For those nerds who like to slow it down and watch the line play...lol

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The California Bears. Good luck young man.

Michigan State wrapped up spring ball for the first time in the Jonathan Smith era and there were positive signs.

One of those positive signs was quarterback Aidan Chiles who flashed his athletic ability throughout the game.

“(Quarterback) Aidan (Chiles) threw it accurately, moved his feet well,” Smith said after the Spring Showcase. “I think it helped getting a little bit of a run game going. Aidan had a nice carry. Again, I think on both sides of it we wanted to base package but not show too much. This is all over tv and whatnot. He looked comfortable and guys made some plays for him in the passing game which was great to see.”

More from Smith:

There has been much speculation on Hoggard's future. Tom Izzo was on the Tim Staudt show and said AJ Hoggard would be trying for a Pro Career while maintaining college eligibility. However, if he does play college ball, it will NOT be at MSU.

Izzo did not say this, but I have also learned that many high-major college teams are interested in Hoggard. Sometimes, a new environment and better coaching make a huge difference, like Tarris Reed leaving UM and going to Connecticut, which should improve his game, or Cam Spencer moving from Rutgers to Connecticut to win a National Championship and transforming into a much better player.

Izzo also said he has not begun his search for an Assistant Coach, but he has some names in mind.

Michigan State hosted its "Spring Showcase" event on Saturday to conclude its 2024 spring football practice schedule. The showcase included some offense versus defense scrimmaging and it was the first time that MSU fans got a chance to watch the Spartans under head coach Jonathan Smith.

In addition to the fans in the stands, several recruits came to East Lansing to take in the event. One of those prospects who was in attendance was rising class of 2025 tight end Matt Henderson, who Michigan State tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak certainly has his eyes on.

Henderson thoroughly enjoyed his first trip to Michigan State and was able to bond with Wozniak ("Coach Woz") and learn more about the football program. In fact, he set up an official visit with MSU and will arrive back in East Lansing during the weekend of June 21.

Michigan State offered Henderson earlier this month and his relationship with Wozniak and the Spartans has developed from there.

"When Michigan State offered, it was an unreal opportunity," Henderson told Spartans Illustrated. "It was my first Big Ten offer and I was extremely grateful. Since then, Coach Woz has kept in great touch with me, trying to get to know me better."

Following the visit, Henderson detailed his trip with Spartans Illustrated and provided updates on where he stands in his recruitment.

"I got to see all of the facilities and meet with Coach Woz," Henderson said about the visit. "I learned a lot about the offense and how they roll in that department. My favorite part of everything was the family environment I felt from the program."

More here:

My analysis from what we saw at the Spring Showcase.

Thoughts on Chiles, Marsh, defensive line, more:

As the Boston Celtics start their 2024 NBA playoff run today, Greg Sabin caught up with former MSU star Xavier Tillman Sr. in Boston.

Hear about his relationship with JJJ, Tom Izzo, how he heard about the 2020 NCAA tourney cancelation, his favorite MSU memory & more:

The Michigan State 'Spring Showcase' is set to start in about a half hour. The practice can be found on Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. or live on BTN+ at 2 p.m.

The Michigan State football program will host Georgia Tech defensive end Eddie Kelly on an official visit on April 24 and April 25, he tells Spartans Illustrated. Jason Killop reported first.

"I'm excited to view the city and facilities," he told us.

He also has visits set to Missouri and Cincinnati.

In 2023 with Georgia Tech, Kelly ranked second on the team in total tackles among defensive lineman with 38. He also recorded five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two passes defended.

Kelly started his career at South Florida where he appeared in 11 games as a true freshman and recorded 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

He was a three-star prospect in the 2022 class out of West Orange High School in Florida.

Kelly will have two years of eligibility left and still has a redshirt remaining if needed.

Michigan State added fellow defensive lineman D'Quan Douse to the program — Kelly's teammate at Georgia Tech last year — in January. He also played with Jaren Mangham at USF.

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Spartans Illustrated has confirmed that Georgia RB Andrew Paul is on campus this weekend for an official visit.

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Notables for today’s spring game. Please note there will be much more on campus but will be quite a bit of walk-ons and what I like to call “high school relations” visits.


2025 wide receiver Rahim Hutchins
2025 four-star cornerback LaRue Zamorano
2025 three-star cornerback Joshua Tuchek
2025 three-star defensive end Mykah Newton
2025 three-star wide receiver Myles Kendrick
2025 three-star defensive back Cashus Shivers
2025 three-star tight end Jayden Savoury
2025 three-star athlete Noah King
2025 two-star defensive end Adrian Holley
2025 wide receiver/tight end Matt Henderson
2025 athlete Terrell Holcomb
2026 four-star quarterback Nathan Bernhard
2026 athlete Derek Uran
2026 wide receiver Tayshon Bardo
2026 two-star cornerback Amir Morelan
2026 three-star tight end Jack Janda
2026 offensive tackle Lucas Tielsch

Official visit: Georgia transfer running back Andrew Paul

Note, Indiana transfer edge Anthony Jones is also finishing up his official visit today.

Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins go way back.

The former teammates at Michigan State are now working together once again – but this time, as coaches.

Hawkins and Martin first got to really know each other when Martin came on a visit to Michigan State. Martin’s hosts for that visit were none other than Hawkins and Michigan State Director of Athletics Alan Haller.

Eventually, Martin committed to Michigan State and played under George Perles and Nick Saban. Under Saban, Martin’s position coach was Mark Dantonio.

Martin had not returned to East Lansing after his playing career ended until he got hired at his alma mater by Jonathan Smith.

“It was kind of surreal, coming back, seeing all the new facilities,” Martin said. “It was pretty big time. I mean it was something I always watched from afar, always watching the guys from afar. I knew that any given opportunity, that (if) it was a right fit, I would love to be able to come back and give back to the university that gave me so much.”

More:

Michigan State cornerback Marqui Lowery is the latest Spartan to enter the transfer portal.

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Lowery spent three seasons with the Spartans and played in 15 games. He has 30 career tackles, three pass breakups and two career tackles for loss. Lowery was primarily a corner and he also spent time on special teams.

Full story soon.

On Wednesday, Michigan State sent out a scholarship offer to class of 2025 cornerback/athlete Graceson Littleton.

Littleton, who currently attends Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida, has seen his recruitment pick up as of late and his offers list is now well into the double-digits.

The Michigan State offer is certainly one that has Littleton's attention, and he is looking forward to building a relationship with the Spartans moving forward.

Littleton took some time to chat with Spartans Illustrated about his feelings on the Michigan State offer, his upcoming visit plans and his general recruitment.

It was a conversation over the phone with Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and secondary coach Blue Adams where Littleton learned about the offer from the Spartans.

"It felt great," Littleton said. "Coach Martin and Coach Adams seemed very excited to offer me and talk about how they wanted me to visit!"

More here:

https://twitter.com/MarquiLowery7


@MarquiLowery7

"I am officially in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining."

I don't think this is a surprise; good luck to him.

We had a chance this week to talk to new rush ends coach Chad Wilt. He is a fun and engaging guy that seems likely to bring a real spark to the defense. He seems to bring a unique and modern style to teaching and coaching. He also gave a little bit of insight into some the schematic changes that might be coming. The fact that he coached with Joe Rossi at Minnesota for two years is also a nice bonus.

Check out my full article here:

Here is an article from @SydneyPadgett about the road to recovery for Darius Snow. After a good play this week, one of his teammates said, "'That looks like D-Snow.'

Check out Sydney's full article here:

More coming shortly on the addition

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Michigan State sophomore defensive back Eddie Pleasant III has entered the transfer portal, Rivals reports.

Pleasant took a redshirt as a true freshman in 2023 and did not see game action.

The Tampa, Florida native was a three-star prospect out of Carrollwood Day school in the 2023 class. He ranked as the No. 66 cornerback and the No. 99 player in the state of Florida for the 2023 cycle.

