EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State softball gets B1G play started on the road this weekend, traveling to Evanston, Ill. for a three-game series at Northwestern on March 22-24. All games will be streamed on B1G+.
SCHEDULE
Friday, March 22 - 4:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday, March 23 - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
Sunday, March 22 - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is 13-7 overall, and is No. 47 by RPI after ranked wins over Boston (2-0) and South Carolina (4-3) last weekend. NU went 2-0 in mid-week contests this week defeating DePaul (3-1) and UIC (7-1). Northwestern went 4-2 against non-conference opponents it had in common with Michigan State, falling to Boise State and NC State, but defeating South Carolina, Boston, Minnesota and DePaul.
Michigan State is 29-84 all-time against NU, and is 18-39 when playing on the road. MSU last defeated Northwestern on April 13, 2011 (13-4, 5 inn.). The Wildcats have won 20-straight games against MSU.
The Wildcats rank #172 nationally in batting average (.259), #21 in ERA (2.101), #39 in OBP (.396) and #78 in scoring (5.05).
Michigan State graduate Ashley Miller ('21-'23) ranks #14 nationally in ERA (0.93), #9 in hits allowed per seven (3.50), #5 in saves (4), #63 in strikeouts (73) and #32 in strikeouts per seven (8.5). Opponents are hitting just .144 off of Miller this season. Freshman Riley Grudzielanek is second on the team in ERA (2.54) and innings pitched (30.1), making six starts for the Wildcats. Opponents are hitting .306 vs. Grudzielanek in the circle. Grudzielanek will also swing the bat at times for NU, hitting .250 in 28 at-bats with two home runs and eight RBI.
Kansas Robinson leads the team in batting average (.416) and extra-base hits (9) along with tying Hannah Cady for the team-high in RBI (15). Robinson holds a slight edge in team OPS (1.177). Bridget Donahey is among the most patient batters in the country with 20 drawn walks, good for a .540 OBP. Her OBP ranks #23 nationally and is #3 in the B1G. Donahey is second on the team with a 1.150 OPS. Angela Zedak is hitting .327 with a .995 OPS, rarely striking out with just nine strikeouts on the season compared to 13 walks in 20 games. Hannah Cady is hitting .268 with a .394 OBP, bringing All-B1G experience to the Wildcats lineup (2022 - 1st Team, 2023 - 2nd Team).
MSU DEFEATED LATE AT NOTRE DAME
Michigan State led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday at Notre Dame, but a late Fighting Irish rally led to a 4-2 defeat.
Hannah Hawley hit her sixth home run of the season in the third inning to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Senior Jenae Wash later singled up the middle to plate sophomore Britain Beshears from third to double MSU's advantage.
Back-to-back base hits put two runners on for Notre Dame before a one-out Spartan error led to a run. With two outs on the board following a fielder's choice, the Fighting Irish scored one on a bases loaded walk and two more on a pinch-hit single up the middle of the infield.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU hit 30 home runs through 26 non-conference games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (39 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 25 nationally in home runs per game (1.15). The Spartans need 34 home runs to crack the program Top 10 for single-season home runs.
2024: 30 in 26 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 is making a major impact on the Spartan lineup in her first season in East Lansing. When leading off an inning, Hawley is reaching base at a .500 clip.
Hawley leads the Spartans with a .359 batting average, a .444 on-base percentage and a 1.149 OPS, while ranking second on the team in slugging (.705). Hawley leads the team with 28 hits, 15 extra-base hits and 10 walks drawn. Her 16 runs scored is tied for the team-high with Britain Beshears. Hawley also leads the Spartans with nine multi-hit games (four three-hit games, five two-hit games) and is second with four multi-RBI games.
BASHING BESHEARS
Sophomore Britain Beshears ranks #13 nationally in home runs (10) and #14 home runs per game (0.38). Beshears is #2 in the B1G in home runs and her 10 home runs already rank tied for ninth in program history for a single season.
No Spartan had hit 10 home runs in a season since 2019 (Caitie Ladd, 11). Michigan State's single-season record for home runs is 20 (Lindsey Hansen, 2011).
