MSU’s Thomas Rex is a great catcher and is good on the opening rush. He’s a ball magnet and they will need him if they want to win Nationals 2013 in Kentucky.
Baller of the Week: Thomas Rex
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Monthly Archives: March 2013
MSU Splits BGSU Invite
The Spartans went 1-1-1 over the weekend at Bowling Green, with an overtime loss to James Madison 3-2 and a 4-0 win over Bowling Green. State brought 16 players, including some players with minimal time playing in varsity matches, yet they were still more than competitive. All 16 players got a chance to show off their skills as well.
MSU played JMU first after reffing the BGSU/JMU OT game, and the Dukes took the first point of the match quickly. In the second point MSU had some great catches, a couple huge headshots by Mike Van Ermen (MSU #6), and a fiery attitude which led to a point won for MSU. The Spartans jumped out quick to end the first half, but couldnt take out the remaining Dukes in time, as there were still around five JMU players left at the buzzer. In the second half, MSU took the first point in a similar fashion, and the two remaining JMU players stepped out purposely to stop the clock from running too low. JMU played fast and eliminated the Spartans, and after a balls over penalty against MSU they were able to take out the remaining State players. This led to an overtime point, Michigan State selected Zach Bauer, Colin O’Brien, Alex Acton, Mike Van Ermen, Charlie Wilshire, and Josh Brawley. They started quick, getting a 5 to 2 lead, but JMU had a couple clutch grabs and eliminated the last Spartan, leading to a Dukes victory.
Michigan State took out their frustrations of their third straight loss to JMU by dismantling BGSU. The Falcons didn’t have the arms to match up with MSU, and they also didn’t catch nearly as well as State. It was really the catching that got MSU the win, as they went on to win 4-0 very comfortably in a game that was never really close.
MSU is now done until Nationals 2013.
Baller of the Week: Colin O’Brien
Colin was named the Assistant Captain for the Spartans’ tournament this weekend at Bowling Green, and is the first freshman in at least the last five years to serve as an AC for MSU. He has been an energy spark for State, and has played well.
2013 All Stars
The 2013 All Star Game will be played in Lexington, KY, as part of Nationals 2013. Each team gets four All Star players, and there are two captains on each team that will draft the players evenly. One team is the Brave Little Toasters, captained by Dan Shackelford (Kent #33-C) and Felix Perrone (WKU #76-A), the other team is the Monstars, captained by Zigmas Maloni (DePaul #68-A) and MSU’s own Sam Hiller (MSU #87-C). The four All Stars selected by their teammates for Michigan State are Alex Acton, Eric Paul, Kevin Miller, and Mike Van Ermen.
Alex Acton (MSU #72) is a three time All Star now, being one of the few players selected in every All Star Game. As a senior, he will likely be playing in his final Nationals, and he has shined in previous years. He has a deadly cross, is pinpoint accurate, and is a great catcher.
Eric Paul (MSU #9) is also a three time All Star, and is also a senior playing in his last Nationals. He has carried the Spartans at times with his power arm, great catching, and clutch play. As one of the top players in the league, Paul will shine as always in the ASG.
Kevin Miller (MSU #46-A) is a second time All Star, playing in the 2011 game as well. He’s grown from a catcher to a dangerous player in every facet of the game. He too is a senior, and is one of the captains for the Spartans.
Mike Van Ermen (MSU #6) is making his first appearance in an All Star game, but his play has been phenomenal all season. He’s one of the more dedicated players on the team, and has a great throw to go along with good catching and leadership. He is a junior, so watch for him to help lead the team next season.
Baller of the Week: Josh Brawley
Josh is nursing a sprained ankle currently, but he has a crucial part to play for the Spartans this year. He’s one of their best throwers, and brings energy and swagger to a team in need of some. Watch for Josh to be a critical playmaker for MSU at Nationals.
Baller of the Week: Alex Krohn
Alex played well and is developing into a solid player for Michigan State. He has a good cross and can catch most of the Spartans in practice, and had a good showing at the Michigan Dodgeball Cup. Watch for him to continue growing into a good role player for State for the end of this season and next season.