EAST LANSING, Mich. – The program's second game against a Big Ten Conference (B1G) opponent this season, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies will make the approximately 80-mile trip northwest to battle the Michigan State Spartans at McLane Stadium on Wednesday, April 12 at 6:05 p.m. in a contest that will air live on B1G+.
Named in honor of former Houston Astros owner and Michigan State alumnus and donor Drayton McLane, the Spartans' home venue features a slight hill just prior to the right field wall, loosely similar to what Minute Maid Park used to have with "Tal's Hill."
On a season-long four-game win streak, Oakland will enter Wednesday at 14-17 (7-5 Horizon League), while Michigan State is 18-10 (6-3 B1G) and plays the Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend on Tuesday, April 11 at 6 p.m.
GAME SETUP
- Who – Oakland Golden Grizzlies (14-17, 7-5) at Michigan State Spartans (18-10, 6-3)
- When – Wednesday, April 12 at 6:05 p.m.
- Where – East Lansing, Michigan (McLane Stadium)
- Watch – B1G+
- Live Stats – msuspartans.com
- Twitter - @OaklandBSB & @MSUBaseball
SERIES HISTORY
- Overall Record – Michigan State leads, 22-2 (2000-22)
- Record in East Lansing – Spartans lead, 21-2 (2000-22)
- Current Streak – Michigan State W2 (2019-22)
STARTING PITCHERS
- Oakland – Junior LHP Jake Matthaidess: 11 games (0 starts), 0-0, 25.31 ERA, 4.31 WHIP, .563 BAA, 5.1 IP, 18 H, 15 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO
- Michigan State – TBA
OAKLAND OVERVIEW
- Concluding a 10-game homestand, the Golden Grizzlies scored a program-record 35 runs in their Monday, April 10 victory over the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Rochester Warriors and finished with 27 hits, one shy of Oakland's most all-time
- Clubbing two home runs, redshirt sophomore center fielder Drew Collins tallied five RBI against Rochester and a school-record six runs scored
- Graduate student utilityman Jared Miller also set a record against the Warriors, becoming the first Golden Grizzly to record three doubles in one game
- A trio of Oakland players are currently hitting above .300, led by senior Ian Cleary at .312 (29-93) and followed by sophomore third baseman Brandon Nigh at .307 (27-88) and graduate student first baseman Gabe Lux at .301 (28-93)
- Riding a season-high seven-game hit streak, Nigh is hitting an even .500 (14-28) over this span and has homered in two of the last four games
MICHIGAN STATE OVERVIEW
- Piloted by 15th-year head coach Jake Boss Jr., the Spartans have taken two of three games in all three of their B1G series thus far, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Ohio State Buckeyes
- One of four Michigan State players to have started all 28 games, left-handed-hitting Pasadena, California junior first baseman Brock Vradenburg is the B1G's leading hitter at .412 (47-114) with nine doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBI
- Four other Spartans are also above the .300 mark, with Highland native and Bowling Green Falcons transfer second baseman Trent Farquhar pacing this group at .390 (46-118)
- Leading the club with 13 appearances, Grand Ledge senior right-hander Wyatt Rush is second in the conference with six saves and boasts an extremely impressive 23/3 K/BB ratio
