Spartan Baseball Prepares for First Meeting with In-State Rival
The Michigan State Spartans (12-3) are returning to the state of Michigan for the first time this season as they prepare for their first of four meetings with bitter rival, Michigan Wolverines (8-6, 2-1) on Wednesday afternoon.
Even though the game is an unofficial conference contest that will not count towards the Big Ten standings, it is a rivalry battle all the same. The Spartans finished 3-1 against their arch rival, a season ago.
The Wolverines have already begun conference play, winning two of three over the Illinois Fighting Illini last weekend. Michigan State gains an extra few days of rest in comparison, as the Wolverines earned a win over the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday afternoon, playing on zero days rest.
Despite Michigan having a worse record than the Spartans to this point, the Wolverines have faced some of the best talent in all of Division I. Their season opener featured a 5-4 win over the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers in extra innings. They also played and lost to No. 22 TCU and No. 5 Arkansas.
Michigan State will more than likely start their lefty ace, junior pitcher Joseph Dzierwa. Currently holding a team-best 4-0 record, Dzierwa ranks fourth in the country in strikeouts (41) while allowing the fourth-least amount of hits (9). All of that has been done in 25.2 innings of work.
The two rivals will not meet again until April 25, when a three-game series will be held in Ann Arbor. This will be the only home game for the Spartans between these two teams, and they will look to take advantage with a win in less-than-ideal conditions. Both teams pray for 60 degrees and sunny.
The Spartans have won three of their four games, finishing up the First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, SC., this past weekend. They have been one of the weakest offensive teams in the Big Ten this season, but their defense and pitching have given them a +52 scoring margin this season.
First pitch for Wednesday's rivalry battle will start at 4:02 pm ET at McLane Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans will then begin their first official Big Ten series on the road Friday night, facing the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-7, 2-1).
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