FOOTBALL
Sports briefs
Tennis tea drops 4th straight match, 5-2 The MSU women's tennis team fell to Indiana 5-2 Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.
FOOTBALL
Stanton strictly striving for success on gridiron
Letting go of a first love is extremely difficult.MSU quarterback Drew Stanton had to decide on his first love - baseball - or a great opportunity - to be the starting quarterback for MSU in the fall."I'd love to be able to play baseball," he said.
BASEBALL
Sluggers earn split in wintry weather
Offense was hard to come by at a frigid Kobs Field on Sunday afternoon as the MSU baseball team split a low-scoring doubleheader with Northwestern.The Spartans (7-18 overall, 1-5 Big Ten) won the opener 3-2, picking up their first league victory of the season.
SOFTBALL
Spartans overpower conference leaders
Although it was as cold as the middle of winter, the bats of the MSU softball team were scorching Sunday. The Spartans (24-9 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) tallied 12 hits, including three home runs as they trounced Big Ten-leading Iowa 7-1 at Old College Field.
BASKETBALL
Expectations higher for 'U' next season
With closure on the Spartan basketball season, much optimism is already surrounding the 2003-04 campaign. The Spartans stumbled out of the gate, and by early January, the Spartans were the "biggest disappointment" of the season.
FOOTBALL
Quarterbacks impressive in scrimmage
With seven spring practices in the can, the MSU football team is finding itself knee-deep in sorting through head coach John L.
SPORTS
Lugnuts' season opener rained out
Lansing - The Lansing Lugnuts' season opener was postponed Thursday night after a steady rainstorm pelted the stadium. Lansing left-hander Ryan Sisco (0-0) had a strong start in his Lugnut debut, striking out the first two batters from South Bend.
SPORTS
Spring Fling
With the intensity of March being too much for the ice hockey and men's and women's basketball teams, other MSU teams have the opportunity to shine.
SPORTS
NBA could use fewer Artests; more Rambises
The infamous and legendary Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight once said: "If the NBA were on channel 5, and a bunch of frogs making love was on channel 4, I'd watch the frogs even if they were coming in fuzzy." Putting it lightly, the NBA is in disrepair these days.
ICE HOCKEY
Liles not a finalist for Hobey award
John-Michael Liles' hopes for the Hobey are over. Liles, a senior defenseman from Zionsville, Ind., was not one of the three Hobey Baker Award finalists announced Wednesday.
BASEBALL
Sluggers rally for victory
The MSU baseball team said playing at home for the first time this season could be the medicine for its losing ways.And as it turns out, Kobs Field provided a perfect remedy Wednesday afternoon as the Spartans used a late offensive surge to defeat Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne 10-4."It was a good win," MSU manager Ted Mahan.
BASKETBALL
Izzo headed to Bourbon Street for television gig
You can take the coach out of the Final Four, but you won't be able to take the Final Four out of the coach. MSU Sports Information Assistant Director Matt Larson confirmed Tuesday MSU head coach Tom Izzo will join anchors Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg in CBS studios for analysis of this weekend's national semifinal and championship games.
BASEBALL
Sluggers want April to be showered with wins
Last month was not one to remember for the MSU baseball team.The Spartans (5-17 overall, 0-4 Big Ten) lost the first 10 games of March and 16 of 18 overall.Although MSU lost a lot of firepower in the offseason, the team's 17 losses are disappointing considering last season's 38-19 record.MSU manager Ted Mahan said playing every game on the road so far has something to do with the poor start."I don't know many teams in the country that play 22 consecutive road games against good teams," Mahan said.
SOFTBALL
Spartans won't overlook lowly Eagles
Coming off a successful opening weekend of Big Ten play, the MSU softball team hopes to keep its winning ways alive with a midweek tilt against Eastern Michigan.Head coach Jacquie Joseph said although the Eagles (3-21 overall) are having a down year, her team should not overlook a lesser opponent."We need to get down there and play against the team and not the names on the jerseys," Joseph said.
SPORTS
Men's tennis takes on Michigan
The MSU men's tennis team hosts intrastate rival Michigan today, marking the 100th meeting of the schools. 74th-ranked MSU (10-9 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) is looking for a reversal of fortune against the 61st-ranked Wolverines (5-9, 0-4). The Spartans have lost seven of their last eight dual meets and are on the losing side of a 17-81-1 all-time record against U-M.
ICE HOCKEY
Liles to find out Hobey Baker Award status today
When we last left John-Michael Liles two weeks ago, he had just accidentally scored a goal on his own net, thus sealing MSU's season-ending 7-5 loss to Northern Michigan. Afterward, the superlative senior defenseman was too distraught to talk to the media.
SPORTS
Gymnasts to compete in regional championships
The MSU gymnastics team is headed to the Central Region of the 2003 Women's Gymnastics Regional Championship.The Spartans nabbed the sixth seed and will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on April 12.Gymnastics head coach Kathie Klages said she heard the news Monday, but she wasn't surprised."I think that we had a very poor performance at the Big Ten Championships, but we did fine at our final home performance," she said.
BASKETBALL
Past standards still haunt 'U'
San Antonio - The motivation for the MSU men's basketball team this postseason was to make a name for itself instead of chasing the glory of seasons' past. Mission accomplished? "It was a good run, not many people gave us a chance to get this far," sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson said.
SOFTBALL
Softball starts strong in Big Ten
The MSU softball team kicked off the Big Ten season by taking three of four contests from Illinois and No.
SPORTS
Sports briefs
Sluggers drop 4 conference games The MSU baseball team is off to a slow conference start after falling in four straight games this weekend. Sunday, the Spartans (5-17 overall, 0-4 Big Ten) dropped the first contest of a doubleheader 5-1 at Minnesota.