Spartans Snapshots (April 9 edition)
Krug named All-American
Former MSU hockey player Torey Krug was named to the American Hockey Coach Associated (AHCA)/CCM All-America first team.
"This recognition over the last four weeks has been a bit overwhelming, and I am so honored to be selected as an All-American," said Krug in a statement. "I have been so blessed to have the opportunities presented to me, and a chance to represent Michigan State University in this way is exciting. I have to thank my teammates, because without them, nothing I have accomplished would have been possible. I have to thank the coaches across the country who found me worthy of this honor."
Krug signed with the Boston Bruins following his junior season, which concluded with a loss in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, 35 Spartans have been named to the first team. Krug is the first since John-Michael Liles in 2003.
Baseball drops two of three to U-M
The Spartans (19-10, 3-3 Big Ten) struggled through the weekend against Michigan, losing the first two games of a weekend series before taking home the win in the finale.
Michigan State had won four in a row, dating back to 2010, against Michigan before the losses.
In the opener, MSU fell 4-0 as the offense went flat. Tony Bucciferro took the loss, allowing four runs in 7.2 innings with seven strikeouts. The Spartans had nine hits, but couldn't put them together and find a way to push a run across. Torsten Boss and Jordan Keur had two hits each.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second game, but the Wolverines tied it up in the top of the fifth. MSU took the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, but U-M scored two more in the top of the sixth to provide the winning 4-3 margin.
Andrew Waszak took the loss, and he struggled for the first time this season -- allowing eight hits in 5.2 innings. The Spartans had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Krill took a two-out walk and Tony Cheky following by hitting one into the right-center gap, but Krill was thrown out at the plate.
Boss, Cheky, Keur, Blaise Salter and Justin Scanlon had two hits each. The Spartans had 13 hits, but left 10 on base.
The Spartans won the final game of the weekend 10-8 in 13 innings -- their fifth consecutive day with a game. Jimmy Pickens broke the tie with a double in the top of the 13th to bring in Scanlon. John Martinez brought Pickens around to score with an RBI single. Pickens hit his third home run of the year earlier in the game.
MSU tied the game in the ninth when Keur was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs, tying the game 8-8.
The Spartans now are 4-0 in extra-inning games, with wins in an 11-inning, 15-inning and 14-inning game already. Closer Tony Wieber took the win, throwing the final 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits and striking out four. Ryan Jones had four hits, while Boss, Keur, Pickens and Salter had two each.
MSU returns to play against Notre Dame on Tuesday and plays Eastern Michigan on Wednesday before heading to Indiana for a three-game weekend series.
