If the first four games of the Big Ten season are any indication of how MSU's season will go, finishing in the top half of the league won't be a problem. The Spartans baseball team dominated the Hawkeyes over the weekend, recording the team's first four-game sweep since 1990 while earning the conference's top spot. "We'd certainly rather be there than the alternative," head coach Ted Mahan said.
Ted Mahan is optimistic for this year's Big Ten season. That's saying a lot for the MSU baseball manager, who, in his previous eight years coaching the Spartans, finished with a winning conference record once (16-12 for a third-place finish in 2002). "If there is ever a year we should compete in the top half of the Big Ten, this is the year," Mahan said. Of course, Mahan, a soft-spoken 47-year-old who is in his 13th year overall with MSU baseball, has facts to back up his statement: The Spartans play 18 conference home games this season, compared to 14 away contests.
It's safe to say the MSU baseball team has turned its season around, for now. The Spartans (9-10) won their fifth straight game, stomping Siena Heights, 13-1, at Kobs Field on Tuesday.
The Spartans had a loud and enthusiastic student cheering section at Kobs Field on Monday afternoon. And they had plenty of reasons to be boisterous for the near three-hour contest. The MSU baseball team's offense blistered the scoreboard and left-handed pitcher Scott Koerber silenced Indiana Tech hitters, giving the Spartans a 10-4 victory. It was the fourth-straight victory for MSU (8-10), bumping the Spartans' home record to a perfect 4-0 this season. "Four in a row," MSU manager Ted Mahan said after the game.
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.
The MSU baseball team (4-10) lost its sixth straight game Monday against Kansas State, 13-3.
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.
Former Detroit Tigers greats from the 1968 World Championship team will be honored at the Capitol at 12:30 p.m.
Lansing - Two game-saving plays helped the Lansing Lugnuts remain undefeated in the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Beloit Snappers in game two of the Midwest League Championship Series. Lansing is now ahead in the series, 2-0, needing to win just one of the last three games to claim the title. With two outs, two runners on and one run already scored in the top of the seventh, right fielder J.J.
Lend me your ears, baseball fans - your hometown team is about to make history.It's definitely not in the way most people would find anything to cheer about, but with the Tigers, I'm sure you've learned to take what you can get.Yes, I'm talking about the losingest season in modern baseball history.
Lansing - With so much riding on Tuesday night's game, it appeared the Lugnuts were in danger of folding to the Quad City River Bandits.But Lansing designated hitter Donny Hood was not about to let that happen.With the Lansing (36-25) trailing 4-3 in the sixth inning, Hood hit the only home run of the night to put the Lugnuts ahead for good.The game started well for the Lugnuts when in the second inning, Lansing took its first lead of the night off a wild pitch by River Bandits starter Jason Miller.
Detroit - Professional baseball's worst robbed a milestone from its best on Sunday. Dubbed "The Rocket" for his fiery fastball, New York Yankee starting pitcher Roger Clemens was set to earn his 300th win but the Tigers spoiled the day.
On Sunday, the MSU baseball team retired its first two numbers in school history.Former MSU greats Danny Litwhiler and Robin Roberts were on hand for the ceremony, in which the fence in left center field was adorned with banners brandishing the numbers one and 36, respectively."It was a great day for Spartan baseball," MSU manager Ted Mahan said.
The road has taken its toll on the Lugnuts already and Lansing has only been gone for two days. After taking three of four games from Wisconsin (19-18) last week at home, the Lugnuts (21-14) have now dropped two straight to the Timber Rattlers. That isn't all Lansing is dropping.
Bryan Gale thrives on being one-of-a-kind. The junior right-hander's pitching style is what puts him in a class of his own on the mound.
Collegiate baseball is failing to suit up black athletes as players and coaches at many levels argue the cost of the sport and lack of recruiting are keeping diversity off the diamond.
Lansing - The Spartans had plenty of opportunities to score runs Wednesday night, but squandered a majority of their opportunities. The end result was a disheartening 4-3 loss to Central Michigan at Oldsmobile Park. MSU (12-25 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) left eight runners on base, a considerably high amount considering they only recorded eight hits and were walked just one time.
After struggling to muster runs the past three games, the Spartans' bats were smoking Tuesday afternoon.MSU tallied 16 hits en route to a 14-6 beating of Siena Heights.The Spartans (12-24 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) jumped out to a quick early lead - a 9-0 advantage after two innings - MSU manager Ted Mahan emptied his bench at the start of the third inning.
Quick, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a team with an 11-24 record? Bad?
Lansing - The Spartan offense was in full throttle Friday afternoon, but they didn't need much of it.Behind a stellar pitching performance from junior right-hander Bryan Gale, the Spartans whipped the Wolverines 12-3 in front of 835 fans at Oldsmobile Park."It was a must win home game," said Gale, who improved to 5-4 on the year and 3-0 in his career against Michigan.