UP NEXT
Michigan State remains on the road next weekend when it travels to Iowa City, Iowa for a three-game series against Iowa on March 29-31. Iowa is 12-10 this season and are winners of four straight. The Hawkeyes open B1G play at home against Wisconsin.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
SCHEDULE
Friday, March 22 - 4:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday, March 23 - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
Sunday, March 22 - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Live Video | Live Stats
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern is 13-7 overall, and is No. 47 by RPI after ranked wins over Boston (2-0) and South Carolina (4-3) last weekend. NU went 2-0 in mid-week contests this week defeating DePaul (3-1) and UIC (7-1). Northwestern went 4-2 against non-conference opponents it had in common with Michigan State, falling to Boise State and NC State, but defeating South Carolina, Boston, Minnesota and DePaul.
Michigan State is 29-84 all-time against NU, and is 18-39 when playing on the road. MSU last defeated Northwestern on April 13, 2011 (13-4, 5 inn.). The Wildcats have won 20-straight games against MSU.
The Wildcats rank #172 nationally in batting average (.259), #21 in ERA (2.101), #39 in OBP (.396) and #78 in scoring (5.05).
Michigan State graduate Ashley Miller ('21-'23) ranks #14 nationally in ERA (0.93), #9 in hits allowed per seven (3.50), #5 in saves (4), #63 in strikeouts (73) and #32 in strikeouts per seven (8.5). Opponents are hitting just .144 off of Miller this season. Freshman Riley Grudzielanek is second on the team in ERA (2.54) and innings pitched (30.1), making six starts for the Wildcats. Opponents are hitting .306 vs. Grudzielanek in the circle. Grudzielanek will also swing the bat at times for NU, hitting .250 in 28 at-bats with two home runs and eight RBI.
Kansas Robinson leads the team in batting average (.416) and extra-base hits (9) along with tying Hannah Cady for the team-high in RBI (15). Robinson holds a slight edge in team OPS (1.177). Bridget Donahey is among the most patient batters in the country with 20 drawn walks, good for a .540 OBP. Her OBP ranks #23 nationally and is #3 in the B1G. Donahey is second on the team with a 1.150 OPS. Angela Zedak is hitting .327 with a .995 OPS, rarely striking out with just nine strikeouts on the season compared to 13 walks in 20 games. Hannah Cady is hitting .268 with a .394 OBP, bringing All-B1G experience to the Wildcats lineup (2022 - 1st Team, 2023 - 2nd Team).
MSU DEFEATED LATE AT NOTRE DAME
Michigan State led 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday at Notre Dame, but a late Fighting Irish rally led to a 4-2 defeat.
Hannah Hawley hit her sixth home run of the season in the third inning to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Senior Jenae Wash later singled up the middle to plate sophomore Britain Beshears from third to double MSU's advantage.
Back-to-back base hits put two runners on for Notre Dame before a one-out Spartan error led to a run. With two outs on the board following a fielder's choice, the Fighting Irish scored one on a bases loaded walk and two more on a pinch-hit single up the middle of the infield.
PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU hit 30 home runs through 26 non-conference games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (39 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 25 nationally in home runs per game (1.15). The Spartans need 34 home runs to crack the program Top 10 for single-season home runs.
2024: 30 in 26 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 is making a major impact on the Spartan lineup in her first season in East Lansing. When leading off an inning, Hawley is reaching base at a .500 clip.
Hawley leads the Spartans with a .359 batting average, a .444 on-base percentage and a 1.149 OPS, while ranking second on the team in slugging (.705). Hawley leads the team with 28 hits, 15 extra-base hits and 10 walks drawn. Her 16 runs scored is tied for the team-high with Britain Beshears. Hawley also leads the Spartans with nine multi-hit games (four three-hit games, five two-hit games) and is second with four multi-RBI games.
BASHING BESHEARS
Sophomore Britain Beshears ranks #13 nationally in home runs (10) and #14 home runs per game (0.38). Beshears is #2 in the B1G in home runs and her 10 home runs already rank tied for ninth in program history for a single season.
No Spartan had hit 10 home runs in a season since 2019 (Caitie Ladd, 11). Michigan State's single-season record for home runs is 20 (Lindsey Hansen, 2011).
UP NEXT
Michigan State remains on the road next weekend when it travels to Iowa City, Iowa for a three-game series against Iowa on March 29-31. Iowa is 12-10 this season and are winners of four straight. The Hawkeyes open B1G play at home against Wisconsin.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
