Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State eliminated Michigan, 2-1, Thursday at the Big Ten softball tournament in Evanston, Ill.

The name Dion Sims has been on the lips of high school sports enthusiasts in the state of Michigan since he burst onto the scene as a physically imposing freshman at U-D Jesuit back in 2005. As a wide receiver he was an extremely tough cover, boasting size, strength and deceptive speed. On hardwood, he shined even brighter. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, he handled the ball well, was efficient from long range, and flashed outstanding versatility by playing every position on the floor at some point during the season.

Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was charged with failing a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat, then resisting arrest before being hit with pepper spray and dragged ashore by officers in Austin, Texas.

Redshirt sophomore Connor Dixon has left the Michigan State football team, scout.com reported.

There will never be a sadder story than this, and if there is, I want no part of it. Like most Americans, I began to shiver Thursday just after 6 p.m., when Earvin Johnson stepped to a microphone in Los Angeles. I am shivering even as I write this. The world, it seems, has become a terribly cold place.

Here again, is a case of an athlete going somewhere that might not have fit from the start. He played in the Sooners' first two regular-season games outside the Big 12, but when OU hit the conference schedule, head coach Bob Stoops dropped him like a bad habit. Too bad for Nichol, who graduated from Lowell High School early and enrolled at Oklahoma in Jan. 2007, after shunning MSU.

Indiana won both ends of a doubleheader Friday to clinch a series win over the Michigan State baseball team. The Spartans dropped a 7-6 decision to the Hoosiers in game one before Indiana completed the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game two. This weekend's three losses mathematically eliminates MSU from the Big Ten Tournament race.

URBANA, Ill. - Senior Meagan Halliwill and red-shirt junior Kyle Strotbaum kicked off action for the Spartans in day one of the 2008 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships, both scoring in the hammer throw at the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium on Friday afternoon. Halliwill put six points on the board for the green and white, after coming in third with a regional-qualifying launch of 55.67m (182-8). After beginning the day seeded No. 11, Strotbaum pulled out a seventh-place finish with a toss of 56.32m (184-9), his second-best throw of the season.

Results

The Michigan State men's golf team carded a five-under 279 today in the second round of the NCAA East Regional at the Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Spartans are currently tied for 10th, the final NCAA Championship qualifying position. MSU's round was the fifth-lowest of the day and their second-best total of the season.

SALEM, Ore. - Greg and Taylor Barton are known up and down the west coast for mentoring young quarterbacks and skill players from elementary school through college and into the professional leagues. Each class of prospects that goes through the Barton program reinforces their reputation for putting out top prospects.

Hot News for SP Mark Mulder

In his latest column, Scout.com's NFL insider Adam Caplan breaks down several story lines. Who is player the Kansas City Chiefs targeted in the Jared Allen trade? Why did the Green Bay Packers target a receiver in the second round and where will he fit in long-term? What is the future of Darren Howard? We also have more exclusive details on Brady Quinn's contract and whole a lot more inside.

2008 May 10-----As reported by the Associated Press, top recruit Keith Nichol from Lowell, Michigan has decided to leave Oklahoma after just one year. Stated Nichol: "A lot of people are going to...

... more at http://enlightenedspartan.com

2008 May 8-----Screw Home Improvement. How many times have you seen MSU recognized in the Movies and on TV? The ES can name a few, off the top. Any ideas? Send the ES an email...

... more at http://enlightenedspartan.com

2008 May 8-----Hey, Bob Organ... what the hell are you doing? Christ, the former Spartan all-WORLD tight end, well, the ES misses him on the field. I'm just wondering, what is he up to?...

... more at http://enlightenedspartan.com

A Couple Links The MSU-Texas game will be played in Houston on December 20, per Joe Rexrode. Leave it to John Schneider to get to the bottom of the "Thank you, Tom" billboard mystery. They were put up by a Mr. Paul Covert, owner of Smart Office Systems. (Quite the ...

Our friend Devin (of College Basketball Chronotope) provides a couple useful links: 2008 Big Ten player efficiency ratings: Goran Suton ranked as the 4th most efficient player in the conference on a per-minute basis. A preliminary 2009 Big Ten power poll: His rundown of the 11 conference teams has a lot more ...

With the transfers of Udoh and Freeman, the dismissal of Bassett and Ellis, and the decision by Kosta Koufos to hire an agent, the conference landscape for next season appears to be relatively well settled. So--with just 8 short months to go before 2009 conference play begins--let's take a ...