-out walk, then N.Williams doubled down the left field line. Two batters later, Busch roped a two-run single to right, plating both McKay and N.Williams. Dresselhouse singled and Picot followed with a two-run double down the left field line for a 4-0 Spartan lead.
MSU extended its lead to 6-0 after three innings, following a run in the second on an RBI single by McKay, driving in Sokolove who reached on an error, then a solo blast by Busch to lead off the third.
The Spartan advantage evaporated very quickly with a nine-run UCLA rally for a 9-6 lead in the top of the fourth frame.
MSU's deficit didn't last long, as a three-run home half of the inning by the Spartans tied it up. Anderson sparked the rally with a leadoff single, moving to second on a Sokolove walk and later scoring on a throwing error off the bat of McKay. N.Williams followed with an RBI double to the gap in right center to drive McKay in, and Bright followed with an RBI single to left to plate N.Williams and tie it back up at 9-all through four frames.
The Bruins broke the game open with two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh to pull away from the 9-9 tie and post the 15-9 comeback win. It was UCLA's second big comeback win of the weekend as the Bruins rallied from a five-run deficit at 6-1 in the fifth for a 7-6 walk-off win on Saturday, plating three runs in the ninth.
Michigan State will then play eight games in 10 days at its home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive, the high-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, for MSU's Spring Break trip to Greenville, Feb. 31-March 9.
MSU hosts Harvard in a three-game series, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 28-March 2, then play Western Carolina on Wednesday, March 5 in a single midweek contest.
The Spartans then host the First Pitch Invitational on Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, tangling with Cornell and UAB on March 7, then Winthrop on March 8 and UAB again on March 9.
The weekend schedule is subject to further change, fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on Twitter for schedule updates, along with follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats."
Recaps courtesy of MSU Athletics.
