FOOTBALL
No. 18 Spartans ready to practice
The MSU football team is ranked No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll released Thursday.
ICE HOCKEY
Safety nets expected to return
Rink manager Tom Campbell said it’s “99 percent certain” that MSU will reinstate safety nets behind both goals at Munn Ice Arena this year - one season after the university removed the safeguards.The move is largely in response to an NHL initiative to put safety nets in every member arena following the death of 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil at a Columbus Blue Jackets game in March.
SPORTS
Hoops team releases 2002-03 schedule
The MSU women’s basketball team missed out on the 2002 NCAA Tournament, but it will get a sufficient dosage of last year’s qualifiers in the upcoming season. Of the 27 games the Spartans are slated to play in the 2002-03 season, 11 - five at home - will be against teams that were in the Big Dance last March. The schedule features 14 games at Breslin Center.
VOLLEYBALL
Poll picks spikers to finish 3rd in conference
The preseason Big Ten volleyball poll gives Spartan fans reason for optimism, as MSU was picked to finish third in the league behind Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Spartans finished last season with a 21-8 record, 13-7 in the conference.
SPORTS
Same songs, but whole new energy
Remix albums are all the rage among rappers and hard-rockers these days, but usually prove to be complete flop or an album with only one or two decent songs. And to make a remix a band should have a few albums to its name to have enough good songs to actually remix. So a band has got to have a lot of guts to remix its debut album and put it out two years later.
SPORTS
Spartan qualifies for U.S. Amateur
MSU senior Eric Jorgensen earned medalist honors at Friday’s U.S. Amateur Open sectional qualifier Friday with a 36-hole score of 137.
FOOTBALL
U-M, OSU, U top Big Ten
Chicago - Although record-breaking wide receivers - instead of smash-mouth running backs - are receiving most of the preseason hype, the media seems to think the conference will return to the “Big Two, Little Eight” days of the Big Ten. The league’s preseason poll, released at the 31st annual Big Ten Conference Kickoff Luncheon last week, tabbed Michigan and Ohio State to finish first and second, respectively, in the Big Ten football standings.
SPORTS
Martin helps out young netters
Kelly Hamelin has always loved tennis. The 12-year-old middle school student’s adoration of the sport put her in contact with a tennis champ Thursday.That’s when the U.S.
SPORTS
Icers stockpile in net as goalie commits
The Spartan hockey team will have a logjam in the crease a few years from now, thanks to the recent verbal commitment of goaltender Dominic Vicari.Vicari, a 5-foot-10, 170-pounder from Clinton Township, told MSU coaches several weeks ago that he intends to join the Spartans in fall 2003.
BASKETBALL
Spartans schedule filled with tradition
Once again MSU head coach Tom Izzo has ensured a nonconference schedule that will force the men’s basketball team to prove themselves. “I think we’ve done a good job of putting together a very difficult schedule,” Izzo said in a statement.
SPORTS
Cleaves gives back with free camp
Flint - When former MSU star Mateen Cleaves was a young, aspiring athlete, he didn’t have many chances to meet professional athletes.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans release Icers schedule
The MSU hockey team released its 2002-03 schedule Thursday, and there is no shortage of intriguing games on the docket. Among the highlights, the Spartans will face nonconference powers Boston University and Denver in regular-season tournaments.
SPORTS
Lugnuts sweep division leaders
Lansing - The Lugnuts broke out the brooms Sunday on the division-leading Dayton Dragons.Lansing (19-12 second half, 56-44 overall) defeated Dayton 10-1 at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.
FOOTBALL
Single-game football tickets on sale today
Tickets for three of the Spartans’ eight home football games went on sale this morning. The games against Eastern Michigan on Aug.
SPORTS
Lugnuts ready to tussle with division leaders
The Lansing Lugnuts will have a chance to gain some ground in the standings when they return to Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.
SPORTS
Spartans reach match play at amateur tourney
MSU golfers Eric Jorgensen and Casey Lubahn have both advanced to the match-play portion of the 77th U.S.
ICE HOCKEY
Miller remains in the dark on professional career
Sure, there was a coin flip. A new head coach officially took over and a pair of assistants decided to stay in East Lansing.
BASKETBALL
Hill joins Big Ten Foreign Tour, ready to showcase new skills
Sophomore guard Chris Hill was selected to play with the Big Ten Foreign Tour Team. Hill and 11 other Big Ten players will travel to Europe to compete in five games Aug.
SPORTS
Superstitions abundant with Benik
Lansing Lugnuts right-hander B.J. Benik’s key to success this season has been getting ahead of batters with his fastball and finishing them off with one of his three off-speed pitches.
SPORTS
Lugnuts claim tie-breaker over Fort Wayne
Lansing - The Lugnuts split a four-game series with the Fort Wayne Wizards, which was enough to win the season series 7-6.If the teams finish with identical second-half records, the series victory could prove vital since neither team captured a first-half playoff spot.