Spartans Bounce Back with Win Over No. 25 Baylor

Photo from MSU Baseball Facebook Page

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

The Spartans bounced back from a weekend drubbing in College Station, Tex. to ride the performance of David Garner to a 4-0 win over No. 25 Baylor in Waco, Tex. The sophomore RHP Garner tossed six scoreless innings while scattering three hits and fanned four Baylor Bears.

Coming off three straight losses to No. 5 Texas A&M and a loss earlier in the season to then No. 15 Louisville the victory over No. 25 Baylor was the Spartans second win over a ranked team this season. Michigan State defeated No. 11 St. John's on Opening Day in Dunedin, Fla.

Baylor countered Garner with freshman Austin Stone, who was making his first collegiate start, but he was pulled from the mound after throwing just 1.2 innings. Stone got the hook after walking two straight Spartans before hitting another to load the bases. Michigan State was unable to capitalize on Stone's miscues and were unable to plate any of the runs that were on base.

The Bears pitching struggled with control all game, walking 10 batters on the day over the six pitchers that were called to the mound. 

Torsten Boss got things rolling for the Spartans in the third when he lead off the inning with a bunt before advancing to second on a throwing error. Ryan Jones was able to drive in the run with a double but got greedy and was thrown out at third trying to stretch his double into a triple.

Michigan State again added to it's lead in the sixth on a Boss groundout that scored Anthony Cheky, who was making his first collegiate start in center field. The Spartans stretched their lead to 3-0 on a Jimmy Pickens RBI infield single.

Cheky came around to score again for the Spartans in the seventh when Jordan Keur drove him in on an RBI single. Following Garner to the mound was Jeff Kinley, Trey Popp and Tony Wieber who each threw an inning of relief to close out the game.

Michigan State's Draymond Green wins Big Ten Player of the Year honors

Photo: MLive.com

By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81

It should come to no surprise that Draymond Green was named the Big Ten's Player of the Year.

The Michigan State Spartans' do-everything senior star led his team to a share of a regular-season conference title, scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing three assists per game in the process. His presence alone was the key to the Spartans' success. For without Green, many viewed Michigan State as an average group in the Big Ten—but that's what a player of Green's caliber does: Makes his team better.

For the past two seasons, Green has shown that he was much more than an around-the-basket scorer, showcasing his 3-point prowess and ability to move the ball as well as any player his size in the country. At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Green played, at times, more like a point guard rather than a forward. His 17 double-doubles in Big Ten play only highlighted what was an incredible resume this season. However, an outright Big Ten title would have made it glow.

A year ago, the Spartans hobbled into March Madness, only to meet their demise in the first round by way of a loss to UCLA. But, because of Green, the Spartans rose to the top of the Big Ten standings this season and solidified themselves as a top 10 team in the nation.

A first-round loss doesn't appear to be in the cards for Michigan State (24-7, 13-5) this March. Most college basketball pundits feel Michigan State could make a run to, or past, the Sweet 16.
And again, that's due to Green.

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"He's the most versatile player maybe in America," said Spartans coach Tom Izzo, who was named the league's Coach of the Year. "He does as many things or more things than anybody I've seen in this league in a while."

Green became the seventh Spartans player to earn the Big Ten Player of the Year distinction, joining legends like Scott Skiles, Mateen Cleaves, Shawn Respert, Morris Peterson and Jay Vincent. Considering the aforementioned players' resumes, Green also put himself in the category of the historically great players to ever suit up in East Lansing.

While joining the ranks of the Spartans elite was certainly the icing on the cake, Green started the season with a more attainable goal: Winning conference player of the year honors. As a senior of his stature should, Green weighed his competition at the season's start.

"Coming into the season, being named Player of the Year was something that Coach Izzo and I had talked about, but everyone thought it would be Jared Sullinger," Green said in a statement. "Usually the best player on the best team gets a lot of publicity, and as we got better and started to win more games, I started getting thrown into that conversation.

