MSU meeting Niagara for first time since 2018.
| MICHIGAN STATE (12-14, 3-3 B1G) vs NIAGARA (18-7, 6-0 MAAC) | |
| Location | McLane Stadium at Kobs Field || East Lansing, Mich. |
| Tickets | MSU Ticket Office |
| Traffic / Parking | *** REMINDER - Construction is happening on 127 en route to MSU campus *** MORE INFO | US-127 Reconstruction Project Details |
| Weather | High/Low - Fri: 47° / 31° | Sat: 54° / 30° | Sun: 55° / 42° |
| Game Notes | MICHIGAN STATE | NIAGARA |
| Social Media |
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| Television | None |
| Game 1 | Friday, April 5 - 6:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Match-Up | NU: #3 SR RHP Maximilian Ramirez IV (3-2, 3.77 ERA) MSU: #16 SO LHP Joseph Dzierwa (2-1, 3.52 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live |
| Game 2 | Saturday, April 6 - 3:35 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Match-Up | NU: #30 SO LHP Preston Prince (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #46 SR LHP Nick Powers (4-2, 2.57 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live |
| Game 3 | Sunday, April 7 - 1:05 p.m. ET |
| Probable Pitching Match-Up | NU: TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA) MSU: #37 GR RHP Nick Ferazzi (0-1, 4.50 ERA) |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Watch Live | Listen Live |
• Michigan State returns home to host Niagara in a three-game non-conference weekend series, Friday-Sunday, April 5-7 at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field ... Friday's series opener between the Spartans and Purple Eagles is slated for 6:05 p.m., with Saturday's game two of the series slated for 3:05 p.m., wrapping up with Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m.
• These are the first three games of a four-game homestand for the Spartans, their third four-game homestand of the season ... MSU wraps up this four-game homestand on Tuesday, April 9, against Central Michigan at 6:05 p.m.
• 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 "Tickets," "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.
WELCOME BACK PURPLE EAGLES
• Niagara is visiting MSU and East Lansing for the first time since 2018, when the Purple Eagles and Spartans played a four-game series for MSU's home-opener and the Spartans' home-opening series.
HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Purple Eagles have 12 New York natives on its roster ... MSU does not have any New York natives on its roster and Niagara doesn't have any Michiganders on its roster.
SECOND PURPLE MASCOT
• The Niagara Purple Eagles are the Spartans' second opponent with Purple as part of their mascot, joining the Evansville Purple Aces ... so far this season, MSU is 2-1 against Purple mascot teams, as Michigan State won the series with Evansville, two games to one, March 15-17 ... overall, the Spartans are 2-2 against purple teams, as in addition to the series with Evansville, MSU played Western Carolina, whose colors are purple and gold, losing 9-5 on March 9 at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.
ABOUT NIAGARA
• The Purple Eagles fly into town with an 18-7 overall record in tow, currently 6-0 in MAAC play, coming off back-to-back series sweeps over Iona and Marist, part of winning eight in a row and nine of the last 10, that came on the heels of a four-game losing streak ... NU is averaging 11.3 runs per game in the eight-game winning streak, scoring 10+ runs in six of the eight, including a most recent 10-0 win in 7-innings last time out on Saturday.
• NU has a team average of .321, with 283 hits (11.3 pg) and 225 runs (9.0 pg), with 31 HR (1.2 pg).
• Two Purple Eagles are hitting north of .400, led by redshirt-junior outfielder/first baseman Eric Rataczak at .446, with a slash line of .446/.539/.804 with 41 hits, seven doubles, one triple, eight HR and 34 RBI.
• Freshman outfielder Nick Monile adds a slash line of .438/.529/.562 with 32 hits, 23 RBI and five stolen bases.
• Sophomore utility player Nick Groves leads NU with 14 stolen bases, adding .333 average with 23 RBI.
• The Purple Eagles' pitching staff has a 5.28 ERA, yielding a .263 average to the opposition, while posting 217 strikeouts (8.7 pg) and 143 walks (5.7 pg), combining for two shutouts.
• Friday's probable starter is senior right-hander Maximilian Ramirez IV, with a 3-2 record, with a 3.77 ERA, 27 strikeouts and 21 walks in 28.2 IP, and is part of one combined shutout, while allowing a .271 average to the opposition.
• Sophomore southpaw Preston Prince is Saturday's probable starter, with a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in two starts, combining for one shutout, with six Ks and eight BB in 5.1 IP, stymieing opponents' bats to the tune of a .176 average.
• Sunday's starter has not been announced yet.
• Graduate right-handed reliever Zach Cameron has five saves with a 4-1 record and a 3.13 ERA, logging 25 strikeouts and 10 walks in 23.0 IP, with a .200 batting average against.
• Niagara head coach Rob McCoy is in his 16th season guiding the Purple Eagles, logging a 279-450-4 record.
DOUBLE THE BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Michigan State baseball players Nick Williams was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week while Ryan McKay was tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week, announced on March 4 by the conference office.
• Williams and McKay both collect the first B1G accolades of their MSU careers. It also marks the first time that two Spartans earned B1G weekly awards in the same week since last season's first week of the awards, when Brock Vradenburg collected Player of the Week honors and Dominic Pianto was the Co-Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21, 2023 after the opening weekend of the season. Overall, it is the eighth time in program history that two or more Spartans earned conference weekly accolades in the same week.
B1G Co-Player of the Week Nick Williams • #10 • JR • OF
Racine, Wisc./Union Grove HS/Wabash Valley CC
• Posted a .556 average, hitting 10-for-18, averaging over two hits per game, with multiple hits in three of the four outings, posting games of two hits, four hits, one hit and three hits.
