Open practices, new officers!
The MSU Dodgeball team would like to invite all interested persons to their open practices this month.
Thursday 4/19, 8-10pm @ IM Circle
Sunday 4/22, 7-9pm @ IM West
Thursday 4/26, 8-10pm @ IM Circle
(Club t-shirts will be available for sale for $10 each on Thursdays)
Standard gym attire is recommended.
Contacts are suggested if you wear glasses. Please note that this is an
open-entry sport club and that all people who exhibit fair play and enjoy the
game are welcome. Finally, congratulations to the following people for being
elected to the following positions:
President: Doug Chaffee
Vice President: Arun Mahapatra
Treasurer: Bryan Neate
Secretary: Craig Forist
Captain: Zach Parten
Alt. Captain: Fred Combs
Alt. Captain: Rob Viola
Grand Valley State University your 2007 Tourney Champions, Spartans settle for 3rd
When the dust settled in East Lansing on Sunday only one team was left standing. Ohio State's 3-year dominance in college dodgeball has officially ended and the iconic scarlet and grey has been replaced with a single color Michigan teams have seen all too much of:
Black.
With an army of supporters and a 9-0 record the GVSU lakers clearly came into their final matchup with the OSU Buckeyes (7-2) on a mission. A 3-1 decision and one silver trophy later, it's safe to them to unfurl the "MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED" banners back in Allendale. Next year's tournament will be held in Columbus, Ohio.
2006-2007 results:
Bowling Green State University: 0-4
Delta College: 9-4
DePaul University: 0-4
Grand Valley State University: 10-0
Kent State University: 2-2
Kentucky, University of: 2-3
Marshall University: 0-4
Michigan State University: 8-5
Oakland University: 2-8
Ohio State University: 7-2
Saginaw Valley State University: 3-6
GVSU repeats, MSU prepares for final push
Spartan fans were surprised to see themselves facing the 3rd place game in the 2007 Michigan Dodgeball Cup.
Well, what fans there were.
Despite an aggressive marketing effort by the team, the Spartans enjoyed very little support in their efforts in the Feb 18 Michigan Dodgeball Cup. Team President Aleks Bomis chalked it up to being in a busy environment. "I love dodgeball more than most but even I have to be realistic on developing a fan presence," he said. "We get to compete with Big Ten football, men's basketball, women's basketball, hockey, 45 other club sports and a captiol city nightlife. Meanwhile you've got these teams from other schools that don't have the same opportunities, plus the added incentive to see their school beat a big time 'U'. Of course," he added, "we're more than willing to play that role. It's about the game, not how many roadies you can bring or who gets the most sponsorships. So long as people are playing, that's really all you need."
It may be just as well. After Michigan State's 2nd loss to Delta College in the 6-2-1 series, the "big time U" doesn't look as hot as it once did. Perhaps the March 25th game v. Saginaw Valley State will turn things around. It had better. At the last minute, Ohio State asked MSU to host the postseason tournament April 14-15. With as many as 10 other teams invading East Lansing, the Spartans had better be prepared.
Tourney weekend is here!
It's finally time for some good old-fashioned playground-y violence as Michigan State, Grand Valley State, Oakland and Delta College square off in the 2007 Michigan Dodgeball Cup, brought to you by LMW Incorporated and aired ONLY on Comcast! We'll see you all at the IM West Sports Arena Sunday, Feb 18. Be sure to bring your wallet as we'll also be selling copies of our team apparel!
MSU Dodgeball Would also like to take the time to thank the following:
LMW Incorporated
Comcast
ASMSU
BurgerDown
And all the MSU staff members involved in making this event possible.
MSU seaches for tourney sponsor
The MSU Dodgeball team is host to this year's Michigan Dodgeball Cup, a four-team tournament between Michigan State, Grand Valley State, Delta College and Oakland University. The tournament will take place Sunday, February 18 at the MSU Sports Arena and will be aired throughout Ingham County. As a National College Dodgeball Association event, the team is currently looking for sponsors to cover the broadcast costs in exchange for rights to the event, commercial time, signage, etc. Interested parties are encouraged to contact MSU Team President Aleks Bomis at bomisale@msu.edu.
Also, the MSU team schedule has been updated. Next game: 1/28 @ Delta College
On a roll: Spartans win 4-2
December 9 marked the end of the fall term games for the MSU Dodgeball team, lining up against the Delta College Pioneers (0-1). With Delta College using their ball-control style offense, the Spartans were quickly frustrated and prone to individualistic play.
