Elliott Daniels Senior Associate AD/Student-Athlete Engagement | Michigan State Spartan Athletics Website
Elliott Daniels Senior Associate AD/Student-Athlete Engagement | Michigan State Spartan Athletics Website
Michigan State University's baseball team secured a 6-4 victory over the University of Minnesota on Friday night. The game, held at Minnesota's Siebert Field, marked the opening of a Big Ten Conference weekend series. Weather conditions were favorable for home runs with temperatures around 70 degrees and winds blowing out to center field. However, only one home run was hit by each team.
MSU accumulated 14 hits in total, including six extra-base hits. Freshman infielder Ryan McKay contributed with his first career home run. Senior infielder Dillon Kark had an impressive performance, going 4-for-5 with three doubles and a single, two RBIs, and a run scored.
"It's always good to get off on the right step with a Friday win," said Kark. "I was seeing the ball pretty well tonight."
Head coach Jake Boss Jr. praised his team's performance: "I'm proud of our guys. It was a good win on a Friday night."
Other notable performances included senior outfielder Jack Frank's 3-for-5 outing with three runs scored and catcher Sam Thompson's 3-for-4 performance with an RBI. Senior outfielder Greg Ziegler also contributed with an RBI single in the seventh inning.
"Dillon is seeing the ball well," added Boss Jr., emphasizing the leadership role played by senior players like Kark, Frank, and Thompson.
Sophomore starting pitcher Joseph Dzierwa delivered six innings with four strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season. Senior reliever Aaron Mishoulam closed out the game over three innings to earn his third save.
Kark's three doubles bring him into a tie for No. 14 on MSU's single-season doubles list. Frank’s stolen base advanced him to No. 5 on MSU's career stolen base list.
The victory improved Michigan State’s record to 10-9 in conference play and 22-23 overall while dropping Minnesota to 21-22 overall and 7-12 in league action.
The teams are set to continue their series over the weekend, with games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Siebert Field.
For updates and ticket information, fans can visit MSUSpartans.com or follow @MSUBaseball on Twitter.
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