For eight and two-thirds innings, it appeared that MSU would cruise to a blowout win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Leading 10-2 to begin the final frame, a comedy of errors led to a seven-run inning with two outs on the board as the Spartans narrowly escaped with a 10-9 win against No. 4-seed Nebraska.
Despite not generating the headlines of football or men’s basketball, Matt Weise quietly has built one of MSU’s most successful varsity sports. The eighth-year head coach of the MSU rowing team has maintained the success of a program that has qualified for the NCAA National Championship Regatta in 14 of the last 15 seasons.
The MSU Crew Club is leaving today to head to Atlanta, where it has earned several of the highest seedings in program history at the American Collegiate Rowing Association Club Nationals.
When the NCAA Track and Field Regionals begin Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla., 31 Spartans will be in attendance. The MSU Track and Field team will look to build on a positive performance at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in which it took home seven medals.
Junior center fielder Kylene Hopkins added to her decorated 2012 season by being named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, or NFCA, Great Lakes all-region team Tuesday.
As captivating off the field as he is dominant on the mound, Tony Bucciferro has seen everything in his MSU baseball career.
Entering the weekend, the MSU baseball team had aspirations of earning the No. 2 seed and the accompanying first-round bye in this week’s Big Ten Tournament, as well as hopes of securing an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Behind the conference’s top pitching staff led by senior Tony Bucciferro and the consistent bats of juniors second baseman Ryan Jones and outfielder Jordan Keur, the Spartans find themselves just days away from the opening of the Big Ten Tournament. Despite missing out on a top seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament, the No. 5-seeded Spartans (35-19 overall, 13-11 Big Ten) are set for a 12:05 p.m. matchup with No. 4-seed Nebraska on Wednesday at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.
After late game homers cost the MSU baseball team a pair of games Thursday and Friday, the Spartans reversed their fortunes on Senior Day at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field on Saturday against Penn State. MSU (35-19 overall, 13-11 Big Ten) rode a nine strikeout performance by sophomore pitcher David Garner to a 9-2 victory in game three of the series with the Nittany Lions.
Another day, another late home run spells doom for the MSU baseball team. One day after losing a 3-2 decision to Penn State (29-24 overall, 15-8 Big Ten) after a jack in the eighth inning by Jordan Steranka, MSU (34-19, 12-11) saw its hopes crushed by a late homer in a 6-5 loss. Penn State third baseman Joey DeBernardis’ ninth inning homer was the difference Saturday, taking with it the hopes of a No.
Even after a career filled with memories and records etched in MSU baseball lore, Tony Bucciferro wanted to provide the fans and his teammates with something to remember him by in his final start at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field. Unfortunately, Jordan Steranka and Penn State had other ideas.
Senior pitcher Tony Bucciferro will be on the mound in game one for the Spartans (34-17 overall, 12-9 Big Ten) to set the tone against Penn State (27-24, 13-8), which is tied for second place in the Big Ten with Indiana and holds a one-game lead over MSU in the standings.
In the realm of the MSU hockey program, Tom Anastos is making moves. Despite completing just his first season as head coach of the program in March following a 3-1 loss to Union in the NCAA Tournament, Anastos is generating buzz around one of college hockey’s most sacred programs.
On a picturesque night with the Detroit skyline dimming in the background, the MSU baseball team got a taste of the big leagues as they downed Central Michigan, 5-2, in the second annual Clash at Comerica — played in the home of the Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park.
In front of a crowd of 3,458 on a warm summer evening in Detroit, VanVossen gave up two runs in seven innings of work en route to MSU’s 5-2 victory over Central Michigan in the second-annual Clash at Comerica.
Under the bright lights and prominent glow of a new multimillion dollar scoreboard at Detroit’s Comerica Park on Tuesday night, Blaise Salter will be chasing shadows. Though anticipating playing at the home of the Detroit Tigers in the second-annual Clash at Comerica like the rest of his teammates, Tuesday’s matchup with Central Michigan will be something of a homecoming for the freshman catcher of the MSU baseball team. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Salter also happens to be the grandson of legendary Tigers catcher Bill Freehan.
It should go without saying that the MSU softball team is in need of a dramatic turnaround next season if it wants to avoid repeating a tragic season that saw the Spartans go without a single conference win in Big Ten play. MSU ended its season with 19 straight losses and finished with a 11-42 overall record. Near the end of the season, head coach Jacquie Joseph said her team needed to reverse its math — allow fewer runs and produce more of its own.
Led by a strong seven-inning effort by sophomore starter David Garner and a pair of home runs by freshman designated hitter Blaise Salter and junior catcher John Martinez, the Spartans (33-17 overall, 12-9 Big Ten) overpowered the Hawkeyes (20-26, 8-13) and took the game, 7-3, Sunday at McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
A forgettable season for the MSU softball team ended Saturday with more blunder than bang as the Spartans dropped their 19th consecutive game in a weekend-series sweep by Indiana. MSU ended its 2012 campaign losing 26 of its last 27 contests and finished the season winless in Big Ten competition. The team finished 11-42 on the season with its last victory coming on a 6-1 decision at Central Michigan on April 4.
The MSU softball team was swept by Indiana this weekend to conclude a disappointing season in which the Spartans finished winless in Big Ten play. After losing 4-2 on Friday, MSU (11-42 overall, 0-23 Big Ten) dropped a pair of one-run decisions, losing each game in Saturday’s doubleheader by a score of 6-5. Despite failing to earn a Big Ten victory in Saturday’s heartbreaking losses, freshman pitcher Carly Nielsen called Saturday’s games the best MSU has played all season.