The Lansing Lugnuts will honor the life of former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler at a game in May.
The Lugnuts have combined with the Michael Sadler Foundation to host Mike Sadler Night during their May 3 contest against the Kane County Cougars at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The first 1,000 fans in attendance at the game will receive a Lugnuts jersey in green with Sadler’s number three on the back. A silent auction featuring Spartans and Lugnuts memorabilia will also take place. Proceeds from the auction and the sales of Hey Diddle Diddle – a craft beer inspired by Sadler and his famed fake punt in 2013 – will benefit the Michael Sadler Foundation.
“We are proud to partner with the Michael Sadler Foundation and Michigan State University, coming together on a special night to remember a special man,” Lugnuts president Nick Grueser said.
Sadler was a four-time academic All-American and earned All-American honors on the field for the Spartans. The MSU Athletic Hall of Fame member was a four-year starter from 2011 to 2014 and ranks among the school's leaders in punts, punting yardage and punting average. He died in a car accident in 2016.
“We’re thrilled that the Lansing Lugnuts have chosen to honor Mike at this game,” Karen Sadler, Mike's mother, said. “He played baseball as a kid and loved to catch a Lugnuts game whenever he could.
“We’re very grateful to the Lansing Lugnuts for celebrating Mike, his accomplishments, and what he meant to the world far beyond East Lansing. His passion for life, his dedication to excellence, and his commitment to treating each person he encountered with dignity and respect will never be forgotten.”
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