| Northwestern (8-22, 2-4 B1G) vs. Michigan State (16-14, 2-4 B1G) |
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| Date | Time | Friday, April 10 (2:05 p.m. CST) Saturday, April 11 (12:05 p.m. CST) Sunday, April 12 (12:05 p.m. CST) |
| Location | McLane Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. |
| Media | Game 1: | Watch | Listen Game 2: | Watch | Listen Game 3: | Watch (BTN2GO) | Listen |
| Notes | Northwestern | Michigan State | B1G |
| Social | @NUCatsBaseball | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Pitching Matchups | Game 1: RHP Brandon Magallones vs. LHP Cam Vieaux Game 2: LHP Matt Portland vs. RHP Andrew Gonzalez Game 3: RHP Joe Schindler vs. RHP Mick VanVossen |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern (8-22, 2-4 B1G) continues Big Ten play when it heads to East Lansing, Michigan, for a three-game set against Michigan State, beginning Friday, April 10, at 2:05 p.m. CST. The series will continue with a 1:05 p.m. contest on Saturday before closing out the set on Sunday, April 5 (1:05 p.m. CST).
MSU and NU met earlier this season in a non-conference matchup on Feb. 15 in Surprise, Arizona, where the Spartans topped the Wildcats, 3-2.
LAST TIME OUT
The `Cats opened their Big Ten slate with a 2-1 series win over Minnesota, before being swept by Illinois last weekend. In Friday's contest, Northwestern starter Matt Portland turned in a terrific effort on the mound, but the 15th-ranked Fighting Illini pushed across two runs in the top of the 13th inning to secure a 3-1 victory in the series opener.
Portland toed the rubber for a career-high nine innings for the Wildcats. He scattered only six hits and surrendered one run in the third inning while striking out five. The lefty also pitched around five walks with the aid of four inning-ending double plays during his eighth start of the spring.
The Fighting Illini went on to claim the series, outscoring Northwestern 28-6 in the final two games.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Michigan State enters the weekend with a 16-14 overall record and a 2-4 mark in league play. The Spartans are tied with the Wildcats at No. 8 in the Big Ten standings and are 7-3 over their last 10 games.
Third baseman Mark Weist has started in all 30 games for Michigan State this spring and leads the squad with a .328 batting average. Seniors Blaise Salter and Ryan Krill are tied for eighth in the Big Ten with four home runs each. Anthony Cheky and Cam Gibson bring a team-high five-game hitting streaks into Friday's series opener.
The Spartans' .978 fielding percentage ranks third in the Big Ten and the squad has commited only four errors in its last 10 games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Senior Brandon Magallones will make his 10th start on the mound for the Wildcats on Friday. The Manhattan, Ill., native is 2-2 on the year and ranks fifth among Big Ten pitchers with 43 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. Portland will back up Magallones on the bump in Saturday's contest before sophomore Joe Schindler closes out the series on Sunday afternoon.
Red-shirt sophomore Cam Vieaux will take the ball on Friday for the Spartans before freshman Andrew Gonzalez and senior Mick VanVossen follow up on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
WRECK `EM RUCHIM
Fifth-year senior Kyle Ruchim leads the Wildcats with a .355 batting average and has hit five of NU's 10 home runs for a season best. The outfielder also leads the squad in RBI (20), hits (39) and slugging percentage (.618) to sit second in the Big Ten. This season, the senior tallied his 100th-career run against Ball State on March 6 and his 200th-career hit at Chicago State (March 31). Ruchim has reached based in 17-consecutive games and owns a five-game hitting streak.
ROAD WARRIORS
Northwestern has not had a home game yet this season and will play 37 road games before heading home to Rocky Miller Park. The `Cats home opner is slated for Tuesday, April 21, against Milwuakee. NU is 6-14 in true road games this year.
DOUBLING UP
Fifth-year senior Scott Heelan, who is hitting .325 with a six-game hitting streak this spring, leads the Big Ten in doubles with 13, while outfielder Kyle Ruchim and junior Zach Jones sit second with 12 doubles apiece.The Wildcats also lead the conference in doubles with 71, averaging 2.37 doubles per game to sit 12th in the country.
ZACH ATTACK
Junior first baseman Zach Jones has played a critical role in the Wildcat's offense this year. The Glenview, Ill., native is hitting .320 and has tallied 13 runs on 39 hits along with 19 RBI and 12 doubles. On March 20, Jones tied a school record for hits in a single game when tallied seven against UNLV. The junior has reached base in 12-consecutive games and holds a five-game hitting streak.
HOT BATS
Northwestern ranks among the Big Ten top six in multuple offensive categories including first in doubles (71), third in hits (312) and at bats (1130), fourth in total bases (421) and fifth in batting average (.276). On Sunday, March 29, the Wildcats clinched their first Big Ten series with a commanding 19-7 win over Minnesota. The 19 runs scored were the most by NU since 2006 when the squad edged past Illinois in a 19-18 slugfest.
MILESTONE MAGS'
Senior Brandon Magallones recorded his 200th-career strikeout in a 19-7 win over Minnesota (March 29). The right-handed pitcher earned the win after pitching five innings and fanning five batters. Magallones needs just three more Ks to crack Northwestern all-time top 10 for career strikeouts.
GO FOR JOE
Sophomore Joe Hoscheit is batting .400 through Big Ten play to rank 11th in the league. In just six conference games, Hoscheit owns a team-best 12 hits and five doubles with one home run.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats break from Big Ten play for a midweek contest at UIC on Wednesday, April 15. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
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