EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball is looking to rebound with a pair of early week contests this week. The Spartans are set to welcome Notre Dame to Secchia Stadium on Tuesday, April 11 before Michigan comes to town on Wednesday, April 12. Wednesday's game against Michigan is the rescheduled date from the previously scheduled April 5 contest that was postponed due to weather and flooding at Old College Field.
Michigan State enters the week with an overall record of 11-20, along with a 1-8 mark in conference action.
Both games will be streamed live on B1G+. Listen live to the action called by Jeremy Otto on the Spartan Media Network. Links to live stats and streaming available here.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Tuesday, April 11
vs. Notre Dame – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, April 12
vs. Michigan – 5:00 p.m. EDT
ABOUT NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame is 23-11-1 this season under long-time head coach Deanna Gumpf. The Fighting Irish are 1-3 against Big Ten opponents this season defeating Ohio State at the B1G/ACC Challenge. Notre Dame split with the Buckeyes and dropped a pair of games to Northwestern.
Notre Dame is hitting .320 as a team with a .404 on-base percentage and a .525 slugging percentage. Carlli Kloss is hitting a team-high .367, while Karina Gaskins (12) and Lexi Orozco (10) have each hit 10+ home runs. Gaskins and Orozco are tied for the team-high in RBIs with 32 each. Joley Mitchell is hitting .359 with seven home runs and leads with nine stolen bases.
Payton Tidd is the top starting pitcher for ND with a 3.03 ERA in 104 innings of work. Micaela Kastor has seen increased starting opportunites as of late with a 1.99 ERA over 20 appearances/eight starts and 56.1 innings. Shannon Becker has throw 65.2 innings to go with a 3.62 ERA in 22 appearances/11 starts. Opponents hit .254 against the Fighting Irish pitching staff.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
Michigan is 19-15 and 5-4 in Big Ten play under first year head coach Bonnie Tholl. Tholl spent 29 years as Carol Hutchins' top assistant and takes over the program following the Michigan State alum's retirement after the 2022 season.
Former Big Ten Player of the Year Lexie Blair is hitting a team-high .362 for the Wolverines this season and is joined by Ellie Sieler (.319) as the two players hitting over .300 for Michigan. Keke Tholl brings power to the lineup with seven home runs and a team-best 24 RBIs. Michigan is hitting .260 as a team with a .323 on-base percentage.
Lauren Derkowski is making the most of her increased playing time this season leading the Wolverine pitching staff with a 1.90 ERA in 121.2 innings pitched. Derkowski has 145 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP as opponents hit .202 against her. Jessica LeBeau is Michigan's #2 starter with a 2.99 ERA in 84.1 innings of work.
LAST WEEK REWIND
The Spartans went 1-3 last week, defeating Oakland in a mid-week and dropped a three-game B1G series to Iowa. MSU defeated Oakland, 4-3, at Secchia Stadium before stadium flooding postponed Wednesday night's game against Michigan to 4/12. Michigan State scored all four runs against Oakland in the first inning. Iowa took the series sweep from MSU winning by scores of 14-2, 4-2 and 3-1.
Jessica Mabrey hit .375 for the Spartans last week going 6-for-16 at the plate with two home runs. Madison Taylor posted a 2.44 ERA in the circle over 14.1 innings of work and Ashley Miller had a 2.71 ERA in 10.1 innings.
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
Michigan State enters the week with an overall record of 11-20, along with a 1-8 mark in conference action.
Both games will be streamed live on B1G+. Listen live to the action called by Jeremy Otto on the Spartan Media Network. Links to live stats and streaming available here.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Tuesday, April 11
vs. Notre Dame – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, April 12
vs. Michigan – 5:00 p.m. EDT
ABOUT NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame is 23-11-1 this season under long-time head coach Deanna Gumpf. The Fighting Irish are 1-3 against Big Ten opponents this season defeating Ohio State at the B1G/ACC Challenge. Notre Dame split with the Buckeyes and dropped a pair of games to Northwestern.
Notre Dame is hitting .320 as a team with a .404 on-base percentage and a .525 slugging percentage. Carlli Kloss is hitting a team-high .367, while Karina Gaskins (12) and Lexi Orozco (10) have each hit 10+ home runs. Gaskins and Orozco are tied for the team-high in RBIs with 32 each. Joley Mitchell is hitting .359 with seven home runs and leads with nine stolen bases.
Payton Tidd is the top starting pitcher for ND with a 3.03 ERA in 104 innings of work. Micaela Kastor has seen increased starting opportunites as of late with a 1.99 ERA over 20 appearances/eight starts and 56.1 innings. Shannon Becker has throw 65.2 innings to go with a 3.62 ERA in 22 appearances/11 starts. Opponents hit .254 against the Fighting Irish pitching staff.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
Michigan is 19-15 and 5-4 in Big Ten play under first year head coach Bonnie Tholl. Tholl spent 29 years as Carol Hutchins' top assistant and takes over the program following the Michigan State alum's retirement after the 2022 season.
Former Big Ten Player of the Year Lexie Blair is hitting a team-high .362 for the Wolverines this season and is joined by Ellie Sieler (.319) as the two players hitting over .300 for Michigan. Keke Tholl brings power to the lineup with seven home runs and a team-best 24 RBIs. Michigan is hitting .260 as a team with a .323 on-base percentage.
Lauren Derkowski is making the most of her increased playing time this season leading the Wolverine pitching staff with a 1.90 ERA in 121.2 innings pitched. Derkowski has 145 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP as opponents hit .202 against her. Jessica LeBeau is Michigan's #2 starter with a 2.99 ERA in 84.1 innings of work.
LAST WEEK REWIND
The Spartans went 1-3 last week, defeating Oakland in a mid-week and dropped a three-game B1G series to Iowa. MSU defeated Oakland, 4-3, at Secchia Stadium before stadium flooding postponed Wednesday night's game against Michigan to 4/12. Michigan State scored all four runs against Oakland in the first inning. Iowa took the series sweep from MSU winning by scores of 14-2, 4-2 and 3-1.
Jessica Mabrey hit .375 for the Spartans last week going 6-for-16 at the plate with two home runs. Madison Taylor posted a 2.44 ERA in the circle over 14.1 innings of work and Ashley Miller had a 2.71 ERA in 10.1 innings.
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.
Two Mid-Week Games on Deck for Spartan Softball - Michigan State University Athletics
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball is looking to rebound with a pair of early week contests this week. The Spartans are set to welcome Notre Dame to Secchia
msuspartans.com
