The weather is warming up and spring is kicking into full gear, which means only one thing — the Detroit Tigers are about to kick off another regular season filled with optimism and doubt. Optimism because the team added high-caliber free agents for the third straight season.
It's the top of the first inning of the MSU baseball team's game against Grand Valley State on Wednesday and sophomore rightfielder Tony Clausen is settling into the batter's box. Lakers pitcher Grant Payton steps on the mound, then glances over his shoulder at MSU junior shortstop Troy Krider, who's on first base after leading off the inning with a line-drive single to right. Krider leads a few feet off the base, leaning away from it like he's being pulled by an invisible magnet.
MSU head coach Rick Comley still hasn't fully recovered from the emotional disappointment of last Sunday's heartbreaking 5-4 loss to Maine in the NCAA East Regional Finals. He's already watched the game tape twice. "We had so many chances to tie that game.
When the buzzer sounded Sunday to end the MSU women's basketball NCAA regional semifinal game, it signaled the end of the Spartans' season.
Guard Lindsay Bowen and forward Liz Shimek will participate in the WBCA All-Star Challenge on Saturday in Boston, which will host the women's Final Four.
Hockey reporter Eric Fish shares his experiences from Albany, N.Y., the site of the NCAA East Regionals. It was nice walking around a city and hearing nothing but hockey talk.
The MSU baseball team turned Kobs Field into a manufacturing plant Wednesday afternoon. Only six of MSU's 17 hits went for extra bases, but the Spartans efficiently moved runners around the basepaths all afternoon, pounding Grand Valley State, 14-5. "That's just my coaching style," head coach David Grewe said.
If you want to know what makes the men's NCAA Tournament so exciting, you need look no further than George Mason's upset victory over UConn on Sunday.
Albany, N.Y. — The hockey team's 5-4 loss to Maine in the NCAA East Regional Finals was a complete turn of emotions from what the Spartans felt nearly one week prior after clinching the CCHA playoff championship. Instead of smiles and hugs, there was an abundance of long faces for anyone wearing green and white after the game. After they watched Maine celebrate on the Pepsi Arena ice they skated over to the MSU fan section that made the trip from East Lansing and saluted the fans with their sticks the same way they salute fans after every home game — win or lose. And as the players' sticks hit the ice for one last time this season, the careers of the four regularly dressed seniors — David Booth, Corey Potter, Colton Fretter and Jared Nightingale — came to an end. "It's pretty sad right now," Fretter said, at a loss for words following the game. The only thing that could have prevented the sadness was a national championship and even then there would still be tears, although they would've been associated with another emotion. But in a few days when the seniors have had time to reflect on their college careers, each will realize they were part of something special. Before this season, the seniors had to field questions from the media on why they weren't in the national tournament, why they couldn't win the CCHA or why they couldn't get two weekend wins. This year, they accomplished all of that and converted critics of MSU hockey into fans.
The MSU softball team opens its home season at Old College Field against Eastern Michigan at 3 p.m. today. This past weekend, MSU went 3-1 in the IU Softball Classic.
Look at Kalin Lucas' eyes. They're wet and red, having probably released a gallon or two of tears in the last half hour.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds says he might not take another swing until the regular season begins. Unless, of course, he gets five minutes alone with the authors of "Game of Shadows." The student who serves as the Stanford Tree mascot during basketball games has been suspended for the remainder of the season after dancing in an undesignated area during a game last week. The Environmental Protection Agency has already announced it will appeal the suspension. Southern Cal quarterback John David Booty might miss all of spring training after injuring his back in practice. Team officials say they will try to treat the Booty pain with Preparation H. NBA scouts are abuzz about the big men who will be on display at the Final Four, including 300-plus-pounder Glen "Big Baby" Davis and near-300-pounder Jai Lewis. Teams reportedly showing interest in the two players include Atlanta, Chicago and the Japan Sumo Association. The Indianapolis Colts shocked the NFL last week by signing kicker Adam Vinatieri, who had been a figurehead of the rival New England Patriots for the last 10 seasons. In a retaliatory move, the Patriots announced the signing of the entire cast of "Hoosiers."
Get the lowdown on how the next MSU men's hoops recruits, who are still playing in the boys' playoffs have fared recently. Isaiah Dahlman Shooting guard/small forward 6 foot 6, 175 pounds Braham Area High School (Braham, Minn.) The Dahlman brothers stole the show as Braham cruised to its third straight Class AA title Saturday.
Albany, N.Y. — The NCAA Tournament is a bad time to stop having bounces go your way. That's exactly what happened to MSU on Sunday evening at Pepsi Arena in the regional final game. On the defensive end, it was tipped shots from Maine that found their way into the back of the net. On the offensive end, the Spartans rarely found themselves on the positive end of any scrums in front of Maine goaltender Ben Bishop. By the time the bounces starting slowing down for Maine, the Spartans found themselves down 3-0 late in the first period. "The goals they got were good goals, but they were tip goals — the tough ones for a goaltender to see and react to with a lot of guys in front of them," junior captain Drew Miller said. The Black Bears' first three goals came off tip-ins in front of MSU freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.
Three coaches and seven new recruits made their debuts Friday as the MSU football team opened the spring season with its first practice — a session head coach John L.
The gymnastics team took second place at Saturday's Big Ten Championships at Jenison Field House.
It doesn't matter if it's a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior getting the job done for the Spartans because each of the classes for the MSU hockey team have stepped up at various times in the season. "The strength of this team is the balance and the depth," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.
Head to Jenison Field House at 6 p.m. Saturday as the MSU gymnastics team hosts the Big Ten Championships.
After an MSU hockey win in January, a team of youth hockey players, no older than 13, huddled together outside of the Munn Ice Arena locker room area in hopes of getting autographs from some of their favorite Spartans players. As a player passed through the team, one of the kids politely asked which player he was before signing his name across some souvenir memorabilia. The player smiled and answered, "Bryan Lerg." He was met with the excited reply, "Oh, the goalie's cousin." Here was Bryan Lerg, who's been with MSU for a year and a half — currently second on the team in scoring — being overshadowed by his cousin, freshman goaltender Jeff Lerg.
The celebration of a CCHA playoff championship stopped last Sunday when the Spartans huddled inside of Reno's East Side Sportsbar & Grill, 1310 Abbott Road, to watch as they were awarded a No.