EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Three Michigan State baseball players earned Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch honors, as the conference announced its preseason honors list and preseason poll on Wednesday, ahead of Friday's 2024 season-opening action around the league.
The conference coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list.
Senior pitcher Nick Powers, senior outfielder Jack Frank and sophom*ore Joseph Dzierwa collected preseason recognition for the Spartans.
Powers, a Flushing, Michigan native, now has two Big Ten honors, after collecting B1G All-Freshman Team accolades. He also has garnered B1G honors in the classroom, as he is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and also earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognition.
Last season, Powers finished third in the B1G in both fewest runs allowed (29) and WHIP (1.15); fifth in opposing batting average (.228), fewest earned runs allowed (29) and fewest hits allowed (51), seventh in fewest walks allowed (20) and 10th in ERA (4.21). In B1G-only action, Powers was fifth in fewest runs allowed (18), seventh in fewest walks allowed (10th), ninth in both ERA (4.12) and fewest earned runs allowed (18), as well as 10th in opposing batting average (.240).
Powers posted a 5-3 record with 11 starts in 15 appearances, logging 41 strikeouts in 62.0 IP. He fired three or more strikeouts in six appearances, including in four-straight outings, highlighted by season-high six Ks in the win over Northwestern (April 30).
Entering his senior season, Powers has 122 career strikeouts, needing 58 Ks to crack MSU's career top 10 strikeouts list.
Frank, a Strongsville, Ohio native, earns the first B1G accolade on the diamond. He earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District last season and is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree.
Last season, Frank started all 55 games, one of four Spartans to start and play in all 55 games, starting all 55 games in right field, and was one of three Spartans to start every game at same position (Brock Vradenburg at 1B and Casey Mayes at LF). Frank is the lone returning Spartan of those four that played in all 55 games.
Frank finished sixth on the team with a .299 average, adding a .456 slugging percentage and .418 on-base percentage. He led MSU and ranked sixth in the B1G with 19 stolen bases. Frank was also second on MSU and 29th in the B1G in RBI (45), as well as third on team and 26th in B1G in runs scored (48), along with fourth on MSU and 32nd in the B1G in hits (61)
With 19 stolen bases last season, Frank is No. 17 on MSU's single-season stolen bases list. Now with 33 career stolen bases, Frank enters his senior season No. 12 on the Spartans' career stolen base list, needing just four swipes to enter the top 10.
Dzierwa, a Haskins, Ohio native, collects his second Big Ten accolade in as many opportunities, earning preseason 2024 honors after being named to the 2023 Postseason B1G All-Freshman Team list.
In 2023, Dzierwa finished tied for eighth in the B1G overall in wins (6), while ranking tied for third in B1G only for wins (4). He also tied for fourth in the B1G regular-season in wins (6), while also tying for fourth in the conference in walks allowed per nine innings (2.45), along with just outside the top 10 in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.84) and tied for 23rd in BAA (.271). He was also 11th in the league in innings pitched (69.2), and 21st in the conference in strikeouts.
Dzierwa led the Spartan staff in wins (6), starts (13), innings pitched (74.1) and strikeouts (60), while ranking second in strikeouts looking (17). He had a smashing gem of a Spartan and collegiate debut in season-opener vs. Michigan (Feb. 17) at MLB Desert Invite in Phoenix, chalking up five strikeouts in 4.2 IP, holding UM to just three hits without a run, to earn first collegiate win in first appearance for the Green & White.
He was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 10 for his performance in a 7-1 win over Ohio State (April 7), as the Spartan southpaw went 6.0 solid innings, yielding just three hits while allowing only one run, with four walks and four strikeouts to earn the win in Michigan State's 7-1 triumph over Ohio State, and helped lead the Spartans to head coach Jake Boss Jr. winning his 400th Victory for MSU.
Michigan State opens its 2024 season in the Swig and Swine Classic at Shipyard Park in Charleston, S.C. The Spartans face Merrimack in the season-opener on Friday, Feb. 16 at 12 p.m. ET. The Spartans then play a twinbill against Seton Hall and Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. MSU wraps up the opening weekend on Sunday, Feb. 18 battling Ball State at 9 a.m.
Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live" and "Live Stats" links at MSUSpartans.com, with video streaming available for all four games during the extended weekend.
The Spartans' weekend schedule is subject to change, fans can visit msuspartans.com for complete schedule information and updates.
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