"As my play started getting better, it became more of a realistic goal to have. It was a goal I set because I like to set goals, but it seemed so far out of reach coming into the season…"

While he was officially given the honor Monday, Green, for all intents and purposes, won the Player of the Year award two weeks ago. He was named the BBWA's Player of the Week and was fresh off a stellar performance in a 58-48 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. It was obvious he no longer had any competition in the race.

Green may not the be the "sexy" pick for the award. He may not be the flashiest, most exciting player to watch, either. But he is the most valuable to his team, and without a doubt the premier leader in the Big Ten—if not in the country. There aren't many players who can do what Green does physically, or mentally, for that matter. And for that, he's most deserving on the conference's crowning achievement.

Other Spartans honorees...

Senior Austin Thornton won the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Award.

Freshman Branden Dawson was named to the All-Freshman Team. 

Sophomore Keith Appling was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team.

Tom Izzo earned his third Big Ten Coach the Year Award, although, he says Tom Crean of Indiana, John Beilein of Michigan or Fran McCaffrey of Iowa were also deserving.

Michigan State's Derrick Nix refers to Michigan as 'Little Nephews;' comment good for rivalry

Photo: MLive.com


By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81

Derrick Nix has hardly ever held back his emotions. But after a comment Sunday, Nix, unknowingly or not, set him self up to be a target. He'll have to shoulder more of the Spartans' load in the Big Ten Tournament in order to escape his latest hot sound bite.

Last season, Nix, who was then a sophomore, questioned his team's leadership under seniors Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers. He wasn't wrong to do so, but there is often a time and place for such comments.

And Sunday, after the Spartans' last-second 72-70 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Nix again let his emotions take flight as he answered questions from reporters. Although the Spartans won the Big Ten regular-season title, they also had to share it with Ohio State… and Michigan, the Spartans' arch nemesis.

"It's real emotional because we're Big Ten champs, but at the same time, none of us are happy," Nix said Sunday. "And that shows what type of group of guys we've got. Because my freshman year (2010) we won and we shared, but everyone was happy. But we're not happy toward this one, just sharing it. That just comes with all the blood, sweat and tears we've put in, because this meant a lot to us and really meant a lot to our seniors."

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The Spartans gave up a 15-point lead to Ohio State, which was fueled by William Buford's spirited shooting performance. The Buckeyes senior scored a game-high 25 points, but that wasn't the worst part of Sunday's loss, Nix says—sharing the title with Michigan was.

"We had to share it with our little nephews, and that sucks," Nix said. "So now they're happy because we lost. We got to just try to win this Big Ten tournament."

Nix's "Little Nephews" comment was a derivative of former Wolverines football player Mike Hart's "Little Brother" comment a few years back. That comment was bulletin board material for the Spartans, who went on to beat UM four straight years on the field.

It's understandable that Nix was upset after Sunday's loss. In fact, one would expect—given Nix's track record—for him to say something along those lines. Now—and probably more so with the loss of freshman Branden Dawson—Nix will have to step up and help lead Michigan State.

If he does, the "Little Nephews" comment will be forgotten, likely considered a humorous point for the Spartans to talk about as they celebrate a tournament title. If Nix fails, and the Spartans lose, his comment could come back to haunt him as Hart's comment has seemingly haunted the Wolverines on the football field for the the past four years.

When it comes to Michigan-Michigan State, there are little, if any boundaries when it comes to "trash talk." Each side has thrown darts, but they've been confined more so to football than basketball. As co-champions, the Wolverines will likely look to make Nix eat his words.

Nix's comment is the fuel for the Wolverines. Not that they were in need of motivation, but it makes this year's Big Ten Tournament all the more personal for Michigan and Michigan State. It will also seep into the NCAA Tournament, as each team won't only compete against those in their regions, but against one 

another.

As if March Madness couldn't get any "madder," enter Nix's "Little Nephews" sentiment. It's good for the Spartans and good for the Big Ten. But it's great for fans on both sides.

