Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SB GAME NOTES 16-23 PDF

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Delta State University Lady Statesmen will open the 2012 Gulf South Conference season with a road date with the only other former GSC West Division member that remains, the Christian Brothers Lady Buccaneers.
 
DSU will then host former GSC member Ouachita Baptist for a home doubleheader before playing host to the University of North Alabama on Saturday, March 17 and will finish the week with the No. 1 ranked Alabama Huntsville Lady Chargers.
 
The Lady Bucs enter play with a 4-8 overall mark, which includes a 2-6 mark at Bland Field.
 
The Lady Tigers currently hold an 11-10 mark, which includes a 4-3 loss to Delta State in the opening contest of the season for the Lady Statesmen. OBU took all four games from DSU last season.  
 
For the first time since the Gulf South Conference featured two divisions the University of North Alabama and the No.1 ranked Alabama Huntsville Lady Chargers will be making the trip to Cleveland for GSC doubleheaders.
 
The Lions are currently off to a solid 9-4 start and will look to pitcher Breanna Riley, who a two-time GSC Pitcher of the week. Riley currently holds a 6-1 mark with a 0.80 ERA. UAH enters the week with a 16-5 overall mark, which includes a pair of losses to North Georgia. UAH currently features three players hitting over .400 and only one regular player hitting under .300.

LADY STATESMEN ATTEMPTING TO REBOUND FROM DISAPPOINTING 2011
Delta State University softball finished its 2011 season with a final record of 20-32. The below .500 ledger marked the first time since the 1991 season that the green-and-white finished with a losing record.
 
SENIORS LOOK TO LEAD DSU
The 2012 version of the Delta State University Lady Statesmen features five seniors for coach Casey Charles. Four of the five transferred to DSU from junior colleges, while Ashleigh Allgood arrived at DSU via the University of West Florida.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
On opening day of the 2012 softball season, the DSU lineup only featured three seniors in the starting nine. In fact, three freshmen, and four juniors were in the starting lineup.
 
COLE LOOKS TO CONTINUE SOLID START
Junior infielder Jordan Cole has been the toughest out for the Lady Statesmen lineup through 15 games this season. The Douglasville, Ga., native has reached base safely in all 15 games, and leads DSU's everyday players in on base percentage (.492), slugging percentage (.630), runs scored (16), hits (16) and batting average (.348). The Darton College transfer leads the Gulf South Conference with 10 hit by pitch.
 
HOLLAND PICKING UP PLAY
Freshman Taylor Holland connected on a home run for her first collegiate base hit, but since then has picked up her play, becoming a threat in the DSU lineup. The Grenada, Miss., native is 5-for-10 in her last three contests. Holland is currently batting .306 with a home run, two doubles and two RBIs.
 
READY FOR MORE
Junior pitcher Brittany Gonzales will help anchor a Lady Statesmen pitching staff that returns three pitchers from the 2011 season. The Denham Springs, La., native is creeping up rankings in the DSU record book in nearly every pitching category. Gonzales currently owns a 18-25 career mark, which includes a perfect game against Southern Arkansas University on March 14, 2010.  The Live Oaks High School product has pitched two complete game shutouts in six starts this season.