Broski and Seymour power MSU's offense with clutch home runs, securing a gritty opening-day upset against No. 8 Louisville.
Spartans hold strong behind Adam Broski and Randy Seymour home runs to beat No. 8 Louisville 4–3 on college baseball’s opening day.
There might still be a blanket of snow on the ground in Michigan, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be baseball o’clock somewhere. College baseball opening day is upon us, and the road to the College World Series has officially begun.
Michigan State has been practicing indoors — and even practiced in a blizzard. You can’t question the dedication of the Spartans. Still, they were more than happy to finally be outside playing the sport they love.
It was Michigan State’s first season-opening series since 2022, and it’s a doozy — a matchup against the eighth-ranked Louisville Cardinals.
Louisville struck first in the bottom of the second. Freshman Kade Elam opened the inning with a gapper to left-center that center fielder Trent Rice bobbled, allowing Elam to reach second. Junior Ben Slanker followed with another shot into the gap on the right side, making Rice look like a pinball bouncing left to right. The ball found the wall and Elam scored the first run of the game — and the season — for Louisville.
The next batter smoked one to short, but Jasen Oliver gobbled it up and quickly fired to third to cut down the lead runner. That defensive stand helped settle pitcher Aidan Donovan, who was able to finish the inning without further damage.
The Spartans recorded their first hit in the top of the third when leadoff man Nick Williams snuck a hard-hit ball past the outstretched third baseman with two outs. It was the second baserunner of the inning after Adam Broski had reached via hit-by-pitch, though Broski was later thrown out trying to return to first following a missed bunt attempt from Rice.
After Williams’ hit, Ryan McKay — the Spartans’ standout from Clarkston — stepped in and was drilled in the right elbow, giving MSU two on with two outs and its first runner in scoring position. But Louisville’s Ethan Eberle rose to the moment, striking out Randy Seymour swinging and walking off the mound with an emotional burst.
In the fourth, the Spartans threatened again with a leadoff walk, but Eberle was dealing. He racked up six strikeouts through four innings and kept MSU guessing, even while laboring through his pitch count.
Meanwhile, the Spartan defense made sure Louisville couldn’t extend its lead. With a runner on third and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Coach Jake Boss Jr. brought the infield in. Donovan induced a perfect ground ball to Oliver, who once again made the right read, firing home to cut down the lead runner in a rundown that ended in an out. Defense remained the emphasis — and it showed.
The breakthrough finally came in the fifth.
Once again, Adam Broski reached to lead off — this time with a clean single. Eberle got the next batter but, with his pitch count over 80, Louisville went to the bullpen. Jack Brown entered and promptly hit Nick Williams, marking the fourth straight inning a Spartan had been plunked.
After a Ryan McKay groundout moved the runners to second and third, it was Randy Seymour’s turn again with runners in scoring position. This time he delivered. Seymour lined a two-out single over a diving shortstop, bringing home both Broski and Williams. Michigan State had its first hit with runners on base — and a 2–1 lead.
The game quieted down for a bit — good news for the Spartans. Donovan and Nolan Higgins combined for two perfect innings to keep Louisville off balance.
In the top of the seventh, Louisville turned to Casen Murphy. The sophomore had about a second to smile before realizing he had to face the hottest hitter of the day — Adam Broski.
Broski crushed a towering shot over the left-field fence that nearly cleared the parking lot. The first home run of the season for Michigan State gave the Spartans a 3–1 lead heading into the stretch.
But relief didn’t last long.
Louisville had flirted with the long ball all afternoon, and Ben Slanker answered immediately. He took Higgins deep to match MSU’s homer and cut the lead to 3–2. Bayram Hot followed with a double. Higgins battled back with two big strikeouts, but Lucas Moore dropped a fly ball into shallow outfield — a tough read for Rice battling the sun. Hot scored easily, and just like that, the game was tied 3–3 after seven innings.
The Spartans wasted no time responding.
On the first pitch of the eighth, Murphy was taken deep again. Randy Seymour launched a solo shot to left for his third RBI of the game and his first home run of the season. The dugout exploded. The crowd went silent. Michigan State was back on top, 4–3.
Murphy recovered to strike out the side, but the damage was done.
The eighth inning wasn’t stress-free. Tague Davis opened the bottom half with a single. Parker Picot then made a tremendous catch at the right-field warning track to prevent extra bases. Gannon Grundman bore down and retired Slanker for his final out before Tommy Szczepanski closed out the inning to preserve the one-run lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Louisville opened with a leadoff single through the left side. The Cardinals weren’t going quietly. But that would be it.
Despite Louisville’s best attempt to “lean” into a win, the Spartans shut the door when it mattered most and opened the 2026 season with a statement 4–3 victory over the No. 8 Cardinals.
Game two of the three-game series is set for tomorrow at 1 p.m.