Game Notes | Live Stats | LIve Audio / Video

CLEVELAND, Miss. No. 12 Delta State University (32-14, 21-9 GSC) welcomes rival Mississippi College (16-28, 7-23 GSC) to Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field for a three-game GSC series. Saturday's doubleheader starts 12:00 p.m. and Sunday's single is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

Grad Finale: The Statesmen will honor 14 seniors prior to Sunday's game. Trevor Blocker (P), Jacob Brumfield (P), Brandon Cummins (CF), Trent Giambrone (2B), Ethan Gill (3B), Austin McClain (OF), Josh Paden (OF), Benjamin Pickard (C/DH), Erick Santiago (SS),  Westin Stringer (P), Colton Welch (1B), Matthew Barrett (C),  Luke Stanley (IF), and Will Robertson (LF/P).

Inside The MC Series: Delta State and Mississippi College have met 133 times on the diamond. The rivalry renewed in 2015 with the Green-and-White taking two of three games in Clinton, Miss. The Statesmen captured game one 11-0 (4.11.15), lost game two 7-6 and won game three 17-10 (4.12.15). MC visits Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field for the first time since 1996. 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 and 7-3 (3.11-12.95) in 1995 and a doubleheader in 1996 (12-3 and 4-2 | 4.13). The 1995 series was the last GSC series between the schools and marked MC's last trip Cleveland.  

GSC Tournament Outlook: Entering the final weekend, Delta State, West Alabama and West Florida have clinched GSC tournament berths. West Florida holds a two-game lead over DSU and UWA for first place. The Statesmen need to sweep the Choctaws and will need Lee University to sweep West Florida to host the GSC Tournament on May 7-10. Otherwise, the GSC Tournament is headed to UWF in Pensacola, Fla. Alabama Huntsville (12-10), Lee (18-10), West Georgia (19-11), and Valdosta State (16-12) are vying for the final three tournament spots entering the weekend. 

Getting Offensive: The Statesmen lead the GSC in nine offensive categories: batting average (.345/11th NCAA), hits (520/13th NCAA), slugging percentage (.527/18th NCAA), doubles (108/5th NCAA), doubles per game (2.35/16th NCAA), RBIs (335), total bases (793), runs per game (7.8/40th NCAA),  and on base percentage (.427/11th NCAA). The Statesmen are second in the GSC in runs (350/33rd) and home runs (47/35th NCAA) and fourth in triples (12/77th NCAA).
 

