GAME NOTES: Delta State @ William Carey/West Georgia (3.9-12.16)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (11-7, 6-3 GSC) of Delta State University will open the week with a non-conference clash versus William Carey University on Wednesday, March 9 at MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss., with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Delta State and William Carey have played 116 times previously, with the Statesmen owning a 73-43 edge in the series. The two teams have not met on the diamond since the 2011 season, a 7-6 victory by DSU at Ferriss Field on April 5. MGM Park is the minor league home of Milwaukee Brewers' Double-A franchise the Biloxi Shuckers.

Senior catcher Ben Pickard and junior right-fielder Jacob Swiney are returning to their hometown of Biloxi to face William Carey on Wednesday. Pickard, who is batting .406 with six home runs and 20 RBIs, is a graduate of St. Patrick's High School, while Swiney, who is batting .328 and drove in a season-high five last Sunday at Union, graduated from Ocean Springs.

Several noteable Statesman baseball alumni hail from Biloxi, including former New York Mets catcher Barry Lyons, All-American Mark Graham, and 2004 NCAA College World Series MVP Bert Pickard.      

STATESMEN CONCLUDE ROAD SWING AT WEST GEORGIA
Delta State (11-7, 6-3 GSC) will conclude its seven game road swing with a weekend series at the University of West Georgia (11-5, 4-5 GSC) in Carrollton. Friday's doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. EST first pitch at Cole Field, while Saturday's series finale is set for 2 p.m. EST.

The Statesmen and Wolves have met 23 times on the diamond, with DSU owning an 18-5 edge in the series standings. Delta State took 2-of-3 last season in the regular season, winning game one (2-1) and game three (13-12) at Ferriss Field. UWG won game two, 3-2.

In the GSC Tournament at Livingston, Ala., Delta State eliminated West Georgia 9-5, as Jacob Brumfield (4-0) allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and four walks in six innings. DSU also sent 12 men to the plate in decisive seven-run sixth inning.

Delta State's last trip to Cole Field was very successful, as the Statesmen swept the three-game series 9-2, 10-3, and 16-10 on March 30-31, 2014.

After rain forced the 2013 GSC Tournament to be moved to Carrollton, Ga., the Statesmen eliminated the Wolves 12-1 to get to the GSC title game on May 9.

The Wolves have enjoyed a resurgence on the diamond under veteran head coach Skip Fite. In his seventh season at UWG and 36th overall, coach Fite has the Wolves in contention for the GSC title after several years out of the league race.

UWG is led by Caleb Lopes at the plate, who is batting .450 with six doubles, three home runs and 17 RBIs. Brandon Goldsmith (3-0) is one of the top arms in the GSC, having pitched 34.0 innings with a 2.91 ERA and 36 strikeouts.

West Georgia took 2-of-3 from Lee last weekend in Cleveland, Tenn., winning the first two games of the series 8-5 and 2-1. Lee rallied for the series finale victory, 10-7.

Delta State enters the series after winning 2-of-3 at Union. After the Bulldogs took game one, 8-7, the Statesmen won the next two 5-3 and 12-0 (7).

MOATS NAMED GSC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Delta State pitcher Dalton Moats (Jr.; Kansas City, Mo.) was named the Gulf South Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday after recording a career-high 10 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout versus Union last weekend. He allowed just one walk on three hits over seven innings.
 
Over 27.1 innings of service this season, Moats is 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA and 30 strikeouts.    

HOBBS WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT
Junior left-handed pitcher Tre Hobbs earned his fifth consecutive victory to start the season after throwing his third straight complete game in a 5-3 victory Saturday at Union. He allowed one earned run in 7.0 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.

Hobbs has been outstanding this season for the Statesmen, posting a 5-0 record and a 1.62 ERA. In five starts, the Greenville, Miss., native has thrown 33.1 innings, allowing six earned run with 10 walks and 28 strikeouts. He leads the GSC in victories with five and ranks in the top 10 for ERA (4th) and strikeouts (10th).
 
