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MSU opens season in Florida, will face ranked opponents

February 16, 2012

More than ever before, junior center fielder Torsten Boss and the MSU baseball team know how important every game can be.

The Spartans had one of the best seasons in school history in 2011, winning the program’s first Big Ten championship since 1979. But after losing to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, MSU was left out of the NCAA Tournament because of a résumé that featured too many bad losses and not enough marquee wins.

This season, Boss said the Spartans are looking at every game as one that could be the difference between making the NCAA Tournament and sitting at home again. And that starts with a 4 p.m. Friday matchup with No. 21 St. John’s in Dunedin, Fla., to open 2012.

“(Head coach Jake Boss Jr.) always stresses that every game counts,” Torsten Boss said. “A couple midweek games last year that we lost ended up keeping us out of the tournament for that at-large bid. So every game matters to us.”

Friday’s game is part of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, which matches the top teams from each conference against each other. All games will be played in Florida, with MSU taking on South Florida at 1 p.m. Saturday in Clearwater and No. 24 Louisville at 10 a.m. Sunday in St. Petersburg.

Entering his fourth season at the helm in East Lansing, Jake Boss said last season’s success was a big step in the right direction for his program. Still, he knows the Spartans head into their first weekend of the year with “a little bit of a chip on their shoulder” and are looking for a second chance this season.

Friday’s season opener will be MSU’s first game without the services of last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year Jeff Holm, Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Kurt Wunderlich and captain Brandon Eckerle, all of whom graduated last year. Torsten Boss is moving from third base to replace Eckerle in center field and said it’s important everyone picks up their game to make up for those key departures.

“I think all of us returners really have to step up this year because we’re going to be facing better competition, and we’re all going to have to be locked in,” he said. “It’s going to be a process, and we’re going to have to bring it every day.”

Replacing Wunderlich as the Spartans’ ace will be senior right-hander Tony Bucciferro, who will start against the Red Storm.

Second in the rotation last season, Bucciferro said he learned a number of things from Wunderlich, most importantly to come out with confidence on Fridays and set the tone for the weekend.

“I’ve been waiting four years for this opportunity,” Bucciferro said. “I’m really excited. It was a battle between me and Wunderlich last year, and this year I’m ready to take the reins, and I’m really excited to lead our team into the weekend.”

Bucciferro said the whole team, which features three freshmen in the starting lineup, is excited to start playing games after the long offseason. And despite spending more time outside than previous years because of an unseasonably warm winter, Torsten Boss said the Spartans can’t wait to start the season in sunny Florida.

“We’re sick of being stuck inside, so we’re ready to take on some good competition down there. I think those teams are going to challenge us, and we’ll see what we got.”

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