"Delta is a very fundamentally sound team," said team captain Robert Freeman, a senior. "At times, their play was better than ours. However, our guys responded when called upon and we got the win." This sentiment was echoed by senior team Secretary Martin Villarreal. "Delta College has really improved over the past three seasons, rising up in the dodgeball ranks from being the team everyone took for granted to becoming a legitimate contender that is able to hang with every team in the state."
Meanwhile, team president Aleks Bomis showed signs of fatigue, having played his first competitive game this season. "I made a throw I shouldn't have and just got lucky that the lone guy out there didn't reel it in," Bomis said. "To beat a ball control offense you need to work together. It didn't end up hurting us but it could have easily been the difference. I should know better."
The Spartans plan to complete the home and home series against the Pioneers in January, while the Pioneers look west to a date at in-state powerhouse GVSU.
Grizzlies grilled, attendance record set
December 3rd was a day that will be remembered by dodgeball players for years to come, marking an 8-3 win over the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies but far more importantly a record attendance for a dodgeball game at 14,759. The dodgeball team took care of halftime duties at the basketball doubleheader at the Breslin Center. Team President Aleks Bomis was pleased with the result.
"We got some applause, no one in the stands got hit and sued us, what more can you ask for?" joked Bomis. "Seriously, though, how often can you give people an opportunity like this? If you don't play basketball and you don't work at the Breslin Center, you probably never get to be on the court. Sunday we gave 45 guys the opportunity to do that in front of all those people. Seeing the looks on their faces made all the prep work worth it. I can only hope that MSU lets us on there again this season."
As for the game itself, Bomis was a little more critical. "Oakland has definitely improved since last year. By numbers alone they've gotten better. Going from 9 guys to 20 will help you out easily. Meanwhile, we've got to establish more team play and that comes to coaching. We've got a couple things we've been meaning to work into practice, we'll see if we can manage it on the fly Saturday against Delta College and throw some new looks at them."
The Spartans (1-1) will take on the Delta College Pioneers (0-0) at IM Circle at 12:00 Saturday, 12/9/2006.
Not so fast, my friend: Breslin Center Changes
Due to miscommunication, the Breslin Center game formerly scheduled for 12/3 proceeding the women's basketball game vs. USF will not take place. The halftime entertainment for the Men's team vs. Bradley College and the Women's team vs. South Florida will still take place as planned, with the full length game between the MSU and Oakland dodgeball teams taking place at a location TBD.
Tempers flare, Spartans stomped by Lakers
Michigan State loses handily in their first game of the season, giving up 16 points to GVSU in a shutout and handing the Spartans their worst loss in team history. The game was not without controversy, however, as the team leaders exchanged heated words after the game regarding the setup.
"GVSU won and they deserve the win," said team President/Coach Aleks Bomis. "They had the teamwork, we didn't, and we learned a lot about what we need to do to get better as a group. Having said that, I've got a problem with how things were set up. The neutral zone was far too wide, no one could catch anything at the baseline with the back walls positioned so close to the court, the balls were dangerously underinflated. I don't know how many players have black eyes right now, it's a miracle that no one broke their nose. Let's not get into the officiating. Our guys were literally being shoved around."
GVSU Captain David Soukup attributes Bomis' tirade to a case of sour grapes. "(He) can be angy all (he) wants, the scoreboard says 16-0. What do you want me do to?"
The Lakers (1-0) will now play the Delta College Pioneers (0-0) while the Spartans (0-1) will face off against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (0-0) December 3rd at the Breslin Center following the basketball double-header. Whether Bomis repeats his Lloyd Carr impersonation is anyone's guess.
Dodgeball. Breslin Center. 'Nuff said?
Michigan State will play their 2006-2007 home opener Sunday, December 3rd in the Breslin Center, playing host to the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. Izzone members and basketball fans are encouraged to stay after the women's game vs. South Florida and cheer on the Spartan dodgeball team on.
"Time to get to work!" Team hits record numbers, schedules preseason matches
MSU Dodgeball is pleased to announce a record membership for 2006-2007. In addition, we have now become the second largest student organization on campus (pending verification from Student Life), with only the Student Alumni Foundation being larger! Without a doubt this is going to be an excellent year for the team. Also, please welcome our alternate captains for this year, Nick Gebauer and Rob Viola.
MSU Dodgeball's first match will be 7:30pm Sunday, Nov. 19th @ Grand Valley State University. The team will be rolling out the bus and heading into what is undisputably the most hostile dodgeball court in the nation, with nearly 1,000 fans in the seats! The game takes place before the regular season begins and will not count in the standings but will be a great opportunity for both teams to evaluate their plans for this spring. Support MSU at the "Rumble in the Valley" this fall!
