In the trail run between Central Michigan versus Michigan State at Comerica Park, it was 45-degrees, there were 15 mile-per-hour winds and 2,169 fans showed up.

The Spartans scored three first-inning runs, beating the Chippewas 3-1 April 20, 2011.

Although the results favored MSU, 13 months later and an 84-degree evening improved the event’s attendance to 3,468 Tuesday.

“Hopefully this thing can keep growing and with the weather like this it always helps, but at the same time, two quality teams going against each other and somebody has to lose at the end of the day,” said CMU head coach Steve Jaksa.

The fight songs blared, fans danced in front of the new 6,000-foot high definition scoreboard installed this season and they enjoyed a sunny baseball game.

Not only was it a chance to play on a big-league field, but a chance to showcase their programs.

The game was televised on the Big Ten Network and having it at Comerica Park, admittedly, helps with exposure.

“I said the same thing last year,” Jaksa said. “I think it’s very important that the people that came out here saw both programs and what kind of baseball is played at the Division I level in the state of Michigan, and I think a lot of people were there tonight (Tuesday) and I think that’s great.”

Recruits saw the annual event unfolding and it might be an experience one would eventually want to take part in.

CMU senior Eric Wrozek hit a solo home run and MSU sophomore Joel Fisher hit a two-run home run, his first collegiate home run as the Spartans took the second annual Clash at Comerica, 5-2.

Those memories, along with the arrival to the ball park, the atmosphere, the locker rooms, all add up to an experience — one MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. is glad his players got to experience.

“It’s a thrill for us to come down and play here in a beautiful ball park,” he said. “The Tigers are just tremendous in the way they treat us. It’s a thrill for us to be a part of the Clash at Comerica and neat for our players to experience it.”

The openly gay alumni of Sacred Heart Academy may be disinvited from speaking at his alma mater for the graduation ceremony of his younger brother William, but he still plans to be heard.

Instead, Sheahan-Stahl will speak at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. He said he plans to give essentially the same speech he would have given at the graduation happening that same day.

“My speech that I was going to give had nothing to do with being gay or homosexuality whatsoever,” he said. “It was about fear and facing those fears. This one is going to be about fear and not letting anything stand in the way of achieving your dreams.”

The space was set up for him by Anne Groves, a family friend whose son graduated with Sheahan-Stahl. Groves called Sheahan-Stahl after hearing he would not be allowed to speak and offered him any help she could.

Groves said the space cost somewhere between $1200 and $1400. She is currently attempting to get donations from local businesses.

She said it was God’s providence that Warriner Hall was available for Sheahan-Stahl to speak on the same day of the graduation.

“It’s really special that it’s Sunday because the seniors have so dearly wanted to keep Dominic (as part) of their graduation day,” Groves said. “Doing it this way, they can go to mass, go to hear Dominic at 1 p.m., then go back to their school at 3 p.m. to graduate. So in their own way they can stand their ground.”

Sheahan-Stahl’s father, who William is named after, died the year Sheahan-Stahl graduated from Sacred Heart, Groves said. All the children in the family went to Sacred Heart. It would have been a full circle if he had spoken at the graduation of the youngest child in the family, she said.

“It would have been a beautiful statement for their family to let him speak at his younger brother’s graduation,” she said.

Principal Dennis Starnes held an open assembly last Friday saying he was supportive of Sheahan-Stahl, but the final decision was not up to him.

The Saginaw Diocese responded with a statement that afternoon by Bishop Joseph Cistone, saying Sacred Heart had not contacted them about the situation.

Cistone did, however, cite the 2004 Speaker-Presenter Policy on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, saying: “(those) who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles … should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

Yeah, they both play Division I baseball. Yeah, they both play for colleges in the state of Michigan.

But that goes for all players involved in the game.

What separates them from the rest is the outfield wall at Comerica Park.

Wrozek smashed a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning just over the out-stretched arm of MSU junior right fielder John Martinez.

It was his third of the season, but this one happened at Comerica Park, arguably much more memorable than the home runs he hit back in mid-March against Tennessee Tech.

