Complete Weekly Baseball Game Notes Release [PDF]

CLEVELAND - The No. 18/No.15 ranked Statesmen (21-10-1, 5-3 GSCW) of Delta State University will play host to the Reddies (16-11, 3-5 GSCW) of Henderson State University this Friday and Saturday for an Easter weekend Gulf South Conference series at Dave “Boo” Ferriss Field.

The three game series begins Friday with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. with a single game to follow Saturday at 2 p.m.

Delta State enter's the weekend with a three game-win streak after taking the final two games at Harding 9-4 and 6-1, and out-slugging Belhaven 18-11 on Tuesday in the lone mid-week game on the schedule this week.

Henderson State took 2-of-3 from Ouachita Baptist this past weekend and has a doubleheader slated for Thursday at 1 p.m. at Reddie Field with Central Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark.

The Statesmen have dominated the series with the Reddies, leading the all-time standings 49-4. DSU took 2-of-3 from HSU last season 5-1, 2-3 and 16-7 at Reddie Field. The Statesmen swept HSU in the last meeting at Ferriss Field in 2008 21-1, 9-2 and 24-4.

DSU is currently in third place in the GSC West Division standings behind No. 1 ranked Southern Arkansas (8-0) and Arkansas Tech (7-1).

STATESMAN TO WATCH - TREY GRIFFIN (RHP)
Senior RHP Trey Griffin (6-2/Houston) is this week's Statesman to watch. The hard-throwing Houston native was named the GSC West Division Pitcher of the Week after going 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA last week with a 10 strikeout performance in the series clincher at Harding. He enters the weekend 3-2 on the year with a 2.70 ERA and 42 strikeouts.

STATESMEN SPORTS NETWORK
The Statesmen Sports Network will offer complete coverage of all three games this weekend from Ferriss Field online at www.GoStatesmen.com and on the network beginning 15 minutes prior to first pitch with the SouthGroup Insurance Dugout Report. Matt Jones and Jimmy Smith will have the call. This week's action may be heard on WMJW 107.5 FM and SuperSport 930 AM in Jackson.


GRIFFIN NAMED GSC WEST DIVISION PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Delta State University senior Trey Griffin, a 6-foot-2 right-hander for the Statesmen baseball team, has been named the Gulf South Conference West Division Pitcher of the Week, as released by the league office. Tuesday's announcement is the first this season for Griffin and the first for the Statesmen. The Houston native went 1-0 last week with 0.64 ERA for the No. 18 Statesmen, who went 3-2 last week.

Griffin started his week with five shutout innings versus William Carey on Wednesday afternoon and finished the week with a complete game, 10 strikeout performance in DSU's 6-1 series clinching win at Harding. In 14 innings pitched, Griffin allowed only one earned run on just eight hits.

Griffin, who is currently 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA, will lead the Statesmen back into action this week versus Belhaven on Tuesday and Henderson State in a GSC series on Friday and Saturday.   

COATS ENJOYING SENIOR SEASON
Senior starter Jason Coats is the model of consistency for the Statesmen so far this season.  With Henderson State coming into Ferriss Field this weekend, the Starkville native leads the team among starting pitching with a 5-0 record and is tied with Griffin for the team lead in ERA at 2.70, good for fourth in the Gulf South Conference standings.  In 40.0 innings pitched, the stocky right hander has given up just 12 earned runs on 39 hits with 26 strikeouts and only 11 walks. 

In his last outing versus Harding on March 27, Coats' surrendered just three runs on four hits in 5.2 innings pitched.  He also struck out four and walked one. 

Coats' accomplishments this season are even more impressive when considering he pitched just 22.0 innings during the 2009 season.

HALL OF FAME OPENS DOORS TO McCLAIN & HOLMAN
Delta State will induct 10 former Statesmen athletes into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame, including two ballplayers from the DSU's 1996 College World Series team.

Current DSU athletics director Jeremy McClain finished with a career record of 45-9, which included a sterling 15-0 record during his senior season in 1999. He holds five Delta State pitching records, and his 45 wins rank first in Gulf South Conference history and second all-time in the NCAA. McClain also notched a victory over Tampa in the 1996 College World Series.

McClain's former teammate Spencer Holman was an all-GSC selection in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and was also an All-South Region honoree in 1995 and 1996.

