Game Notes - Games 28-30 | West Alabama (PDF)
CLEVELAND - The Delta State-West Alabama rivalry will be renewed Friday and Saturday as the two programs meet for a three-game series tied for the top spot in the GSC Standings. DSU (22-4-1, 7-2-1 GSC) holds a 79-35 series lead over the Tigers (15-15, 9-3 GSC). Last year, West Alabama took 2-of-3 from the Statesmen. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Ferriss Field. Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

DSU scores nine unanswered to defeat MVSU
The Statesmen defeated Mississippi Valley State 9-3 Tuesday night, scoring nine unanswered runs. After the Delta Devils scored three runs, only one earned, in the second, Delta State answered with three runs in the fourth to tie the game and three more in the seventh. Taylor Stark relieved Travis Northern in the bottom of the seventh with no outs and the bases loaded and pitched three straight strikeouts to get Delta State out of the jam without surrendering a run. In the eighth inning, Stark did it again, recording all three outs via the strikeout after leading off the inning with a walk.

Statesmen avenge loss to harding with 2-1 win
Delta State defeated Harding University to avenge an early season loss to the Bison. Delta State scored a run in the first and a run in the seventh, while Statesmen pitching limited the Bison to one unearned run on two hits. Tyler Aldridge extended his hitting streak to 26 games with an RBI double to score Same Kidd from second in the bottom of the first, giving the Statesmen an early 1-0 lead. Harding tied the game in the seventh and the Statesmen answered. Crowdus walked and then later scored to give DSU the lead. Garrett Pickens got the win (2-0, 0.00 ERA) and struck out the side in the ninth to seal the victory.

Delta State rained out, Tie UAH 1-1 in only game
The series between No. 1 Delta State and No. 14 Alabama-Huntsville never really got going due to rain and field conditions. The two teams managed to finish six innings of game one in a 24-hour period before more rain finally ended the weekend with a 1-1 tie as the only result.

Branstetter making history
Senior right-hander Josh Branstetter (4-1, 1.17 ERA) joined the 200-career strikeout club with seven strikeouts versus North Alabama on Sunday, March 10. He becomes the 12th Statesmen pitcher to top the 200-strikeout plateau in a career. The Pensacola, Fla., native is 21-8 in his career at DSU with a 2.83 ERA. In 280.1 innings pitched, which ranks eighth in DSU history, Branstetter has allowed 124 runs, just 88 earned, on 258 hits with a mere 52 walks and 214 strikeouts. His 214 K's puts Branstetter in 10th place all-time for the Statesmen. He earned his 20th career win with a complete-game, seven strikeout performance in DSU's 5-2 game one victory over No. 7 West Florida at Ferriss Field.

Kingsley proving to be big bat in the lineup
Senior designated hitter Ben Kingsley has been a major force at the plate this season for the Green-and-White. The Mantachie, Miss. native is second on the team with a .373 batting average and a .539 slugging percentage. Kingsley is second on the team in multiple hit games with 12 in 27 games this season. The senior is also leading the team with eight multiple RBI games on the season.

Running past the opposition
The Statesmen have outscored the opposition 220-98 through the first 27 games of the 2013 season. In fact, Delta State ranks among the nation's leaders in runs per game, which currently sits at 8.15 per contest. The Statesmen out score their opponents in all innings but the seventh, including 27-7 in the second, 24-6 in the eighth and 42-11 in the fifth. The Statesmen are 13-0 when leading after the first inning, where DSU has outscored opponents 28-12.

Aldridge riding 27-game hitting streak
Senior second/third baseman Tyler Aldridge continues to find the base paths for the Statesmen. The Steens, Miss., native leads the team with a .439 average and a .512 on base percentage. The former East Mississippi CC transfer is currently riding a 27-game hitting streak for the Statesmen, tied for the longest in school history with Clay Smith (2003-05), who completed the feat in 2005. Aldridge also leads the team with 17 multi-hit games, and is tied with Ben Kingsley for multiple RBI games with eight.

Vinson joins 200-hit club; cracks record book
Michael Vinson collected his 200th career hit versus No. 16 Nova Southeastern on a 3-run home run in a DSU victory on Saturday, Feb. 16.  Since, Vinson has continued to pile up the hits, up to 225 hits heading into the weekend and inching closer to the top 10 all-time for the Statesmen. Vinson put himself in the career record book with his 47th double in game one against Christian Brothers two weekends ago. Vinson hit his 48th double last week against Mississippi Valley State. The senior sits in 10th on the all-time list.  The Southaven, Miss., native, who is on the verge of cracking into the top 10 in several additional DSU career categories, is a career .346 hitter with 225 hits in 650 at-bats. The All-American has scored 138 runs with 48 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 154 RBIs in his 186 game career at Delta State.

Pickens dominant in return to hill
Redshirt senior reliever Garrett Pickens, who missed all of 2012 with an injury, has been nothing short of dominant since making his return to the mound in 2013. In nine appearances, the Yazoo City, Miss., native is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a save. In 11.2 innings pitched, Pickens has allowed zero runs on just four hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts. He claimed a win on opening weekend versus Montevallo in DSU's 8-7 series finale victory and earned a rare three inning save in a 13-0 victory over No. 16 Nova Southeastern in game one at Ferriss Field. Pickens has limited batters to a .114 batting average.

Winters making most of starting opportunities
Junior Ricky Winters has moved into the weekend starting rotation in recent weeks and the Bartlett, Tenn. native has made the most of the opportunity. Since the move from the bullpen, Winters has gone 1-0 in two starts. In 10.1 innings pitched, Winters has recorded eight strikeouts to just one walk and limited opponents to five earned runs. On the season, Winters is 4-0 in nine appearances, with a 3.33 ERA.

Hinton off to impressive start in first half
Junior second baseman/shortstop Kasey Hinton has been excellent at the plate through his first 27 games as a Statesmen. Hinton is third on the team with a .351 average, with 27 hits in 77 at bats. Hinton has also drawn four walks and reached base via hit by pitches six times for an on base percentage of .425. The Meridian Community College transfer is currently riding a 18-game reached base streak, the second highest on the team this year. The streak includes an 11-game hit streak, the second longest on the team this season. During the streak,  which started Feb. 24 against Florida Southern, Hinton is hitting .356 with a .433 on-base percentage, along with six RBIs and 12 runs scored.

Bullpen solid for Statesmen this season
The Statesmen bullpen has been solid this season for coach Mike Kinnison. In 27 games, DSU's relievers are 8-0 with a 3.90 ERA.  Garrett Pickens (2-0, 0.00 ERA), Travis Northern (0-0, 1.50 ERA) and Drew Milligan (1-0, 1.59 ERA) have all been lights out for DSU coming out of the bullpen. Taylor Stark (1-0, 6.10 ERA) leads the team with two saves and is tied with Pickens for appearances (9). The bullpen has 71 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched, limiting batters to a .258 batting average.