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CLEVELAND, Miss. --  No. 15/24 Delta State University (30-13,19-8 GSC) hosts the Valdosta State University (24-15, 15-10 GSC) for a Gulf South Conference series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. The series concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Inside The Valdosta State Series: The Statesmen and Blazers have met 37 times on the diamond with the Blazers holding a 19-18 edge in the series. The Blazers are making their first trip to Cleveland since 2012 after the last three series were played in Valdosta, Ga. Delta State claimed a 7-4 win (5.3.15) at the 2015 GSC Tournament in Livingston, Ala. in the last meeting. Valdosta State swept a doubleheader last season in Valdosta, 11-6 and 4-2 in extra innings. 

Tight Race: With two weeks left in the Gulf South Conference regular season, seven teams are separated by three or less games, all while playing for six postseason tournament slots. The Argonauts of West Florida (20-7) hold a one-game lead and the tie-breakers over Delta State (19-8) and West Alabama (19-8). West Georgia (18-9) and Alabama-Huntsville (18-9) are two games back, while Lee (16-9) and Valdosta State (15-10) are vying for the last spot in the tournament.  VSU travels to Delta State this week, with West Florida hosting Shorter. West Georgia faces West Alabama in Livingston, while Alabama-Huntsville heads to Union. Lee will also be on the road this week at Mississippi College. The 2016 GSC Baseball Tournament will be held on the campus of the regular season champion on May 7-10. 

Getting Offensive: The Statesmen lead the GSC in nine offensive categories: batting average (.343/9th NCAA), hits (483/19th NCAA), slugging percentage (.525/17th NCAA), doubles (103/5th NCAA), doubles per game (2.46/5th NCAA), RBIs (316), total bases (739), runs per game (7.8/40th NCAA), on base percentage (.427/11th NCAA). The Statesmen are second in the GSC in runs (329/26th) and home runs (43/31st NCAA) and third in triples (12/71st NCAA).

Last Time Out For The Statesmen: The Statesmen swept a doubleheader from Ouachita Baptist University, 5-3 and 3-2, on Tuesday. Will Robertson had a double and three-RBIs in game one and Ethan Gill went 2-for-3 with an RBI in game two to lead the Statesmen. Robertson went 2-for-3 with a double in game two to break the DSU single season doubles record with 26. The Statesmen had nine hits in each game and did not commit an error in the doubleheader.

SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
Valdosta State (24-15, 15-10 GSC) is hitting .303 with 77 doubles, nine triples, 36 home runs and 227 RBIs.  The Blazers have six players hitting above .300 and rank sixth in the GSC in batting average, home runs and RBIs. Dalton Duty is hitting .410 with 10 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 28 RBIs and 12 steals (17 attempts).  Tyler York is hitting .350 with five doubles, three home runs and 23 RBIs. Marcus Sigmon has a .333 average and leads the team with team-high 15 doubles and 37 RBIs along with six home runs. 

On the mound, the Blazers have 4.43 ERA (6th GSC), with 284 strikeouts (7th GSC) and opponents have a .285 batting against (3rd GSC). Kellan Bailey (LHP) and Mitchell Cody (RHP) are the top two  starters. Bailey is 6-4 with a 4.35 ERA, 37 strikeouts (4th GSC) and 16 walks. Bailey has allowed 35 runs, 30 earned, in 62 innings.  Cody is 5-3 with a 4.76 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 16 walks, while allowing 39 runs, 34 earned, in 64.1 innings. Dustin Hersey has five saves in 19 appearances with 23 strikeouts. 

A LOOK AHEAD
Delta State will host rival Misssissippi College for the first time since 1996 and for the final GSC series this season. The Choctaws announced a move to NCAA Division III in 1995 before moving back to NCAA Division II and the GSC in 2014. The Statesmen have won the last five meetings in Cleveland, sweeping a three-game GSC series (9-4, 8-7, 7-3 | 3.11-12.95) in 1995 and a doubleheader in 1996 (12-3, 4-2 | 4.13.96). The 1995 series was the last GSC series in Cleveland between the two schools.  

DANGER WILL ROBERTSON
Will Robertson went 4-for-6 with two doubles in the doubleheader against Ouachita Baptist. His two doubles set a new DSU single season doubles record, breaking the mark of 25 held by current DSU Head Coach Mike Kinnison (1978) Dee Haynes (1999) and Edwin Maysonet (2003).  Robertson leads the GSC and ranks second in the NCAA in doubles. The senior entered the season with six doubles and no career home runs but has had a banner season with 26 doubles, six home runs and 59 RBIs. 

