GAME NOTES at Alabama-Huntsville (3.21-22.2015) CLEVELAND, Mississippi – Delta State University (5-8, 4-4 GSC) travels to No. 6 the University of Alabama-Huntsville (16-2, 10-2 GSC) for a Gulf South Conference series starting Saturday at 2 p.m.
with a doubleheader and concluding with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Statesmen improved to 4-4 in the GSC after sweeping Union University last weekend while the Chargers won 2-of-3 from the University of West Florida to lead the GSC with a 10-2 record. Delta State leads the all-time series 32-16-1 but the Chargers have won the last two meetings, defeating the Statesmen 9-6 to win the 2014 GSC Baseball Tournament. Delta State swept the three-game regular season GSC series, 5-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in Cleveland, Mississippi.
NOTESCHASING 800Delta State University head baseball coach
Mike Kinnison is 10 wins away from 800 career victories entering the UAH Series. In 19 seasons as head coach, the Benton, Miss., native is 790-248-2. Kinnison, who is a member of the MS Sports Hall of Fame, joined the 750-win club last season. The former All-American shortstop at Delta State picked up his 750th career in a 5-2 victory over West Alabama (2.15.14).
CLOSE ONESIn DSU's 13 games this season, five games have been decided by one run. The Statesmen 0-5 in one run games falling 3-2 and 1-0 at Nova Southeastern (2.7.15), 4-3 at West Alabama (2.14.15), 8-7 at Valdosta State (3.1.15), and 6-5 vs. Southern Arkansas (3.11.15).
GSC WEEKLY HONORDelta State University centerfielder
Brandon Cummins was selected the Gulf South Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday, March 17. Cummins help lead the Statesmen to a 3-1 record last week, hitting .563 (9-for-16) with eight runs scored, six RBIs, three doubles, one triple and a home run. The Drew, Mississippi, native went 3-for-6 with three doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored versus Southern Arkansas (3.11.15). His three doubles were one away from tying the DSU single game record of four held by Marcus Van Every (at Nicholls St./2.5.01). Cummins hit .545 (6-for-11) with a triple, a home run and four RBIs while slugging 1.000 with a .545 on base percentage in the Statesmen three-game sweep of Union.
ROAD WARRIORSThe Statesmen traveled more than 3,000 miles in the first three weeks of the season, playing the first nine games on the road before hosting SAU on Wednesday, March 11. In all, DSU is set to travel almost 6,000 miles this season.
LEADING OFFBrandon Cummins is hitting .364 with seven runs scored, a home run and three RBIs, since moving to the leadoff spot eight games ago.
Trent Giambrone hit .273 with five runs scored and an RBI in the first five games in the leadoff spot.
DEUCES WILDThe Statesmen have had solid production out of the second spot in the batting order in 2015. Senior
Landon Thibodeaux opened the season hitting second, going 1-for-3 (.333) with a triple. Second baseman
Trent Giambrone occupied the spot for six games, hitting .348 (8-for-23) with eight hits, four runs scored and two RBIs. Centerfielder
Brandon Cummins moved to the two hole against Valdosta State (3.1.15), hitting .421 (8-for-19) with nine runs scored, three doubles, a triple, and five RBI over the five games.
Jacob Swiney went 1-for-2 (.500) with two RBIs in game three versus against Union (3.16.15).
MILLIGAN DSU's K FACTORDrew Milligan leads the Statesmen with 34 strikeouts, and is averaging 1.25 strikeouts per inning along with a 4.25 strikeout to walk ratio. The senior lefty scattered three hits over 6.1 scoreless innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts in his last start against Union (3.15.15).
DSU's BIG THREEBrandon Cummins is the DSU's leading hitter with a .385 batting average and has scored a team-high 16 runs with three doubles, a triple, a home run, and eight RBIs.
Ethan Gill enters the UAH series with a 10-game hitting streak and is hitting .333. Gill leads the Statesmen with seven doubles and 16 RBIs and has four multiple RBI games.
Trent Giambrone is hitting .326 with 10 runs scored and five RBIs. He has walked five times, been hit by a pitch three times and has reached base in 12 straight games entering the UAH series.
POWER SURGEDelta State has hit eight home runs through 13 games this season, which is half of the Statesmen 2014 total of 16.
Marc McMillian and
Colton Welch lead the Statesmen with two home runs followed by
Brandon Cummins,
Matt Barrett,
Trent Giambrone, and
Ben Pickard with one.
MERCY MEDelta State won two games by the 10-run NCAA mercy rule in last weekend's three-game sweep of Union University. DSU won 13-0 in game one on Sunday and 10-0 in the series finale on Monday. The last time the Statesmen mercy-ruled a team two-times in a three-game series was in 2013 against Christian Brothers University. The Statesmen won 16-2 and 19-2 on Saturday, March 16 in Memphis, Tennessee.
UP NEXTDelta State travels to Ouachita Baptist for a single game on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Statesmen welcome the University of West Georgia to Ferriss Field for a GSC series on Saturday (DH) and Sunday at 2 p.m. each day.
