In the realm of the MSU hockey program, Tom Anastos is making moves. Despite completing just his first season as head coach of the program in March following a 3-1 loss to Union in the NCAA Tournament, Anastos is generating buzz around one of college hockey’s most sacred programs.
On a picturesque night with the Detroit skyline dimming in the background, the MSU baseball team got a taste of the big leagues as they downed Central Michigan, 5-2, in the second annual Clash at Comerica — played in the home of the Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park.
It should go without saying that the MSU softball team is in need of a dramatic turnaround next season if it wants to avoid repeating a tragic season that saw the Spartans go without a single conference win in Big Ten play. MSU ended its season with 19 straight losses and finished with a 11-42 overall record. Near the end of the season, head coach Jacquie Joseph said her team needed to reverse its math — allow fewer runs and produce more of its own.
Led by a strong seven-inning effort by sophomore starter David Garner and a pair of home runs by freshman designated hitter Blaise Salter and junior catcher John Martinez, the Spartans (33-17 overall, 12-9 Big Ten) overpowered the Hawkeyes (20-26, 8-13) and took the game, 7-3, Sunday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
A forgettable season for the MSU softball team ended Saturday with more blunder than bang as the Spartans dropped their 19th consecutive game in a weekend-series sweep by Indiana. MSU ended its 2012 campaign losing 26 of its last 27 contests and finished the season winless in Big Ten competition. The team finished 11-42 on the season with its last victory coming on a 6-1 decision at Central Michigan on April 4.
The MSU softball team was swept by Indiana this weekend to conclude a disappointing season in which the Spartans finished winless in Big Ten play. After losing 4-2 on Friday, MSU (11-42 overall, 0-23 Big Ten) dropped a pair of one-run decisions, losing each game in Saturday’s doubleheader by a score of 6-5. Despite failing to earn a Big Ten victory in Saturday’s heartbreaking losses, freshman pitcher Carly Nielsen called Saturday’s games the best MSU has played all season.
Despite another strong pitching performance — this time by junior pitcher Andrew Waszak — the Spartans (32-17 overall, 11-9 Big Ten) let a lead evaporate late in the game and fell 2-1 to the Hawkeyes (20-25, 8-12) Saturday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
For much of the game Friday evening, it appeared that the MSU softball team was on its way to earning its first victory in Big Ten competition.
Despite hitting four batters in the game — including three in one inning — senior pitcher Tony Bucciferro scattered five hits and struck out nine batters in a complete game shutout effort to lead the Spartans (32-16 overall, 11-8 Big Ten) over Iowa (19-25, 7-12), 6-0, Friday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
The NCAA announced Thursday it will grant a residence waiver to make sophomore wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett eligible to play in 2012.
The MSU baseball team continued to honor a season-long commitment made to itself of approaching midweek contests with the same intensity and focus of critical weekend games with Wednesday’s 7-2 victory against Toledo at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field. The win came on the heels of another midweek matchup with a Mid-American Conference foe the day before when the Spartans (31-16 overall, 10-8 Big Ten) defeated Western Michigan on the road, 15-7. “We put a priority on that in the beginning of the year,“ head coach Jake Boss Jr.
The MSU softball team saw more opportunities for its first conference win washed away this weekend as they dropped two games on the road to Nebraska.
David Garner would not let the MSU baseball team go down without a fight. After dropping the first two of the weekend series to No. 13 Purdue, the sophomore pitcher from Niles, Mich. rose to the occasion by striking out seven in a complete game shutout on Sunday to give the Spartans a 5-0 victory against the Boilermakers.
The score might have been 14-2 in favor of the White team, but the real winner of the MSU football team’s Spring Game was the defense. With a young offense and an even more inexperienced quarterback substituting in, there was no question that the team with the stronger defense would be victorious, and with such a low scoring game, defense was dominant on both teams. “We stepped up; we (rose) to the challenge,” said junior linebacker Denicos Allen, who played for the White team.
Despite a strong personal effort, junior defensive end William Gholston now knows what it’s like to lose at Spartan Stadium. Gholston’s Green team fell to the White squad, 14-2 during MSU’s annual Spring Football Game.
Junior defensive end William Gholston has never lost a game at Spartan Stadium. In two years, the Spartans were undefeated at home, but at least half of the MSU football team will know the losing feeling when the team plays its third and final scrimmage of the spring practice season Saturday at 1 p.m. at Spartan Stadium.
When Max Bullough earned his starting position at middle linebacker in 2011, he immediately became a leader on the MSU football team, especially within the Spartan defense. But with several key leaders graduating following last season, the junior linebacker embraces his leadership role in a new way for 2012.
Despite losing 18 of its last 19 contests and fighting its way through a recent hitting slump, the MSU softball team maintains a loose attitude, according to sophomore pitcher Cassee Layne. The Spartans (11-34 overall, 0-15 Big Ten) travel to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend for their first series with fourth-place Nebraska (29-18, 10-5) as a member of the Big Ten.
When the men’s and women’s golf teams travel to French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind., this weekend for the Big Ten Championships, they’ll both have winning as a common goal.
With regular season action winding to a close, both the MSU men’s and women’s tennis teams will open up postseason play this week in their respective Big Ten Tournaments. The MSU men’s tennis team (17-10 overall, 6-5 Big Ten) earned the No. 7 seed and will face No. 10-seeded Purdue in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Northwestern’s Vandy Christie Tennis Center in Evanston, Ill. Meanwhile, the women’s tennis team (8-14, 0-11) enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 12 seed and also will face Purdue at 10 a.m. Thursday at Ohio State’s Varsity Tennis Courts in Columbus, Ohio.