The Falkner, Miss., native currently leads the Statesmen with a .451 average, which currently is the top single season batting average and his .420 career average tops the DSU career batting average list.  

The Statesmen enter the VSU series with 103 doubles and average 2.46 doubles per game (1st GSC/5th NCAA). Trent Giambrone's 18 doubles is third in the GSC and 29th nationally and Ethan Gill's 14 doubles are ninth in the GSC. 

DOUBLE DIGIT HITS
Delta State has recorded double digit hits in 26-of-43 games and in 13 of its last 21 games. The Statesmen recorded a season-high 21 against Christian Brothers (4.2.16) and had 19 hits against West Alabama (2.21.16).

FAST STARTS 
The Statesmen have outscored opponents 56-13 in the first inning. DSU is 16-4 when scoring in the first inning and 23-6 when scoring first. The Statesmen have outscored opponents 98-41 in the first two innings. 

THE CLOSE ONES 
Delta State is 8-4 in games decided by two runs or less. The Statesmen are 7-4 in one-run games and 3-3 in games decided by two runs. 

PLUNKED!
The Statesmen have been hit by a pitch 74 times, second in the GSC and fifth nationally.  The Coker College leads the NCAA with 80 while West Georgia leads the GSC with 78. Ethan Gill and Will Robertson have been hit 13 (6th GSC) and 10 times (9th GSC).

K FACTOR!
Delta State's pitching staff is tied for third in the GSC with 313 strikeouts. The Statesmen have a 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings ratio (2nd GSC/54th NCAA) and a 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio (3rd GSC/19th NCAA). Dalton Moats leads the GSC and ranks 12th in the NCAA with 81 strikeouts and his 5.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio is second in the GSC and 33rd nationally.  

HOBBS IN CONTROL
Tre Hobbs leads the GSC and NCAA in wins (10-1) and complete games (8). The Greenville, Miss., ranks 11th in the GSC with 57 strikeouts after a 6-3 complete game two win against No. 17 West Florida.

EXTRA, EXTRA
The Statesmen rank second in the GSC with 158 extra base hits behind Lee University (166). West Georgia (136) is third followed West Alabama (135), Alabama-Huntsville (133), Valdosta State (122), North Alabama (102), West Florida (91), Shorter (81), Union (77), and Christian Brothers (51). Will Robertson has a team-best 32 extra base hits (26 2Bs, 6 HRs). Trent Giambrone follows with 27extra base hits (18 2B, 1 3B and 8 HRs) and Ethan Gill has 20 (14 2Bs, 1 3Bs, 5 HRs).

DIGGIN' FOR THREE
Senior centerfielder Brandon Cummins' six triples leads the GSC and ranks 15th nationally. Cummins had two triples in the Christian Brothers series to move into a tie for third on the DSU single season triples list. Cummins is tied with Steve Adams (1970), Ricky Hearn (1979), Heath Bailey (1995), Rodney Batts (1996) and Eli Whiteside (2001). The Drew, Miss., native pushed his career total to 11 and is tied for second with Jordan Chovanec (2011-14), Eric Patten (2002-2005), and Heath Bailey (1994-96). Cummins needs three triples to move into first in career triples and one triple to take over second on the single season list.

THE LONG BALL
The Statesmen are second the GSC and 31st in the NCAA with 43 home runs. DSU hit a season-high seven home runs against Lee University (2.27.16). Giambrone (8), Pickard (8), Will Robertson (5), Gill (5), and Colton Welch (5) lead the Statesmen.  

BEARD GOES THE DISTANCE
Junior Corey Beard recorded his first career complete game in a 5-3 win over Ouachita Baptist (4.19.16). Beard improved to 2-0 while allowing two runs on two hits with two strikeouts over seven innings. 

STATESMEN IN NCBWA REGION POLL
Delta State is ranked fourth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Poll (NCBWA) and is ranked 24th in the NCBWA and 15th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper national polls.  

1. Tampa
2. West Florida
3. Nova Southeastern
4. Delta State
5. West Alabama
6. West Georgia
7. Florida Southern
8. Alabama Huntsville
9. Lee University (TN)
10 . Lynn (Fla.)

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) have reported to Minor League training, while Brent Leach (Dodgers), who recently signed a contract with L.A., is awaiting assignment.