EAST LANSING— Michigan State baseball is set to open its 2025 season against in-state rival, Western Michigan in a doubleheader on Friday in Cary, North Carolina.
In 2024, the Spartans went 24-27 with an 11-13 conference record, barely missing out on the Big Ten tournament, finishing 10th. MSU is looking to reach higher in 2025 and get back to the Big Ten Tournament and beyond.
A key returner to watch this season for MSU is junior left-handed pitcher Joseph Dzierwa. Dzierwa enters this season recently being named Baseball America’s Preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and a The Perfect Game Preseason All-American list honoree.
Dzierwa led the Spartans in strikeouts with 91 during the 2024 season and had a team-best ERA, giving up an average of 4.07 runs.
The offseason departures of Greg Ziegler, Jack Frank and Dillon Kark leave questions about who will step up offensively for the Spartans this season. Senior infielder Sam Busch and senior outfielder Nick Williams are players to watch.
Last season, Busch was second for MSU in home runs with seven and Williams was third on the team in RBIs with 37.
Sophomore infielder Ryan McKay and junior infielder Randy Seymour are also looking to take the next step for MSU. Last season, McKay was third for the Spartans in hits with 57, while Seymour was tied for second in runs scored with Williams with 41.
Western Michigan is coming off a 2024 season that featured a 32-23 overall record and a 19-11 record in MAC play. The Broncos won the MAC Tournament Championship, which clinched them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. WMU lost two games in the Lexington Regional, losing 10-8 to then No. 2 Kentucky and 6-4 to Indiana State.
The Broncos are looking to build off the momentum of last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance. Players to watch this season for WMU are senior outfielder Dylan Nevar and senior infielder Michael Maloney, both senior leaders who will lead this team after the offseason departures of Cade Sullivan and CJ Richmond.
Nevar ranked sixth in the MAC in hits with 76 during the 2024 season and sixth in the conference in runs scored with 57.
The Spartans faced the Broncos three times last season, MSU swept the three-game season series, which included two double-digit wins that were finished in eight innings or less.
The Spartans will play four games in Cary, which includes a doubleheader against the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday. Game one of the Spartans doubleheader against the Broncos is set for 4:30 p.m. with the second game set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