• Logged a .579 on-base percentage and an .833 slugging percentage.
• Went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored at Georgia, helping the Spartans to a 19-6 7-inning run-rule Victory for MSU, as the Spartans posted their first win over an SEC team since 2016, and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season.
• Went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, with a double and adding a walk in MSU's 13-3 8-inning run-rule win over Western Michigan ... Was 1-for-4 with a double vs. Florida State.
• Wrapped up week going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored on a 79-foot blast w/ 100mph exit velocity home run over the Green Monster at Fluor Field, which is the high A-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has same dimensions as Fenway Park.
B1G Freshman of the Week Ryan McKay • #1 • FR • INF
Clarkston, Mich. / Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS
• Hit .588 (8-for-15) with a .733 slugging percentage and a .588 on-base percentage in four games, averaging two hits per game, with multi-hit outings in three of the four games, for first three multiple hit games of Spartan career.
• Started week off going a career-high 3-for-4 with a triple, adding an RBI and scoring career-high three runs in MSU's 19-6 7-inning run-rule rout at Georgia, leading the Spartans to their first win over an SEC team since 2016 and dealing Georgia its first loss of the season. The three runs scored were first career runs scored in an MSU uniform.
• After Georgia took a 2-0 lead after the first frame, sparked the Spartan rally in the second to get the offense going with a leadoff triple and later scored MSU's first run of the night, knocking not just the first three-bagger of his Spartan career, but the first triple of the season for MSU.
• Came up again later in the second as MSU batted around, drawing a bases-loaded walk for an RBI ... Added singles in the fifth and seventh innings.
• Started weekend off going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, tying career-high for second-straight game, and an RBI, adding a stolen base and a walk in the 13-3 8-inning run-rule Victory for MSU over Western Michigan in Greenville.
• Went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI vs. Florida State, then wrapped up week going 1-for-4 vs. Illinois.
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.
CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN RECAP
• Michigan State baseball was defeated by the Lansing Lugnuts in the 16th Crosstown Showdown, presented by Delta Dental, on a rainy Wednesday night at Jackson® Field™ in a seven-inning exhibition.
• Once again, Mother Nature made her presence known throughout the day and night, with rain and drizzly conditions throughout pre-game activities and during the game.
• A crowd of 4,118 was in attendance, with the early fans receiving a Spartan green-colored Crosstown Showdown jersey.
• The Lugnuts are the High-A Affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, and Wednesday night was their first action in Lansing, before beginning their 28th Midwest League season this weekend at Dayton, before their home opener next Tuesday, April 9.
• Pre-game festivities included autographs from selected Spartan players, along with performances from the Spartan Spirit Squad and Spartan Marching Band, and Zeke the Wonderdog.
• With Wednesday being an exhibition and not an official game to count toward the record, the Spartans had a total of 23 players see action.
• At the plate, sophomore outfielder Jake Dresselhouse, freshman outfielder Jayden Holloway, redshirt-sophomore Jayden Terres and junior catcher Noah Bright all came on as substitutes.
• Senior pitcher Harrison Cook opened on the mound, before turning the ball over a rotation of Spartan pitchers. Redshirt-sophomore Aidan Arbaugh, junior Dominic Pianto, sophomore Robert Klann, freshman Sam Bassett-Kennedy, freshman Gavin Moczydlowsky, redshirt-freshman Stephen Ruhle, sophomore Nolan Higgins, freshman Garrett Brewer and freshman Jaxon Huffman saw action on the mound.
• For the Lugnuts, starter Grant Judkins played at Iowa from 2017-19, and he pitched against MSU on May 12, 2019, going 6.0 IP with 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB and 7 Ks.
• The Spartan starting pitcher in the match-up in that 2019 match-up was Caleb Sleeman – currently Michigan State's pitching coordinator filling in for pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde, who is away from team for medical reasons after a kidney transplant on March 20.
• In that Spartans vs. Hawkeyes, the Spartans rallied late for a 7-5 Victory for MSU.
• Judkins also played against MSU in 2017 as a DH, going 2-for-12 with two RBI in the three games with Iowa winning 3-2 in opener before a 2-1 Victory for MSU in game two and Iowa won the series with a 9-4 triumph in the finale.
FIRST OF TWO AT JACKSON® FIELD™
• Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown was the first of two games that Michigan State is playing at Jackson® Field™ this season ... MSU will also play Western Michigan there on Wednesday, April 17 in a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.
PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown was the second different professional stadium, as part of seven games and one exhibition contests the Spartans play in.
The Spartans also played six games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive. MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2-3, playing Western Michigan and Florida State on Saturday, March 2. MSU beat WMU, 13-3 in 8 innings, before losing to FSU, 11-2, as the Seminoles were among others receiving votes in the national rankings at the time and are now ranked No. 14. The Spartans then lost to Illinois, 12-6, in a non-conference match-up on Sunday, March 3.
The following weekend, MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational II, squaring off with Western Michigan again on Friday, March 8, bucking the Broncos, 5-3. MSU then lost to Western Carolina, 9-5, on Saturday, March 9 and to VCU, 8-4, on March 10 to wrap up its Fluor Field stretch.
Along with Wednesday's Crosstown Showdown, the Spartans will also play Western Michigan at Jackson® Field™ on Wednesday, April 17.
PUTTIN' THE SWEET IN HOME SWEET HOME
• Michigan State is off to an early 5-3 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 28 of their last 38 home games (28-10) in their last 38 home games dating back to the 2022 season.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
