Spartans dominate in offensive showcase, fueled by standout slugger Randy Seymour. This exhibition format delivered a thrilling, high-scoring victory.
The game may not count toward the overall standings, but to Lansing and East Lansing, this one always means a little more.
The Crosstown Showdown has long been one of those events that brings people together — Michigan State fans, Lansing Lugnuts fans, baseball fans, and just about anyone looking to enjoy a unique night at the ballpark. It’s a chance to show love to both teams and to the fans on both sides of Harrison Road.
This year’s edition didn’t come on a Thirsty Thursday, and it didn’t feature some of the bigger names we’ve seen pass through in years past, like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, or Ryan Goins. Still, the Oakland A’s have some intriguing talent in the minor leagues, so you never really know who you might be watching.
Why does that matter? Because the Lansing Lugnuts are the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Before that, they were affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, which is why fans in Lansing once had the chance to see some of those now-household names as teenagers. In years past, going to a Lugnuts game — especially the Crosstown Showdown — meant you had a real chance to catch a future All-Star before the rest of the baseball world knew who they were.
The same can be said, in some ways, for Michigan State. Realistically, it’s been a while since a Spartan made it all the way to The Show and became an MLB All-Star. But the Spartans do have a few players on this roster who could absolutely make some noise at the next level if given the opportunity.
Leading that list is Michigan State’s top home run hitter, Randy Seymour.
With an eye-popping 10 home runs on the season, Seymour hasn’t just been the Spartans’ most dangerous power bat — he’s been in a class of his own. His total is more than double that of the team’s next-highest home run hitter, Adam Broski, who entered the night with four.
And on Wednesday night, Seymour added another.
The slugger launched a ball that nearly left Jackson Field and threatened to land somewhere near Larch Street. Seymour has been crushing the baseball all season, and his latest blast helped power Michigan State to a 16-10 win over the Lugnuts in a true hitter’s duel.
This wasn’t your typical baseball game, though.
The 2026 edition of the Crosstown Showdown was played under a unique exhibition format designed to save pitching arms, speed up the game, and create even more action for the fans.
The entire game was machine-pitched and played with a two-hour time limit and a nine-inning cap. No bunting or stolen bases were allowed. Every run had to be earned with the bat.
There was also no penalty for swinging and missing, with each batter receiving six pitches to put the ball in play. And perhaps the most entertaining wrinkle of all: every inning included a second-chance rally. After the first three outs were recorded, the bases were cleared and the outs reset, giving each team another opportunity to put runs on the board.
In other words, if you came to see offense, you got your money’s worth.
The night began with Steve Izzo — son of Michigan State men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo — throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on behalf of the Izzo Foundation. While Tom Izzo was busy keeping tabs on his new basketball recruits, Steve helped get the evening underway.
Then came the fourth inning, when Michigan State really started flexing.
Seymour launched his moonshot, and Dayton Murphy joined the party by blasting a home run of his own. From there, the bats just kept rolling.
If you’re someone who loves watching baseballs fly, this was your kind of game.
And if you skipped it because of last year’s 1-0 Michigan State win — a game that snapped the Spartans’ 11-game losing streak in the Crosstown Showdown — you may have missed out. This year was the complete opposite. Both teams traded blows throughout the night, and the seventh inning ended up being the only frame in which neither side scored. Outside of that, hits were falling all over the field on a chilly afternoon that turned scorching hot once the offense got going.
Michigan State head coach Jake Boss Jr. said the atmosphere is one his players won’t forget.
“Tonight was a lot of fun. It was just a really different type of atmosphere, but something again our guys are never going to forget,” Boss said. “I think it’s always fun. It’s a little bit less pressure, I guess. It’s mostly just go out and have fun playing the game and try to learn from what the pro guys do and try to gain a little bit of a different perspective. My guys all want to play at this level at some point, so it’s a good opportunity to get a feel for that.”
And that’s really what this game is all about.
It’s fun. It’s community. It’s school pride. It’s baseball in a way that feels a little more personal than the box score suggests.
Seymour, who has been Michigan State’s MVP through the first stretch of the season, echoed that sentiment after the game.
“It’s always good to go talk to those guys too,” Seymour said. “We’ve played with a couple of them, played against some of them. It’s just fun to see all the fans and to play a game and have fun with it. That’s what it’s all about.”
“It’s good. It’s what Michigan State is all about. You see the fans and you see all the ‘Go Green’ chants and the band is here, the dance team, I mean it’s awesome. It brings the school together, it feels like.”
“I mean, it’s always fun to get a win.”
Now, Michigan State turns its attention back to conference play this weekend against Northwestern Wildcats baseball.
The Spartans, currently 4-8 in Big Ten play, sit 10th in the conference standings, while Northwestern enters at 3-6 and sits 13th. That matters, because only the top 12 teams qualify for the Big Ten Tournament at the end of the regular season.
So while the Crosstown Showdown may not count in the standings, the Spartans will gladly take the momentum — and the bragging rights.