McClain played a key role in guiding the Statesmen to the College World Series his junior season, and was named to the event's All-Tournament team.

As a senior in 1997, Holman received the N.L. Cassibry MVP award from his fellow teammates after hitting 23 doubles and recording 65 RBIs.

GORDON DELIVERS BIG VERSUS BELHAVEN
Senior third baseman Josh Gordon delivered in a big way in Delta State's 18-11 win over Belhaven collecting five RBIs and crushing a grand slam.  The five RBIs are a career-high for the Vicksburg native. 

Gordon, who ranks fourth in the GSC with a .432 average, leads the Statesmen with 53 hits, while collecting six doubles, one triple, four home runs and 30 RBIs.  He has also scored 35 runs to lead the green-and-white.

BLANCHARD AND ESCOBAR HEATING UP
The middle infield combo of Chris Escobar (SS) and Chase Blanchard (2B) are starting to heat up at teh plate for the Statesmen.  In the 18-11 win over Belhaven, the duo drove in three runs each, while scoring a combined six runs. 

AGAINST RANKED COMPETITION
The Statesmen enter this weekend's series with unranked Henderson State boasting a 4-2-1 record against ranked competition this season. 

Delta State's four wins against the top 30 rank second to Ouachita Baptist's five among Gulf South Conference teams. 

STATESMEN DOMINATE GSC EAST OPPONENTS
Delta State has played 10 games against the East Division of the Gulf South Conference, boasting a 7-3 record.  Southern Arkansas has amassed a 5-1 record versus the East, while Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist claimed two wins apiece.

DELTA STATE HURLERS AMONG THE BEST IN REGION
Opponents are finding runs – particularly earned runs – hard to come by when they step into the batter's box against DSU pitchers. Statesmen pitchers have registered a team ERA of 3.50, which ranks second in Gulf South Conference and South Region behind Southern Arkansas (3.19 ERA). The Statesmen's 3.50 team ERA is also among the best in the nation, ranking 20th.

STAFF ACES
Cody Kelley and Jason Coats have anchored the Statesmen's starting rotation this year, as each pitcher has accumulated perfect 4-0 records.

Kelly has struck out 43 batters over 50.2 innings of work while compiling a 4.09 ERA. His most recent win came in a 19-3 victory over Christian Brothers in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader on March 21.

Meanwhile, Coats has posted a 5-0 record while leading Delta State starting pitchers with a 2.70 ERA. Coats has struck out 26 batters in 40 innings, and earned his fifth win in the second game of the Harding doubleheader – a 9-4 Delta State victory.

STATESMEN IN THE PROS
With three players on active Major League Baseball rosters and a bevy of young talented up-and-coming talent, the future looks bright for Delta State's professional players. 

Currently, the Statesmen have Eli Whiteside (1999-2001) of the San Francisco Giants, Edwin Maysonet (2002-03) of the Houston Astros and Dusty Hughes (2001-03) of the Kansas City Royals on active MLB rosters.

After a successful spring training Brent Leach (2005) of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.  However, Leach remains on the club's 40-man roster.

Several Statesmen are fighting their way up the Minor League ranks as well, including Kenny Smalley (P/Oakland) and Devin Goodwin (SS/St. Louis). 

HOGGARD RIDING 5-GAME HIT STREAK
Senior first baseman Cade Hoggard is currently riding a five-game hitting streak.  The Oxford native is batting .368 with one double, one home run and eight RBIs in his last five games.

The former Mississippi State transfer is second on teh team with .345 average this season.  Hoggard is 40-of-116 at the plate with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and a team-leading 33 RBIs. 

McGINNIS MAKING IMPACT IN OUTFIELD
Junior left-fielder Will McGinnis is making the most of his opportunities in the outfield.  The Springdale, Ark., native is batting .333 this season, while delivering one home run and eight RBIs. 

McGinnis, who received a medical redshirt last season, has played in 19 games with 15 starts.  In 17 chances in left, McGinnis has yet to make an error, while collecting one assist. 

BLANCHARD RACKING UP THE TRIPLES
Senior second baseman Chase Blanchard leads the Statesmen in triples with four this season, ranking 11th in NCAA Division II and tied for first in the GSC. 

