EAST LANSING, Mich. -- At long last, the Michigan State softball team will open Secchia Stadium for the first time in 2024, welcoming Indiana to Old College Field for a three-game B1G series on April 5-7. Action gets started on Friday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m. All three games this weekend will stream live on B1G+. A separate radio broadcast will be available on MSUSpartans.com with Jeremy Otto calling the action.
SCHEDULE
Friday, April 5
Watch Live | Live Stats | Listen Live
Saturday, April 6
Watch Live | Live Stats | Listen Live
Sunday, April 7
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ABOUT INDIANA
Indiana is 23-12 this season, but 0-6 in the B1G after series sweeps by Penn State and Michigan to open conference play. The Hoosiers are No. 52 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings with wins over current No. 30 Kansas, No. 35 Oregon, No. 44 FAU and No. 49 Louisville. Indiana is 2-0 against opponents shared with MSU (FAU, Marshall).
Michigan State is 57-77 all-time against Indiana overall and 24-34 when playing in East Lansing. Indiana has won three straight and nine of the last 10. MSU has not faced Indiana in East Lansing since May 8, 2017.
IU ranks #41 nationally in batting average (.310), #55 in doubles (50), #101 in ERA (3.18), #24 in home runs per game (1.14), #44 in OBP (.389), #30 in scoring (6.06), #24 in SLG (.511) and #9 in stolen bases per game (2.29).
Brianna Copeland is #36 nationally in strikeouts (103). Copeland owns a 2.48 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in the circle over 96.0 innings. Opponents are hitting .219 against her this season in 26 appearances. Copeland is also hitting .351 with a .993 OPS and a .434 OBP. Copeland has 12 extra-base hits this season and 22 RBI. She leads the team with 39 hits and is tied for the team-high in stolen bases with 12.
Taylor Minnick ranks #40 nationally in RBI (36). Minnick is second on the team hitting .359 along with a team-high .460 OBP. Avery Parker (1.042) and Cora Bassett (1.029) also boast an OPS over 1.000. Bassett leads the team with eight home runs.
Four Hoosiers have stolen double-digit bags this season (Aly VanBrandt - 11, Brooke Benson - 12, Cassidy Kettleman - 10, Copeland - 12). VanBrandt is hitting a team-high .370 with two triples and 11 stolen bases.
Sophie Kleiman has made a team-high 15 starts, throwing 68.2 innings with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP and a .281 batting average against.
HOT B1G BATS
Mik Anthony, Hannah Hawley and Anna Fox have posted strong starts to the B1G season at the plate. Anthony has hit .800 (4-for-5) with four walks (.889 OBP) and two RBI in four appearances (two starts).
Hawley and Fox have each made all six starts, with Hawley hitting .412 (.524 OBP) and Fox hitting .400 (.500 OBP). Hawley leads the team with seven hits in B1G games along with two home runs and three RBI.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 32 home runs through 32 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (39 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 38 nationally in home runs per game (1.00). The Spartans need 34 home runs to crack the program Top 10 for single-season home runs.
2024: 32 in 32 games
2023: 17 in 46 games
2022: 25 in 52 games
2021: 16 in 40 games
2020: 9 in 22 games
HAULING IN HITS
Sophomore Hannah Hawley leads the Spartans with a .368 batting average, a .459 on-base percentage, a .716 slugging percentage and a 1.175 OPS. Hawley is #5 in the B1G in slugging percentage and OPS. Hawley leads the team with 35 hits, 19 runs scored, 17 extra-base hits and 13 walks drawn.
Hawley also leads the Spartans with 11 multi-hit games (five three-hit games, six two-hit games) and is tied for first with five multi-RBI games (Britain Beshears, 5). Hawley enters the weekend on an eight game reached-base streak, her longest streak of the season.
GREY-TEFUL DEAD
Graduate student Liv Grey has been among the best pitchers in the country so far this season. Through 104.0 innings Grey has posted a 2.29 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a .275 batting average against. Grey has struck out 116 batters, ranking #21 nationally in strikeouts despite ranking #47 in innings pitched. Her 7.8 k/7 is #52 nationally.
Grey was named B1G Pitcher of the Week 3/4/2024, the eighth Spartan all time do so.
