CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (February 21, 2025) – Washington State dropped the opening game of the Kleberg Bank Collegiate Classic 9-2 to Michigan State at Whataburger Field Friday afternoon.
 
The Cougars received RBI from Noah Thein and Will Cresswell while starting pitcher Griffin Smith worked five innings, struck out two and allowed three earned runs. Ricco Longo, Max Hartman and Luke Thiele each tallied hits.
 
Michigan State (5-0) scored four runs in the opening frame and backed Preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, lefthander Joseph Dzierwa who struck out 12 and held WSU to one hit over seven innings.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
Michigan State pushed four runs across in the opening frame with four hits and two Cougar throwing errors. The Cougars put runners on the corners in their half of the first but MSU ended the threat with a strikeout.
 
Spartan starter Joseph Dzierwa kept the Cougar bats off balance throughout the afternoon, retiring 14-straight at one point. Max Hartman was hit-by-pitch with one out in the sixth but was stranded after a pair of flyouts.
 
MSU added a run in the seventh and four more in the eighth for a 9-0 advantage.
 
Noah Thein brought a run home after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and Will Cresswell followed with a bases-loaded walk.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Ricco Longo singled to centerfield in the 1^st, has hit safely in 3 straight games
Max Hartman was hit-by-a pitch in the 6^th, has reached base in 4 straight games
Hartman singled to right in the 9^th, has hit safely in all 4 games he's played in
Luke Thiele singled to left in the 9^th for his first career hit
 
NEXT UP
Play at the Kleberg Bank Collegiate Classic continues with a Saturday matchup against former Pac-12 Conference foe UCLA at Noon (PT) / 2 p.m. (CT).