As the MSU baseball team mobbed the right side of the pitcher’s mound in a towering dogpile Friday after clinching a share of the Big Ten championship, the weight of three decades of losing had been lifted.
Unfortunately Northwestern (20-29, 10-13) had other ideas for the Spartans (34-19 overall, 15-9 Big Ten), as they upended Senior Day at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, 6-5. The day was not a total loss for MSU as they were presented with the Big Ten championship trophy by Athletics Director Mark Hollis and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, along with championship shirts and hats, following the conclusion of the game.
After 32 years of waiting, under five different head coaches, the MSU baseball team has earned a share of the Big Ten championship after defeating Northwestern, 10-1, Friday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field.
In his last career start at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, senior pitcher Kurt Wunderlich threw a complete game shutout, as the Spartans (33-18 overall, 14-8 Big Ten) downed Big Ten foe Northwestern (19-28, 9-12), 3-0. With the win, the Spartans edged ever closer to winning a Big Ten championship — the program’s first since 1979.
The MSU baseball team stands in position to win the Big Ten as its seniors take the field at home for their last weekend series against Northwestern.
As the Spartans (32-18 overall, 13-8 Big Ten) head into their final regular season series — hosting Northwestern (19-27, 9-11) with game one at 3:05 p.m. Thursday — they hold a one-game lead over Minnesota (21-20, 12-9) and Illinois (22-25, 12-9) in the Big Ten. To be guaranteed outright champions, MSU will have to sweep the Wildcats at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs field.
With a big conference series against Northwestern starting Thursday, the MSU baseball team (32-18 overall, 13-8 Big Ten) took out the frustrations of the past weekend with heavy hitting to deliver a 20-3 win against the Fighting Irish at Frank Eck Baseball Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
Coming into the weekend, the MSU baseball team held a commanding three-game lead in the Big Ten standings and was edging ever closer to their first Big Ten championship since 1979. After being swept in three games by Indiana (30-21 overall, 11-10 Big Ten), the Spartans’ (31-18, 13-8) lead has been slimmed to one after two weekend losses by Minnesota to Penn State.
MSU baseball senior outfielder Brandon Eckerle was named the male Michigan College Athlete of the Year at the Detroit Athletic Club National Athletic Awards on May 9 in Detroit.
After suspending action on Saturday due to darkness, the MSU baseball team fell in 15 innings on Sunday to Indiana at Sembower Field in Bloomington, Ind., 13-12.
After taking three games from Purdue (30-16, 10-8 Big Ten), the MSU baseball team now holds a two-game lead in the Big Ten over second-place Minnesota (11-7 Big Ten).
After a 5-3 win against Purdue on Saturday, the MSU baseball team(29-14, 12-5 Big Ten) opened up a two-game lead in the conference standings and have guaranteed they come out of the weekend with sole possession of first place.
The Spartans (28-14 overall, 11-5 Big Ten) challenged the Purdue pitching staff with 13 hits and downed the Boilermakers, 11-4.
On the strength of 16 hits, MSU defeated the Nittany Lions, 10-5, Sunday, and swept the weekend series. The Spartans also won on Friday and Saturday, both by scores of 5-4.
The Spartans (24-13 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) dropped two consecutive weekend series. They are deadlocked in a three-way tie for the lead in the Big Ten. And one of those teams, Penn State (24-13, 7-5), is coming to try and keep the Spartans in that slump today at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field.
Following his hiring as the MSU baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. asked his father, Jake Boss Sr., to help lead the team after years of high coaching experience.
There was offense, offense and some more offense in the MSU baseball team’s 17-15 loss to Eastern Michigan in 12 innings Tuesday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field.
MSU (24-12) plays a home-and-home series with the Eastern Michigan (24-15). The first game is at 3 p.m. today at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, and the second game is in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Wednesday.
Something about the sixth inning seemed to kick-start Illinois against the MSU baseball team this weekend.
Midweek games against nonconference opponents might not show up in the Big Ten standings, but for the MSU baseball team, that does not mean those games don’t play a small part in what happens every weekend in conference action.