In a year of new beginnings, the Spartans were able to suppress and silence their doubters and penned the next chapter for MSU baseball’s history book. And given how far the Spartans came this year, turning around a team that finished eighth in the Big Ten last season, there is plenty more history to write.

“With the coaches in place and the current players in place, we’re just going to continue to get better and better,” senior catcher Eric Roof said. “We have the facilities to be the top team in the conference and we’re going to start getting the recruits, going to get the players that we need to be and with the coaches this year they’ve really changed the mind-set of our program. It’s really going to be cool to watch in the coming years.”

Head coach Jake Boss Jr. was proud of MSU’s performance in the conference tournament but noticed the game’s emotional toll in the locker room.

“They showed a lot of heart, a lot of character and a lot of pride for Michigan State,” he said. “I think it really hurt our seniors to take that uniform off for the last time, not because their careers are over but because they’re not going to be able to play for Michigan State anymore.”

The seniors and senior captains helped the team accomplish its goal of reaching the conference tournament — even if it didn’t appear early in the season.

The Spartans got off to a 2-14 start and dropped the first three games of conference play.

“For all the seniors and all the guys on the team, this season I guess gave us a little bit of closure for the past few years because the last few years have been kind of rough for us,” senior right-handed reliever A.J. Dunn said. “I guess I see this season as kind of the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Spartans had a turning point after the slow start — several, depending on who is being asked.

Senior third baseman A.J. Shindler said MSU really started playing like a team after it won a 12-2 game against the Lansing Lugnuts on April 16.

Senior right-handed starting pitcher Nolan Moody said the team hit full stride when it erased Michigan’s two-run leads in both the ninth and 10th innings April 17 to win 8-7 in beating U-M for the first time since 2006.

Roof said the team realized its full potential when Moody threw a no-hitter against Northwestern on April 4 in the inaugural game at McLane Baseball Stadium.

Moody said the team has a bright future, with right-handers sophomore A.J. Achter and freshman Tony Bucciferro — who was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team — returning next season to anchor the pitching staff.

“I don’t know if I was able to add anything to what they did on the mound because they were such talented guys already,” Moody said. “But certainly if I did I’ll really enjoy watching them pitch and watching them become even better pitchers because those two both have a chance to be some of the best Michigan State has ever seen.”