Game Notes: Week 7 vs. VSU
Complete Notes and Statistics


CLEVELAND -- The No. 14 Delta State Baseball team closes out their 13-game home stand by hosting a three game series with GSC foe Valdosta State. The series kicks off with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m., and will close out with a 2 p.m. game on Sunday. The Statesmen (16-5, 3-3 GSC) are looking to take down the top team in the GSC, as the Blazers (13-8) come in with a 5-1 league record.  Next week the Statesmen will hit the road with games at Southern Arkansas and West Florida.

SIDEBARS, STREAKS, & STORYLINES
•   The Statesmen opened up the 2012 season with six straight wins, and  had been on a streak where they won six-of-seven games. However the Statesmen dropped their first series of the season this past weekend as they dropped two-of-three to the Tigers of West Alabama. The Statesmen responded during the week by defeating former conference foe Ouachita Baptist 13-3 in seven innings. The second game of the series between the Statesmen and OBU was washed out by rain.

•   Delta State entered the 2012 season with the most wins all-time in Gulf South Conference history. The Statesmen are 1,747-872-11 in program history, including 11 GSC titles and the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship. 

•   Defending NCAA DII and GSC champion West Florida was picked to repeat as league champions this year in the annual GSC Preseason Coaches Poll.  The Statesmen (40) were picked third behind the UWF (44) and the North Alabama (43).

•   Coach Mike Kinnison is in his 16th season as skipper of the Statesmen.  Over the 15+ seasons, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer has compiled an enviable 670-206-1 record with four GSC championships, four NCAA DII College World Series appearances, and the 2004 NCAA DII National Championship.

•   Josh Branstetter, a junior right-hander from Pensacola, Fla., returns as one of the top pitchers in the league this season and was named to the Preseason-All-GSC Team. In 76.1 innings last season, Branstetter was 7-2 on the bump with a career-best 2.59 ERA.  He walked a mere 11 batters with 49 strikeouts while the opposition hit just .237 against him. Branstetter suffered a loss this past weekend against UWA, and it was his first decision of the season. Currently, Branstetter has 3.60 ERA in six starts.

•   Senior pitcher Aaron Newcomb has been impressive as well on the mound for the Statesmen. Made his fifth start of the season for the Statesmen against UWA, and it was not his best mound performance. Newcomb gave up five earned runs in seven innings of work, as he suffered his first loss of the season.

•   Sam Kidd has been outstanding in the lead off role for the Statesmen this season. The junior transfer from the University of Kentucky,  leads the team in RBI's with 25, and leads the team in home runs with three.  Kidd also leads the squad in runs scored with 29, and has been hit by a pitch a team high seven times.

•   Junior transfer Ben Kingsley has been swinging a hot bat so far this season for the Statesmen. Kingsley is currently on a 17-game hitting streak, and is hitting with a .416 average so far. The hitting streak ties West Alabama's Micah Reeves for the longest streak this season for a GSC player. Kingsley's .416 average is the second highest in the GSC.

•   Junior transfer Morris Grant made his second start of the season in left field against Ouachita Baptist. Grant racked up three hits against the Tigers, and drove in his second RBI of the season.

SEASON OPENING SUCCESS
Opening day has come to be known as a successful day for the Statesmen under head coach Mike Kinnison. Since taking over the squad in 1997, the Statesmen are 13-3 on opening day under his direction.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Statesmen end their 13-game home stand this weekend with three GSC games against Valdosta State. After the weekend series, the Statesmen will head back on the road, as they travel to Southern Arkansas and West Florida next week.

STATESMEN PICKED TO FINISH Third IN GSC RACE
The Delta State baseball team was picked to finish third by the coaches in the conference for the upcoming season. West Florida and North Alabama were both tied atop the preseason rankings each with 44 points. West Florida, the defending national champion, received one more first place vote than North Alabama.

No. 32 Delta State is next in the poll with 40 points. The Statesmen received one first place vote, three second place votes, and three votes for third.

After the Statesmen is Valdosta State in fourth and West Alabama in fifth. Next is Alabama-Huntsville in sixth and West Georgia picked seventh. Christian Brothers rounds out the poll in eighth.

BRANSTETTER/NEWCOMB NAMED PRESEASON ALL-GSC; MITCHELL, BABIN & KINGSLEY NAMED TO WATCH LIST
The Gulf South Conference also named their 2012 Pre-Season All-GSC team. Two Statesmen pitchers find themselves on the squad. Junior Aaron Newcomb and junior Josh Branstetter were picked to the team.

Pitcher Cullen Babin, outfielder Ben Kingsley, and pitcher Colton Mitchell, all three juniors, were picked as top-newcomers to the conference for the Statesmen.

DELTA STATE GUNNING FOR 12th GSC TITLE; HOLD RECORD FOR MOST LEAGUE CROWNS
The Statesmen enter the 2012 season gunning for their 12th Gulf South Conference Championship in a league that will sport a new look and feel this year.  Delta State holds the GSC record for most championships (11), GSC postseason wins (62), semifinals appearances (24) and finals appearances (14). No other school has more than five titles.

Delta State's GSC Championship Teams
1978  43-19 (14-4)
1979  32-20 (12-6)
1985  38-20 (7-5)
1988  44-13 (13-1)
1991  33-12 (11-2)
1994  45-13 (19-4)
1996  53-8 (15-1)
2000  48-12 (13-3)
2003  52-10 (28-4)
2004  54-11 (19-3)
2008  48-11 (17-1)



STATESMEN OPEN SEASON RANKED 8th; NEWCOMB NAMED TO PERFECT GAME PROSPECT LIST
The Delta State baseball team has been tabbed by perfectgame.org as the eighth best team in the country. The website released their 2012 NCAA Division II Preview this week, and had high marks for the Statesmen.

