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.
Central Michigan beat MSU baseball with a 6-3 win Wednesday night at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich. Both teams had errors in the fifth inning, which transformed a scoreless pitchers duel into a win for the Chippewas.
The MSU baseball team beat Western Michigan, 6-3, on Tuesday at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing. Freshman pitcher Tony Wieber threw seven shutout innings for the Spartans. The Spartans will continue nonconference play Wednesday against Central Michigan at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today’s Crosstown Showdown between the MSU baseball team and Lansing Lugnuts has been canceled due to weather. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, April 26 at 7:05 p.m. at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The Spartans will make the short journey down Michigan Avenue to Cooley Law School Stadium to take on the Lansing Lugnuts in the fourth annual Crosstown Showdown. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.
From the No. 9 spot in the batting order, sophomore catcher Andy Johnson went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to help propel the Spartans past Bowling Green, 5-2, Tuesday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
After the MSU baseball team pounded Iowa, 26-11, Sunday, MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. had an important message for his team. In the postgame huddle, Boss stressed not to let the lopsided victory get into his team’s head, especially with a tough game against Bowling Green slated for 3:05 p.m. Tuesday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
It took a little while for the MSU baseball team’s offense to get rolling Sunday. But when the Spartans found their groove, they made Iowa pay, routing the Hawkeyes 26-11 on Sunday at McLane Baseball Stadium in the rubber match of the first Big Ten series of the season for both teams.
The bats of MSU and Central Michigan were the story of the game, as the Spartans defeated the Chippewas, 13-10, in a midweek slugfest at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing.
The seniors on this year’s MSU baseball team have struggled against Central Michigan in their time at MSU. In the past three seasons, the Spartans only have posted one victory against the Chippewas in six attempts.
With Sunday’s 10-3 victory against Oakland at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, the Spartans (16-4) have now won 10 straight games.