Aidan Donovan's masterful pitching and timely hitting ignite Michigan State's crucial series opener, signaling a promising turn for the Spartans.
There’s a change in the air in Michigan.
A warmer feeling that finally starts to creep back in and thaw things out. Sure, there are still some cold days ahead, but it’s those little teases of sunshine and warmth that peel us off the couch and remind our legs that moving more than six feet to the fridge might actually be necessary again.
And when that feeling starts flowing through the body, there’s one thing that creeps into the mind: baseball.
If you’ve been living and dying with Michigan State basketball — and sulking a bit over the last week, which is completely fair — then it may be time to dry those eyes, open the blinds, and let the smell of hot dogs and popcorn fill the air again.
Michigan State baseball has been revving the engine for over a month now, and if you’re just jumping in, this is the perfect time to do it.
The Spartans entered their three-game road series against Northwestern sitting at 4-8 in Big Ten play, fighting to stay inside the top 12 and earn a spot at the Big Ten Tournament table.
This series against the Wildcats had the feel of an early turning point.
Northwestern came into the weekend at 3-6 in conference play, just 1.5 games behind Michigan State. While the calendar may still say early April, these are the kinds of games that absolutely come back around when the standings tighten up late in the season.
That made this series — especially on the road — one Michigan State simply had to take seriously.
And in Game One, the Spartans handed the ball to the right guy.
Michigan State turned to its ace, Aidan Donovan, who has been dealing all season long, and the junior right-hander delivered yet another gem.
Donovan put the team on his back Friday night, tossing eight innings of five-hit baseball while allowing just one run. He threw 102 pitches, faced 29 batters, and kept Northwestern off balance all night long. Donovan finished with 14 flyouts, eight groundouts, and two strikeouts in a performance that was far more dominant than the strikeout total might suggest.
He was efficient, composed, and exactly what Michigan State needed in a game that felt like it carried a little extra weight.
For much of the night, Donovan’s work on the mound was matched by a fairly quiet offensive showing from the Spartans. Michigan State’s bats have flashed at times this season, but early on Friday, they were still trying to find their rhythm.
Thankfully for MSU, as a wise man once almost said, better late than never.
The Spartans and Wildcats remained locked in a 0-0 game through five innings, but in the top of the sixth, Michigan State finally cracked the code.
With one out, Khamaree Thomas got things started with a single. Dayton Murphy followed with a double to put runners on second and third and immediately put pressure on Northwestern. After a pitching change by the Wildcats, Isaac Sturgess came through in a big spot, lining a single up the middle to plate both Thomas and Murphy and give Michigan State a 2-0 lead.
That was all Donovan really needed, but the Spartans weren’t done adding on.
In the top of the seventh, with Michigan State still leading 2-0, Nick Williams ripped a ball into right-center that allowed CJ Deckinga to score all the way from first base and push the Spartans’ lead to 3-0.
After Adam Broski flew out and advanced Williams to third, Trent Rice followed with a single to the left side that brought Williams home and extended the lead to 4-0 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
Michigan State kept the pressure on in the top of the eighth.
The Spartans’ top hitter this season, Randy Seymour, got things rolling with a one-out hit. Shortly after, Ryan McKay delivered with a double that scored Seymour and gave MSU a comfortable 5-0 advantage.
Northwestern finally scratched across a run in the bottom of the eighth, but the damage had long since been done.
With Donovan’s night finished, Brady Chambers came on in relief and shut the door in the ninth to seal the win and secure Michigan State’s fifth conference victory of the season.
More importantly, the Spartans opened the weekend with exactly the kind of win they needed.
Michigan State now moves to 5-8 in Big Ten play and sits 10th in the conference standings, keeping itself in the thick of the race for a postseason spot.
It may still be early, but these are the kinds of wins that matter in a big way once May rolls around.
And if Friday night was any indication, the Spartans may be finding their footing at just the right time.
Michigan State and Northwestern will square off again Saturday in Game Two of the three-game series, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. on B1G+.