Friday, March 29, 2024

Sports

SPORTS

Women's crew makes up race on Lake Ovid

The women's crew team hosts Notre Dame in a regatta at 6 p.m. today on Lake Ovid in Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg. Tonight's event was rescheduled from April 12, when races were canceled because of inclement weather. The Eastern Michigan Eagles were also scheduled to race on April 12, but MSU officials weren't sure if the Eagles were going to compete in tonight's make-up. This will be MSU's final event before the Big Ten Championships on May 3. James Jahnke

SPORTS

'U' finishes without win in Big Ten season

The MSU women's tennis team was shut out 7-0 at Wisconsin on Sunday, finishing its conference season winless in the league. MSU (8-14 overall, 0-10 Big Ten) failed to win a set against the Badgers (10-11, 5-5) after also getting blanked at Northwestern on Friday. Junior Caroline Lay (No.

SPORTS

Former Spartans to play for U.S. in hockey

Three former Spartans will play for the United States in this year'sInternational Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, which starts Saturday and runs through May 11. Goaltender Ryan Miller and forwards Adam Hall and Kevin Miller - Ryan's cousin - are on the U.S.

SOFTBALL

Softball goes .500 over weekend

The rollercoaster that is the MSU softball team's Big Ten season continued this weekend as the Spartans split a four-game road set with Penn State and Ohio State.The Buckeyes (23-18, 4-6 Big Ten) used the longball to defeat the Spartans (29-13, 8-5) in the opener, as two of Ohio State's three hits in the game were home runs.MSU's best chances to score came in the first and seventh innings.

SOFTBALL

Queen of the mound

On a team with a young, unproven pitching staff, junior pitcher Jessica Beech has put the MSU softball team on her back and has the team in the thick of the Big Ten conference race. After being No.

SPORTS

Lansing hurlers hold Dayton hitless in win

Lansing - Lansing Lugnuts pitchers threw the club's first no-hitter Sunday in the second home game of the season. The Lugnuts also had more than enough run support on their way to thumping the Dayton Dragons 15-0 at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.

SPORTS

Sports briefs

Sluggers lose 3 of 4 games to Wolverines Despite winning the series-opener, the MSU baseball team still dropped three of four games against archrival Michigan this weekend. The Spartans (11-24 overall, 4-10 Big Ten) triumphed 12-3 behind a strong pitching effort by junior Bryan Gale on Friday night at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.

FOOTBALL

Scrimmage displays team's new strategies

MSU football head coach John L. Smith unveiled his new spread offense to 12,000 fans at Spartan Stadium on Saturday at the annual Green and White game, revealing the team's firm grasp on the new offense as well as its vulnerable defense. Showcasing "a quarter" of the new offense, Smith said he was encouraged by the progress the Spartans have displayed in adapting to a new system and coaches.

SOFTBALL

Softball hits road to take on Big Ten foes

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.

SPORTS

Sports briefs

Football team gets verbal commitment The MSU football team hasn't wasted any time starting its recruitment for the 2004 season. Detroit Country Day wide receiver and defensive back Deon Curry, son of Detroit Pistons forward Michael Curry, has verbally committed to the Spartans. Don MacLean, Curry's coach at the Birmingham school, said his athlete sent out videotapes of himself to Georgia, Georgia Tech, Northwestern and MSU.

BASEBALL

Team on road to Michigan

Spartans manager Ted Mahan's blood was once oozing maize and blue. Mahan spent the majority of his early life in Ann Arbor, both playing baseball and getting an education at Michigan. His baseball career began as a player for the Wolverines in 1974 - the first of four years he would earn a varsity letter.

ICE HOCKEY

Hockey awards looks at teams ups and downs

The MSU hockey team held its annual awards bust in Lansing last night. Yeah, it was a good time. But I would have done a couple things differently - namely instituted some hip new trophies. So, without further ado, here are the third annual State News hockey awards: The traditional stuff Most Valuable Player: John-Michael Liles Outstanding Offensive Player: Liles Outstanding Defensive Player: Liles Most Improved Player: Matt Migliaccio Outstanding Rookie: David Booth It might look like I copied those from the actual list of awards, but I swear to Hasek that I picked them before the real ones were released.

BASEBALL

Spartan bats blast Wolverines

Lansing - The Spartan offense was in full throttle Friday afternoon, but they didn't need much of it.Behind a stellar pitching performance from junior right-hander Bryan Gale, the Spartans whipped the Wolverines 12-3 in front of 835 fans at Oldsmobile Park."It was a must win home game," said Gale, who improved to 5-4 on the year and 3-0 in his career against Michigan.

FOOTBALL

Defensive backs ready to anchor season's success

While much of the secondary is unproven, two defensive backs are set to anchor the group and provide the necessary leadership to get this unit through the season.Junior free safety Jason Harmon and junior cornerback Roderick Maples are the "elder statesmen" in the defensive backfield - each is stepping up and accepting the leadership role they have been assigned."Roderick and Jason stay on us all the time because we're young," sophomore strong safety Derron Ware said.

ICE HOCKEY

Players take home awards at banquet

There weren't many surprises at the MSU hockey team's annual awards banquet Thursday night - which was good news for John-Michael Liles. The senior defenseman took home three honors, including the team's Most Valuable Player Award, to headline the evening at the Holiday Inn South, 6820 S.

SOFTBALL

Spartans shut out Chippewas

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.

BASKETBALL

Izzo slim on coaches following departures

With the defections of assistant coach Mike Garland (Cleveland State) and associate head coach Brian Gregory (Dayton) for head-coaching jobs, MSU head coach Tom Izzo is in search of two replacements.Izzo said his challenge will be to replace two monumental parts of his staff and two close friends."Those two guys are 66 percent of my staff," he said.