Routinely throughout sports, memorable moments are rewarded with the ball in baseball, or the puck in hockey.

Wrozek fidgeted with the presumed home run ball throughout the post-game press conference, but unfortunately for Wrozek, he didn’t even get his home run ball — he received a replica.

“It’s something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Wrozek said. “Actually, this isn’t the home run ball, it’s a major league ball. They thought it was the home run ball.

“I’ll take it anyway, but it’s definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Wrozek took a 3-2 pitch from MSU freshman starting pitcher Mick VanVossen out to left field and knew if the ball was elevated, he would take his chances.

“I tried to stay poised in my hole and I knew if I seen something up, I was going to put a good swing on it and I was fortunate enough to find the barrel and it went out,” Wrozek said.

Fisher’s home run was almost polar opposite.

Fisher’s home run gave the Spartans a lead (Wrozek’s didn’t). Fisher hit a two-run home run (Wrozek hit a solo home run), Fisher’s home run went to left field (Wrozek’s went to right field), and
lastly, for Fisher, he’d never had a baseball carry over a fence in a collegiate-game situation (Wrozek has).

The No. 8 hitter for the Spartans in Tuesday’s game hit his first-career home run in college.

“Yeah, a big moment for him, his first college home run,” said MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. “I told him in the dugout we’ve been waiting two years to see that, and he finally got one.”

He picked an ideal moment, too. Fisher hit the two-run home run soon after the Chippewas took a 1-0 lead over the Spartans.

It gave MSU the lead that it never squandered.

“You know, he hit it over the bullpen,” Boss Jr. said. “He’s a big, strong kid and he took a great BP and was able to get the barrel out and hit one on the screws today.”

The moment Wrozek and Fisher share is common between them, but also for their families.

Wrozek’s family rented a charter bus with about 50 to 60 people in it.

“It really meant the world to me,” he said.

Fisher’s family made the trip, too.

“It was a neat moment for him,” Boss Jr. said. “I know his family was here, I saw them before the game, so you know, again, it was a special moment that he’s never going to forget.”

The final week of the regular season is a big one for the Chippewas (28-25, 15-9 Mid-American Conference), who come in one game behind first-place Toledo in the MAC West. After playing Michigan State Tuesday at Comerica Park in Detroit, CMU will host a three-game series with rival Western Michigan at Theunissen Stadium.

“Last year we had Eastern Michigan, and the winner of that was MAC West Champs; and in 2010 it came down to the final series as well,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “These four games right down the stretch, it doesn’t matter who is coming in. We have put ourselves in the best position for the MAC West.”

The Spartans (33-17, 12-9 Big Ten) took the first two games of the three-game series by winning in East Lansing 6-5 and in Mount Pleasant 11-1.

The rival Broncos (23-25, 13-10 MAC) are in town for the final regular season MAC series starting at 3:05 p.m. Thursday, running through Saturday. Toledo (27-24, 16-8 MAC) hosts Eastern Michigan (24-25, 14-10 MAC), a team it lost to twice last season, making this series a must-win for CMU.

“I think we’re a pretty motivated group right now, and the guys like the position we’re in,” Jaksa said. “We’re not going to want to change that. We want to stay where we’re at, and if we do that then we’re playing well.”

With this being the final games of the regular season that means it will be the final time for the CMU seniors to play at Theunissen Stadium.

There are nine seniors on the team this season, and the group that has been here all four years has had a lot of success. This weekend, they will be playing for their third-straight MAC West championship.

“I haven’t really thought of that until now,” senior third baseman Will Arnold said. “I grew up playing here, I’ve been here a long time and so it would be nice to end the regular season here at home.”

Central Michigan University’s Center for Charter Schools is holding a dedication ceremony and panel discussion from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the College of Education and Human Services in honor of the former governor.

Engler’s role in the charter school movement includes signing Michigan’s charter school legislation into law in 1994 and promoting and developing education reforms. Vice President for Developmental and External Relations Kathy Wilbur said this is the first time Engler has had anything in Michigan named after him, and she is very excited for the event.

