The MSU football team concluded spring practice Saturday with the Green-White Spring Scrimmage at Spartan Stadium in front of about 16,000 fans. The two-hour, 115-play scrimmage was a game of two stories for the offense and the defense.
We often look at star athletes and dub them heroes. Whether hitting the game-winning shot, scoring a tying goal or leading a team to a championship, the "man of the moment" becomes a hero to his fans. But when it comes to the real meaning behind the word "hero", it is supposed to be connected with a person known for achievements of unparalleled courage and strength, especially those who sacrifice their lives. A true hero is someone who can (and does) give up everything for an honorable cause.
Jeff Smoker's possible successor and MSU's potential next power running back showed their potential and inexperience in their first competition before an MSU crowd on Saturday. Redshirt freshmen Stephen Reaves and Jehuu Caulcrick - both scout teamers last year - could be the starting quarterback and running back, respectively, in the fall for the Spartans. In Saturday's Green-White Spring Scrimmage at Spartan Stadium, Reaves eventually settled into a rhythm after struggling early, and Caulcrick ran the ball with power and speed most of the day. Reaves, who played with the first-string offense Saturday, was 15-of-26 for 184 yards and two interceptions, while Caulcrick rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries "Early on, I thought I could've done some things better throwing the ball, made a little better reads," Reaves said.
On paper, the MSU baseball team outplayed the Boilermakers this weekend. The Spartans scored more runs (17-15), had more hits (30-25) and slammed more home runs (4-1). All the numbers point to a successful weekend, right? Except for the fact the Spartans didn't light up the scoreboard until Sunday, when they scored 12 runs, had 15 hits and laced three of their four home runs. Sunday's 12-1 slaughter ended the weekend on a high note, but it didn't erase the fact MSU lost the first three games by a combined score of 14-5 and, in the process, had lost six straight Big Ten games. "It's definitely disappointing," said freshman first baseman Sean Walker, who went 6-for-14 over the weekend and was the only Spartan to record a hit in each game.
With less than a month left in the regular season, this weekend marks a crucial point in the MSU softball team's year. The Spartans' two opponents this weekend, starting at 4 p.m.
The 2004 NFL Draft is this weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and a handful of former Spartans will be keeping a close eye on their status as future employees of the league.
The MSU baseball team knows that calling this weekend important is an understatement. With Ohio State on top of the Big Ten and four teams packed just one game back, this weekend might create some separation. The Spartans (19-15 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) begin their four-game series against the Boilermakers (16-17, 6-6) at 3 p.m.
Fans suffering from MSU football withdrawal can get their fix Saturday when the team plays their annual Green-White Spring Scrimmage at 1 p.m.
Ahh, the NBA playoffs. I don't remember the last time I was this excited for a league's postseason.
Sporting dreadlocks and a killer swing, senior first base Nat Furrow is carrying the MSU softball team to offensive greatness. Furrow leads the team and Big Ten with a .447 batting average, in addition to owning the most hits (63) and doubles (16). "I think as you get older, if you keep working, you become a better player," she said.
Two legendary football coaches with long time MSU connections were honored for their contributions to the game Thursday at the Kellogg Center. Hayden Fry, one of college football's most prominent head coaches, and Al Fracassa, Michigan's winningest high school coach, received the 2004 Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award. Fry, 75, coached for 37 seasons in his career: at Southern Methodist (1962-72), North Texas State (1973-78) and, most notably, at Iowa (1979-98). Fry is Iowa's winningest football coach, with 143 wins in his 20 years there. From a personal standpoint, Fry said the award is the greatest he ever has received. "Duffy was such a super person, and to receive an award in his name is just great," Fry said.
It was a typical MSU-Central Michigan baseball contest coming down the stretch. The teams were neck and neck, and whenever one seemed to gain the momentum, the other would charge back to even the score. But Wednesday, it was the Spartans who stole and kept the momentum in the late innings, downing the Chippewas at Kobs Field, 9-4. "They always play us tough," MSU manager Ted Mahan said.
Junior wideout Aaron Alexander has shown more of his talents than most MSU athletes. He's been an up-and-coming quarterback, a surprise bench player for Tom Izzo and, most recently, one of the Spartans' most dangerous wide receivers. But, he says, MSU fans still don't know the real Aaron Alexander. "I got a whole other side of me, another drive that a lot of people haven't seen yet and I'm just waiting because I haven't really been healthy yet," he said.
The Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball team will set foot in Breslin Center next season for the first time since December 1981. The Phoenix agreed to a four-game contract spread out over the next five seasons.
The Spartans offense is kind of like a football airport - most plays involve head coach John L.
Since the start of the Big Ten season, the Spartans have become accustomed to an assortment of things: a 21-game hitting streak by junior right fielder Travis Gulick, first place in the conference and a 12-game winning streak. The Spartans felt so invincible, and who could blame them?
The No. 59 MSU men's tennis team lost its third- and fourth-straight Big Ten matches over the weekend.
The MSU field hockey team won the Mercian Spring League Cup for the third year in a row on Sunday, defeating Michigan, 3-1, in the championship game.
MSU women's tennis split its matches over the weekend, defeating No. 58 Purdue but falling to No.
The No. 1-seeded MSU women's water polo team placed first in the 2004 Big Ten Championships in East Lansing on Sunday, marking the fifth consecutive year the team has won the title. MSU hosted the three-day tournament at IM Sports-West for the first time since 1999.