BASEBALL
Errors prove to be costly for Lugnuts
Lansing — The Lansing Lugnuts ended a four-game series against The Swing of the Quad Cities on a down note Friday night, falling 11-5.
BASEBALL
Spartans suddenly slumping
It's not time to hit the panic button yet, but the MSU baseball team has drastically shrunk its margin for error the last two weeks. Since a heartbreaking final-inning defeat to Penn State on April 15, the Spartans (15-18 overall, 6-9 Big Ten) have lost seven straight games, including a four-game sweep at the hands of Minnesota last weekend.
BASEBALL
Spartans to host Chippewas tonight
The MSU baseball team will look to end a six-game losing streak when it hosts Central Michigan at 5:05 p.m.
BASEBALL
MSU drops Monday finale
This was going to be the turning point, the rally that made all the pain from Sunday's heart-wrenching, final-inning loss disappear.
BASEBALL
Late-inning letdown
David Grewe sat at the end of the MSU bench, alone. The dugout was empty, except for a few pieces of equipment and some discarded sunflower seeds on the ground.
BASEBALL
Watching Dennis Jones? Try not to blink
Dennis Jones is fast. You can tell that much just by watching him patrol center field for the MSU baseball team. But it's hard to gauge just how fast he is unless you look at some of his cheetah-like statistics. Jones runs the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds — about the same pace as the MSU track team's all-time record holder in the 60-meter dash. He's stolen a team-high 10 bases in 11 attempts this season — only three players in the conference have stolen that many bases with better efficiency. Baseball scouts rate foot speed on a scale of 20 to 80.
BASEBALL
Weather postpones baseball games
Because of inclement weather, the baseball series against Penn State has been postponed. Originally scheduled to begin at 3:05 p.m.
BASEBALL
MSU tops Broncos in matinee
Lansing — Some people have to wait years to get redemption for their mistakes. Brandon Doherty only needed a few pitches. Moments after making a throwing error in the ninth inning that brought the go-ahead run to the plate, Doherty made a lunging grab on a line drive to preserve the MSU baseball team's 6-5 win against Western Michigan on Tuesday at Oldsmobile Park. "If that error cost us the game," a smiling Doherty said afterward, "I'm not going to be happy the rest of the night, that's for sure." The Broncos (8-16), who entered their final at-bat down two, had a runner on second with two outs when Chris Lewis grounded weakly to Doherty, a junior shortstop. "I kind of looked away right there because I thought it was an automatic," MSU head coach David Grewe said. But Doherty's throw was wild, allowing the runner from second to score and Lewis, the tying run, to move into scoring position. The next hitter roped one to Doherty's right, and for a moment, it appeared his error on the previous play would prove extremely costly.
BASEBALL
MSU splits doubleheader
Two runs. That's all that separates the MSU baseball team from a perfect start to conference play. The Spartans dropped the opener of Monday's doubleheader against Purdue, 1-0 — their second one-run loss in the conference — then blanked the Boilermakers, 3-0, in the back end to take the series at Kobs Field and improve to 13-10 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten. Only once in the last decade have the Spartans gotten off to a better conference start — 2004, when they won their first six games. "The crazy thing is we're that close to being undefeated in the Big Ten," head coach David Grewe said, holding his fingers an inch apart.
BASEBALL
WEB EXTRA: Brookes stays hot on mound to help MSU beat Purdue, cold temperatures
How cold was it on Sunday at Kobs Field? So cold that junior second baseman Steve Gerstenberger wore four layers of Under Armour under his jersey to fight the game-time wind chill of 23 degrees. "I can hardly move," he said, "but at least I'm warm." So cold that despite the grounds crew's attempts to clear the field before the game with leaf blowers, snow was still piled along the fences — something home-plate umpire Bruce Doane said he has never seen in 35 years. So cold that Purdue rented a microwave from the hotel it was staying at and used it to heat chicken soup in its dugout. But not cold enough to cool down senior pitcher Craig Brookes, who threw seven innings and allowed two runs — one earned — to lead the MSU baseball team to a 3-2 win against the Boilermakers. "Good old Brookesy," MSU head coach David Grewe said of his ace, who kept his conference-leading ERA at 1.29 on an afternoon that felt more like Christmas Eve than Easter Sunday. What was supposed to be the finale of a four-game weekend set ended up being the series opener because of the weather.
BASEBALL
MSU pitcher off to sizzling start
Craig Brookes' statistical profile is the kind of thing that keeps opposing hitters awake at night. He leads the Big Ten with a paper-thin 1.29 ERA.
BASEBALL
MSU's Dwan scores pitching accolade
Senior John Dwan was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Monday for his near-perfect performance in Sunday's win against Indiana. Dwan threw seven scoreless innings in MSU's 6-1 win, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out three.
BASEBALL
Baseball wins 3-of-4 against Indiana
Head coach David Grewe and the MSU baseball team took three of four games from Indiana and outscored the Hoosiers, 25-11, in a Big Ten-opening road trip this weekend. The Spartans (11-9 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) dropped only the opener, in which they outhit the Hoosiers, 15-5, but managed only one run in a 2-1 defeat.
BASEBALL
Spartans baseball wins home opener
The MSU baseball team won its home opener against Concordia on Saturday, but was denied the chance for a sweep when Sunday's game was called because of bad weather. Junior center fielder Dennis Jones went 2-for-4 in Saturday's win, including a two-run single in the seventh that put MSU up for good.
BASEBALL
Spartans pick up first win of young season
The MSU baseball team earned its first win of the season with a 4-2 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday at the Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile, Ala. Senior pitcher John Dwan got the win, recording four strikeouts while only allowing three hits and one run. The Spartans broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning by scoring three runs.
BASEBALL
Baseball team hosts First Pitch Dinner Sunday
The MSU baseball team will host its second annual First Pitch Dinner at 1 p.m. Sunday in Spartan Stadium's LaSalle Bank Club. Tickets for the event are $25 for children and students, $30 for MSU baseball alumni and $50 for the general public.
BASEBALL
It'll be tough to stop the unstoppable
Offense Bishop: The Tigers have been nearly unstoppable lately. They have lit up some great pitchers during the playoffs.
BASEBALL
Spartans travel to Comstock Park to face Western Michigan
One small trip for the MSU baseball team, one giant leap for Spartankind. MSU and Western Michigan's game at 5:30 p.m.
BASEBALL
Spartans improve on last year's weak spot
Last season, the MSU baseball team's defense was offensive. The Spartans' .944 fielding percentage was the worst in the Big Ten.
BASEBALL
Baseball team plays at Oldsmobile today
The MSU baseball team faces Eastern Michigan at 5:30 p.m. today at Oldsmobile Park. The Eagles are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak.