Baseball Takes On Michigan In Home-and-Home Series
5/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 4, 2001
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TOP STORY: MSU currently stands in eigth place in the Big Ten standings and are in need of crucial conference victories. The Spartans are on a four-game winning streak, having defeated four non-conference opponents last week. The four-game streak marks their second longest of the season, as they won six straight earlier this year on the spring trip. For the second straight week, the Spartans are one of only five Big Ten teams with an overall record above .500.
Note of the Week: GALE FORCE: Freshman RHP Bryan Gale was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for April 23. To date, Gale has a perfect 8-0 record and an ERA of 3.08, good for thrid in Big Ten in that catergorie. His eight wins are good for a first place tie for the conference lead in wins. He has appeared in 18 games and has punched out 44 batters this season and has also picked up two saves.
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE: Sophomore centerfielder Bob Malek has been one of the nation's top performers all season. Currently, he leads both Michigan State and the Big Ten with a .435 batting average. Malek has led the conference all season in batting average and is among the top hitters in NCAA Divison I, as he now stands 11th in the nation.
DOMINATOR: Junior closer Domanick Squires has moved into a four-way tie for second place in the MSU single season save record. Squires has seven saves this season and an ERA of 2.84. He ranks first in the Big Ten in appearances (22), games finished (21) and games in relief (22). His seven saves are good for second in the conference.
HOT STREAK: Chris McCuiston enters the weekend with a 12-game hitting streak. Not only is it his longest hitting streak of his career, it is tied for the longest hitting streak by any Spartan this season (Bob Malek also had a 12 game streak). Since April 13, his batting average has jumped 92 points- he is currently batting .298, his highest average of the season. The junior has posted four-RBI performances three times this season, including two grand slams.