Out of high school, Pleasant had additional scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Iowa, North Carolina State, Penn State, Tennessee, Utah, Vanderbilt and several others.

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MSU faces Western Michigan​

• Michigan State baseball will face in-state foe Western Michigan in the "Capital Clash" at Jackson® Field™, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, on Wednesday, April 17 ... First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.

• The Spartans and Broncos are meeting at Jackson® Field™ for the seventh overall time and first time since 2010.

• MSU and WMU are meeting for the third time in a season after playing twice in March in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field, in two different weekend tournaments ... The Spartans have won both of this season's previous meetings on the way to winning the last five match-ups with the Broncos as part of winning eight of the last nine, nine of the last 11 and 17 of the last 20 meetings, cutting WMU's all-time series lead down to 95-89 ... the Spartans have a 9-5 advantage in neutral field meetings, including 4-2 in games at Jackson® Field™

• The Spartans' schedule is subject to change, stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @MSUBaseball on X/Twitter for schedule updates.

• Fans can follow this weekend's action with "Watch Live," "Live Stats" and "Listen Live" links, where available, at MSUSpartans.com.

• For the eighth-straight year, the Spartan Media Network will carry a live audio stream for all home and select road Spartan baseball games this season ... The broadcast will be available exclusively at MSUSpartans.com by clicking on "Listen Live" on the baseball schedule ... Broadcast veteran Scott Moore calls the action, with Spartan baseball alum Jim Cotter providing analysis.

COACH VAN AMEYDE AWAY FROM TEAM
• Michigan State will be without veteran pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde (VAN-uh-mead) for an extended amount of time, as he will be away from the team after undergoing a successful kidney transplant on March 20.

SECOND OF TWO AT JACKSON® FIELD™
• Wednesday's "Capital Clash" vs. Western Michigan is the second of MSU's two scheduled games at Jackson® Field™ this season ... MSU also played there on April 3 for the 2024 Crosstown Showdown in an exhibition game against the Lansing Lugnuts.

SPARTANS AT JACKSON® FIELD™
• Additionally, Wednesday's MSU game vs. Western Michigan in the "Capital Clash" marks the third-straight season that the Spartans have played a regular-season game at Jackson® Field™ after playing in the 2022 Capital Clash vs. Michigan, and playing a three-game in two-day weekend series vs. Ohio State there last season due to the Red Cedar River flooding at Old College Field.

MSU IN MITTEN STATE MATCH-UPS
• This week's battle with the Broncos of WMU is the Spartans' sixth game out of 11 total scheduled events against teams from the Great Lakes State, with 10 official games and one exhibition ... the Spartans are currently 3-2 against fellow Mitten State opponents, having already beaten Western Michigan twice (13-3 in 8-innings on March 2 and 5-3 on March 8 at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.) along with beating Michigan, 16-6 on March 26 at Ann Arbor, before losing to Oakland, 11-7, the next day ... the Spartans also played an exhibition against the Lansing Lugnuts in the Crosstown Showdown (April 3) ... MSU's most recent in-state match-up was last week's game vs. Central Michigan at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field, won by CMU, 10-0 ... After the Spartans meet Western Michigan Wednesday at Jackson® Field™ in Lansing, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, MSU will host Michigan in a three-game B1G series Friday-Sunday, May 3-5, before wrapping up the in-state slate of games on May 14, hosting Eastern Michigan.

PROFESSIONAL STADIUM EXPERIENCE
• Wednesday's Capital Clash vs. WMU at Jackson® Field™ is the second different professional stadium, as part of seven games and one exhibition contests the Spartans play in.

The Spartans also played six games at their home-away-from-home, Fluor Field, in Greenville, S.C., home of the Greenville Drive. MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2-3, playing Western Michigan and Florida State on Saturday, March 2. MSU beat WMU, 13-3 in 8 innings, before losing to FSU, 11-2, as the Seminoles were among others receiving votes in the national rankings at the time and are now ranked No. 14. The Spartans then lost to Illinois, 12-6, in a non-conference match-up on Sunday, March 3.

