Spartans Baseball Coach Jake Boss joins Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon and Spartans Athletic Director Mark Hollis for the trio’s annual MSU Today conversation.
Boss says he’s proud of the young men he’s developing in the MSU baseball program. And he details the 2017 First Pitch Dinner. The 12th annual event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
This year’s event will feature World Series champion Jack Morris as the keynote speaker, while also recognizing another World Series champion pitcher, Spartan alum Mark Mulder as MSU will honor his number.
Boss says most of his players dream of playing in the major leagues, so having the likes of Morris and Mulder back on campus “is important for our guys to learn about the life in pro baseball and what that’s all about and what it really takes to get there. And there’s the opportunity to learn the game from these guys, not only their experiences, but the intricacies of the game and how to take our game to the next level.”
Boss feels interest in college baseball has never been higher, but “for the good of the game, I think it makes a lot of sense to push our season back” to take advantage of better weather conditions. “I’m not saying we have to play into the middle of August. But if we can push the season back a couple weeks, it gives us the opportunity – especially up here in the north – to play more home games and attract more interest.”
MSU Today airs Sunday afternoons at 4:00 on AM 870.