The school record for triples in a season is eight, currently held by Brett Donahoo (2004-05) and Edwin Maysonet (2002-03).

BASEBALL MAGNETS
The Statesmen might feel like baseball magnets this season, ranking fourth in the NCAA in hit-by-pitches with 64 this season.  Alabama-Huntsville and Valdosta State are tied for the NCAA and GSC lead with 74. 

In a 19-3 rout at CBU on March 21, the Statesmen were hit nine times by Buccaneer pitching, establishing a new school record for the Statesmen and were just one off the GSC's single-game record.  The previous record for HBPs in a game was eight versus St. Joseph's (Ind.) on Feb. 23, 2008 at Ferriss Field. 
   
Through 32 games, the Statesmen have been hit by a pitch 64 times.  The school record for single season HBPs is 152.

The Statesmen have three players ranked in the top 30 of the NCAA in HBPs, led by junior catcher Patrick Taylor, who ranks fourth with 15.  Chris Escobar is 19th with 11 and Cade Hoggard 26th with 10.   

NIEMANN CRACKS CAREER STOLEN BASES CHART
Junior centerfielder Michael Niemann crashed the career top 10 list for stolen bases last week for the Statesmen at No. 6.  In his 143 game career, the Yelm, Wash., native has swiped 48 bases in 62 attempts, moving past Timbo Baird (41), Eric Patten (42), Casey Myrick (43) and Jud Thigpen (47) to tie Hunter Jobes (48) for sixth place. 

Heath Bailey (1994-96) stole a school-record 71 bases during his career for the Statesmen.

KELLEY MOVES INTO NINTH IN CAREER APPEARANCES
Senior righthander Cody Kelley (4-0, 3.32 ERA) has moved into ninth place on the career appearances chart for the Statesmen with 54. 

In Kelley's four-year career, the Louisville native has posted a 15-3 record in 54 appearances with a 4.24 ERA. 

The former reliever made a relatively smooth transition into the starting rotation last year, going 6-3 on the mound with 5.08 ERA in 11 starts and five relief appearances.  This season, Kelley is 4-0 with a 4.09 ERA in eight starts and boasts a 43 strikeout to seven walks ratio.

50-YEARS WITH FERRISS
The Delta State Statesmen Baseball program is celebrating 50 years of service from one of college baseball's greats. Coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss has been a part of the Green-and-White for a half century. Ferriss started as the Statesmen baseball coach In 1960 and would amass 639 wins, five Gulf South Conference titles, nine NCAA regional appearances and three trips to the College World Series in his 26 year tenure.

After coaching, the man they call “Boo” was a guiding light for coaches Bill Marchant and current Statesmen skipper Mike Kinnison. He was there when the field with his namesake get lights in 1996 and when the Statesmen won the 2004 National Championship.

Ferriss was there in 2007 when the Ferriss Museum, which celebrates his life and career opened to the public. And he will continue to be there, as one of the most celebrated figures in Delta State University history.

KINNISON TOPS 600 CAREER WINS
In sports, milestones are everything. On Feb. 27, 2010, Delta State University baseball coach Mike Kinnison (611-176-1) had one of his own. After sweeping a two game set with Gulf South Conference rival West Alabama, Kinnison recorded his 600th win as DSU skipper. In only 14 seasons with the Statesmen, Kinnison now has 611 career wins, which is only 28 away from tying the mark set by the legendary Dave “Boo” Ferriss, who skippered the Statesmen for 26 seasons.

DELTA STATE PICKED SECOND IN GSC WEST
For only the second time since 2001, the Delta State University baseball team was not chosen by the leagues coaches to win either the Gulf South Conference West Division or the Gulf South Conference Championship.

2009 GSC Champion Southern Arkansas University received seven-of-eight first place votes, while DSU earned one first place vote and six second place votes. Ouachita Baptist was picked to finish third, followed by Harding, Henderson State, Arkansas-Monticello and Christian Brothers. SAU also earned 12 of the possible 14 votes to repeat as GSC Champions.

GSC East favorite Valdosta State had two votes, while DSU and West Alabama each earned one vote each.

The Statesmen placed three players on the Preseason All-GSC Team, as senior designated hitter Kellen Bozeman, junior center fielder Michael Niemann and senior right fielder Cade Hoggard earned the accolades of the leagues coaches.