The following weekend, MSU hosted the First Pitch Invitational II, squaring off with Western Michigan again on Friday, March 8, bucking the Broncos, 5-3. MSU then lost to Western Carolina, 9-5, on Saturday, March 9 and to VCU, 8-4, on March 10 to wrap up its Fluor Field stretch.

Along with tonight's game at Jackson® Field™, the Spartans also played the Lansing Lugnuts in the 2024 Crosstown Showdown on April 3 in a 7-inning exhibition contest.

HOME STATERS
• The Spartans have 22 players on its 2024 roster from the state of Michigan, while the Broncos have 16 Michiganders on their roster.

BOSS 800
• Last week's game vs. Central Michigan was MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr.'s 800th game at the helm of the Spartans, becoming the third MSU baseball head coach to coach 800 games leading the Spartans and also the third with 400+ wins, joining John Kobs and Danny Litwhiler.

Coach Years Gms. W L T Pct.
John H. Kobs 1935-63 (39) 969 576 377 16 .603
Daniel W. Litwhiler 1964-82 (19) 859 489 362 8 .574
Jake Boss Jr. 2009-pres. (16th) 803 430 373 0 .535

SPARTANS VS. BRONCOS AT JACKSON FIELD
• Wednesday is the seventh meeting between Michigan State and Western Michigan at Oldsmobile Park/Jackson® Field™, home of the Lansing Lugnuts ... MSU has a 4-2 advantage in meetings with WMU there, winning the last four in a row:

April 17, 2024 TBA
April 20, 2010 MSU 6, WMU 3
March 25, 2009 MSU 5, WMU 3
May 7, 2008 MSU 8, WMU 6
April 10, 2007 MSU 6, WMU 5
May 11, 2005 WMU 5, MSU 2
April 16, 2003 WMU 4, MWU 2

SPARTAN-BRONCO CONNECTIONS
Wednesday's match-up has connections galore between Michigan State and Western Michigan:

• Current MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr., WMU head coach Billy Gernon and MSU assistant coach/pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde were together on the Spartans' staff from 2009-10, before Gernon left to become head coach at WMU.

• Current MSU assistant coach Andrew Stone is in his third season with the Spartans, but was a four-year letterwinner at Western Michigan (2015-19) ... For his career, Stone finished with a .304 average with a .402 on-base percentage in 155 games played, making 104 starts ... Stone helped WMU to the 2016 MAC Tournament title and helped the Broncos advance to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 1989 ... Stone was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete ... He earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from Western Michigan in 2018, and his master's degree also in sports management from WMU in 2019 ... Stone's father is Jeff Stone, Western Michigan's former Senior Associate Athletic Director, overseeing academic and compliance services, who retired in 2022.

• Spartan junior pitcher Ryan Szczepaniak will be in a MSU vs WMU match-up as the lone Szczepaniak for the first time in his Spartan career, as his brother, Drew, was a pitcher at WMU ... Both Szczepaniak brothers were the pitchers of record at the same time during the 2022 season's first meeting on April 13, 2022 in East Lansing, with Drew pitching the bottom of the fifth, while Ryan pitched the top of the sixth ... Ryan had a three-up, three-down inning with one strikeout, while Drew faced four Spartan batters without a hit, allowing one walk ... in the second meeting of the season on May 11, 2022 in Kalamazoo, neither Szczepaniak brother saw action, as Ryan pitched the day before at Notre Dame, and Drew pitched three days prior at Central Michigan ... Drew pitched one inning in the 2023 season's first meeting, yielding MSU's go-ahead run and was dealt the tough-luck loss in the 8-3 Victory for MSU on March 22, 2023, and neither Szczepaniak brother pitched in the second meeting of 2023 on March 28, 2023, an 8-6 Spartan triumph.

