EAST LANSING— Michigan State may be leaving Michigan for this week’s out-of-conference competition, but the opponent remains familiar.
The Spartans will face off against their second-oldest non-Big Ten opponent, Notre Dame, with the two teams having played each other since 1907. Wednesday will mark the 174th matchup all-time.
Adding to the familiarity of the opponent, there will be a father versus son matchup between the schools through the Van Ameyde family. MSU assistant coach/pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde will be staring across the diamond at his son, Chase Van Ameyde, a freshman pitcher for the Fighting Irish.
Nonetheless, any relationships will be forgotten by the top of the first inning as MSU looks to win four of its last five games, with sophomore infielder Ryan McKay aiming to stay hot.
The reigning Big Ten Co-Player of the Week is batting .386 on the year along with a .530 slugging percentage. Coming off a week where he went 13-for-18, including both a 4-for-4 performance against Oakland and a 5-for-5 performance in the first game against Penn State.
McKay has also stolen eight bases, a key stat for the Spartans this season. With 43 stolen bases, they rank third in the Big Ten, averaging 1.87 steals per game.
If the sophomore can find a way to get on early and make his way around the basepaths, it would be huge for MSU. With a record of 7-2 when scoring in the first inning, MSU could use that early momentum to help put the Fighting Irish away.
Scouting Notre Dame
MSU might be coming off a series win this past weekend, but Notre Dame experienced the opposite. It lost all three games to its conference opponent Georgia Tech.
As the Fighting Irish look to move past the weekend and shift their focus to the Spartans, a few key players could help propel them to a non-conference win.
Though Notre Dame has struggled against ACC opponents with a 1-8 record so far, the top of its lineup remains formidable.
Freshman infielder Parker Brzustewicz is batting .380 with a .471 on-base percentage, doing a great job of getting on base for the power hitters. Those hitters include freshman infielder Bino Watters and junior infielder Estevan Moreno.
Watters is batting .295 with a .551 slugging percentage, leading the team with five home runs and 22 RBIs.
Moreno has also showcased his power with five home runs, though he’s been less consistent. With a .202 batting average, the infielder has struggled but can crush the ball if given the opportunity.
With their record falling to 12-9 amid a three-game losing streak, the Fighting Irish need to get back on track. Meanwhile, the 16-7 Spartans will be looking to steal a win in South Bend, Indiana, a place where they’re used to success. They lead the all-time series in South Bend 38-33.
The matchup between the historic foes is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., as MSU focuses on taking advantage of a brief pause in conference play.