UP NEXT
MSU will be back in action at Secchia Stadium next week for a pair of mid-week contests, first taking on Michigan at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. The Spartans will turn around to face Western Michigan at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
SCHEDULE
Friday, April 5
Watch Live | Live Stats | Listen Live
Saturday, April 6
Watch Live | Live Stats | Listen Live
Sunday, April 7
Watch Live | Live Stats | Listen Live
ABOUT INDIANA
Indiana is 23-12 this season, but 0-6 in the B1G after series sweeps by Penn State and Michigan to open conference play. The Hoosiers are No. 52 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings with wins over current No. 30 Kansas, No. 35 Oregon, No. 44 FAU and No. 49 Louisville. Indiana is 2-0 against opponents shared with MSU (FAU, Marshall).
Michigan State is 57-77 all-time against Indiana overall and 24-34 when playing in East Lansing. Indiana has won three straight and nine of the last 10. MSU has not faced Indiana in East Lansing since May 8, 2017.
IU ranks #41 nationally in batting average (.310), #55 in doubles (50), #101 in ERA (3.18), #24 in home runs per game (1.14), #44 in OBP (.389), #30 in scoring (6.06), #24 in SLG (.511) and #9 in stolen bases per game (2.29).
Brianna Copeland is #36 nationally in strikeouts (103). Copeland owns a 2.48 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in the circle over 96.0 innings. Opponents are hitting .219 against her this season in 26 appearances. Copeland is also hitting .351 with a .993 OPS and a .434 OBP. Copeland has 12 extra-base hits this season and 22 RBI. She leads the team with 39 hits and is tied for the team-high in stolen bases with 12.
Taylor Minnick ranks #40 nationally in RBI (36). Minnick is second on the team hitting .359 along with a team-high .460 OBP. Avery Parker (1.042) and Cora Bassett (1.029) also boast an OPS over 1.000. Bassett leads the team with eight home runs.
Four Hoosiers have stolen double-digit bags this season (Aly VanBrandt - 11, Brooke Benson - 12, Cassidy Kettleman - 10, Copeland - 12). VanBrandt is hitting a team-high .370 with two triples and 11 stolen bases.
Sophie Kleiman has made a team-high 15 starts, throwing 68.2 innings with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP and a .281 batting average against.
HOT B1G BATS
Mik Anthony, Hannah Hawley and Anna Fox have posted strong starts to the B1G season at the plate. Anthony has hit .800 (4-for-5) with four walks (.889 OBP) and two RBI in four appearances (two starts).
Hawley and Fox have each made all six starts, with Hawley hitting .412 (.524 OBP) and Fox hitting .400 (.500 OBP). Hawley leads the team with seven hits in B1G games along with two home runs and three RBI.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 32 home runs through 32 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (39 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 38 nationally in home runs per game (1.00). The Spartans need 34 home runs to crack the program Top 10 for single-season home runs.
2024: 32 in 32 games
2023: 17 in 46 games
2022: 25 in 52 games
2021: 16 in 40 games
2020: 9 in 22 games
HAULING IN HITS
Sophomore Hannah Hawley leads the Spartans with a .368 batting average, a .459 on-base percentage, a .716 slugging percentage and a 1.175 OPS. Hawley is #5 in the B1G in slugging percentage and OPS. Hawley leads the team with 35 hits, 19 runs scored, 17 extra-base hits and 13 walks drawn.
Hawley also leads the Spartans with 11 multi-hit games (five three-hit games, six two-hit games) and is tied for first with five multi-RBI games (Britain Beshears, 5). Hawley enters the weekend on an eight game reached-base streak, her longest streak of the season.
GREY-TEFUL DEAD
Graduate student Liv Grey has been among the best pitchers in the country so far this season. Through 104.0 innings Grey has posted a 2.29 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a .275 batting average against. Grey has struck out 116 batters, ranking #21 nationally in strikeouts despite ranking #47 in innings pitched. Her 7.8 k/7 is #52 nationally.
Grey was named B1G Pitcher of the Week 3/4/2024, the eighth Spartan all time do so.
UP NEXT
MSU will be back in action at Secchia Stadium next week for a pair of mid-week contests, first taking on Michigan at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. The Spartans will turn around to face Western Michigan at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
