Michigan State Baseball: Don’t call it a comeback
By Ryan Kay
After a rough start to the season, Michigan State baseball has pieced together a solid nine-game stretch. Don’t call it a comeback.
LL Cool J’s famous phrase ‘don’t call it a comeback’ has a different meaning for the Michigan State baseball team. After a devastating sweep in New Jersey against Rutgers, the Spartans have won six of their last nine games which just ended with a series victory over Northwestern.
Even during their recent nine-game stretch where they onlu lost three games, they have been competitive even in defeat. They fell in 10 innings for a final score of 3-2 at the hands of the Wildcats in their most recent loss. It’s true that they haven’t faced top-tier competition but they have been showing progress of late.
They are 14-28 overall and 3-11 in Big Ten conference play, however, there is hope for the future.
The Spartans dug themselves into a deep hole to start the season. They were not expected to make the NCAA Tournament or contend for a Big Ten title but they could not have expected this season to have gone as bad as it’s gone thus far.
After winning their first game of the season, they lost their next nine games. They have shown flashes of progress early like when they won at Arizona by a score of 9-5 or win they beat Ohio State on a neutral field 7-1. However, after they beat the Buckeyes they would go on to lose eight straight.
Midway through the season after only beating Western Michigan twice in late March, mid-April looked like the beginning of the end and possibly looking like the most embarrassing season in recent Spartan memory. After false hope of winning a three game series against Indiana State and winning at Notre Dame, the Spartans got swept by Rutgers. But late-April has shown hope.
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As Michigan State is currently one game from being tied for last place in the Big Ten, they have a big opportunity to continue their comeback of sorts as they play at Purdue this upcoming weekend. The Spartans have 12 scheduled games left on their calendar and they hope to end the season on a positive note.