MSU DODGEBALL SPONSOR DRIVE, 2006-2007
The MSU dodgeball team is currently seeking sponsors for the 2006-2007 season. As a club sport at Michigan State University, the team is entirely self-funded. While the team is comprised of dedicated members who play substantial player dues, the price of uniforms, facilities, equipment, travel, broadcasting, etc, is too great for the team to fund on its own. As a result we routinely negotiate sponsorships with local and regional businesses and entities, as well as accept private donations.
Sponsoring a dodgeball team is a unique opportunity, especially for businesses in the Ingham County area. We are in negotiations to broadcast our entire home schedule, with the minimum of the Michigan Dodgeball Cup guaranteed, providing for prime commercial space. There are also our game programs, advertising space on our home court and uniforms, the advantages of being able to associate your business with Michigan State University through us, and (here's the big pull):
AS A SPORT CLUB AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE
If you believe your business would be interested in sponsoring the MSU dodgeball team, please contact our president, Aleks Bomis, at bomisale@msu.edu.
MSU Dodgeball teams up with LMW, Inc.
A lot of changes are in the works for the MSU
Dodgeball team in 06-07. Now operating year-round, expanding to 100 members and
two practices a week, ongoing broadcast negotiations, it only seems fitting that
the team secures their first major sponsor. LMW Inc., a pulmonary diesease
management corporation, has agreed to front the cost of the uniforms and provide
a substantial amount of the budget for the third-ranked Spartans in return for
recognition as the primary sponsor or MSU dodgeball and presenting rights at the
2006 Michigan Dodgeball Cup.
"I look forward to working with (MSU Dodgeball)," CEO and MSU graduate Larry
Westby said. "We... do the traditional Ralph Young (Fund)," he said, "But
dodgeball is almost too good to pass up!" Team president Aleks Bomis sounded
just as enthusiastic.
"Of course we're thrilled to welcome LMW Inc. to the Spartan dodgeball
family," he said. "Me especially, since I won't have to tell a hundred guys
that dues are going up again next year." He also mentioned some plans for the
offseason. "I really think that this will help give us the steam we need to get
things set for January when we kick off the season proper. By then we hope to
have a fresh coat of paint in the MSU Sports Arena and everything worked out
with the media. Televised games, a new bunch of players to break in, 06-07 is
going to be a marquee year for us."
Ohio State your national champs; MSU ties for 3rd
A marathon two-day session had teams across the nation vying for the #1 ranking at the Midwest Dodgeball Conference Postseason Tournament. As expected by many in attendence, the final matchup was between Ohio State (7-0) and Grand Valley State (9-1). Both teams entered undefeated, and in a long defensive struggle OSU pulled ahead 2-1 with five minutes left to play to repeat, while GVSU had to face defeat for the first time in what was a bittersweet end to a miracle year.
Tournament Results:
1.OSU
2.GVSU
3(t).MSU
3(t).DC
5(t).OU
5(t).KSU
5(t).DEP
Catch you all next year!
#3 seed MSU pulls off upsets, wins Chicago Dodgeball Open
March 26, 2006 6:20am
After a lengthy trip and a stopover in the
Chicago area the Spartans competed in the Chicago Dodgeball Open, hosted by
DePaul University (4-2). After a two-game drought against DePaul and Kansas
State a series of electrifying plays by Kathryn Beyer, Rob Viola, Stephen Bowman
and others brought new signs of life into Michigan State, propelling them into a
four-game win streak and ultimately bringing them the CDO Championship.
"I don't know what to say," President Aleks Bomis said. "We just caught on
fire midway through the day and while some teams may have had a physical
advantage on us, that became smaller as the day wore on. I think our
communication was the best of all teams in attendance, and that gave us the edge
we needed to pull this out."
Player #22 for Michigan State, Martin Villarreal, summed up the team's
attitude towards the event best: "A F****** AWESOME WEEKEND!!!"
Chicago Dodgeball Open Scores:
MSU v DePaul 2-3
MSU v Kansas State 1-2
MSU v Delta College 3-2 (OT)
MSU v Kentucky 5-1
MSU v Kansas State 6-0 (Playoffs)
MSU v DePaul 2-1 (Finals)
MDC Standings
GVSU 5-0
OSU 2-0
DEP 4-2
MSU 6-4
DC 6--7
UK 2-5
KSU 0-2
OU 0-4