Three more players will don the Green and White for the MSU hockey team starting this fall after giving their commitments in the spring signing period. Defenseman Jeff Dunne and forwards Jim McKenzie and Chris Mueller join forward Peder Skinner and defenseman Daniel Vukovic as MSU's freshman class for the 2004-05 season.
The MSU women's basketball team recognized its top players with the annual awards banquet Friday at the Kellogg Center. Sophomore guard Lindsay Bowen took home the Player of the Year award, leading the team with a 13.5 scoring average.
Who's at the top of your NFL Draft board? With the NFL Draft only four days away, professional football fans finally have something worth talking about.
MSU women's golf captured the Lady Boilermaker Invitational tournament title over the weekend with a total team score of 918 (299-303-316). The tournament, held in West Lafayette, Ind., featured Big Ten opponents Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue and Iowa, who rounded out the top five. Redshirt freshman Rachel Meikle and freshman Heather Rose each shot a 230 to tie for sixth and lead the Spartans.
For Nick Binder, the most important aspect of being a student-athlete at MSU was growing as an individual. "Not only does it give you a lesson in time management, it shows you can take on a very difficult task and succeed," said Binder, a former MSU soccer player who graduated in December.
Move aside, Hockeytown. The Pistons have come to put an end to the parties you've thrown so nicely for the past decade in the Motor City. The red, white and blue thank the Winged Wheel for taking care of sports-crazed fans in Detroit. But no more. Since last season, April hasn't been just about pucks and sticks, it has been about an ever-growing 'fro leading a team back up into the Detroit spotlight. The two Detroit teams in the playoffs right now share one common thread - anything less than a trip to the sport's respective finals this season is unacceptable.
Poor pitching continues to plague the MSU softball team, which dropped both games in a doubleheader against Penn State Sunday. The Spartans (24-19 overall, 4-8 Big Ten) lost, 6-1 and 11-6, to the Nittany Lions (18-25, 4-6) at Nittany Lion Field in University Park, Pa.
Against the talented Buckeyes, MSU knew its 12-game home winning streak and its standing atop the Big Ten would be in jeopardy. After winning Friday's game, 10-7, a victory that kept the Spartans in sole possession of first place in the conference, MSU dropped its next three games against Ohio State, 8-7, 19-2 and 12-10. "We gave up 46 runs this weekend and we couldn't catch the ball," MSU manager Ted Mahan said.
Lansing - It was a beautiful day for baseball - just not for the Lansing Lugnuts. For the second game in a row, the Lugnuts (6-4) fell to the South Bend Silver Hawks by a single run.
There's an undeniable irony in nicknaming an offensive line - whose members all stand 6 feet 3 inches or taller and weigh at least 270 pounds - after a fungus that goes mostly unnoticed. But when one begins to understand the sacrifice and underappreciation an offensive lineman experiences, the "Mushroom Club" moniker MSU's offensive line goes by makes more sense. "We're the first ones to get blamed and the last ones to get a pat on the back," junior left tackle Stefon Wheeler said.
The MSU softball team is at a critical stage in its Big Ten season as it travels to Ohio State and Penn State for four games this weekend. "We're 3-5 in the Big Ten and we're going to play two teams that are right about where we're at, with Penn State being a little down in compared to Ohio State," head coach Jacquie Joseph said.
For the first time in years, the MSU baseball team is in the crosshairs - everyone is aiming for it. Typically known for having solid nonconference seasons but struggling in the Big Ten, MSU (17-12 overall, 6-2 Big Ten) is having a surprising season - one that mirrors this year's Detroit Tigers.
A typical practice day starts around 3 p.m. as about 50 women pile into vans for the drive to Lansing's Grand River.
There's no way for me to express my anger and disgust for Music City USA. It's not the city I dislike so much, in fact, quite the contrary - the city and its nightlife are great.
Thornhill, a name synonymous with MSU football. Throughout the program's history, three Thornhills - all related - have worn the Green and White at the linebacker position.
Jessica Beech pitched her third no-hitter of the season and senior Nat Furrow hit two home runs as MSU swept Oakland on Wednesday at Old College Field by scores of 7-1 and 8-0, respectively. Beech is now alone atop the Big Ten in wins, with 18. "I was thrilled with the effort, because a lesser team would've had a letdown today," MSU head coach Jacquie Joseph said.
The MSU men's track and field team heads west to compete in two events this week. The Spartans will compete in the 46th Annual Mt.
The MSU softball team hosts an Oakland squad that has less than half the wins the Spartans have.
Jay Alexander was so excited that his team was playing the Spartans at Oldsmobile Park this season, he thought it was a mistake. The Wayne State manager, whose team is a traditional nonconference opponent for the Spartans (16-12 overall, 6-2 Big Ten), did a double-take when he looked at the Warriors' 2004 schedule when it came out. "I wanted to make sure it was correct before I called (MSU's) coach - I didn't want him to change his mind," Alexander said.
The MSU men's golf team took 16th at the Boilermaker Invitational on Sunday at Kampen Course in West Lafayette, Ind. Led by junior Andrew Ruthkoski, who fired a 226 (78-72-76), the Spartans shot a combined three-round score of 915 (307-298-310). Ruthkoski tied for 49th while freshman Matt Harmon was next in line at 56th with a 228 (74-76-78). Seniors Casey Lubahn and Ben Fox tied for 69th and 77th respectively, and freshman Mitch Pierce tied for 80th. Tournament-host Purdue won the event, shooting an 855 (285-277-293), followed by Colorado at 857 (288-284-285). MSU will continue competition at the Kepler Invitational on April 17-18 in Columbus, Ohio.