Another pivotal weekend in the Big Ten awaits the MSU softball team as it heads out on a four-game road trip to Penn State and Ohio State. The Spartans (27-11 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) hope to improve on their fourth-place position in the conference.
An explosive first inning was all the MSU softball team needed to down Central Michigan 4-0 on Wednesday at Old College Field.The Spartans (27-11 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) lit up Chippewa pitcher Amber Puchalski for four hits in their first at-bats.MSU also benefited from a wild pitch and aggressive base running to jump to a quick four-run lead."The first inning really set the tone for us," MSU sophomore second base Janette Hurtado said.
MSU head softball coach Jacquie Joseph said she wanted to use the team's first Big Ten road contests to see how her team measures up to tougher squads.By splitting a four-game series with Minnesota and Wisconsin, Joseph said her team is still good enough to be mentioned with the top teams in the Big Ten."I felt we should have come out of this weekend 3-1," she said.
If the MSU softball team expects to continue its hot start, then it needs to be at its best at the plate. The Spartans (24-9, 4-1 Big Ten) face some of the conference's top pitchers when it travels to face Minnesota (26-10, 4-2) and Wisconsin (13-16, 2-4) this weekend.
Experience, hard work and a new attitude have led to the MSU softball team's excellent start this season.After going 24-35 overall and 4-15 in the Big Ten in 2002, the Spartans (24-9 overall, 4-1 Big Ten) need just one win to eclipse last season's overall and conference win totals.
On April Fool's Day, senior centerfielder Sandy Lewis approached Old College Field for softball practice wearing a boot and brandishing a signed letter from the head trainer stating she would be out of action 4 to 6 weeks.
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.
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.
The MSU softball team kicked off the Big Ten season by taking three of four contests from Illinois and No.
With the 2003 season on the horizon, the MSU softball team is hoping for a complete turnaround from its 2002 campaign.Last season the Spartans went 24-35 while winning just four of 19 Big Ten contests.
The MSU softball team placed second with a 2-1-2 record at the Elk Rapids Tournament during the weekend.
The softball team added sophomore hurler Stephanie Christner to next year’s roster.Christner played last year for Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, earning All-Region XI honors.
The softball team finished its season with a 1-0 loss to Michigan at Old College Field May 5. Senior right-hander Becky Gray (13-18) finished just two strikeouts shy of MSU’s all-time strikeout record.
The MSU softball team enters the backstretch of its 12-game road trip fighting for its postseason life, while preparing for finals.“It’s a critical weekend for us in terms of our season,” head coach Jacquie Joseph said.
Overpowering and intimidating are frequently used when describing a strikeout pitcher.But even as senior pitcher Becky Gray continues to climb MSU’s all-time career strikeouts list, none of the usual terms apply.“I wouldn’t say I’m an overpowering pitcher,” Gray said.
After three straight nonconference games, the MSU softball team returns to Big Ten action this weekend. The Spartans (21-26 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) travel to Iowa City, for a two game series with the Big Ten-leading Hawkeyes (28-14, 8-2). The two teams begin the series at 6 p.m.
Before the MSU softball team returns to Big Ten play this weekend, the Spartans play Loyola today in nonconference action.MSU (21-26 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) will travel to Chicago for a 5 p.m.
The MSU softball team looks to break its losing streak with a rematch against Oakland. The Spartans (20-25 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) defeated the Grizzlies 2-1 at Old College Field on April 3.
The Spartan hurlers pitched well enough to win, but their batters couldn’t get it done. The MSU softball team (20-25 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) dropped both games of a Sunday doubleheader at Old College Field to Minnesota by a combined score of 5-0.
After a successful road trip, the MSU softball team brings its season-best nine-game winning streak back to East Lansing. With momentum under their belts, the Spartans (20-21 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) host Wisconsin (21-13, 4-4) at 4 p.m.