The red-hot MSU baseball team's (16-12 overall, 6-2 Big Ten) winning streak was extinguished at 12 games after losing their final two contests in a weekend series with Illinois (10-16, 3-5). MSU head baseball coach Ted Mahan said his team is tired and that is a factor that played into the Spartans' streak being snapped this weekend.
There is the Izzone, Slapshots, Corner Blitz and now a new kid on the block of the MSU cheering sections - Kobs Korner. Kobs Korner is the beloved student section of the MSU baseball team (14-10). An MSU baseball team that is 10-0 at home this season, courtesy of a little help from the Korner. "It's been fantastic," MSU head coach Ted Mahan said.
After the MSU baseball team romped Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne at Kobs Field on Wednesday, manager Ted Mahan called baseball a "streaky game." His observation is especially fitting for the Spartans, considering they just won their 10th straight game and junior outfielder Travis Gulick extended his hitting streak to 20 games. The Spartans (14-10) annihilated IPFW (11-18) in all phases of the game in their 12-1 win.
With the Spartans riding a nine-game winning streak, Travis Gulick's play probably has gone unnoticed by most. On Tuesday, however, the Big Ten recognized the junior right fielder's achievements by giving him co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors. "It was really a surprise to me," Gulick said.
Bryan Gale jogged out to the mound, reached down and picked up the rosin bag, adjusted his pants, fixed his cap and stared toward home plate. It was time. In the top of the fourth inning against Iowa on Friday, the senior right-hander was one strikeout away from setting the all-time MSU mark for Ks. "You try not to think of it, but in a way, it's kind of in the back of your mind," Gale admitted after the game.
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.