Complete Delta State Baseball at Arkansas-Monticello Series Notebook [PDF]

CLEVELAND - The No. 14/No.19/No. 24 ranked Statesmen (26-10-1, 8-3 GSCW) of Delta State University will take their eight game winning streak on the road this weekend to Boll Weevils Field to take on the University of Arkansas-Monticello ( 19-18, 3-8 GSCW) this Saturday and Sunday for a three-game Gulf South Conference series.  The three game series begins Saturday at noon with a doubleheader. Sunday's single game is to follow at 1 p.m.

Delta State enter's the weekend after sweeping Henderson State 10-6, 14-6 and 9-5 in last week's GSC series. DSU also claimed mid-week victories over Mississippi Valley State (11-5) and William Carey (13-11).

Arkansas-Monticello was swept by Ouachita Baptist in a very closely played three game series last weekend. UAM took two in the mid-week from Tougaloo 2-1 and 13-10.

INSIDE THE SERIES: UAM vs. DSU
The Statesmen have dominated the series with the Boll Weevils, leading the all-time standings 66-5. DSU took all three from UAM last season 12-10, 11-1 and 5-3 at Ferriss Field. The Statesmen swept UAM in their last meeting in Arkansas 18-4, 20-3 and 17-7.

STATESMAN TO WATCH - MICHAEL VINSON (DH)
Freshman DH Michael Vinson (6-2/Southaven) is this week's Statesman To Watch. The Southaven native is batting .550 this week after going 11-for-20 at the plate with 10 RBIs. This past weekend versus Henderson State, Vinson went 6-for-11 including a double, his first collegiate home run and collected five RBIs. For the season, he is second on the team in batting (.355) and doubles (11).

STATESMEN SPORTS NETWORK AT UAM
The Statesmen Sports Network will offer complete coverage of all three games this weekend from Boll Weevils Field in Monticello, Ark. The broadcast starts 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 930 AM in Jackson.

GSC WEST DIVISION RACE A LITTLE TIGHTER
The No. 19 Delta State Statesmen (26-10-1, 8-3 GSC) enter this weekend's series at Monticello three games off first place in the GSC West Division. The Statesmen trail national No.1 Southern Arkansas (32-3, 11-0), and will meet the Muleriders for a weekend series later in the month.

Meanwhile, the Statesmen are having to fend off challengers right behind them – third-place Arkansas Tech (26-14, 7-4) and fourth-place Ouachita Baptist (21-16, 6-5) within striking distance of Delta State. Fifth-place Harding (20-19, 5-6) is also within three games of second place.

Henderson State (19-15) and Arkansas-Monticello (19-18) are tied for sixth in the division with a 3-8 conference record, while Christian Brothers (5-31, 1-10) rounds out the GSC standings.

NIEMANN STARTING TO SWING THE STICK
After struggling through a mid-season slump, Michael Niemann has started to heat up at the plate for the Statesmen, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Statesmen are currently riding an eight game winning streak and the play of Niemann in the field and at the plate are two major reasons why. The Yelm, Wash., native is batting .382 with 13 hits and 12 runs scored during the streak.

The three-year starter for coach Mike Kinnison is currently batting .322 with 12 doubles, two triples, one home run and 24 RBIs. He has also scored 40 runs and swiped 21-of-24 bases.

CURRENT EIGHT-GAME STREAK LONGEST OF SEASON
The Statesmen have claimed wins in eight straight games dating back to an 8-7 (10) loss to Harding. The eight game streak tops a seven game streak from Feb. 20-28.

DSU is hitting .341 as a team during the streak, including 24 extra base hits, while averaging 11.3 runs per game.

Four Statesmen are batting better than .380 during the run as well, led by freshman sensation Michael Vinson's .469 average with six doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs.

WHITESIDE MAKES 2010 GIANTS DEBUT
Former Statesmen catcher Eli Whiteside made his 2010 debut with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday as they completed three-game sweep of Houston.

Whiteside went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run in the Giants 10-4 road win at Minute Maid Park. Whiteside was an All-American catcher for the Statesmen from 1999 to 2001.

MIDDLE OF ORDER PACING STATESMEN THROUGH STRETCH
The No. 3-5 spots in the batting order have turned into quite a murderer's row for coach Mike Kinnison during Delta State's recent successes on the diamond.

Seniors Josh Gordon and Cade Hoggard and true freshman Michael Vinson have accumulated quite the resume this year with three weeks left in the regular season.

The trio ranks 1-2-3 in batting average and RBIs this year for the Statesmen. Gordon leads DSU with a .418 average, while connecting on seven doubles, two triples, five home runs and driving in 33 runs. The Vicksburg native also leads DSU with 45 runs scored.

Hoggard paces the Statesmen with 41 RBIs, while batting .348 with 10 doubles, two triples and five home runs. The Oxford native has also scored 39 runs and swiped eight bases.

Vinson, a true freshman DH, ranks second on the team with a .355 average. He has also sacked 11 doubles and driven in 33.

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.

JUDGE RECORDS FIRST VERDICT
Junior left-handed reliever Jason Judge (1-0, 1.80 ERA) recorded his first career “verdict” for the Statesmen, picking up the win in DSU's 13-11 slugfest at William Carey on April 7 in Hattiesburg.

DSU PITCHING STAFF RANKS 25TH IN NCAA
Entering this week, the Statesmen pitching staff ranks 25th in NCAA Division II with a 3.84 ERA. DSU has allowed 126 earned runs this year and ranks third in the GSC behind West Florida (3.54) and Southern Arkansas (3.72). Southern Connecticut State leads NCAA DII with a 1.82 ERA.

BLANCHARD 14TH IN NATION IN TRIPLES
Senior second baseman Chase Blanchard has drilled four triples this season to rank fourth in the GSC in that category and 14th in the NCAA Division II ranks.

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.

STATESMEN IN THE PROS
With two 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 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.

Edwin Maysonet (SS/Houston Astros) was optioned to the Round Rock Express in Triple-A and he remains a constant on the Astros 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).

BASEBALL MAGNETS
The Statesmen might feel like baseball magnets this season, ranking fourth in the NCAA in hit-by-pitches with 73 this season. Southern Arkansas lead the NCAA with 95.

In a19-3 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 37 games, the Statesmen have been hit by a pitch 73 times. The school record for single season HBPs is 152.

The Statesmen are led by junior catcher Patrick Taylor, who ranks eighth with 15.

NIEMANN MOVES INTO TOP 5 IN CAREER STOLEN BASES
Junior centerfielder Michael Niemann has vaulted up the career top 10 list this season for the Statesmen, moving all the way to No. 5 after his steal of second in DSU's 13-11 at William Carey.

In his 143 game career, the Yelm, Wash., native has swiped 56 bases in 67 attempts, moving past Timbo Baird (41), Eric Patten (42), Casey Myrick (43), Jud Thigpen (47), Hunter Jobes (48) and Paul Wright (50).

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

KELLEY MOVES INTO SEVENTH IN CAREER APPEARANCES
Senior righthander Cody Kelley (5-0, 4.45 ERA) has moved into seventh place on the career appearances chart for the Statesmen with 56.

In Kelley's four-year career, the Louisville native has posted a 16-3 record in 56 appearances with a 4.45 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 5-0 with a 4.45 ERA in eight starts and boasts a 50 strikeout to eight walks ratio.

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.

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 (616-176-1) 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 616 career wins, which is only 23 away from tying the mark set by the legendary Dave “Boo” Ferriss, who skippered the Statesmen for 26 seasons.