ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are set for back-to-back midweeks Tuesday and Wednesday as OU heads to East Lansing for a match with Michigan State on April 14, before playing host to Cleary on April 15. Tuesday will be available to stream on BTN+ at 6 p.m. ET, while Neal Ruhl will be on the call on Wednesday on ESPN+ (3 p.m. ET).
The Golden Grizzlies went 1-2 over the weekend, as they hosted 4th place Milwaukee in another Horizon League Series.
Oakland dropped the series opener to the Panthers, 12–4, on Friday despite recording seven hits and two home runs at Oakland Baseball Field. After Milwaukee struck first in the opening inning, Kyle Revere answered with a solo shot before Carter Hain delivered a two-RBI double in the fourth to give Oakland a 3–2 lead. The Panthers responded with four runs in the fifth and added a five-run eighth inning to pull away late. Ben Clark added a solo home run in the seventh, while Lucas Day led the offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
Oakland evened the series Saturday with a 6–5 victory behind an early offensive surge and strong bullpen work. The Golden Grizzlies scored three runs in the first inning and added key insurance runs later in the game, while Sam Griffith drove in three runs and Aidan Orr scored twice. After Milwaukee tied the game with a four-run fifth inning, Oakland answered immediately and regained the lead in the seventh on an RBI single from Griffith. Andrew Landis tossed 1.2 hitless innings in relief and Blake Sehlke closed the door with two scoreless innings to secure the win.
In Sunday's rubber game, Oakland was limited to three hits in a seven-inning, run-rule loss as Milwaukee secured the series with a 12–0 victory. The Panthers scored in the first inning before adding three runs in the fourth and erupting for six runs in the fifth behind a pair of two-run home runs. Lucas Day recorded a double, while Sam Griffith and Carter Hain also collected hits. Freshman starter Ben Green struck out four over four innings, allowing just one earned run, but Milwaukee's offense finished with nine hits to seal the finale.
The Golden Grizzlies are third in the Horizon League with a team batting average of .252, as fifth-year Kyle Revere leads OU with a .311 average and five home runs in 122 plate appearances. From the mound, freshman Ben Green leads the Oakland bullpen with a 4.00 ERA in five starts, drawing up 20 strikeouts and a win.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The Michigan State Spartans opened the 2026 season against a demanding nonconference slate that included series at nationally ranked Louisville and Texas, highlighted by a pair of early wins over No. 8 Louisville, and continued into Big Ten play. Michigan State has leaned on key contributors such as Randy Seymour (four home runs, 14 RBI), Isaac Sturgess (.250 avg., two home runs), Adam Broski (.244 avg., two home runs), and Ryan McKay (.235 avg., .361 on-base percentage) to pace the offense, while the pitching staff worked through a mix of veteran returners and developing arms under Jake Boss Jr. The Spartans hold the all-time record at 38-5, with Oakland's last win over MSU occurring in 2024.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Cleary is holding strong with a 21-15 (11-7 WHAC) 2026 campaign after finishing sixth in the WHAC Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Cougars are led by Brendan Seman, who leads the Cougars' hitters and pitchers with a .403 batting average off of 56 hits and a 2.09 ERA as a utility player. Only meeting for the first time in 2024, Oakland is perfect in the all-time series with Cleary, going 2-0.
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