EAST LANSING-Michigan State Baseball is set to host Western Michigan for an in-state midweek showdown on Tuesday. The Spartans are coming off a series win at home against Northwestern.
It has been tough sledding for the Spartans, with a five-game losing streak capped off by a loss at home to Central Michigan last Wednesday. The Spartans hope that the series win against Northwestern will change their fortunes and lead to a winning streak. The Spartans are currently 19-15 overall and 6-9 in conference play.
On the offensive side, senior infielder Sam Busch and sophomore infielder Ryan McKay led the Spartans. McKay leads the team with a .339 average and 42 hits. Busch has supplied the power, providing nine home runs and 41 RBIs on the year. Busch had eight runs batted in against Northwestern over the weekend, including a home run, and is looking to continue his hot streak.
On the mound, the Spartans have struggled for the most part. Junior Joseph Dzierwa has done a lot of heavy lifting for the pitching staff and has been one of the best pitchers in the conference. Dzierwa’s 1.65 ERA leads the Big Ten, while his six wins rank third and his 67 strikeouts are good enough for second.
The Spartans will need other pitchers to step up, and after junior Nolan Higgins pitched six innings and gave up just one run in the series finale against Northwestern, there’s hope that Higgins can be another weapon in this pitching staff.
For Western Michigan, the results have not been on its side this season. Just one year after winning the MAC and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament, the Broncos sit at 10-22, with a 6-9 record against their conference rivals. The Broncos took two out of three in their weekend series vs Bowling Green in Kalamazoo.
Hitting the ball has been a struggle for Western, as only one hitter has a batting average over .300. Sophomore middle infielder Tanner Mally is hitting .382, which is fifth in the MAC. Mally also leads the Broncos with 47 hits and 30 runs.
Senior outfielder Dylan Nevar leads the offense with 22 RBI, and his three home runs are tied for the team lead with junior Lucas Rick.
The Broncos have also not gotten a lot of production out of their arms. Junior Ty McKinstry leads the pitching staff with a 4.75 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Graduate student Reese Gaber leads the Broncos with three wins.
The Spartans will face the Broncos on Tuesday, with the first pitch set for 6:02 PM.
