Michigan State baseball is set to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the final home series of the regular season at McLane Stadium. There is much on the line for the Spartans this weekend, including the chance to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha next week after missing it in 2024.

MSU enters the series in a three-way tie with Northwestern and Illinois in 11th place with a 12-15 conference record.

MSU is coming off an impressive series win against the then No. 25-ranked USC Trojans in Irvine, California, last weekend. The Spartans took two out of three games against the Trojans, winning both impressively.

After struggling to be consistent on offense in the series against Oregon, the Spartans found a spark offensively against the Trojans. In the series win, the Spartans averaged 7.7 runs per game compared to the 2.6 runs averaged in the weekend slate against the Ducks the week prior.

Another key to the Spartans success is MSU left-handed pitcher Joseph Dzierwa. Dzierwa took the mound in the Spartans 5-0 win in game one against the Trojans, earning his second straight shutout and recording eight strikeouts in his eighth pitching victory.

Courtesy of his dominance on the mound, Dzierwa, for the second consecutive week, was awarded the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. This is the fourth time this season that Dzierwa has received Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors.

Minnesota comes to East Lansing with a 22-27 overall record and an 8-19 record in conference play. The Gophers have been eliminated from qualification to the Big Ten Tournament, even if they win out.

Junior catcher Weber Neels and junior outfielder Drew Berkland have led the Gophers this season. Neels and Berkland both lead Minnesota in home runs with 12 on the season.

Defensively, the Gophers are led by sophomore right-handed pitcher Kyle Remington. The Grand Rapids native leads the Gophers in strikeouts with 49 on the season.

The Spartans will open up their final series starting on Thursday night. First pitch from McLane Stadium is set for 6:02 p.m.

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