MSU baseball: Crunch time

Friday's 4-1 loss to Illinois sends MSU into the losers bracket. And it's going to be a difficult path for the Spartans to win the Big Ten Tournament and automatic NCAA berth from there.

The Spartans will send Andrew Waszak to the mound in Saturday's elimination game against Minnesota, which MSU swept in their three-game series back in early April. The sophomore righty hasn't faced the Gophers this year -- he moved into the rotation a few weeks after that series.

Saturday's first game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with free audio streaming at www.spartansportsnetwork.com -- first pitch is at 3:35 p.m. Should they win, the Spartans would face Illinois again at 7:05 p.m.

MSU's hitters will have to do a better job at pitch selection vs. the Gophers to get another shot at Illinois, but the Spartans then would need to win twice more -- Saturday night, then again Sunday afternoon if it comes to it -- to celebrate another title. And no team is hotter than the Illini, now with a seven-game win streak and a big chip on their shoulders after watching MSU hoist the Big Ten trophy last Friday and not getting a chance to do it themselves the next day when Illinois earned a share of the title.

“We split the Big Ten Conference championship, and we were pretty mad that (the Spartans) got the trophy and all that stuff,” said Illini catcher Adam Davis, who was 3 for 4 with an RBI. “Today, we really wanted to bring our game and show them that if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best right now.”

If they do meet Illinois again Saturday, the Spartans will need to figure out who'll start on the mound. The logical choice would be freshman righty David Garner, who started eight games and hasn't pitched in the Big Ten Tournament yet. But Garner's last start before moving to the bullpen was a nightmare against the Illini, in which he lasted just two innings and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks back on April 24.

And should they make it to Sunday, who knows who gets the ball. Ace Kurt Wunderlich threw 121 pitches Thursday, while No. 2 starter Tony Bucciferro used 107 Friday.

But as shortstop Justin Scanlon said, Minnesota is the sole focus: “I mean, there's no game two without game one. We gotta come out and play well against Minnesota and go from there and see what happens.”