DSU Baseball Game Notes Week 10 (CBU)
Complete Notes and Stats

CLEVELAND-- the No. 17 Delta State University baseball team will hit the road this weekend for a three game series against Christian Brothers in Gulf South Conference play. The series is the final road GSC series of the regular season for the Statesmen, and the Statesmen lead the Buccaneers in the all-time series 71-11. The series kicks off with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon, with airtime on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 11:45 a.m. The two teams will then play a Sunday finale at 2:00 p.m. with airtime Sunday set for 1:45 p.m.

SIDEBARS, STREAKS, & STORYLINES
•   The No. 17 ranked Statesmen of Delta State University (27-11, 11-7 GSC) coming off a 5-3 win over Southern Arkansas this past Wednesday, hit the road to resume Gulf South Conference play. The Statesmen travel to Memphis, Tenn. to face Christian Brothers University in a three-game series, the final road GSC series of the season for the Statesmen.
•   Delta State entered the 2012 season with the most wins all-time in Gulf South Conference history.  The Statesmen are 1,758-878-11 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 681-212-1 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. This season, Branstetter has a 2-2 record with a 3.55 ERA, but has posted solid numbers. In 72.1 innings pitched this season, Branstetter has given up 28 earned runs, walked 13, and struck out 58.
•   Senior pitcher Aaron Newcomb has been impressive as well on the mound for the Statesmen. Newcomb took advantage of  run support, as he threw seven innings in a victory over West Florida. The performance earned Newcomb his second GSC  Pitcher of the Week award for the 2012 season, and the third time he has been given the award in his career. Newcomb followed with another solid outing against UNA. Against New Orleans a week ago, Newcomb was again solid on the mound. Against the Privateers he pitched 8.1 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out six.
•   Colton Mitchell, a junior left-handed pitcher from Lake, Miss., pitched the first perfect game in Statesmen history this past weekend in a 4-0 victory over New Orleans. The no-hitter was the 11th in program history, as Mitchell sat down the 21 batters he faced, striking out seven. For the performance, Mitchell was named the GSC Pitcher of the Week, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Pitcher of the Week.
•   Statesmen senior catcher Jon Carnahan, has been clutch for the Statesmen offense throughout the second half of the season. Carnahan was 2-for-4 with a pair of 2-RBI doubles against Southern Arkansas earlier this week. He has increased his batting average to .336 on the season, and also advanced his RBI total to 23. Carnahan also turned in the second longest hitting streak of any Statesmen this season when he hit safely in 11 straight games.
•   Brandon Hardin, has solidified the closer position for the Statesmen all season long. Out of the bullpen, Hardin has a 3-4 record with a 1.27 ERA. He picked up his third save of the season when he closed out a 5-3 victory for the Statesmen earlier this week against Southern Arkansas.

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.

THE LAST ROAD GSC SERIES OF THE SEASON
After a midweek game against Southern Arkansas, Statesmen head out this weekend for their final road conference series of the regular season. The Statesmen will play a three game series with Christian Brothers this Saturday and Sunday. The Statesmen will wrap up GSC regular season play next weekend, as they will host West Georgia.

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. 

MITCHELL PERFECT ON THE MOUND
History was made at Ferriss Field this past weekend, as junior pitcher Colton Mitchell tossed the first perfect game in program history for the Statesmen. The performance was the 11th no-hitter in Statesmen history, and came on the day of the 50th anniversary of the first no-hitter thrown by a Statesmen. A.C. Williams pitched the first no-hitter back on April 14, 1962 against Mississippi College.

Mitchell's perfect game, a 4-0 victory over New Orleans capped off a double header sweep for the Statesmen over the Privateers. In 7 innings of work, Mitchell faced and sat down 21 batters, while also striking out seven. For his performance against UNO, Mitchell was named the Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week for he first time in his career. He was also named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week.

STATESMEN AWARDS
The Delta State pitching staff has garnered three conference awards so far this season. Aaron Newcomb has been named the GSC pitcher of the week twice this season, and Mitchell was given in the award for his perfect game this past weekend against UNO.

KINGSLEY TIES GSC SEASON HIT STREAK
Ben Kingsley, a junior transfer from Meridian Community College, had his 17-game hitting streak come to an end against Valdosta State. The 17 games ties the season high for any GSC player. Micah Reeves of West Alabama had a 17-game hitting streak earlier this season. Statesmen catcher Jon Carnahan followed Kingsley with an 11-game hitting streak.

CARNAHAN WALKS OFF AGAINST UNO
Statesmen senior catcher Jon Carnahan came up big for the Statesmen in game one against UNO this past weekend. The Statesmen and Privateers went into the bottom of the ninth tied up at 2-2. With Sam Kidd on second, Carnahan ripped a walk-off single into left-center, which brought Kidd home for the game winning run.

HARDIN SHUTS DOWN OPPONENTS
Statesmen pitcher Brandon Hardin has been clutch out of the bullpen this season. Hardin came in with two men on base against New Orleans in game one, and worked his way out of the inning, as he picked up his third win of the season. Hardin has a 1.27 ERA this season in 14 appearances out of the bullpen. Hardin also picked up his third save of the season against Southern Arkansas on Wednesday.

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.

PITCHING STAFF AMONG THE GSC BEST
The Statesmen pitching staff has been solid this season, as they rank third among the Gulf South Conference. The Statesmen have a 3.36 staff ERA, and have the third highest strikeout total. The top two strikeout teams have played in four or five more games then the Statesmen this season. The Statesmen have the second lowest walk total in conference play with 91, and they have also given up the fewest earned runs in the GSC with 119.

THE NATIONAL PICTURE
The Statesmen come into this week ranked highly across the nation in offensive and defensive categories. The squad's 7.8 runs per game is the 15th highest average in the nation, and their 287 runs are the 26th most. The pitching staff's 3.36 ERA is the 27th best in the nation. The 2.57 walks allowed per nine innings  is the eight best in the country.

STATESMEN'S HISTORY WITH CBU
This weekend will mark games No. 83-85 in the all-time series between the Statesmen, and the Bucs of Christian Brothers. The Statesmen have a hefty lead in the all-time series record with a 71-11 advantage over the Bucs.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
So far this season, the Statesmen have nine players in double-digits when it comes to RBIs, and six players are over the 20 RBI mark. Sam Kidd leads the team with 33 RBIs. He is followed by: Ben Kingsley (31),  Michael Vinson (28), Brent Kakwitch (26), Jonathan Andrews (23), Jon Carnahan (23) Brent Langston (21),  Jordan Chovanec (15), and Tyler Aldridge (10). Also, every player who has had an at-bat this season for the Statesmen has at least one RBI.