The Michigan State baseball team (8-7) will play a doubleheader on Sunday against the Sycamores of Indiana State (8-8) at Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Spartans will be taking on the Sycamores, hoping to extend their winning streak to five wins in a row by the time Sunday is over with. Indiana State, which currently has won six games in a row, will look to stay hot and continue its winning ways as well.
The Sycamores are coming off a victory on Wednesday against another Big Ten foe in Illinois. Indiana State has been a team that is better than its record shows because of the Sycamores' challenging non-conference schedule. Four of the team's eight losses this season were against ACC power Miami and SEC power Kentucky — two teams that have combined for a 31-8 record this season.
Indiana State hasn't had the success offensively so far this season that it had hoped for, but during their six-game winning streak, the Sycamores have scored an average of 7.8 runs per game. Indiana State's offense is led by pair of sophomores, catcher Luis Hernandez and outfielder Parker Stinson. Both Hernandez and Stinson are batting over .300 and each has an OPS north of .800. The Sycamores as a team are batting just .238, and have hit just 13 home runs in 16 games.
The Indiana State pitching staff got off to a rough start to the 2023 season, but in the Sycamores' recent six-game winning streak, the pitching staff has given up just 2.6 runs per game. On the season, Indiana State has a 5.33 team ERA and has given up a whopping 20 home runs in 16 games.
The reliable left-handed sophomore Jared Spencer has been the star of the Sycamore pitching staff in the 2023 season. Spencer has recorded a 3.18 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. Spencer leads the team in appearances with nine on the season. An interesting matchup to watch will be if Spencer comes in to face Spartan slugger Brock Vradenburg in a left-on-left battle, which could decide a key part in the game late.
