DSU Game Notes vs. UWG
Complete Notes and Stats

CLEVELAND-- The No.9 Delta State university baseball team closes out the 2012 regular season by hosting West Georgia this weekend for a series at Ferriss Field. The series gets underway with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. The Statesmen come into the weekend leading the Gulf South Conference standings with three conference games to play. They are currently tied with North Alabama at 14-7, and hold the tie breaker over the Lions from winning the series between the two teams a few weeks ago. 

SIDEBARS, STREAKS, & STORYLINES
• The No. 9 ranked Statesmen of Delta State University (32-11, 14-7 GSC) are on a serious roll heading into the final
series of the regular season. The Statesmen have won their last six games, and eight of their last nine. The squad took two
victories from Henderson State earlier this week by the scores of 7-3, and 15-5.

• Delta State entered the 2012 season with the most wins all-time in Gulf South Conference history. The Statesmen
are 1,763-878-11 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 686-212-1 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 3-3 record with a 3.40 ERA. In 79.1 innings of work, Branstetter has given up 30 earned runs on 69 hits, walked 15, and
struck out 68 batters.

• 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. Newcomb picked up his seventh victory of the season this past weekend at CBU. This
season Newcomb has struck out 77 batters, while walking just 16.

• Colton Mitchell, a junior left-handed pitcher from Lake, Miss., pitched the first perfect game in Statesmen history 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. Mitchell followed that with a shutout performance against Christian Brothers for his sixth win
of the season.

• Statesmen senior catcher Jon Carnahan, has been clutch for the Statesmen offense throughout the second half of the
season. Carnahan now leads the team in hitting with a .350 average, and has increased his RBI total to 28. Carnahan also is tied
for the lead in doubles with 11 this season.

• 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 1.21 ERA. He picked up his third save of the season when he closed out a 5-3 victory for the Statesmen against
Southern Arkansas. In 15 appearances, Hardin has allowed just three earned runs, walked only five batters, and struck out 27.

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.

FINISHING UP THE SEASON
The Statesmen come into their final weekend of Gulf South
Conference play, but also the final weekend of their 2012
regular season. The Statesmen will close out the 2012 regular
season by hosting West Georgia for three games at Ferriss
Field.

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.

STACKING UP AGAINST THE REGION
The first NCAA region poll came out this past week, and the
Statesmen are No. 2 in the poll, and only trail the University
of Tampa. Six GSC teams are represented in the top 10 poll.
Against teams in the region poll the Statesmen this season are
a combined, 11-6.

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.

THE LONG BALL MAKES IT'S RETURN
After going about a month without a home run, the Statesmen
broke out the long ball over the past week. It started with
three home runs in the first inning of game one against CBU.
The Statesmen hit two more against the Bucs as well, and
added another one this past week against Henderson State. As
a team the Statesmen now have 21 home runs with Michael
Vinson leading the way with four.

HARDIN SHUTS DOWN OPPONENTS
Statesmen pitcher Brandon Hardin has been clutch out of the
bullpen this season. . Hardin has a 1.21 ERA this season in 15
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 played at State
Mutual Stadium in Rome, GA.
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, and
they rank as the best pitching staff in the Gulf South Conference.
As a staff, the Statesmen have a 3.21 ERA, and have held
opposing batters to just a .241 average. The Statesmen have
also allowed the second fewest earned runs (131), allowed
the second fewest walks (111), and have the most strikeouts
(352). The Statesmen pitching staff is also averaging 8.62
strikeouts per nine innings, and allowing just 2.72 walks per
game.

THE NATIONAL PICTURE
The Statesmen come into this week ranked highly across the
nation in offensive and defensive categories. The squad's 7.9
runs per game is the 15th highest average in the nation, and
their 323 runs are the 22nd most. The pitching staff's 3.21 ERA
is the 17th best in the nation. The 2.69 walks allowed per nine
innings is the 13th best in the country.

STATESMEN'S HISTORY WITH UWG
This weekend will mark games 8-10 in the all-time series
between the Statesmen and West Georgia. The Statesmen
have a 4-3 lead in the series.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
So far this season, the Statesmen have nine players in
double-digits when it comes to RBIs, and four players are
over the 30 RBI mark. Sam Kidd leads the team with 35 RBIs,
and is followed by Ben Kingsley (34), Michael Vinson (34),
Brent Kakwitch (31), Jon Carnahan (28), Brent Langston (28),
Jonathan Andrews (23), Jordan Chovanec (22), and Tyler
Aldridge (13)

STATESMEN DISPATCH HENDERSON STATE
The Statesmen did not let up during the mid week, as they
took two games from the Reddies. The Statesmen won the
first game 7-3, and followed that with a 15-5 victory in seven
innings on Wednesday.