If the difficulty of conquering a task makes the conquest more fulfilling, then the MSU women’s water polo team may have achieved lifetime fulfillment in its water polo careers.The Spartans needed overtime and two sudden-death frames to win their second Women’s National Collegiate Club Water Polo Championship in as many years.
The MSU wrestling team added another state champion to its 2002-03 recruiting class this week.Michael Escobedo of Lake Central High in Crown Point, Ind., signed with the Spartans on Monday.
The varsity four-crew team upset top-seeded Michigan with a time of 7:29.5 en route to its first Big Ten Championship on Saturday May 4.
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.
Lansing dropped the first of four-game series to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-1 Sunday at Wisconsin. The Lugnuts (16-20) took three of four at home against the first place Michigan Battle Cats before taking to the road. Lansing scored first, after infielder Corey Slavik scored on a passed ball.
The MSU baseball team’s biggest challenge this weekend at Oldsmobile park was Mother Nature.The Spartans (31-16 overall, 12-12 Big Ten) managed to play just two of the four-game series with Ohio State (30-16-1, 16-9) as the rain kept both teams off the field.MSU won 12-5 Friday, then lost 6-4 Saturday.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams have been busy breaking records and claiming new honors. On April 27, at the Hillsdale Relays, sophomore Sarah Adelaine broke the school record in hammer throw with a mark of 168’03”. The mark was good enough for fourth place. On May 4, at the Central Michigan Collegiate, junior Sherita Williams finished first in the long jump.
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championship, the men’s golf team earned an invitation to play in the NCAA East Regional in Roswell, Ga., May 16-18.
Lansing - With a 6-4 loss to Ohio State on Saturday, the MSU baseball team was mathematically eliminated from the regular-season Big Ten title. The Buckeyes (30-16 overall, 16-9 Big Ten) evened the four-game series at one apiece after a three-hour rain delay at Oldsmobile Park.
Lansing - Hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes, the MSU baseball team shined Friday night under the lights at Oldsmobile Park. The 12-5 win keeps the Spartans (31-15 overall, 12-11 Big Ten) in a tie with Indiana (30-15, 12-11) for third place in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers defeated Purdue (21-26, 11-14) Friday night in West Lafayette,15-5 . Ohio State (29-16, 15-9) ranks second in the conference, but MSU showed no fear to start the four-game series. Back-to-back home runs from junior right fielder Bob Malek and senior center fielder Chris McCuiston led to a five-run second inning, and a 6-1 lead. With two outs and two on, Malek had no doubt his blast was headed over the wall in right field.
The MSU baseball team split a Saturday doubleheader against Illinois at Kobs Field. The Spartans (29-13 overall, 11-10 Big Ten) won game one 3-2, then fell to the Fighting Illini (26-13, 10-11) 8-4 in game two. MSU entered the doubleheader averaging more than eight runs a ballgame, but failed to score a combined eight runs on the day. The Split came after Illinois took Friday’s series opener 3-2. “We haven’t been getting the run support we usually do lately,” senior pitcher Nick Bates said.
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.
Ex-MSU assistant and current Marquette men’s basketball coach Tom Crean will now be able to say he has something in common with the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Carey, Mike Ditka, Muhammad Ali and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. During the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers game at Wrigley Field this afternoon, Crean will lead the crowd in a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” during the seventh inning stretch. For the past five years, the Cubs have had celebrities from all walks of life lead the crowd in singing, a task Carey had before his passing.
The MSU women’s tennis team lost 4-1 to Purdue in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.The match was the fifth-straight loss for the No.
Opposing catchers may joke about his size when he steps up to the plate, but the jokes stop once he swings the bat.Despite his 5-foot-9, 155-pound frame, Spartan second baseman Charlie Braun has become a dynamic player, helping MSU (27-9 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) stay among the Big Ten’s elite.“He’s being the player that is a thorn in the other team’s side,” Spartan hitting coach Cory Mee said.
In the midst of a 12-game road trip, the Lansing Lugnuts have had a wild ride thus far. Lansing (9-10) is 0-2 to start the trip, with two games remaining with the Michigan Battle Cats, four games with the Dayton Dragons and four with the West Michigan Whitecaps. The optimism that was created with a franchise-best 5-2 start is now gone. In the first game of the road trip, the Lugnuts pitched well enough to win, but the bats never showed up.
The MSU men’s golf team’s home schedule is wholly contained in this weekend. Yep.
Members of the women’s track and field team will compete in Philadelphia this weekend, while others will compete in Hillsdale. Five Spartans are headed to Philadelphia for the Penn Relay Carnival, which started Thursday and finishes Saturday. Sophomores Jamie Krzyminski and Michelle Carson lead the group in Philadelphia.
Coming off a strong showing in Ohio last weekend, the women’s golf team starts its run at back-to-back Big Ten titles today in Urbana, Ill.For the first time in 19 years, the Spartans are the defending conference champions heading into the league championships.
The list of MSU football players that will be attending NFL training camps has grown to nine.Former tight end/defensive end Ivory McCoy said he will sign a free-agent contract today with the Philadelphia Eagles.