BASEBALL
Spartans rapidly climbing league standings
Those seven-hour, late-night bus rides home from Big Ten destinations are a lot easier for the MSU baseball team after a weekend sweep.
FOOTBALL
MSU football signs contracts to play Alabama, West Virginia
The MSU Athletics Department announced Monday it signed contracts for home-and-home MSU football series with Alabama and West Virginia within the next 10 years. MSU will play West Virginia in Morgantown, W. Va., on Sept. 13, 2014, and against the Mountaineers at home on Sept. 19, 2015. The Spartans will meet Alabama for the first time in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sept. 3, 2016. The two teams will play in East Lansing on Sept. 2, 2017.
FOOTBALL
4 MSU football players reach deals with NFL teams
Four Spartan football players that weren’t selected in last weekend’s NFL Draft have signed with teams as of Monday, and a fifth has a tryout with a pro team. Quarterback Brian Hoyer, safety Otis Wiley, defensive end Brandon Long and defensive tackle Justin Kershaw all have signed with teams. Right tackle Jesse Miller also earned a May 7 tryout with the New York Giants.
FOOTBALL
Spring game full of positive, negative plays
The MSU football team’s quarterback race is getting most of the publicity, but a few other intriguing story lines emerged from the Green and White scrimmage on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.
SPORTS
Former football players bike for good cause
More than three decades ago, three young men gathered in the end zone of Spartan Stadium, commencing one important journey of their lives that would create a bond lasting for years to come.
SPORTS
Spartans rout field in year's lone home meet
After a weekend of stormy skies, gusting winds and pouring rain, the sun was shining brightly on the MSU men’s golf team in the final day of the Spartan/Fossum Invitational on Sunday at Forest Akers West Golf Course.
FOOTBALL
Time in system beneficial for 3rd-year QB
Dear coach Dantonio, This has to be my job to lose, right? I’ve put in the time for this team and you’ve seen me drastically improve in the past two years.
FOOTBALL
Quarterback race heats up
Dear coach Dantonio, Look, coach. I know you’re a loyal person and that you still might be sour with me about the recruiting fiasco. But coach (and anyone else who might be reading), you must understand the reason I retracted my original commitment to MSU almost three years ago.
FOOTBALL
Ringer drafted by Titans in 5th round; Hoyer signs with Patriots
Former MSU running back Javon Ringer was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the final pick in the fifth round of Sunday’s NFL Draft, making him the first MSU player to be drafted this year.
FOOTBALL
White squeaks by Green in overtime
MSU football fans got their first look at sophomore quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol on Saturday during the Spartans annual Green and White game Saturday at Spartan Stadium. And the two quarterbacks didn’t disappoint the fans who stuck it out through monsoon-like rains and gusty breezes.
SOFTBALL
Softball doubleheader brings victory and defeat
One swing was all that kept the MSU softball team from sweeping Oakland in a double-header with the Golden Grizzlies at Old College Field on Thursday. Instead, the Spartans had to settle for a split, winning the first game 5-1 and dropping the nightcap 4-3 in the extra innings.
SPORTS
Anatomy of a tennis serve
Mastering the serve is one of the most important aspects of tennis. Whether your serve features blistering speed or pinpoint accuracy, it’s important to put your opponent on their heels right away.
FOOTBALL
Jimmerson hopes to reach potential as senior
Once upon a time, junior A.J. Jimmerson was the heir apparent to Javon Ringer’s throne as the MSU football team’s star running back. Some, including then-head coach John L. Smith, even predicted Jimmerson would become a better player than Ringer, who finished his career second in school history with 4,329 rushing yards.
SPORTS
Coach expects big results at home
In 2007, the MSU men’s golf team won the Fossum/Spartan Invitational. MSU head coach Sam Puryear is expecting the same results this year. In fact, he’s not going to be satisfied with anything but a victory.
FOOTBALL
Former running back shares draft thoughts
The State News caught up with former MSU running back Javon Ringer during Tuesday’s football practice to talk about this weekend’s NFL draft. Most draft experts project Ringer, who rushed for 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, as a middle-round pick.
BASEBALL
Back to its roots
Wade Korpi doesn’t remember the ball that nearly killed him. Last April, the then-Notre Dame pitcher threw a two-strike fastball to Rutgers shortstop Dan Betteridge, who hit a line drive back at Korpi at more than 100 mph. The ball caromed off the left side of Korpi’s forehead and landed by first base.
FOOTBALL
2 quarterbacks highlight top-10 selections
We’ve finally reached the end of my 2009 mock draft. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Remember to compare my mock draft to the actual draft, which begins at 4 p.m. Saturday.
SPORTS
Hulewicz a bright spot on struggling team
When the time came for Ronnie Hulewicz to decide where he wanted to play college tennis, he had no scarcity of options. An All-State, blue-chip recruit from Tequesta, Fla., Hulewicz had several elite schools knocking on his door, including Florida.
BASKETBALL
Spartans, Tar Heels to meet again in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
The MSU men’s basketball team will take the floor with North Carolina for the third time in a calendar year and for the second consecutive year in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The two teams will meet in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Dec. 1 in the 11th rendition of the weeklong event that pits teams from each conference against one another.
FOOTBALL
Mid-first round picks talented, have potential
While offense took priority during the latter third of the first round, the middle is dominated by defensive prospects. Only four of the 12 players selected during this segment of my mock draft play offense. Find out if the Detroit Lions are one of those teams and stay tuned tomorrow for my top 10 picks.