“He was quite a motivating force. He’s part of the reason that we even have charter schools in Michigan,” Wilbur said. “I don’t think most people figured that the charter schools were to have grown and diversified as they have, except for the leadership he brought to this issue.”

Prior to the dedication, Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, will give the keynote address. Following him will be a roundtable discussion about Michigan’s charter school movement moderated by Detroit News Editorial Editor Nolen Finley. The six panelists for the roundtable discussion will include Dick Posthumus, senior adviser to Gov. Snyder, James Goenner, National Charter Schools Institute president and CEO, and Michigan Sen. Phil Pavlov of the Senate Education Committee.

In addition to Engler attending the ceremony, Attorney General Bill Schuette and Congressman Dave Camp are also expected to attend. Wilber said there might be other individuals such as Gov. Rick Snyder, but are still waiting final confirmation on their attendance.

“We’ve made a request (to Snyder’s office), and we’re still waiting,” Wilbur said.

According to a release from the CMU, the university was the first authorizer of charter schools in Michigan and the first university in the United States to charter its first three public schools in 1994. Wilbur said Central Michigan University is currently the largest authorizer in Michigan with 56 charters containing about 30,000 students.

“The relationship between the university and Engler goes back many years,” Wilbur said. “We’re very pleased that he would allow us to do this for such an appropriate cause.”

In an email to Central Michigan Life Monday, Tom Trionfi, director of Health Services, said the university has begun an “educational outreach” targeted at employees and upcoming orientation sessions.

Among the efforts, a meningitis presentation was scheduled this week for orientation mentors. Freshman orientation sessions, expected to bring thousands of new students to campus, begin Tuesday and run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through mid-June. Information on meningitis and university guidelines will also be highlighted during Student Health Matters presentations, scheduled for each orientation day, Trionfi wrote.

CMU does not require incoming students to receive the meningococcal meningitis vaccine and has no plans to require it this fall, Trionfi said, but pointed out “a good number of high schools are requiring the vaccine.”

On Thursday, Nick Collins, 19, of Livonia died three days after being admitted to St. Mary Mercy Livonia hospital with what the family thought was the flu. He was diagnosed with meningitis Monday and CMU notified students and faculty via email Wednesday that health officials believed Collins may have been contagious between April 30 and May 7.

Collins’ second-floor residence hall room has since been cleaned with a bleach water mixture, per specifications from the Central Michigan District Health Department, Trionfi said.

Health Services also plans to have Sarah Yonder, associate director for medical services, present to university custodial staff.

Collins is the second CMU student to have died from meningococcal meningitis in the past four years. On May 7, 2008, LaMott Smith of Sterling Heights died at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids after visiting friends in Coopersville.

Health Services has also submitted messages promoting the meningitis vaccination for the digital sign outside the Student Activity Center/McGuirk Arena and scrolling side inside the Bovee University Center, Trionfi said. The shots are available 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Foust Hall. No appointment is needed.

Since July 1, Trionfi says 53 vaccines have been given at Foust Hall, “including a few last week” after Collins’ death had been made public.

CMU will discontinue its agreement with the McAfee VirusScan Enterprise for all university-owned Windows computers and switch to Microsoft’s Forefront Endpoint Protection.

“As a powerful, yet lightweight option, we think that FEP is a great solution for the university’s antivirus software needs,” said Kole Taylor, a technical writer for the Office of Information Technology. “We tested this solution thoroughly before making the decision, and the results were very positive.”

Taylor said making the switch will ultimately save the university $32,995 in annual licensing costs for McAfee, and FEP will cost the university nothing.

“FEP was recently bundled in with the Microsoft Campus Agreement, so there’s no additional cost for using FEP on CMU computers,” he said.

An email from the OIT sent out in April says students are legally obligated to remove the software from their computers in order to comply with the discontinuation of the licensing agreement between McAffee and CMU.