LAST TIME OUT LOOK BACK
• Michigan State was swept in a three-game B1G weekend series at Purdue ... Senior infielder Dillon Kark led MSU going 4-for-12 for the weekend with one double, while junior infielder/outfielder Nick Williams, senior outfielder Greg Ziegler and freshman outfielder Landen Lozier all had three hits apiece.

MSU VS WMU PREVIOUS MEETINGS THIS SEASONS
• The Spartans and Broncos have two previous meetings this season, both in Greenville, S.C. at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive.

-- Michigan State walloped Western Michigan, 13-3, in eight innings in the opening game of the First Pitch Invitational I on March 2.

• MSU rapped out 18 hits in the opener, while limiting WMU to just seven hits and three runs.

• Senior outfielder Jack Frank was 5-for-5, with a triple and four singles, becoming the first Spartan to go 5-for-5 in a game since Bailey Peterson had five hits in five at bats on Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Merrimack.

• Senior infielder Dillon Kark was 4-for-4 with five RBI and two runs scored, bashing a three-run "walk-off" HR in the bottom of the eighth to secure the run-rule Victory for MSU.

• Sophomore infielder Randy Seymour also belted a two-run home run, with a towering 382-foot smash over the Green Monster in left field for his first collegiate round-tripper.

• Junior outfielder Nick Williams was also 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, knocking an RBI double in the second and a two-run single in the fourth.

• Freshman infielder Ryan McKay was 2-for-4 with three runs and a ribbie.

• On the mound, Spartan senior southpaw Nick Powers chalked up five strikeouts in 7.0 IP, scattering seven hits while yielding three runs, two earns, and not walking any.

• Senior Nick Ferazzi went the other 1.0 IP of relief, with a 1-2-3 frame after chalking up a pair of Ks following a leadoff groundout.

-- In the second meeting, a week later in the First Pitch Invitational II, sophomore infielder Randy Seymour bashed his second home run in as many meetings with Western Michigan to boost the Spartans to a 5-3 Victory for MSU over the Broncos on March 8.

• Senior outfielder Jack Frank finished 3-for-3 with a run scored, while junior designated hitter Christian Williams was 2-for-3 with the two ribbies and scored a run.

• Seymour and junior infielder Sam Busch were both 2-for-4, with Busch driving in a run, while senior infielder Dillon Kark was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

• Sophomore starting southpaw Joseph Dzierwa settled in after a bumpy first frame and kept the Broncos in check from there, finishing with six strikeouts in 6.0 IP, scattering five hits and walking to, earning his first win of the season.

• Sophomore Nolan Higgins came on in the seventh and got out of a bases-loaded jam with a big strikeout to thwart the threat by the Broncos.

• Freshman Logan Pikur fired a 1-2-3 eighth inning, getting assistance from the infield with a nifty 4-6-3 double play.

• Sophomore Tommy Szczepanski pitched the ninth, after yielding a leadoff hit, chalked up two punchouts before inducing a foulout to senior catcher Sam Thompson to secure the Victory for MSU.

POWERS NO. 125 ON D1BASEBALL'S TOP 150 STARTING PITCHERS
• Senior left-handed starting pitcher Nick Powers is No. 125 on D1Baseball.com's Top 150 Starting Pitchers and is the lone Spartan representative on the publication's mid-season player rankings.

• Powers currently leads MSU and ranks third in the B1G and 47th in the NCAA in victories with five ... he is also fifth in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.09).

• Powers has a 5-3 record with a 4.15 ERA in nine starts, including one complete game ... he has 45 strikeouts to just 11 walks in a team-leading 56.1 IP.

FRANK-ING FAST ON THE BASEPATHS AND UP THE RECORD BOOK
• Senior outfielder Jack Frank snagged three stolen bases in the weekend series vs. Niagara, now with 16 on the season and 49 stolen bases for his career ... with the 49 swipes, Frank has climbed within one of No. 5 on MSU's career stolen bases, one shy of Brandon Hughes (2015-17).

