The MSU baseball team broke out its bats and showed the potential to be an exciting team in its home opener against Grand Valley State University at Kobs Field on Thursday. The Spartans (5-10) hit four home runs on their way to a 13-8 win over Grand Valley (12-7). "We've got a lot of big strong guys," head coach Ted Mahan said.
A beaming smile graced Earvin "Magic" Johnson's face as the scissors in his hand snipped the final piece of the net in Salt Lake City. The Spartans were champions. It was 25 years ago today the Spartans were national champions for the first time, captivating the nation and changing college hoops in East Lansing. "The first thing in memory is that it did revolutionize college basketball," said Billy Packer, a current analyst for CBS and broadcaster for the '79 championship game.
One of the biggest losses the MSU hockey team suffered following last season was the graduation of defenseman John-Michael Liles. A confident kid with a constant smile on his face, according to MSU head coach Rick Comley, the Zionsville, Ind., native plays for the Colorado Avalanche and is in contention for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's Rookie of the Year. Michel Goulet, Vice President of Player Personnel for Colorado, said Liles is day-to-day with a bruised knee injury he suffered Tuesday.
Freshman defenseman A.J. Thelen and sophomore forward David Booth were ranked 16th and 24th, respectively in the NHL's midterm Central Scouting Report, released Jan.
Returning home to Old College Field after more than a month of road games, the MSU softball team (15-10) begins its home schedule against Valparaiso (3-8) on Saturday. MSU looks to improve upon its 0-3 record when facing nationally ranked opponents this year with the start of their home schedule and Big Ten Conference games. Head coach Jacquie Joseph conceded the team has dropped a couple of games they could have pulled out, but added that they are in a good position for this time of the year. "We are exactly where I thought we would be," she said.
The Grand Ledge Education Foundation will host a hockey matchup on Saturday between former Detroit Red Wings stars, local high school hockey players and local celebrities. Former Red Wings players will take the ice first, facing the combined high school varsity teams from Grand Ledge and Lansing Waverly.
Fans are encouraged to attend a pre-game rally for the MSU hockey team Saturday at 11 a.m. at The BOB, 20 Monroe Ave.
Former Spartans defenseman and Hobey Baker finalist John-Michael Liles, currently with the Colorado Avalanche, suffered a right knee injury in Tuesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. In the Avalanche's 2-2 tie with the Blackhawks, Liles got tangled with Scott Nichol in the third period and had to be helped off the ice.
John L. Smith is excited, and not just because he's looking forward to the start of spring practice. The Spartans' head football coach will get the opportunity to ascend 19,341 feet to the top of Africa's tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. "To be on Mount Kilimanjaro, watching the sun come up while sitting on a glacier, it's a moment to take your breath away," he said.
As he rehabilitates his knee this spring, with hopes to be next season's starting quarterback, sophomore Drew Stanton said the memory of the Nebraska player who "cheap-shotted" him at the Alamo Bowl in December will serve as motivation. "I've never had such a pain in my leg before, and I remember the guy over top of me, laughing and talking trash," Stanton said during a spring football press conference Wednesday. "That's something that motivates me every day to go out there and make sure that I'm at the top of my game and showing everybody that that was a cheap shot and that I will be the starting quarterback around here." Stanton was a backup quarterback last season, but because of his athleticism, he was used mostly on special teams. Head coach John L.
The MSU track and field teams are set to open the outdoor season this weekend with the men traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., and the women heading to Raleigh, North Carolina. The men's team finished ninth at the Big Ten Championships and will be led by NCAA Indoor All-Americans senior Steve Manz and junior Steve Sherer.
The MSU baseball team (4-10) lost its sixth straight game Monday against Kansas State, 13-3.
MSU softball shined in the Buckeye Invitational, posting wins against Oakland and Robert Morris on Saturday.
The NFL Draft is exactly one month away, but that didn't stop a handful of Spartans from smiling inside Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center on Tuesday afternoon. It was NFL Pro Day and Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci and Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman, along with numerous coordinators and scouts, were on hand to watch MSU players display their talents in hopes of being drafted. Senior quarterback Jeff Smoker, senior linebacker Mike Labinjo, senior defensive end Greg Taplin, senior guard Paul Harker, senior tackle Joe Tate and junior defensive tackle Matthias Askew were the bigger names that worked out on Tuesday.
The MSU wrestling season came to an end last week as redshirt freshman Andy Simmons, sophomore Darren McKnight and senior Nate Mesyn were eliminated from the NCAA Championships. In the consolation round, Mesyn faced Ohio State's Blake Kaplan, but came up short, losing, 3-0.
With the NCAA Tournament under way, consumer advocates are advising students to be wary customers when purchasing tickets. "College students are very budget-conscious, and they want to find the best deals.
Maybe it's the extra motivation that drives the MSU hockey team to win games its critics say the Spartans should lose. They took the season series away from CCHA regular-season champs Michigan by tying and winning the final two regular-season contests against the then-No.
The MSU men's tennis team lost to Western Michigan, 5-2, before coming back and defeating Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 7-0, on Saturday.
The MSU baseball team (4-9) dropped its fifth-straight game Sunday in a 8-5 loss to Kansas State. In the fourth inning, junior center fielder Travis Gulick increased MSU's lead to 5-2 with a two-run triple.
The MSU gymnastics team placed fifth at the 2004 Big Ten Conference Championships in Minneapolis on Saturday, with a combined score of 196.025.