Michigan State Spartans lose Branden Dawson for season during loss to Ohio State

Photo from MLive.com


By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81

An outright Big Ten Conference championship wasn't the only thing the Michigan State Spartans lost Sunday, they also lost a key contributor in freshman Branden Dawson.

Dawson fell with an apparent knee injury about 10 minutes into the Spartans' 72-70 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, a loss which created a three-way tie with Michigan and Ohio State for Big Ten regular-season bragging rights. Not to return to the game, it was later reported that Dawson, a 6-foot-5 physical scorer, suffered an ACL injury and would be lost for the remainder of the year.

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Former Spartans standout Delvon Roe was at the Breslin Center on Sunday for Senior Day, celebrating his injury-shortened career with the class he entered East Lansing with. Somewhat of an expert on knee injuries, Roe says he immediately knew Dawson was in trouble as he writhed in pain on the floor.

"I knew exactly what it was when I saw it," said Roe, who "retired" from college basketball due to chronic knee issues. "I'm very familiar with that. I had a pretty good idea what it was when he went (down)."

Dawson scored four points in seven minutes played Sunday. His scoring ability, although erratic at times, will be sorely missed as the Spartans head into the NCAA Tournament. He scored in double-figures 12 times this season, including a 10-point showing in his collegiate debut in a 67-55 loss to then top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels aboard the USS Carl Vinson near San Diego.

Spartans senior Draymond Green remembers his team's run to the 2010 Final Four without Kalin Lucas, who was the team's leader. Although Dawson is talented and a vital piece to the rotation, his absence likely won't hit the Spartans as hard as Lucas' did. If the Spartans were able to make it without one of their best players, they should be able to do so without Dawson in the fold.

"In 2010, we lost our best player (Kalin Lucas) and were able to reach the Final Four while losing our best player in the second round," said Green, who had 19 point and 12 rebounds Sunday. "So it wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be a tough loss for us. If somebody goes down, that's someone else's opportunity to step up."

Spartans Drop Final Game to Aggies

Photo from MSU Baseball Facebook Page

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

They jumped out to an early lead but the Spartans were unable to hold off the hard charging Aggies who came back and beat them 9-8 on Sunday. Michigan State was able to strike for 10 hits and left six runners on base but couldn't get over the hump and allowed Texas A&M to get back into the game and ultimately win.

Things started out going the Spartans way in the first inning, with Jordan Keur reaching on a fielding error and Justin Scanlon reaching right after him after a catcher interference call. With two runners on Torsten Boss singled to right which scored an unearned run in Keur. Ryan Jones hit a fly ball to left that allowed Scanlon to score from 3B. With one out and in a 2-1 count Jimmy Pickens hit one over the fence bringing Boss with him on his home run trot. Michigan State then grounded into two straight outs to end the inning.

It was just what Coach Jake Boss Jr. had wanted his team to do, take advantage of the miscues that the Aggies gave them and get runners home. In the first the Spartans were able to plate four runners on two hits and three errors.

TAMU was able to claw back into the game in the second off two throwing errors by 3B Andrew Carpenter. With two runners on base due to throwing errors and a walk the Aggies had the bases loaded and were able to get a run across after Spartans starter Mike Theodore hit an Aggies batter.

Texas A&M was able to cut the lead in half in the fourth inning when a throwing error by 1B Ryan Krill allowed the Aggies to make the score 4-2. TAMU was able to take a 5-4 lead in the sixth when a pair of singles by Jacob House and Brandon Wood scored three.

The Spartans imploded in the seventh, allowing four more runs when a walk, stolen base and a balk moved runners to second and third base. After a two RBI triple chased Bryce Jenney, Trey Popp took the ball and promptly surrendered another RBI triple and an RBI single to drive the score to 9-4 in favor of the Aggies.

In the eighth Michigan State mounted a rally driven by Jared Hook RBI double and a Krill 2 RBI home run. With the score now at 9-7 the Spartans turned to their closer Tony Wieber in the bottom of the eighth and struck out two of the four batters that inning. In the ninth Keur singled to left before being moved up by a Boss single and was able to score on a Jones single. Pickens then flew out to center field.