The University of Tampa was tabbed as the No. 1 team in the poll, and was followed by Grand Valley State (Mich.), and Francis Marion (S.C.).

Senior pitcher Aaron Newcomb is listed as the Statesmen's top prospect. The Centralia, Ill. native, transferred to Delta State from Olney Central Community College (Ill.). Newcomb finished the 2011 season with a 7-7 record, and an ERA of 4.43 for the Statesmen. He pitched 85.1 innings, walked 19 batters, and fanned 77.

Newcomb is listed as the 49th best prospect in Div. II on the perfectgame.org site. Stephen Johnson, a right-handed pitcher for St. Edwards (Texas) is listed as the top overall prospect in NCAA Div. II. Tampa leads the way on the prospect list with five players, all listed in the top-25.


STATESMEN RANK NO.1 ALL-TIME IN WINS IN GSC
Delta State University baseball holds the distinction of owning the most conference titles (11) in Gulf South Conference history.  DSU also holds the honor of being the all-time winningest program in league history with 1,747 victories.  Since 1933, the Statesmen are 1,747-872-11. 

NEWCOMB SETS NEW CAREER HIGH
Aaron Newcomb, the Statesmen right hander set a career high for strikeouts against Alabama-Huntsville earlier this season. Newcomb fanned 12 batters, and allowed just one earned run in a complete game victory.

The performance earned Newcomb Pitcher of the Week honors from the Gulf South Conference. 

STATESMEN DROP FIRST SERIES OF THE SEASON
The Statesmen hosted the Tigers of West Alabama this past weekend at Ferriss Field. The three game series did not go as planned for the Statesmen, as they lost their first series of the season with the Tigers taking two of the three games.

West Alabama won the first game easily by the score of 12-1. The Statesmen rebounded in the second game, as they held on to win 6-5. The Tigers pulled away late in game three, as they came away with a 9-4 victory.

STATESMEN OFFENSE AWAKENS AGAINST TIGERS
The Statesmen dodged weather on Tuesday, as they played host to former GSC foe Ouachita Baptist. After being down 1-0, the Statesmen turned on the offense, as they routed OBU 13-3 in seven innings.

Ben Kingsley and Morris Grant both had three-hit games, as Kingsley drove in two runs while extending his hitting streak to 17 games, and Grant also drove in a run. Kris Koerper blasted his second home run of the season as well, this one, a two-run shot.

KINGSLEY'S GOING STREAKING
Ben Kingsley, a junior transfer from Meridian Community College, has been hot at the plate for the Statesmen this season. Currently Kingsley is on a 17 game hitting streak, the longest hitting streak for any Statesman so far this season.  The streak also ties for the longest hitting streak in the conference with West Alabama's Micah Reeves who also had a 17-game hitting streak. Over the past four games, Kingsley is 10-for-14 from the plate, and has six multiple hit games to go with seven multiple RBI games in 2012.

THE HITS KEEP ON COMING
The Statesmen bats stayed hot over the last five games. As a team, the Statesmen have amassed 252 hits so far this season.

The 252 hits have come in 755 at bats for the squad, as the Statesmen are hitting with a team batting average of .334 which leads the Gulf South Conference.  The average is 27 points higher than the second best hitting team in the GSC, Valdosta State. The Statesmen also lead the conference in slugging percentage (.473), on-base percentage (.422), and RBIs (170)

TAKE YOUR BASE
So far in 2012, the Statesmen have reached first base 123 times by either walk, or a hit by pitch. The Statesmen have amassed 86 walks, and have been by pitches 37 times. Sam Kidd has been hit a by a pitch a team high seven times so far this season. Brent Kakwitch leads the team in walks with 13 so far in 2012.

DENYING THE OPPOSING LUMBER
The Statesmen pitching staff has done a good job this season not allowing the opposing team to rack up hits. The Statesmen have allowed the second fewest hits of any Gulf South Conference team with 169. Valdosta State has allowed the fewest with 147.

WHEN IN ROME
This season the Gulf South Conference  will be moving the league's championship tournament to Rome, Ga., and State Mutual Stadium, home of the Rome Braves. 

The Rome Braves are a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.  The GSC Tournament is scheduled for May 5-9 and tickets will go on sale March 15 at GSCSports.org or by calling the Rome Braves' Ticket Office at (706) 368-9388.

THE LEAD OFF KIDD
Sam Kidd, a junior transfer from the University of Kentucky, has been the lead off hitter for the Statesmen. Kidd has excelled so far in that role as he is batting .315. Kidd also leads the team in RBIs with 25, runs scored with 29, and in home runs with three. Kidd hit two home runs against Florida Southern, and added a third against Alabama-Huntsville earlier this season, and has amassed seven stolen bases in eight attempts.

STATESMEN GO YARD
The Statesmen added to their home run total this season with three long balls over the past week. Brent Kakwitch hit his first of the season against West Alabama, Ben Kingsley hit his second of the season against the Tigers as well, and Kris Koerper crushed his second homer of the season against Ouachita Baptist. The home runs now give the Statesmen 15 on the season.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
So far this season, the Statesmen have seven players in double-digits when it comes to RBIs. Sam Kidd leads the way with 25 followed by Ben Kingsley (24), Michael Vinson (19), Brent Kakwitch (16), Jon Carnahan (15) and Brent Langston (14), and Jonathan Andrews has 13.