CLEVELAND - Delta State University director of athletic communications Matt Jones announced the hiring of University of Alabama-Birmingham student-assistant Lorrie Beth Milton to a graduate assistant position Friday, rounding out the athletic communications staff for the upcoming year.  Milton will serve as the primary contact for Lady Statesmen Basketball and will assistant with baseball and softball. 

"We couldn't have found a better fit for our department than Lorrie Beth Milton," Jones stated.  "She brings a wealth of experience to our office from her time with UAB and the Birmingham Barons.  Her drive and desire to succeed will serve our coaches and student-athletes well."

Milton will complete her bachelor of arts degree from UAB in English and Professional Writing and Public Discourse this December.  Her work in the classroom has been second to none, garnering the 2009-2010 UAB National Alumni Society Dean's Scholarship for the School of Arts and Humanities, 2009 School of Education Dean's List, and 2008 President's List for academic excellence.  She is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society for outstanding GPA. 

In the field, the Birmingham, Ala., native has served as a student assistant to Norm Reily, UAB director of athletic media relations, and a staff assistant to Justin Rosenberg, director of media relations for the Birmingham Barons.

She has contributed feature stories to UABsports.com and to several UAB game programs, while assisting with game day operations for football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and golf. 

With the Barons, Milton is responsible for contributing to game notes, line-ups, in-game statistics and post-game stories.  She is also one of the primary operators for the Barons' and Major League Baseball's Advanced Media Datacaster, a program used by professional baseball leagues across the country.    

Prior to her time with the Blazers and Barons, Milton covered UAB athletics for the student newspaper Kaleidoscope. 

A graduate of Cornerstone Christian School, Milton will pursue a master's degree in Sports Administration.  She and her husband, Robert Milton, will move to Cleveland this December.