Michigan State University Athletics
Baseball Heads to UNC Wilmington
2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2009
Jake
The Spartans head to UNC-Wilmington for a four-game set with the Seahawks. Due to potentially inclement weather on Saturday and Sunday, the two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. Friday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
MSU opened the 2009 season last weekend with the inaugural BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Fla. The Spartans defeated Connecticut, 4-2, in the first game on Friday before falling to Seton Hall, 8-4, on Saturday and Minnesota, 7-2, on Sunday.
The Seahawks enter the weekend series with a 4-0 record after sweeping Maryland in a three-game series and defeating the College of Charleston, 5-3, on Tuesday (Feb. 24).
Boss Takes Debut
Jake Boss Jr. became Michigan State's 16th head baseball coach in the program's 125-year history on July 1, 2008. With MSU's 4-2 win over UConn, the Lansing native became the first Spartan head coach to win his debut since Tom Smith defeated South Dakota State, 5-4, on March 21, 1983.
Boss came to MSU from Eastern Michigan where he led the Eagles to a MAC West Division title and a NCAA Regional appearance.
For more on coach Boss, see page four.
...Moody, Too
Senior pitcher Nolan Moody earned the win in his first collegiate start last Friday against UConn. The East Lansing native went 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits, allowing two runs and fanning one. Entering this season, Moody had made 51-career appearances, all in relief.
Thievery
As a team, the Spartans stole seven bases in last week's opener against UConn which is the most since they stole six in a 10-9 loss to Penn State on April 14, 2006. MSU's season-high in 2008 was five, which came in a 16-7 win over Iowa on April 26, 2008. The last time MSU stole more than seven bases was April 26, 1991 in a 9-1 win over Ferris State when then swipped eight bases.
Roberts Honored
Junior third baseman Chris Roberts went 5-for-12 in last week's BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge and was honored by CollegeBaseball360.com with Challenge honorable mention honors. Roberts had a double, one RBI and two stolen bases.
Eck Making His Mark
Sophomore leadoff hitter Brandon Eckerle hit .400 in three games last week (4-for-10) and and leads MSU in on-base percentage at .538. Eckerle had two RBIs and two stolen bases in the 4-2 win over UConn.
A Tough Task
MSU faces a tough non-conference schedule to start the `09 season as it will take on three teams - UNC-Wilmington, Bethune-Cookman and Clemson - that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament. In addition to UNC-Wilmington, MSU will take on Bethune-Cookman (March 7-8) and Clemson (March 10-11) two times each. UNC-Wilminton (44-17-1, Colonial Athletic Association) and Bethune-Cookman (36-22, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) each won their respective conference titles last season.
Senior Leaders
Seniors A.J. Dunn, Nolan Moody and Eric Roof were selected as captains for the 2009 campaign. Roof, the Spartan's starting catcher, was second on the team in RBIs in 2008 with 33. Moody, an East Lansing native, and Dunn, who hails from nearby Grand Ledge, will add needed leadership to a young Spartan pitching staff.
Welcome Aboard
With 14 newcomers this season, over two-fifths of the Spartans 32-man roster will be wearing the Green and White for the first time. In addition to 11 freshman, junior college transfers Bo Felt, Kurtis Frymier and Ben Vrobel will also be making their Spartan debuts this year.
Roberts Returns
Third-team All-Big Ten selection Chris Roberts led the Spartans in hits (65) and batting (.363) last season. The junior from Oshkosh, Wis., ranked second on the team in total bases (90) and third in RBIs (32) and slugging percentage (.503). He started 46 of the 52 games in which he appeared and posted 18 multi-hit games.
Roof Brothers
Sophomore shortstop Jonathan Roof was one of just two players to start all 53 games while older brother Eric appeared in 46 in 2008. Jonathan, a versatile infielder, was second on the team in hits with 59 and led the squad in at-bats with 197. Eric, also a versatile player who played both in the infield and caught, was second on the team in RBIs with 33.
Jonathan was drafted in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 while Eric was selected in the 46th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
