Michigan State University student Evan James has given his school another reason to celebrate after securing a spot in the next round of NBC’s The Voice. The Michigan singer won his Battle Round against fellow Team Adam contestant Luke Curran, but their performance left coach Adam Levine struggling to decide who deserved to move forward.

James, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Highland, Michigan, is taking a semester off from his public relations studies at Michigan State to compete on the singing show. His latest performance put him in a tough position as he went head-to-head with Curran on Tucker Wetmore’s country hit Wind Up Missin’ You.

Levine admitted that he kept changing his mind while watching the two singers perform.

“At multiple points in this performance today, I was like, oh, Evan. And then I’m like, nope, nope, Luke. And then I was like, oh no, no, Evan,” the Maroon 5 frontman explained.

Levine described the battle as “neck and neck” and pointed out that both singers had some pitch issues. However, he was quick to brush off those mistakes with a joke about his own singing.

“Look me up. I’m pitchy all over the internet,” he said, showing that he wasn’t going to let a few imperfect notes decide the outcome.

In the end, Levine chose James, explaining that the Michigan singer had one quality that made him difficult to pass up.

“He’s got a big, powerful voice that fills the room, and whenever that happens, it’s incredibly hard not to stay with someone like that,” Levine said.

The coach also appears to believe James could have an even bigger moment ahead. Looking toward Cut Week, Levine suggested that the young singer might surprise everyone with his next performance.

“He could surprise us all and just absolutely smash for Cut Week,” he said.

James has his own ambitious goal as he continues his journey on the show. As the only country singer on Levine’s team, he hopes to make the most of his position and help his coach reach the final stages of the competition.

“I’m his only country singer, and I want to lead him straight to the finale,” James said.

With his powerful voice already making a strong impression on Levine, the Michigan State student now has another chance to prove he belongs among the season’s top artists. After making his coach work so hard to choose a winner in the Battles, James will have to deliver again if he hopes to turn that potential into a place in the live shows.