MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Illinois stayed alive in the Big Ten Tournament behind the first career complete-game shutout from senior John Kravetz, blanking Michigan State 2-0 on Friday night. Kravetz needed just 92 pitches to go the distance, scattering six hits without a walk. Junior Jason Goldstein provided the only offense at Target Field with a two-out, two-run single in the third.

Michigan State recorded the first two hits of the game in the second, but Kravetz stranded both Spartans in scoring position. Kravetz cruised through five scoreless frames on 44 pitches. He retired nine in a row before a two-out single in the sixth.

After the hit, Kravetz retired nine of the next 10 batters to get through two outs in the ninth. After two Spartans reached via an error and a single to left, Kravetz induced a fly out to junior Ryan Nagle to end the game. He totaled 12 groundouts, 13 fly outs and two punch outs to record the 27 outs.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the third, Goldstein poked a two-run single up the middle on a 1-2 count. Adam Walton, who started the rally with a two-out walk, and Nagle, who reached on an error that extended the inning, both came home on Goldstein's knock.

Up Next: No. 1 seed Illinois will face No. 3 seed Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m. live on Big Ten Network. The Illini will need to beat the Wolverines twice to reach Sunday's championship game.

Big Ten Tournament Third Round Game Notes
• The Illini turned in their second shutout in 2015, with the other coming in a 1-0 victory over Ball State on Feb. 27.

• Playing in the Big Ten postseason for the 21st time, Illinois is now 29-34 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament.

• Illinois (47-7-1) earned the second-most wins in school history and is two shy of the school record for victories (49 in 1982).

• Illinois boasts the No. 1 winning percentage (0.864) in NCAA Division I Baseball and has the fewest losses (7).

• The 2015 Illini pitching staff (416 K) is just three strikeouts shy of the school record from 1998 (419 K). Their 2.50 ERA is on pace to shatter the school's ERA record (3.25) from last season.