All the Information You Need to Follow the Michigan State Baseball Team in the NCAA's

MICHIGAN STATE (37-21) at STANFORD REGIONAL Stanford Regional Information: Dates: Friday, June 1 - Monday, June 4 Location: Stanford, Calif. Venue: Klein Field

MICHIGAN STATE (37-21) at STANFORD REGIONAL

Stanford Regional Information:

Dates: Friday, June 1 - Monday, June 4

Location:

Stanford, Calif.

Venue:

Klein Field at Sunken Diamond (4,000)

Format:

Four teams, double elimination

Teams (By Seed)

No. 1 Stanford (38-16, 18-12 Pac 12)

No. 2 Pepperdine (34-21, 16-8 West Coast)

No. 3 Michigan State (37-21, 13-11 Big Ten)

No. 4 Fresno State (30-26, 8-10 WAC)

Media Coverage

Video:

ESPN3.com

Audio:

SpartanSportsNetwork.com

Mobile:

Spartan Sports Network mobile app

Live Stats:

Gametracker at msuspartans.com

Twitter Updates:

twitter.com/statebaseball

Friday’s Schedule:

4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT): MSU vs. Pepperdine

9 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. PDT): Stanford vs. Fresno State

Possible Pitching Matchup - Game 1

MSU: Sr. RHP Tony Bucciferro • 6-3 • 200

(6-3, 2.80 ERA, 106.0 IP, 90 K, .240 OBA)

vs.

PEPP: Jr. RHP Jon Moscot • 6-4 • 210

(6-5, 2.97 ERA, 106.0 IP, 91 K, .258 OBA)

Possible Starter - Game 2:

MSU: Jr. RHP Andrew Waszak • 6-1 • 205

(4-3, 2.81 ERA, 99.1 IP, 46 K, .235 OBA)

Possible Starter - Game 3 (if necessary):

MSU: So. RHP David Garner • 5-11 • 175

(6-3, 3.28 ERA, 74.0 IP, 75 K, .234 OBA)

STORYLINE

The Michigan State baseball team will be making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 33 years this week as the Spartans head to California for the Stanford Regional. The Spartans (37-21) earned an at-large bid as a No. 3 seed in the four-team regional and will play second-seeded Pepperdine on Friday at 4 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. PDT). The Waves won the West Coast Conference with a 16-8 league mark and are 34-21 overall.

This marks the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance for the Spartan baseball program and the first since 1979. MSU went to the College World Series in 1954 and also played in the NCAA Tournament in 1971 and 1978.

Stanford is the No. 1 seed in the regional with a 38-16 record and will play No. 4 Fresno State (30-26) at 9 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. PDT). Throughout its 128-year program history, Michigan State has never played either school.

On Saturday and Sunday, game times are also scheduled for 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., and if necessary, Monday at 6 p.m. All of the games will be broadcast on ESPN3.com, while audio of Michigan State’s games will be available on SpartanSportsNetwork.com and the Spartan Sports Network mobile app.

The Spartans have played Pepperdine just once before in school history, and interestingly enough, it was MSU’s opening game the last time it was in the NCAA Tournament in 1979. Michigan State hosted the Mideast Regional that year in East Lansing and fell to the Waves in the first game, 15-0, as Pepperdine went 3-0 in the regional and advanced to the College World Series.

MSU is coming off a 2-2 showing at the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. The Spartans won their first-round game over Nebraska, 10-9, before falling to Indiana in the second round, 6-4. In an elimination game, MSU bounced back to defeat Ohio State, 6-2, but fell in the semifinals to the Hoosiers for the second time in the tournament, 4-3 in 11 innings.

The Spartans have won 37 games this season, which ranks third in school history. Michigan State closed the regular season with an RPI of 45 and has posted RPI Top 50 wins over Baylor, Purdue and St. John’s.

Senior co-captain Tony Bucciferro (6-3, 2.80 ERA), MSU’s all-time leader in starts (54) and innings pitched (367.0), will get the call on the mound for the Spartans in game one, matching up against Pepperdine junior right-hander Jon Moscot (6-5, 2.97 ERA).