In 2003, Duke defeated the Spartans 72-50 at the Breslin Center. It was MSU's sole loss in the BigTen/ACC Challenge to date. MSU has an overall 3-1 record in its history at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
A record number of Lansing Lugnuts have been selected for the Midwest League All-Star Game. Wednesday, eight Lansing players were named to the team, the most for any team in the league and a new franchise record. Four position players were chosen including three named as starters.
Former Spartan hockey defender, Andrew Hutchinson, won the Calder Cup with the Milwaukee Admirals, completing a four game sweep against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Calder Cup is the minor league equivalent to the Stanley Cup for the American Hockey League.
MSU juniors, right fielder Travis Gulick and catcher Erik Morris were selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, Tuesday. The draft spans over two days and 50 rounds. For Gulick, the two days of sitting in front of his computer listening to the 2004 MLB draft online seemed endless until his name was finally called Tuesday afternoon. Gulick was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 23rd round of the Major League Baseball Draft, the 686th pick overall. "It's been a long process," Gulick said.
After 20 years with the Spartans, Jim Stintzi, Spartans men's and women's cross country head coach, will move to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to become the head coach of the men's and women's track teams. Stintzi, whose alma mater is Wisconsin, will be only the second track coach in Wisconsin's history, replacing Peter Tegen who had been with Wisconsin for 30 years.
For the second time in three years, MSU will send four track and field athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Senior shot put thrower Steve Manz, senior long and triple jumper Sherita Williams, senior distance runner Jamie Krzyminski and freshman sprinter Cynetheia Rooks will represent the Spartans beginning Wednesday in Austin, Texas. "This whole last month has been amazing," Manz said. Manz is seeded fifth, qualified for the NCAA Championship after placing second at the NCAA Mideast Regional with throwing 63-4 1/4. At the NCAA Championships last year, Manz placed 11th and said he is hopeful that his experience from a year ago would be the difference. "I'm looking to throw big and get into the top three and scare some people," Manz said. With four Spartans going to the championships, the reputation and notoriety of MSU's Track and Field program is growing, according to women's track coach Angela Goodman.
Wanted: Any male Americans who have an ounce of basketball talent for the USA Olympic men's basketball team. If you can shoot, defend, or even dribble a basketball, your country could use you this summer in Athens, Greece. USA Basketball is having difficulty finding players to fill its roster.
Two members of the MSU women's track and cross county teams and two members of the men's track and cross country teams made the 2004 Academic All-District teams for Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Seniors Michelle Carson and Jamie Krzyminski from the women's teams, both earned first-team honors and are in the running for Academic All-American consideration. From the men's teams, junior runner Nathan Egger was selected to the first-team.
The summer is not usually a time of change for the MSU women's basketball team. For head coach Joanne P.
Lansing - It was a home run kind of night at Oldsmobile Park. Even if one of them didn't count. Lansing first baseman Brian Dopirak hit what some might describe as the longest no-pitch ever.
The MSU baseball team exceeded most peoples expectations this season, but was unable to meet its own goals of winning a Big Ten title. The Spartans fell short in both the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament.
I hate Lakers fans. And I'm not talking about Jack Nicholson and Justin Timberlake, I'm talking about you -the Eastern Conference Lakers fan. Sure, you were overjoyed Tuesday night when the Pistons put the Pacers away to advance to their first NBA Finals since the Bad Boys in 1990, but it was a fake joy.
Chicago - Mark Prior will return back to the major league, making his first start with the Chicago Cubs on Friday after spending the first two months of the season on the disabled list. Prior, who has been sidelined with an inflamed right Achilles' tendon and sore right elbow, was impressive in his third rehab start Sunday when he allowed three hits and two runs while striking out 10 in 5 1-3 innings for Triple-A Iowa. Prior pitched the first two games of his rehab tour with the Lansing Lugnuts and defied conservative estimates - pitching an extra inning in his second game to help the 'Nuts turn the tables on the West Michigan Whitecaps to win 7-6. During both games with the 'Nuts, Prior allowed just one hit and one walk, and threw 13 strikeouts in a combined 7 1/3 innings. Now, he's ready to return to the Cubs and will face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday at Wrigley Field.
Lansing- A 10:35 a.m. start time is difficult for any baseball player, but an early game following a 3 1/2 hour, 11-inning game the night before would cause any team to get off to a sluggish start. That's exactly what happened Wednesday morning as the Lansing Lugnuts struggled to find any hits for the first four innings, before the Lugnuts rediscovered their bats to pull out a 3-1 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps. "It's a little hard to get up in the morning and it took a few innings for us to wake up," Lansing left fielder Kevin Collins said. Neither team came close to scoring early.
This was no marathon, but the first round of the Big Ten Tournament for the No. 4 seed MSU baseball team coasted at a slow pace Wednesday afternoon.
Lansing- To have a major- league pitcher make an appearance for a Class A ball club is a rare occurrence, but it is almost unheard of to have two in the same week. Despite the impossible odds, it happened this week at Oldsmobile Park when Mark Prior and Ryan Dempster made their rehab starts for the Lansing Lugnuts.
Winning four of six matches for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, MSU wrestler Nick Simmons, failed to qualify for the U.S.
As MSU junior pitcher Jon Kowalski tagged first base for the final out to secure the Spartans' 8-7 victory over Northwestern, his teammates erupted into celebration. The victory over Northwestern Sunday ensured the Spartans the No.
Less than a week after creating a stir by pitching for the Lansing Lugnuts, Mark Prior is again stepping to the mound for the Chicago Cubs Class A affiliate at 7:05 p.m.
The MSU softball team ended its season at the NCAA Regional in Athens, Ga., with a 9-1 loss to host school, Georgia. The Spartans managed only one run and six hits for the entire game and were unable to muster up any offense. "I think it's putting together hits and we didn't do that," senior third baseman Brittney Green said.