For the recently hired MSU hockey head coach and former CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos, restoring the glory of the program to compete as it had under Ron Mason while transitioning into a new role is among the top goals in his first year at the helm of Spartan hockey.
With the hiring of former CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos as MSU hockey’s head coach comes a new direction for the program. The recently hired Anastos and his staff met with members of the local and regional media Tuesday to discuss the direction of the program in an informal meet-and-greet session.
MSU senior pitcher Kurt Wunderlich was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Monday, after throwing a complete game shutout to beat Northwestern 3-0 on Thursday.
When junior pitcher Tony Bucciferro took the mound for the ninth inning of Friday’s game against Northwestern, he knew a complete game and the Big Ten championship were just three outs away. With a touch of swagger, Bucciferro dialed up his fastball and slider to strike out the side and deliver the first Big Ten title to the MSU baseball program since 1979. Bucciferro and senior pitcher Kurt Wunderlich threw a pair of complete games for the Spartans (34-19 overall, 15-9 Big Ten) over the weekend and capped off a strong pitching year for each of the players and for the program. “I knew it was going to happen, and I was fired-up,” Bucciferro said. “(Boss) has turned this program around.
As the MSU baseball team mobbed the right side of the pitcher’s mound in a towering dogpile Friday after clinching a share of the Big Ten championship, the weight of three decades of losing had been lifted.
Recording the best place finish ever by a Spartan at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, MSU women’s golfer sophomore Caroline Powers tied for sixth with an even-par finish at 288 (70, 76, 96, 73). Her score also is the best 72-hole score earned by a Spartan at the championships, which ended Saturday in Bryan, Texas.
Unfortunately Northwestern (20-29, 10-13) had other ideas for the Spartans (34-19 overall, 15-9 Big Ten), as they upended Senior Day at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, 6-5. The day was not a total loss for MSU as they were presented with the Big Ten championship trophy by Athletics Director Mark Hollis and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, along with championship shirts and hats, following the conclusion of the game.
After 32 years of waiting, under five different head coaches, the MSU baseball team has earned a share of the Big Ten championship after defeating Northwestern, 10-1, Friday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field.
In his last career start at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field, senior pitcher Kurt Wunderlich threw a complete game shutout, as the Spartans (33-18 overall, 14-8 Big Ten) downed Big Ten foe Northwestern (19-28, 9-12), 3-0. With the win, the Spartans edged ever closer to winning a Big Ten championship — the program’s first since 1979.
As the Spartans (32-18 overall, 13-8 Big Ten) head into their final regular season series — hosting Northwestern (19-27, 9-11) with game one at 3:05 p.m. Thursday — they hold a one-game lead over Minnesota (21-20, 12-9) and Illinois (22-25, 12-9) in the Big Ten. To be guaranteed outright champions, MSU will have to sweep the Wildcats at McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs field.
After the MSU softball team concluded its season last weekend, the Spartans had three players selected for All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced Wednesday. Junior catcher Brett Williams was named First Team All-Big Ten, and senior shortstop Lindsey Hansen and junior third baseman Ali Grant were second and third team honorees, respectively.
Sophomore thrower Beth Rohl was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships after her performance at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, the conference announced Wednesday. She also was given First Team All-Big Ten honors.
With a big conference series against Northwestern starting Thursday, the MSU baseball team (32-18 overall, 13-8 Big Ten) took out the frustrations of the past weekend with heavy hitting to deliver a 20-3 win against the Fighting Irish at Frank Eck Baseball Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
For her first career appearance at the NCAA Championships, sophomore golfer Caroline Powers will represent MSU at the championships starting Wednesday in Bryan, Texas. Entering the competition, she is ranked No. 27 in the nation by Golfweek.
Going into the 2011 season, MSU softball head coach Jacquie Joseph had high expectations for her team.
Although the MSU track and field team concluded its Big Ten action on Sunday with a fifth-place finish at the 2011 Big Ten Outdoor Championships at Iowa, the team came away with three individual conference titles. Senior Emily MacLeod, junior Becca Buchholtz and sophomore Beth Rohl won individual conference championships and led the way for the Spartans, who would finish with a total score of 74.5 points on the day. Rohl was the first to come away with a Big Ten Championship when she won the women’s discus throw with a school record toss of 55.94 meters. Another school record was set as Buchholtz joined Rohl with her second-consecutive title in the women’s high jump.
For MSU softball head coach Jacquie Joseph, the dedication of Secchia Stadium at Old College Field marks a new era of Spartan softball.
Coming into the weekend, the MSU baseball team held a commanding three-game lead in the Big Ten standings and was edging ever closer to their first Big Ten championship since 1979. After being swept in three games by Indiana (30-21 overall, 11-10 Big Ten), the Spartans’ (31-18, 13-8) lead has been slimmed to one after two weekend losses by Minnesota to Penn State.
As Ohio State captured the Big Ten title, the MSU women’s rowing team earned a fourth place finish at the Big Ten Championships, and the varsity eight made a mark in the MSU history books by winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive title, finishing with a time of 6:17.12.
MSU baseball senior outfielder Brandon Eckerle was named the male Michigan College Athlete of the Year at the Detroit Athletic Club National Athletic Awards on May 9 in Detroit.