MSU Baseball falls to 3-11 after Nebraska sweep
The Spartans head to Eastern Michigan Tuesday for their first game in Michigan
Yet again, it wasn't a weekend full of highlights for Jake Boss Jr’s Michigan State squad, as the Spartans fell to 3-11 after a sweep from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Spartans have only had one victory (Albany) since the opening Louisville series.
The pitching totals were drastically different with MSU having a 6.42 ERA and 22 strikeouts compared to Nebraska's 2.38 ERA and 34 K’s.
Nebraska: Power and Punchouts
The Huskers' rotation lived up to its reputation for high-strikeout potential, totaling the aforementioned 34 strikeouts over the three games.
Game 1: Extra Innings
Junior Ty Horn set the tone on Friday, flashing a fastball that touched 96 mph. He turned in a "quality start," going 7.0 innings and allowing just one run while keeping the defense involved. Despite a late bullpen collapse by Kevin Mannell (who gave up the game-tying 3-run HR), J'Shawn Unger earned the win afteer escaping a 10th-inning jam.
Michigan State looked to have stolen the momentum in th top of the 9th when Isaac Sturgess smashed a three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4. However, Nebraska’s Case Sanderson ended the night in the bottom of the 10th with a dramatic walk-off home run down the right-field line.
Game 2: Pitching Dominance
Nebraska clinched the series win on Saturday behind a stellar start from Carson Jasa, who struck out nine batters in five innings. The Spartans struck first with a bases-loaded walk in the 4th, but the Huskers responded quickly.
Jett Buck provided the insurance with a 376-foot solo blast in the 7th inning to secure the 3-1 victory. The 6-foot-7 sophomore right-hander was the definition of "effectively wild." Carson Jasa struck out 9 batters in just 5.0 innings. He faced significant trouble, including loading the bases in the 4th, but limited the damage to a single run.
The Husker bullpen was perfect behind him, with Cooper Katskee moving from his usual starting role to secure a 2-inning save.
Game 3: The Sunday Rout
The finale was all Nebraska from the start. Despite a solo homer by MSU’s Randy Seymour in the 1st, the Huskers exploded for 12 runs, including a 5-run first inning. Dylan Carey had a career day with two home runs, while sophomore right-hander Gavin Blachowicz tossed a 7-inning complete game, striking out a career-high 11 batters to trigger the run rule.
Sophomore Gavin Blachowicz provided the most dominant performance of the weekend. After surrendering a leadoff homer, he retired 13 of the next 14 hitters. He finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 7-inning complete game, showing elite command by only walking one batter.
Grit vs. Fatigue
The Spartans saw strong efforts from their front-line starters, but the depth of the staff was tested as the weekend progressed.
Aidan Donovan (Friday): Donovan matched Ty Horn pitch-for-pitch for much of the opener. He threw 6.0 innings, scattering eight hits but yielding only two runs. He kept MSU in the game without issuing a single walk, a rare feat against a disciplined Nebraska lineup.
Carter Monke (Saturday): The graduate transfer from Illinois State continued his strong season, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing only one earned run. He left the game with the score close, but was ultimately tagged with the loss as the offense failed to provide support.
The Sunday Collapse: Junior Logan Pikur struggled to find the zone, lasting only one inning after being ambushed for 5 runs on 5 hits. The bullpen, including freshmen Kyle Rudolph and Bobby Crane, was forced into long relief early, leading to the run-rule finish.
The Spartans will face Eastern Michigan (4-12) Tuesday afternoon and head to Rutgers (8-6) for a weekend series.
The current Big Ten standings: USC, UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa, Minnesota, Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State.