“Any student who doesn’t remove McAfee Enterprise from his or her personal computers will be running the software in violation of licensing agreements with McAfee,” Taylor said. “McAfee could technically take legal action against anyone using this software without a licensing agreement.”

Taylor said students should avoid potential legal trouble and remove the McAffee software.

“Microsoft Security Essentials is a free alternative for anyone running Windows, and removing McAfee and installing MSE is a pretty quick and painless process,” he said. “The Help Desk is also available to help students with making the switch, so there’s really very little reason for students to make themselves legally vulnerable by not following the protocol.”

Students using Mac computers have the option to install Sophos Anti-Virus software, which is also a free program. Guides to install both Microsoft Security Essentials and Sophos are available on the OIT website.

Central Michigan and Michigan State played in the second annual “Clash at Comerica,” culminating a season long three-game series, an experience that both coaches, players and fans alike won’t soon forget.

“It’s a great feeling (to play at Comerica Park) and it’s definitely something you remember,” said third baseman Eric Wrozek. “It’s definitely something all the guys look forward too.”

Despite the school year being over, many Chippewa fans made the trip to Detroit to watch their team play in a big-league park.

“It was fun, a lot more fans come out and they are a lot more rowdy then at Central,” said Jackson senior Jenn Drechnowicz. “Everybody is having a good time.”

Drechnowicz is actually cousins to Wrozek and she came to the game with about 50 others on a charter bus that his parents rented.

“Seeing all of family and friends there cheering me on is something I won’t ever forget,” Wrozek said.

Wrozek and his family won’t forget what happened in the seventh inning. With CMU down four runs and the bright lights on and two-outs, the senior delivered a solo home run over the right field wall.

Although the Chippewas didn’t come away with a win, Wrozek at least made it interesting and gave them some hope.

“That’s something I’ll remember the rest of my life,” Wrozek said.

This is the second time the two teams have met at Comerica Park. The game last season, played in mid-April, was hampered by low temperatures and rain. This year was a stark contrast: a warm, clear night; perfect conditions for a baseball game.

“A day like today (is) obviously better to play in that kind of weather,” said head coach Steve Jaksa. “You get that kind of atmosphere, then you get fans to come out and see the products both teams have.”

It was a special night for the Spartans — and for CMU.

For one night the players got treated like big leaguers, the fans got to sit in a big league ballpark, even the media got to sit in a big league press box.

“Another great event, and thanks to Dave Heeke and Steve Jaksa and everyone at Central Michigan for putting this one,” said MSU head coach Jake Boss. “It’s a thrill for us to come down and play here.”

DETROIT — It took Michigan State starting pitcher Mick VanVossen an inning to settle himself.

After all, it wasn’t an ordinary college baseball game. It was the second annual Clash at Comerica against Central Michigan inside Comerica Park in front of 3,458 fans.

The freshman walked the leadoff batter, threw a wild pitch and gave up a RBI single to Central Michigan senior William Arnold.

After that, VanVossen was dialed-in.

He retired 10-straight Chippewas while the offense erased a 1-0 deficit as the Spartans swept the three-game season series, beating CMU, who was on a 10-game winning streak, 5-2 Tuesday evening.

“I got the jitters out in the first inning, like coach said,” VanVossen said. “I just really got a flow going and the game went by well and it was easy to pitch behind five runs that our team scored early and it played out well.”

The Chippewas made a couple attempts to come back, but the four-run lead was too much.

A single in fifth inning by freshman Patrick MacKenzie broke VanVossen’s retired streak, but then he retired three-straight before senior Sam Russell doubled off the left-field wall with two outs in the sixth inning.

Senior Nate Theunissen, who forced a two-out walk, was sent home from first base on Russell’s double, but was tagged out because of a spot-on throw from senior Justin Scanlon who received the initial throw from left fielder junior Jordan Keur.

“We felt you get a two-out hit and it’s only our third hit of the game at that particular time and he (VanVossen) was throwing the ball pretty good, so yeah, we probably took a little gamble,” said head coach Steve Jaksa. “But to get two, two-out hits in that situation, the odds are probably against you, so as you brought him around third, you’re going to force their guy to make a perfect throw to the plate. He makes a perfect throw to the plate.”

