CLEVELAND, Mississippi -- The Delta State University softball team is scheduled to open its home and Gulf South Conference slates with a three-game series against in-state rival Mississippi College with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 13 and a single game the following day. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday's contest is set for 1 p.m.


LADY STATESMEN SOFTBALL GAMEDAY INFO
 

DATE | OPPONENT | TIME	Feb. 13 | Mississippi College (DH) |  3 p.m. Feb. 14 | Mississippi College | 1 p.m.
INTERNET RADIO	CLICK HERE J.T. Webb (Play-by-Play)
GAME NOTES	Lady Statesmen Softball Game Notes
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES	@DSUScores

 

















DSU TO HOST IN-STATE RIVAL MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE TO OPEN GSC PLAY
The Lady Statesmen begin Gulf South Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 13 when they host Mississippi College for the home opener at University Field.

• DSU is 3-4 in its last seven GSC openers, but has claimed its last three.
•  The Lady Statesmen have defeated three teams (North Georgia, Augusta and Cameron) that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2015.

 
QUICK HITS

• Since modern records have been kept (1994), DSU is 22-0 in home-openers, including 7-0 under current head coach, Casey Charles.
• The Lady Statesmen scored a combined 33 runs in their last three contests. The total marks the most runs in a three-game stretch under head coach Casey Charles, and the most DSU has scored in three contests since plating 55 (4-3, Lewis, 23-0, Benedict, 28-7, Benedict) in 2008.

 
SETTING THE STAGE: MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

•  DSU took 2-of-3 from the Lady Choctaws in 2015. The Lady Statesmen opened the series with a 6-0 victory, before the teams split a pair of one-run contests.
•  Despite the close proximity between the two schools (114 miles), the last meeting before 2015 was a 9-3 victory for DSU in 1996.
•  Current DSU pitchers Katie Justice and Taylor Johnson both saw action in 2015 at MC. Justice earned a 2-1 victory in game two of the series, and Johnson lost a 2-1 decision in game three.
•  Kassidy Tally and Kaitlin Moore both went 3-for-9 against MC in 2015.

 
SPEED KILLS

• On March 17, 2015 Kassidy Tally slid into the GSC record book as she broke the career stolen bases record (135) of former Lady Statesman Alyse Hasty. Tally, who currently ranks fifth in NCAA Division II history, is the active NCAA leader with 173 swipes, also holds the GSC single-season record with 74 in 2014. The Raleigh, Miss., native is tied for first in GSC history and second in NCAA Division II history with 67 consecutive steals without be­ing caught.

 
WE WANT SOME MOORE

• During her three year career, Kaitlin Moore has made her mark on the DSU record book. Moore has a .365 career batting average, which ranks third in DSU history. On Feb. 6 in a 12-4 victory over Rogers State, Moore broke former teammate Amber Adcock's school record with her 51st double. The Southaven, Miss., native also ranks sixth in RBIs (121) and hits (210).

 
WE WERE MERELY FRESHMEN

• Four DSU freshmen (Abi Gibson, Jordan Jones, Chelsea Lamping and Morgan Kazerooni) have ac­counted for 40 percent of DSU's hits (89) this season. Gibson bat­ted .421 (8-for-19) at the Southern Arkansas Invite with three doubles and five RBIs.
• Jones was two for her last six, which includes her first career triple that drove in a pair of runs in the come-from-behind victory over Cameron.
• Lamping recorded hits in her first three collegiate at bats, including her first career RBI against Texas Woman's.
• Kazerooni finished the Southern Arkansas Invite nine for her last 14, including three doubles, one of which was a game-winner in the bottom of the eighth in a come-from-behind victory over Cameron.

 
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

• After throwing her first career shutout in the 3-0 victory over Augusta on Jan. 31, Sophomore pitcher Katie Justice repeated the feat in a 2-0 win over Newman University on Feb. 6. Justice leads the team with a 4-1 record and a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings and has thrown a complete game in all five of her starts.

 
DSU UNDER CHARLES

• DSU is 188-207 since Casey Charles took over at the helm. The former Lady Statesman is 82-65 at University Field, 52-84 on the road and 54-59 at neutral sites.

 
WALK THIS WAY

• The Lady Statesmen finished second in the GSC with 164 walks in 2015, a number which helped DSU to a second place league ranking with a .390 on base percentage. DSU has drawn 38 walks through 10 games this season, which ranks fourth in the GSC.

 
WHERE THEY'RE FROM

• The 2016 Lady Statesmen team features 18 players who hail from six different states. Eleven Lady Statesmen are Mississippi natives. Four players call Alabama or Louisiana home, while three states (Georgia, Tennessee and Texas) are home to one player.

 
 LADY STATESMEN TABBED SIXTH

• For the second straight season, the Delta State University softball team was picked to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll.

 

• For the second straight year, Valdosta State (92 points) and Alabama Huntsville (87) were picked first and second. 2015 GSC Champion and NCAA Semifinalist Shorter (86) was picked to finish third. North Alabama (80) received the final first place vote. Lee (65), in its first year as a full member of the GSC, was selected fifth.

 

• The Lady Statesmen had three fifth place votes, four sixth place votes and three seventh place votes. Union (39), West Alabama (38), West Florida (33 points), West Georgia (24) and Christian Brothers (11) rounded out the poll.