Softball to Complete Season Series with Michigan on Tuesday - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

Alexander Sorenson

Softball 4/15/2024 3:54:00 PM

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball hits the road on Tuesday, April 16 for the conclusion of its two-game season series against Michigan. First pitch from Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday night's game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Jennie Ritter calling the action. Spartan fans can also tune into the Spartan Media Network on MSUSpartans.com for Jeremy Otto's radio call.

ABOUT MICHIGAN
Michigan is 29-14 overall, 9-3 in the B1G and have won five straight. UM ranks No. 51 in the latest NCAA RPI. The Wolverines swept Iowa in three close games at home last weekend.

Michigan leads the all-time series against MSU 99-28 and have won nine straight over the Spartans.

UM ranks #120 nationally in batting average (.279), #63 in ERA (.286), #67 in fielding (.969), #110 in OBP (.363), #68 in scoring (5.19) and #62 in SLG (.462).

Lauren Derkowski ranks #24 nationally in strikeouts (142) with a 2.39 ERA over 132.0 innings. Opponents hit .245 against her. MSU also saw Erin Hoehn in the first meeting, with Hoehn owning a 3.31 ERA in 78.1 innings and a .225 batting average against.

Ellie Sieler leads UM with a .365 batting average, followed closely by Maddie Erickson's .364 average. Erickson leads the team with 51 hits and is tied for second on the team with eight homers. Keke Tholl leads Michigan with 12 home runs, three of which came against MSU during the April 9 meeting.

SPARTANS TAKE ONE OFF NITTANY LIONS
After dropping the first two games of the weekend, 10-0, 6-3, Michigan State bounced back to finish the series strong with a 6-2 victory over Penn State last Sunday.

Senior Ashlyn Roberts and Madison Taylor combined for a strong outing in the circle. Roberts struck out two, allowing two earned runs over 3.1 innings before Taylor came on in relief. Taylor pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out two.

Sophom*ore Britain Beshears stole the show offensively over the weekend hitting .400 (4-for-10) with two RBI and a double. Fellow sophom*ores Hannah Hawley and Kayla Bane each homered.

The Spartans seal the W over Penn State. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/9Zd4vkNXZY

— Big Ten Softball (@B1Gsoftball) April 14, 2024

PRODIGIOUS POP
MSU has hit 40 home runs through 40 games, which marks the most home runs by the program since the 2019 season (44 in 50 games). In 2024 Michigan State ranks No. 41 nationally in home runs per game (1.00).

Britain Beshears (11) and Hannah Hawley (10) mark the first Spartan duo since 2017 to hit double-digit home runs in the same season. Four Spartans hit that mark in 2017 (Lea Foerster, Kelcey Carrasco, Sarah Gutknecht, Kaitlyn Eveland).

As a team the Spartans are now #7 in program history for single season home runs.

#1 - 66, 2017
#2 - 53, 2011
#3 - 50, 2007
#4 - 46, 2009
#5 - 44, 2019
#6 - 41, 2016
#7 - 40, 2024

TAYLOR TURNING IT UP A NOTCH
In her last nine appearances, junior pitcher Madison Taylor has posted a 3.75 ERA over 37.1 innings of work, far lower than her season-long ERA of 4.84. Taylor had a 6.00 ERA over her first 35.0 innings this season.

Taylor has tossed three complete games during that stretch and twice has struck out a career-high eight batters.

Maddie Taylor flashing the leather in the circle to end the sixth! She snares the comebacker as we head to the seventh.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/EGKqtjHpmj

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024

DOLOSZYCKI DOING DAMAGE
Sophom*ore outfielder Sydney Doloszycki has been a bright spot in the Spartan lineup over the last 10 games, reaching base in nine of the last 10.

Over her last 10 games, Doloszycki is hitting a team-high .355 (11-for-31) with three home runs, seven runs scored, six RBI and five walks. In that span, Doloszycki is second on the team in OBP (.444), SLG (.677) and OPS (1.121).

Syd showing off the cannon in right to end the second inning! 😱#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/r4E0ixr3XI

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) April 14, 2024

HAULING IN HITS
Sophom*ore Hannah Hawley leads the Spartans with a .342 batting average, a .444 on-base percentage, a .675 slugging percentage and a 1.119 OPS. Hawley is #6 in the B1G in slugging percentage and #5 in OPS.

In 2024, Hawley leads the team with 41 hits, 24 runs scored, 20 extra-base hits and 18 walks drawn. Hawley also leads the Spartans with 12 multi-hit games (five three-hit games, seven two-hit games) and is second with five multi-RBI games (Britain Beshears, 7). She is currently on a five-game reached base streak.

BASHING BESHEARS
Sophom*ore Britain Beshears ranks #54 nationally in home runs (11) and #71 home runs per game (0.31).

Beshears is #7 in the B1G in home runs and her 11 home runs, which ranks tied for fifth in program history for a single season. No Spartan had hit 11 home runs in a season since 2019 (Caitie Ladd, 11).

Beshears is on an eight-game reached base streak, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with a walk in that span.

UP NEXT
Michigan State welcomes Illinois to East Lansing this upcoming weekend for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 19. First pitch on Friday is slated for 5:00 p.m. The Illini enter the week with an overall record of 16-24 along with a 3-9 B1G ledger. Illinois dropped its series to Purdue last weekend, 2-1, but like MSU it took game three to finish the weekend on a high note.