• SCOUTING THE CHOCTAWS: Mississippi College (16-28-15, 6-23 GSC) is under the direction of first-year head coach Jeremy Howarth. Howarth came to MC after spending the past four seasons as head coach at Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark.  The Choctaws are hitting .289 with 69 doubles, five triples and 22 home runs. Hunter Bolin leads the team with a .386 average and 59 hits followed by Logan Ferrell with a .358 average and 58 hits. Will Elliott leads the team with six home runs and is second with 25 RBIs. Blaine Crim has 10 doubles and a team-high 31 RBIs.  Samuel Harrison (RHP) and Jake Fraze (LHP) have garnered the most starts on the mound for the Choctaws. Harrison (3-5) has a 3.45 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 73.0 innings of work. Fraze is 5-5 with a 5.15 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 73.1 innings pitched.
• PICKARD WINS TOP SENIOR AWARD: Ben Pickard was presented the Charles S. Kerg Senior Student-Athlete at the 48th annual Green and White Awards on Tuesday, April 27th. The Kerg award is presented to the top senior Statesmen and Lady Statesmen each year. Pickard, a native of Biloxi, is a four-year letterman for Statesman baseball and the 2015-2016 SAAC President. Majoring in exercise science, Pickard boasts a 3.35 GPA and is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Health Professionals Honor Society. On the field, Pickard has played in 144 games in his career with 128 starts at catcher, first base or designated hitter. He has a career .295 average with 29 doubles, 15 home runs and 114 RBIs. As a senior, he is currently batting .324 with 11 doubles, nine home runs and 41 RBIs. He is president of the Catholic Student Association (2013-2016) while leading a men's Bible study at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church. Pickard has also played a large role in DSU baseball's past three CHAMPS Cup victories, as a very active community-minded volunteer.    
• DANGER WILL ROBERTSON: Will Robertson leads the GSC in batting average (.343/16th NCAA), doubles (26/2nd NCAA), hits (78/10th NCAA), and RBIs (64/5th NCAA). Robertson also ranks second in the GSC in total bases (125/17th NCAA) and fourth in slugging percentage (.538) and on base percentage (.538) His .343 average is second behind Dee Haynes (1999) on the single season batting average list while his .417 career average is on pace to break the career Haynes' career average of .405. Robertson's 26 doubles is 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's 64 RBIs is three shy of tying Devin Goodwin for 10th on the DSU single season RBIs list.  
• MORE DOUBLES: Trent Giambrone's 20 doubles is third in the GSC and 14th nationally. The Metairie, La., native is tied for sixth with Rickey Noland (2007), Clay Sartain (2007), Craig Newton (2004) and Bert Pickard (2004) on the DSU single season doubles list. Ethan Gill's 14 doubles are 12 in the GSC. The Statesmen enter the MC series with 108 doubles and average 2.35 doubles per game (1st GSC/5th NCAA).
• DOUBLE DIGIT HITS: Delta State has recorded double digit hits in 29-of-45 games and in 16 of its last 24 games. The Statesmen recorded a season-high 21 against Christian Brothers (4.2.16) and had double digit hits in all a three game series against Valdosta State (4.23-24.16) last weekend. 
• PLUNKED: The Statesmen have been hit by a pitch 74 times, second in the GSC and 10th nationally. West Georgia leads the GSC and NCAA with 86. 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 fourth in the GSC with 335 strikeouts. The Statesmen are third in the GSC with a 2.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio (16th NCAA). DSU has an a 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings ratio (4th GSC). Dalton Moats is second in the GSC and 14th nationally with 88 strikeouts and his 5.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio leads the GSC (23rd NCAA). Moats is 23 strikeout away from tying Stewart Cliburn (1977) and Jeremy McClain (1999) for sixth on the DSU single season strikeouts list. Moats'  8-3 record is third in the GSC and 14th nationally in victories.
• MR. STEADY: Tre Hobbs recorded his 11th win in game two of the Valdosta State (4.23) series to move into a tie for seventh on the DSU singles season wins list. The Greenville, Miss., native is tied with nine other Statesmen, most recently Aaron Newcomb (2012). Hobbs needs two complete games to move into a tie for third with Joe Hubal (1974), Steve Sandroni (1978), Tom Hostetler (1987) and Jeff Gregg (1994). Hobbs leads the GSC and NCAA in wins (11-1) and complete games (8/2nd NCAA). The Greenville, Miss., ranks 11th in the GSC with 61 strikeouts 
• EXTRA, EXTRA: The Statesmen are second in the GSC with 167 (108 2Bs-12 3Bs-47 HRs) extra base hits behind Lee University with 173 (105-10-58). West Georgia (103-8-44=155) is third followed West Alabama (92-20-39=151), Alabama-Huntsville (82-17-41=140), Valdosta State (80-9-40=129), North Alabama (92-8-31=121), Union (53-13-9=115), West Florida (67-9-30=106), Mississippi College (69-5-22=96), Shorter (63-5-28=96) and Christian Brothers (47-4-6=57). Will Robertson leads the team with 34 extra base hits (26 2Bs, 7 HRs). Trent Giambrone follows with 29 (19-1-8), Ethan Gill has 21 (14-1-6) and Ben Pickard has 20 (11-0-9).
• DIGGIN' FOR THREE: Senior centerfielder Brandon Cummins' six triples leads the GSC and ranks 17th nationally and his 0.13 triples per game are second in the GSC (41st NCAA). The Drew, Miss., six triples are tie for third with Steve Adams (1970), Ricky Hearn (1979), Heath Bailey (1995), Rodney Batts (1996) and Eli Whiteside (2001) on the DSU single season triples list. Cummins' 11 career triples are 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 35th in the NCAA with 47 home runs. DSU hit a season-high seven home runs against Lee University (2.27.16). Ben Pickard (9/6th GSC) , Trent Giambrone (8/9th GSC), Will Robertson (7), Gill (6), and Colton Welch (6) lead the Statesmen.  
• 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.