• Frank is also third in the B1G and 51st in the NCAA with the 16 stolen bases ... he also is fourth in the conference and 60th in the country in stolen bases per game (0.48).

• The 16 swipes is just three shy of his single-season career-high of 19 stolen bases last season, and is his third-straight double-digit swipes season after 10 in 2022.

NUMBER 2 FOR 2 BAGS
• Senior infielder Dillon Kark is matching his jersey number of 2 for 2-baggers with a team-high 12 doubles, good for ranking eighth in the B1G ... Kark is also seventh in the conference in doubles per game (0.36).

• Kark has knocked a double in three of the last six games ... he has had two streaks of three-straight games with a double, as well as a stretch of four in five games.

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN
• The Broncos are 20-13 overall and 11-5 in MAC action ... WMU won its eighth in a row with a 12-2 (7-inning) win over NAIA opponent Goshen on Tuesday evening ... the Broncos' eight-game winning streak is their longest since winning nine in a row in 2005 ... over the weekend, the Broncos swept Miami (Ohio), winning 3-0, 8-5 and 17-11 ... last week, WMU won, 10-9, at Michigan.

• WMU is hitting .319 as a team, with 364 hits (11.0 pg) and 265 runs (8.0 pg), with 37 HR ... the Broncos are also 29-of-43 on the basepaths (0.9 stolen bases per game).

• Senior infielder Cade Sullivan leads the Broncos hitting .415, and was second in the MAC and 32nd in the NCAA entering Tuesday's game, bolstering his average after going 3-for-5 with three runs ... Sullivan adds a .659 slugging percentage and a .506 on-base percentage, with 56 hits with nine doubles and eight HR.

• Redshirt-junior outfielder Dylan Nevar adds a .369 average with seven HR, while infielder/outfielder CJ Richmond is close behind with a .363 average, with a team-leading 10 doubles and matches Sullivan for the team-lead with eight HR.

• Senior outfielder Jackson Kitchen leads WMU with 11 stolen bases (11-13).

• The WMU pitching staff has a combined 5.86 ERA with 254 strikeouts (7.7 pg) and 141 walks (4.3 pg), with two combined shutouts, and the opposition has a .293 average.

• Senior right-hander Jayden Dentler is Wednesday's probable starter, with a 3-2 record and a 5.00 ERA, logging 27 K and 17 BB in 26.2 IP, and the opposition has a .268 average against him.

• WMU head coach Billy Gernon is in his 14th year at the reins of the Broncos with a 293-390 record and Gernon is in his 23rd year overall as a head coach with a 450-665-3 career record.

COMMON OPPONENTS
• Michigan State and Western Michigan have five common opponents, boosted by WMU playing in both First Pitch Invitationals in Greenville, S.C., at Fluor Field.

• MSU beat Michigan, 16-6 on March 26, while WMU has played Michigan five times, opening the season with four games in Phoenix Feb. 16-18, winning the first two (14-13 (11 inn.) and 11-9 (10 inn.)), before falling 9-4 (7 inn.) and 6-2, then also beat the Wolverines last week, 10-9 on April 9 in Ann Arbor.

• The Spartans and Broncos were in the First Pitch Invitational I field together, with the Spartans losing to Florida State, 11-2, while the Broncos lost to FSU, 8-3 ... MSU lost to Illinois, 12-6, while WMU lost, 8-6 (10 inn.).

• In the First Pitch Invitational II, the Spartans lost to Western Carolina, 9-5, while the Broncos lost, 18-6 (7 inn.) ... Michigan State lost to VCU, 8-4, while Western Michigan lost to the Rams, 9-7 (11 inn.).

• Both MSU and WMU would have two other opponents in common if not for rainouts, as the Spartans beat Purdue Fort Wayne, 11-1 (8 inn.) on March 19, while the Broncos and Mastodons were rained out on March 26 ... MSU was scheduled to play at Notre Dame on April 2, but got rained out, while WMU played the Irish on March 19, losing 16-11 in South Bend.