WE'RE OFFENSIVE
The Statesmen enter the weekend at West Georgia leading the GSC in batting (.357), home runs (23) and extra-base hits (68).  Delta State is averaging 8.2 runs per game through the first 18 contests.

Left-fielder Will Robertson is batting .449 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 23 RBIs to lead the Statesmen. He currently leads the team in batting average, hits, doubles, and RBIs (23).

Catcher Ben Pickard has also been on a tear lately, batting .406 with a team-leading six home runs. The senior also has five doubles and 20 RBIs. Second baseman Trent Giambrone is hitting .391 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.  
 
AN EVEN DOZEN FOR VINCENT
Junior lefty Justin Vincent struck out a career-high 12 batters in a no-decision at Union last Saturday. He worked 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and left the game with a 7-4 lead.

In his last three outings, including two starts, the Benton, Ark., native has allowed seven runs on 13 hits with 28 strikeouts. He is 2-0 on the year with a 5.14 ERA in five appearances.

WELCH'S BIG BOMB
Senior first baseman Colton Welch drilled a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning of Saturday's 5-3 win at Union. It was his fifth home run of the season.

FIVE SPOT FOR SWINEY
Junior right-fielder Jacob Swiney continues to warm up at the plate, batting .328 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 14 RBIs. He drove in a season-high five RBIs in Sunday's 12-0 win at Union.

FIVE STATESMEN TO OPEN SPRING WITH MLB CLUBS
Delta State Baseball will have five active players and one coach open Spring Training this February with MLB clubs. Witt Haggard (Mets) and Drew Milligan (Royals), a pair of 2015 draftees, and Garrett Pickens (Blue Jays) and Carlos Leal (Brewers)will report to Minor League training, while Brent Leach (Dodgers), who recently signed a contract with L.A., is awaiting assignment.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Hit Streaks: Senior center-fielder Brandon Cummins (8) is currently riding an eight game hitting streak. The Drew, Miss., native is batting .388 with 24 runs scored and eight RBIs.
• Multiple RBI Games: Will Robertson leads the Statesmen with eight multi-RBI games this season. Ben Pickard is second with seven, followed by Ethan Gill and Jacob Swiney with five each. Trent Giambrone has four. 
• Striking Out The Opposition: Junior LHPs Dalton Moats and Justin Vincent are tied for fifth in the GSC with 30 strikeouts this season.
• Multi-Hit Games: Senior left-fielder Will Robertson leads the Statesmen with 13 multi-hit games this season. The Falkner, Miss., native has eight two-hit performances and five three-hit outings to his credit. Trent Giambrone is second with nine multi-hit games while Brandon Cummins and Ben Pickard have eight each.
• RISP Production: Will Robertson (.481/13-of-27), Ethan Gill (.480/12-of-25) and Ben Pickard (.438/14-of-32) are all batting over .400 with runners in scoring position.     
• Erick Santiago is proving to be one of the toughest batters to strikeout in the GSC. In 18 games and 53 plate appearances, the Cayey, Puerto Rico native has struck out twice, which is tied for second in the GSC.
• Colton Welch has reached base safely in 14 consecutive games for the Statesmen. The senior from Malvern, Ark., is batting .310 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. 
• Dakota Glore is 8-for-12 (.667) this season when attempting to advance runners on base. He is also 3-for-4 (.750) in pinch-hit opportunities. 
• The Statesmen hold the distinction of being the most successful baseball program in Gulf South Conference history. DSU owns an all-time record of 1,894-928-11 and a 549-202-1 mark in league play. Delta State owns 12 Gulf South Conference titles, including five under head coach Mike Kinnison.
• The Statesmen have made 29 NCAA postseason appearances, claiming 11 regional championships and the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship.
• Former Statesman head coach Dave "Boo" Ferriss, a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, was a standout pitcher for Mississippi State and the Red Sox. His injury-shortened professional career included the 1945 American League Rookie of the Year Award, three 20-win seasons, and a career record of 65-30. He still holds a share of the MLB record for consecutive victories with 13.