Spartans starter Mike Theodore performed well during his 4.1 innings of work, surrendering just three hits while giving up two runs, neither of which were earned. While he did strike out two of the 23 batters he faced, he struggled with command and hit two batters with a pitch. His replacement Jeff Kinley did not fare well in his 1.1 innings as he surrendered three earned runs on three hits while hitting one batter.

The bullpen is where Michigan State lost on Sunday as Jenney, who was brought in as relief for Kinley, gave up three earned runs on two hits in just 0.2 innings of work. Popp then relinquished another run on two hits in his 0.2 innings before Wieber was able to shut down the Aggies in his one inning of work, giving up just one hit.

Michigan State was able to take early advantage of some Aggies miscues but could not keep it up against the No. 5 Aggies who were just too much for them to handle. The Spartans (4-6) head to Waco, Tex. on March 7 to take on the Baylor Bears.

Aggies Shut Down Spartans

From MSU Spartans Baseball Facebook Page

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

No. 5 Texas A&M shut out the Michigan State Spartans, 4-0, beating the green and white for the second straight day on Saturday. The Spartans got another spectacular outing from starter Andrew Waszak but were unable to get any runners across to help him out.

TAMU was held to just five hits on the day but made the most out of them, striking the Spartans starter Waszak for three runs, only one of which was earned, in his six innings of work. Waszak had another stellar performance on the mound for Michigan State as he scattered four hits and fanned four Aggies in his time on the mound.

Despite their pitcher's performance the Spartans were unable to get to TAMU starter Ross Stripling who simply out dueled Waszak surrendering just five hits and fanned five in his eight innings of work. Errors proved costly for the Spartans for the second straight game when Ryan Jones committed an error which lead to three runs in the second.

Michigan State threatened in the fifth when they loaded the bases off a TAMU error and two walks, but Jones grounded into a fielder's choice that ended the inning for the Spartans. Errors aside, Michigan State once again stranded 10 runners on base, something that Coach Jake Boss Jr. called "frustrating" in the opening game of the series.

Boss called on David Garner, usually a starter, to relieve Waszak in the seventh and he surrendered one run on a Matt Juengel single. The loss drops the Spartans to 4-5 on the season and the Aggies improved to 10-1.

Errors Cost Spartans Series Opener Against Aggies

From MSU Athletics Department

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Michigan State headed down to College Station, Tex. to take on the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies in the biggest series of the young baseball season but errors cost the Spartans the game as they lost 7-3 in front of 5,236 onlookers.

The Spartans were able to get to Aggies starter Michael Wacha, who had surrendered just three hits in his previous two starts. Jordan Keur, Torsten Boss, Ryan Jones and Ryan Krill each struck for two hits as the Spartans combined for 12 hits Friday night. Michigan State, now 4-4, left 10 runners on base, seven of whom were in scoring position against the Aggies, something that Coach Jake Boss Jr. called "frustrating."

Wacha gave up the first run, giving up a lead-of home run to Boss, his second of the season. But A&M came right back and plated two runs in the third inning and three in the fourth to gain a 5-1 lead - they never looked back. Spartans starter Tony Bucciferro didn't have the benefit of solid defense behind him during the third and fourth as his defenders committed three errors.

In Wacha's seven innings of work he fanned seven Spartans while surrendering a season-high eight hits and two runs. His counterpart, Bucciferro, didn't fair as well as he was on the mound for six innings, surrendering five runs, all earned, on 10 hits while striking out five Aggies.

Jimmy Pickens singled in the Spartans second run in the eighth inning to bring the score to 6-2 after the Aggies plated their sixth the half-inning before. A&M reliever Estevan Uriegas pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth by striking out Andy Johnson on three straight pitches.

Texas A&M would go on to add another run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to 7-2. In the ninth the Spartans recorded three straight singles from Krill, pinch-hitter Blaise Slater and Keur loading the bases before Boss hit into a double play bringing the score to 7-3. Pickens then grounded out to end the game.