“If it’s five feet offline, we score the run and again, that’s a big run in that situation.”

Senior Eric Wrozek put some life into the Chippewas in the seventh inning when he hit a solo home run to right field, just over a leaping John Martinez, cutting the MSU lead to 5-2.

However, the second and third inning run support led by sophomore Joel Fisher’s second-inning two-run home run into the bullpen in left field was enough for the Spartans.

The two-run second inning was repeated in similar form an inning later, scoring two runs, but in different fashion.

Scanlon led off the inning with a triple to left field and scored on a failed pickoff attempt by CMU starting pitcher junior Rick Dodridge.

MSU junior Torsten Boss, who walked and advanced to second off Dodridge’s failed pickoff, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Martinez singled through the left side.

“I don’t think that deflated us,” Jaksa said. “I think we were down a little bit, but I think we battled really hard and down the stretch we put some good at-bats on it. I thought Nate hit the ball really well, Wrozy hit a home run.”

VanVossen won his fourth game of the season, improving to 4-0. He went seven innings, allowing five hits with two earned runs and four strikeouts.

Dodridge lasted two and 1/3 innings giving up four earned runs off five hits with three walks in the loss.

CMU has dropped both games in the Clash at Comerica.

The Chippewas are one game back of Toledo for first place in the Mid-American Conference West standings with one series remaining.

CMU hosts in-state rival Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m. Thursday for the first of a three-game series.

“The Legend of Korra,” with its sharp animation and complex plot structure, attracted 4.5 million viewers to its premiere and seems poised to wash out any bad taste left in fans’ mouths after M. Night Shyamalan’s critically panned live-action film take on the franchise in 2010.

Taking place 70 years after the end of the original show, “Korra” focuses on the adjustments of the titular character who is the new Avatar, assigned to help maintain balance and peace in a world heavily influenced by Asian folklore with a dash of 1920s America.

The more modern turn the show’s world has taken gives an impressive sense of the care the writers have taken in making parallels between the evolution of this fictional world and ours. It also gives viewers a welcome change from many fantasy series in which technology and culture seem to be eternally unchanging.

The conflict in the show also makes intriguing connections to current social issues. The antagonist, Amon, is leader of a movement known as the “Equalists” who believe “benders,” those born with the power to manipulate elements of nature, are oppressive and must have their powers eliminated for the sake of equality for those not gifted with them.

While Amon is definitely given an aura of extremism throughout the show, that’s not to say the plot isn’t littered with hints that he may have a point: within the first six episodes, we see Korra and a friend act pretty abrasive towards a vocal Equalist protestor, and it’s also implied there is no non-bending representation on the city council of the show’s setting.

It’s hard not to see underlying themes similar to real-life privilege and oppression wrapped into the show—pretty impressive when your alleged target audience is children 9 to 14 years old.

Amid this conflict, however, there are plenty of other factors to be entertained by. Fans of the previous “Avatar” series will enjoy the connections and shout-outs given to former protagonists and seeing how their actions during and after the original show’s timeframe affect the new series. The show’s comedy and drama are balanced well, and the writers seem prepared to give almost every character an interesting backstory.

The show’s only real weak point is its tendency to let some romantic subplots get in the way of the main plot’s tension.  After two episodes of fairly tense face-offs against the Equalists and other city conflicts, the fifth episode, “The Spirit of Competition,” is dedicated almost entirely to a love square between Korra, her two male friends and another potential female protagonist.

The romantic drama seems a little too inspired by other tween shows on Nickelodeon, with Korra’s pining after her taken crush—and, in turn, Korra’s other friend’s pining after her — needing only a Taylor Swift song in the background to make the scene complete. However, friendships seem to be mended by the episode’s end, so hopefully further romantic development will be more subdued.

Overall, “The Legend of Korra” has already gained a strong fanbase among younger and older crowds alike for good reason.  The show just might be able to inspire you to wake up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning cartoon again.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars