Spartans Let Upset Bid Slip Late Against No. 1 UCLA in 4–1 Loss

(© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA)

This is the old story we’ve all heard time and time again. David vs. Goliath.

The Spartans—aka David—weren’t supposed to have a shot in this series. If you asked just about anyone who follows college baseball, Michigan State had little to no chance of winning a single game, let alone competing deep into one.

Well, whatever you do, don’t tell the Spartans that.

Despite UCLA’s perfect 21–0 Big Ten record, it was Michigan State that struck first and held the lead deep into the game. For seven innings, the Spartans didn’t just hang around—they controlled the tempo against the No. 1 team in the nation.

Michigan State sent JD Greeley to the bump to open the three-game series, and he more than understood the assignment. Greeley delivered with precise execution and confidence from the first pitch.

He worked five dominant innings, allowing just one hit, one walk, and one hit batter while striking out four. Most impressively, he surrendered zero runs—earned or unearned—against the top-ranked team in the country.

Greeley was riding high, and deservedly so. He represented himself, his school, and Spartan Nation in an incredibly impressive way. It was the type of outing that usually earns a win—but unfortunately, baseball doesn’t always reward performances the way they deserve.

Ben Kochany came on in relief in the sixth and immediately ran into trouble, allowing a hit and two walks. Still, the Spartans managed the situation quickly, turning to Tommy Szczepanski, who closed out the inning and followed it up with a smooth seventh to keep Michigan State in front.

Then came the eighth inning—and with it, the turning point.

The Spartans called on Nolan Higgins, their most-used reliever this season, despite some shaky numbers. After recording a leadoff strikeout, Michigan State was just five outs away from pulling off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in program history.

But things unraveled quickly.

An error, followed by a review and confirmation, put the tying run on base and brought the go-ahead run to the plate. That’s when Mulivai Levu stepped in for UCLA—and changed everything.

Levu crushed a go-ahead home run over the fence, flipping a 1–0 Michigan State lead into a 2–1 UCLA advantage in a matter of moments.

Just like that, the momentum—and likely the game—was gone.

In the ninth, Gannon Grundman came in hoping to keep things within reach and give the Spartans one last chance. Instead, UCLA added insurance. A leadoff walk, followed by a double, brought in another run, and a later sacrifice extended the lead to 4–1—ultimately sealing the outcome.