Fall Practice Underway for Spartans
9/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sep 5, 2013
EAST LANSING, Mich. - After several players posted impressive seasons in collegiate leagues across the country this summer, the Michigan State baseball team is back together on campus as fall practice is underway for the Spartans.
Michigan State returns 26 players from last season's team that went 33-17 and narrowly missed a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans, who won the 2011 Big Ten regular-season championship and received an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, have posted four consecutive 30-win seasons.
MSU was represented on numerous all-star and all-league teams, led by junior outfielder Jimmy Pickens, who was named to the Cape Cod All-League Team, which is widely considered the best collegiate league in the nation. It marks the fourth consecutive year a Spartan has either been named a CCL all-star or all-league selection (A.J. Achter in 2010; Tony Bucciferro and Ryan Jones in 2011; David Garner in 2012).
Playing for the Chatham Anglers, Pickens led the team and ranked tied for second in the CCL with seven home runs. Pickens also led the team in RBIs (23) and stolen bases (11) and ranked second in runs (20), third in hits (39), third in doubles (8) and fourth in batting (.307).
Sophomore outfielder Cam Gibson garnered both all-league and all-star honors in the Northwoods League. He led the Battle Creek Bombers and ranked seventh in the league with a .345 batting average and also ranked tied for eighth with 23 stolen bases. Gibson, who posted a 27-game hitting streak during the season, also had 76 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, 43 runs and 26 RBIs.
Sophomore left-handed reliever Anthony Misiewicz was named the top pitching prospect in the Great Lakes League and also earned all-league and all-star accolades. Misiewicz ranked second in the league with nine saves and gave up just three earned runs in 19 innings of action, good for a 1.42 ERA. He also had 22 strikeouts in helping the Southern Ohio Copperheads to a regular-season title with a 25-15 record.
In addition to Gibson, junior first baseman Ryan Krill and senior Chase Rihtarchik were named Northwoods League All-Stars. Krill led the Lakeshore Chinooks with seven homers and ranked second on the team with 39 RBIs while batting .282. Rihtarchik posted a 3-1 record with a 3.35 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings pitched for the Alexandria Blue Anchors.
Playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Newport Gulls, junior right-hander Mick VanVossen helped the Gulls reached the NECBL Championship Series after going 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings pitched.
The baseball program will host its annual golf outing on Friday, Sept. 20 at Forest Akers West Golf Course, and the Green-White World Series is set for Oct. 7, Oct. 9 and Oct. 13 (parents day).
For a complete listing of Spartans in collegiate summer leagues, click on the links below.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Team (League) |
| Josh Buchalski | LHP | 5-10 | 150 | Livonia Monarchs |
| Joel Fisher | C | 6-2 | 215 | Holyoke Red Sox (NECBL) |
| Cam Gibson | OF | 6-1 | 185 | B.C. Bombers (Northwoods) |
| Justin Hovis | 3B | 6-1 | 198 | Redding Colt 45s (Far West) |
| Ryan Hudspeth | LHP | 6-0 | 185 | Covington Lumberjacks (Valley) |
| Ryan Krill | 1B | 6-4 | 210 | Lakeshore Chinooks (Northwoods) |
| Mike Mestdagh | RHP | 6-1 | 195 | Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (Northwoods) |
| Anthony Misiewicz | LHP | 6-0 | 186 | Southern Ohio (Great Lakes) |
| PJ Nowak | INF | 6-1 | 155 | Grand Lake Mariners (Great Lakes) |
| Jimmy Pickens | OF | 6-1 | 215 | Chatham Anglers (Cape Cod) |
| Ryan Richardson | SS | 6-0 | 165 | Plymouth Pilgrims (NECBL) |
| Chase Rihtarchik | RHP | 6-4 | 200 | Alexandria Blue Anchors (Northwoods) |
| Chase Toth | C/1B | 6-0 | 185 | Dupage Dragons (Midwest) |
| Mick VanVossen | RHP | 6-3 | 195 | Newport Gulls (NECBL) |
| Cam Vieaux | LHP | 6-5 | 175 | Southern Ohio (Great Lakes) |
| Zak Wilkerson | RHP | 6-2 | 200 | B.C. Bombers (Northwoods) |
