TCI continues our preseason baseball coverage by taking a brief look at Michigan State. Stay tuned to TCI throughout the preseason as we continue breakdown the 2015 roster and 2015 opponents as we lead up to Opening Day on February 13th.

Head Coach Jake Boss Jr., in his seventh season at Michigan State, has guided the Spartans to the most wins over a six-year span in program history. In what has become a yearly tradition, Michigan State will play four games at Fluor Field this season including a game against the Tigers. The two teams have met three previous times at the facility, with Clemson winning all three games by a combined score of 24-3.

The Spartans, members of the Big Ten, finished 31-26 (11-13, 6th in the Big Ten) in 2014. Michigan State did not face an ACC team last season, but still played a tough schedule that included 17 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans went 5-12 in those contests highlighted by a three-game home sweep of Siena and winning two of three games at College World Series participant TCU. Michigan State dropped a single game to Washington, two games at Mississippi State, and four games each to Indiana and Nebraska.

The Spartans welcome back 20 players from last year’s squad, with 12 position players returning and eight pitchers coming back. DH Blaise Salter, a second-team All-Big Ten team selection and third-team NCBWA All-American, leads the returning position players while third-team All-Big Ten team selection Mick VanVossen will anchor the pitching staff.

2014 stats for Michigan State Returners:

% – had 13 saves. ^ – had two saves.