Spartans' Dzierwa Dominates in Upset Win Over No. 6 Oregon

Michigan State Spartans left-handed pitcher Joseph Dzierwa tossed the most impressive outing in recent Spartan history as he threw a complete game shutout to defeat No. 6 Oregon on Friday night.

Michigan State's Joseph Dzierwa delivers a pitch during a NCAA Big Ten Conference baseball game against Iowa, Friday, May 12, 2023, at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Michigan State Spartans (24-19, 10-12) earned their biggest upset victory since 2014 as they defeated the No. 6 Oregon Ducks (31-13, 14-8) on Friday night in East Lansing. They did it all behind the arm of lefty starter Joseph Dzierwa, tossing arguably the best outing of his career.

Dzierwa led the Spartans to a 2-0 defeat over the former Pac-12 program, hurling a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits, zero walks, and 11 strikeouts, improving to 7-2 on the year. It also marks the fourth time this season that Dzierwa has notched double-digit strikeouts in 12 starts.

The Spartans scratched off just two runs, scoring in the second with junior infielder Randy Seymour reaching on an error to score one. In the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Parker Picot clubbed his fifth home run of the season to double Michigan State's lead. An all-around flawless ballgame.

After the Spartans were devastatingly swept against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor last weekend, this team needed a big win to reinvigorate itself and help it make a final push for a Big Ten Tournament spot. Dzierwa did just that, putting together his best stuff of the season.

Dzierwa is still dominating the Big Ten in terms of pitching numbers, rocking the top ERA in the conference at 2.20 and second in strikeouts with 86 in the second-most innings pitched at 73.2. He has also walked just 19 batters, which is downright insane for how many innings he has thrown.

If Major League scouts are still doubting Dzierwa's ability to be a high-profile draft pick, they will believe it now. Taking on one of the nation's top teams and absolutely shoving nine scoreless innings on 119 pitches is some big-league stuff.

The latest 2025 MLB Mock Draft from SoxMachine.com has Dzierwa projected as the 40th overall pick, being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round. He has proven professional talent all season long, but Friday's dominance was just another reason to believe he will go pro.

The Spartans lost Game 2 on Saturday afternoon, 13-5, directly showing the difference when Dzierwa is on the mound. The weekend series finale begins on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 11:32 a.m. ET, 8:32 a.m. PT.

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