Twenty-four years and 299 wins.
That’s where men’s soccer head coach Joe Baum’s legendary career stands at the moment. But come 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the MSU/Radisson Soccer Classic, Baum will usher in his 25th MSU season and take aim at his 300th career victory.
“We try to play down individual things with this team, seriously,” Baum said. “We never pick a most valuable offensive player or most valuable defensive player, so I don’t mention (300 wins) to the team or anything.
“But don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to know you’ve had some success, but I never sit there and count numbers. Things like this are kind of signs that you’re getting old.”
The four-team Classic will bring Michigan, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Robert Morris College to East Lansing. The Spartans take on the UW-Green Bay Phoenix at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Robert Morris (Pa.) at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Baum wants to notch his 300th in MSU’s season-opener against the Phoenix, but not for personal reasons. He said he thinks the Spartans are going to be in two dogfights this weekend and wants the team to get off on the right foot in the non-conference season.
“Wisconsin-Green Bay beat Wisconsin-Madison, Marquette and Wisconsin-Milwaukee last year, which are the other three Division I teams in the state,” Baum said. “So they were basically the state champs of Wisconsin. They’re going to be very organized and good defensively.”
MSU topped Robert Morris 2-0 on the road last season, but Baum still remembers MSU being challenged by the Colonials’ second-half pressure.
“They’ll be two good opening games,” Baum said. “We’ll find out where our weaknesses are. I want to see us establish ourselves defensively.”
But, for all the attention toward what’s happening on the field, the focus for at least part of the weekend will be predominately on Baum.
Not all of his wins have come with the men’s team - he spent five years as MSU’s women’s head coach - so his impact on both Spartan soccer programs is immeasurable to many.
“It’s so hard for me to put into words because the guy was truly my mentor,” women’s head coach Tom Saxton said. “I played for him here, he brought me in as an assistant. I’ve learned so much about him and how he treats student-athletes. The way he treats people has been a great influence on me.
“The wins are significant, but all the lives he’s touched over his 25-year career - this might be a celebration of that.”
Spartan players agree.
“He’ll do anything for any of us,” senior defenseman and captain Scott Babinski said. “He cares about us almost like his kids. I have so much respect for that man. All I know is that I’d do anything for him.”
Baum said he usually doesn’t reflect back on his career while in season or when he reaches a milestone, but there are times when he thinks of the people he’s affected.
“That hits me most in the spring when we have an alumni weekend, where we have kind of a family picnic,” Baum said. “When I see guys come back with their wives and their children, you kind of realize that, gosh, you’ve been around a while.
“Old players call me up when their son did something special in soccer, you get a good feeling, like you’re part of their family.”
