BASEBALL
Roof signs contract with Texas Rangers
Deciding to forgo his senior season for the MSU baseball team, shortstop Jonathan Roof signed a contract Saturday with the Texas Rangers.
BASEBALL
Baseball garners Big Ten, NCAA honors
The Big Ten recently announced its all-conference teams. The seven MSU players earning a spot on All-Big Ten teams is tied for the second most in MSU history and the most since 1968.
BASEBALL
MSU baseball looks at successes, shortcomings
Thirty-four total wins, an 11-2 record against in-state rivals and a place in the top-three in the conference in 13 different offensive categories is an impressive résumé for most college baseball teams. But for MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr., achieving those feats wasn’t quite enough to complete an entirely successful season.
BASEBALL
MSU baseball's season ends on Northwestern home run
When Saturday’s series finale rolled around, the scenario was clear. Win and move on to the Big Ten Tournament. Lose and pack it up until next season. Unfortunately for the Spartans, the latter became reality as they lost to the Wildcats, 8-6, on Saturday on a walk-off three-run home run at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill.
BASEBALL
Race for Big Ten Baseball Championship comes down to final weekend
With one more weekend left in the Big Ten season, and first and last place separated by just five games, all 10 teams in the conference have a chance to finish in the top six and qualify for the Big Ten tournament. But only Minnesota has clinched a spot. More significantly, every team other than Illinois and Penn State has a chance to be at least co-champions for the regular season.
BASEBALL
Spartans outslug Chippewas, take season series
Never leading by less than four runs after the second inning, the MSU baseball team defeated Central Michigan, 16-9, in a mid-week slugfest Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium in Mt. Pleasant Mich.
BASEBALL
Spartan baseball looks to earn state bragging rights
The Spartans (32-17 overall, 10-11 Big Ten) have a chance to finish the season having taken at least three of four in-state series when they take on Central Michigan (30-19, 17-7 Mid-American Conference) at 3:05 p.m. Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
BASEBALL
Spartan baseball loses finale, takes series from Indiana
After taking the first two games in a vital three-game conference series against Indiana, the MSU baseball team had its four-game winning streak snapped Sunday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, losing to the Hoosiers, 10-7.
BASEBALL
Midweek starters key to Spartans' success
After a somewhat shaky start, Tony Wieber (3-0) and Andrew Waszak (4-1) haven’t been pitching like underclassmen for the MSU baseball team.
BASEBALL
Spartans take weekend series
MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. channeled his anger and expressed himself in two words. “I’m disappointed,” Boss told his team Friday after the MSU baseball team was defeated by Illinois, 4-3, in 10 innings in the weekend series opener at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field. Sometimes those two words sting more than anything else.
BASEBALL
Spartans remember last season's losses to Illinois
For the MSU baseball team, May 20, 2009, feels a whole lot more recent than 11 months ago. The final game — a crushing 16-5 loss in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament — in a four-game season sweep at the hands of Illinois still lingers for of head coach Jake Boss Jr.
BASEBALL
In-state strides key to Spartans' future progress
Tom Izzo did it first. Mark Dantonio is well on his way to doing it in three seasons. Now Jake Boss Jr. is making a case to be the next in line of MSU men’s sports head coaches to take the state.
BASEBALL
Spartans ready for rematch against Broncos
Couple the MSU baseball team’s unexpected loss to Western Michigan in last week’s midweek nonconference battle and two losses in three games to Ohio State this weekend, and head coach Jake Boss Jr. expects the Spartans to be chomping at the bit when Western Michigan comes to Cooley Law School Stadium at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday.
BASEBALL
Spartans avoid Ohio State sweep
Senior right fielder Eli Boike and junior first baseman Jeff Holm are responsible both crushed long home runs over the fence and near the banks of the river in right field on Sunday to help propel MSU to a 14-7 victory over Ohio State.
BASEBALL
Changing the way the Spartans play the ballgame
MSU athletics director Mark Hollis found exactly what he was looking for. Year in and year out, it seemed as though the MSU baseball team couldn’t take the next step.
BASEBALL
Program's turnaround impressive
Once upon a time, if you wanted to go to an MSU baseball game, you had to weigh it against a sore back and fiberglass in the seat of your pants from a pathetic excuse for stadium seating. There was no regional Big Ten Network exposure, the media accommodations were akin to Marshall Mathers’ first trailer park home and player introduction music came from what sounded more like an iHome than a PA system. Nobody in the MSU baseball community longs for those days of yore.
BASEBALL
Western Michigan beats Spartans in walk-off
Western Michigan right fielder Tim Cross hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth to break a 10-10 tie, giving the Broncos a 11-10 win and the MSU baseball team its first two-game losing of the season.
BASEBALL
Midweek games crucial in hopes of NCAA at-large bid
For years, the MSU baseball team has been near or below .500 entering Big Ten play, needing a miracle run in the conference to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. But with a 22-6 record for one of the best starts in school history, every win counts toward a possible at-large bid to the tournament in June.
BASEBALL
Gophers win Sunday, MSU takes 2-of-3
Right-handed starter Tony Bucciferro was excellent on the hill for the Spartans through six innings, but racked up five earned runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings as the Spartans lost a late 3-2 lead.
BASEBALL
Spartans travel to Metrodome for 3 games
The MSU baseball team went from a midweek nonconference game to gearing up for the annual Crosstown Showdown exhibition — which was postponed because of weather — to mentally preparing for a long road trip against Big Ten foe Minnesota.