MSU VS. THE MAC
• Western Michigan is one of three Michigan State opponents from the Mid-American Conference so far, having also played Ball State and Central Michigan, along with the two previous games with WMU ... MSU is currently 2-2 vs. MAC teams ... the Spartans lost to Ball State, 4-1, on Feb. 18 at the Swig & Swine Classic at Shipyard Park in Charleston, S.C. ... MSU beat Western Michigan, 13-3 in 8 innings on March 2 in the First Pitch Invitational I at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. ... A week later, the Spartans then beat the Broncos again, 5-3, on March 8 at the First Pitch Invitational II, also at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. ... MSU lost to Central Michigan, 10-0 (7 inn.), on April 9 ... MSU has two more games against MAC foes, after meeting Western Michigan on Wednesday ... MSU will also host Bowling Green on Tuesday, May 7 and welcome Eastern Michigan the following week on Tuesday, May 14.

BOSS IN SWEET 16th SEASON WITH SPARTANS
• Head coach Jake Boss Jr. is in his 16th year at Michigan State and 17th overall as a collegiate head coach ... Boss entered the 2024 season at No. 3 on MSU's longest coaching list behind John H. Kobs (1935-63), the namesake for Kobs Field, location of McLane Stadium, with 39 seasons, and legendary head coach Denny Litwhiler (1964-82) with 19 seasons ... Boss is also No. 3 on the Spartan head coach list for wins and games coached, also behind Kobs with 576 wins in 969 games, and Litwhiler with 489 wins in 859 games.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Hosted at one of the premiere swimming venues at Indianapolis at Indiana University was standing room only. Built 40 years ago and continues to be a go to venue for national swimming championships at all levels continues to rake in cash for the local community. Down the road, they are having the 8 highest rated boys basketball championships in the chipotle nationals. Just after hosting Larry Blurr and the Indiana State win to make the NIT finals

Yet, MSU can’t even finance a swim team, while Indiana lives of hosting major sporting events. No business foresight at MSU, just collecting money to pay settlements for failing to manage their employees. The same money could have built a state of the art Natatorium among other things. The leadership at MSU is like the way the Fords managed the Lions for years.

The good news is that one of my guys signed with ASU who brought home the National Championship under Bob Bowman who was Phelps coach at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and building a powerhouse in the desert.

The other good news is that Paul VI, my daughter’s high school is participating in the Chipotle Nationals as a 2 seed, with 4 seniors committed to D1 programs - 2 to Duke, one to UConn and one to Notre Dame. They took down Bryson Tucker’s High School team twice this year.

Success is happening, just not in East Lansing and the leadership doesn’t seem to have the tooks to make better decisions. MSU used to be a good brand locally but now it has lost its luster.

When you have a league where a five star like Tucker is on a team that is .500 in conference and a local football team that was sub .500 in conference play that is sending a Running Back to Oregon and 3 other to D1 programs such as Virginia and Virginia Tech, brand is important around here and MSU has to improve its brand, and not just in basketball.

Jonathan Smith announced the Spring Showcase format today to the media.

The team's won't be split up like maybe your more traditional spring game. It will just be offense vs. defense. The defense will start with the lead (not sure by how many points yet) and the offense will have to play catch up. Smith said they will try to get in four quarters of 10 minutes of running clock.

"The clock's going to run and we're going to try to create a game-like atmosphere for most of it," Smith said.

This is definitely a welcome change to what the previous regime did. We will see about 40 minutes of scrimmaging on Saturday.

According to Rivals, Michigan State redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Braden Miller has entered the transfer portal. Miller appeared in three games in two seasons at Michigan State (all in 2023).

Additionally, running back Jaelon Barbarin is officially in the portal. This is not a surprise, as we previously reported that Barbarin was not part of the spring roster. He played in one game as a Spartan as a true freshman in 2023.

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Additionally, as was announced yesterday, linebacker Ma'a Gaoteote is now offcially in the transfer portal as well.

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