Michigan State baseball’s postseason run came to an end on May 22 in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals after a 7-0 loss to No. 4 seed Southern California in Omaha, Neb.
The Spartans, who came into the tournament as the No. 12 and final seed, pulled off upsets earlier in the week over 5-seed Purdue and 8-seed Iowa to make it into the quarterfinal round.
MSU struggled against USC starter Mason Edwards – the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year – who leads the NCAA in strikeouts. Edwards pitched four innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six Spartans before exiting after a rain delay paused action for nearly two hours.
Overall, the Spartans’ bats delivered six hits and drew four walks, but were 0-for-14 with runners on base, including 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. MSU was led by senior outfielder Nick Williams and junior outfielder Parker Picot, who each delivered two hits and drew a walk.
MSU’s pitching staff struck out 11 Trojan batters, led by redshirt-freshman Brady Chambers with five in just two innings of work.
USC scored twice in the first and third innings before the rain delay, then delivered three runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to the eventual 7-0 final.
MSU finishes the season with a 24-32 record, and this week’s performance marks the sixth time in 11 chances under coach Jake Boss where the Spartans won at least two games in the Big Ten tournament. The Spartans also became the first No. 12 seed in Big Ten tournament history to win a game.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU baseball’s postseason run ends in Big Ten quarterfinals