GAME NOTES: No. 10 Delta State University at NCAA South Region Tournament (May 17-21, 2012)
Complete Weekly Release with notes, standings, stats and rankings in PDF

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The No. 10 Statesmen (40-12) of Delta State University are making their GSC-record 27th appearance in the NCAA South Region Tournament this week at the University of Tampa's Spartan Field in Tampa, Fla.  DSU's 27 Tournament appearances are just tip the iceberg.  The Statesmen also boast GSC records for NCAA wins (80), regional championships (10), College World Series appearances (10) and College World Series victories (23). 

Delta State opens play versus No. 7 seed North Alabama (39-16) on Thursday, May 17 in game four of the regional.  Game time is set for 7:45 p.m. EST/6:45 p.m. CST and the game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network.  The DSU/UNA winner will square off with the winner of the No. 3 Lynn versus No. 6 Alabama-Huntsville victor on Friday. 

The No. 10 ranked Statesmen, who enter the NCAA South Region Tournament as the No. 2 seed, are fresh off their record 12th Gulf South Conference Championship, defeating the University of Alabama-Huntsville 14-8 in the title game.  DSU hit a blistering .333, led by seven Statesmen batting at least .346, over its six game march to the title, while posting a 2.72 ERA.  Tournament MVP Jon Carnahan and Ben Kingsley led the way for DSU.  Carnahan batted .385 with 10 hits, two doubles and 10 RBIs, while Kingsley recorded  a .417 average, three doubles and eight RBIs.

Delta State entered the 2012 season with the most wins all-time in Gulf South Conference history.  The Statesmen are 1,771-879-11 in program history, including 12 GSC titles and the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship. 

Statesmen skipper Mike Kinnison is in his 16th season as head coach of the Statesmen.  Over his 15+ seasons, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer has compiled an enviable 694-213-1 record with five GSC championships, four NCAA DII College World Series appearances, and the 2004 NCAA DII National Championship.

Delta State has posted an impressive 36-11 record versus Division II opponents this season, including a mark of 26-8 versus South Region foes. 

After a successful season, the Statesmen placed nine players on the All-Gulf South Conference First or Second Team. Three players made the First Team, as sophomore outfielder Jordan Chovanec, senior pitcher Aaron Newcomb and junior pitcher Colton Mitchell were tabbed for the honor.  Senior catcher Jon Carnahan, senior third baseman Brent Kakwitch, junior outfielder Sam Kidd, junior outfielder Michael Vinson, junior pitcher Josh Branstetter, and senior pitcher Brandon Hardin were all named to the All-GSC Second Team.

Delta State has featured a balanced attack all season, averaging a league-best 7.9 runs per game.  DSU also boasts the league's highest batting average (.317).  The Statesmen also rank first in hits (568), doubles (106) and RBIs (358).  In all, eight Statesmen boast a batting average of .307 or higher.

The Statesmen pitching staff has been incredible this season, leading DSU to a 40-12 overall record and the program's 12th Gulf South Conference Championship.  The Statesmen boast the lowest team ERA in the GSC (3.08) while holding opposing batters to a mere .240 average from the plate.  The Statesmen have also allowed the fewest earned runs (150), allowed the second fewest walks (127) and have the most strikeouts (412). The Statesmen pitching staff is also averaging 8.46 strikeouts per nine innings and allowing just 2.64 walks per game.

Click on the link above for complete notes and analysis of the NCAA South Region Baseball Tournament.