LSU has called a Thursday news conferernce to introduce Michigan State's David Grewe as its new associate head coach in charge of the pitchers.  Grewe will be reuinted with LSU head coach Paul Manieri-- the two were together when Manieri was head coach four years ago at Notre Dame, the time MSU hired Grewe away when he was an Irish assistant.  Grewe will become reportedly the highest paid assistant baseball coach in America.  He was making $80,000 per year at Michigan State.  He had three losing seasons and a 75-85 record in East Lansing, 40-53 in the Big Ten.

     It is bizarre that an MSU head coach leaves for an assistant's job elsewhere-- but that closing four game sweep at home against Indiana apparently left some hard feelings.  The seniors didn't play the final game after they were introduced before the home finale-- and feelings were bruised.  MSU officials had some disagreements with Grewe and did not stand in his way when LSU came a calling.  LSU got an opening when its top assistant left to become head coach at Central Florida.  MSU now looks for a new head coach-- with a new $4 million grandstand addition due to be complete by next spring.

     Michigan State officials will have to decide how much they want to spend on a new coach-- and likely they'll go past Grewe's salary to find a successor.  No one could have predicted that Grewe, 29 at the time he was hired, would have such frustrations in East Lansing-- but he did.  To me it was simple-- not enough good players, especially pitchers.  He tried 18 pitchers this past season and they were roughed up often in a 24-29 record.

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