Feb. 14, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball program will have four of its games nationally televised on the Big Ten Network this season. A Friday night game at Michigan, a doubleheader at Penn State and MSU's April 24 Crosstown Showdown exhibition against the Lansing Lugnuts will be shown on the network. In all, 25 Big Ten baseball games - including 24 live contests - will be televised on the Big Ten Network. BTN president Mark Silverman made the announcement Thursday, Feb. 14.

MSU's first contest on the network will be in Ann Arbor on on Friday, April 18. The game is scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Six days later, Michigan State will take on the Lansing Lugnuts in the second annual Crosstown Showdown at Oldmobile Park. The contest, which drew more than 6,000 fans last season, is an exhibition that pits the Spartans against the Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The 2008 Crosstown Showdown is slated for a 6:05 p.m. start. The Big Ten Network will also carry the Spartans' May 3 doubleheader at Penn State. The first game of the twinbill is set for 4:05 p.m.

The Spartans have the possibility of playing additional televised games depending on how far they advance in the Big Ten Championship. The Big Ten Network will carry the clinching game of the tournament on May 24 and May 25, if necessary. The regular season champion hosts the conference championship.

The Big Ten Network provides unprecedented access to an extensive schedule of conference sports events and shows; original programs in academics, the arts and sciences; campus activities; and associated personalities. Sports programming includes live coverage of more major men's and women's events than ever before, along with news, highlights and analysis, all complemented by hours of university-produced campus programming. The network is available to all cable and satellite carriers and television distributors nationwide, with most programs offered in stunning high-definition television (HDTV). The Big Ten Network is a joint venture between subsidiaries of the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks.