CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State softball team will host the University of West Georgia for a three-game GSC series beginning with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 12, at 3 p.m. and concluding with a single game on Monday, March 13, at 12 p.m. at University Field. 
 

LADY STATESMEN SOFTBALL GAME DAY INFO

DATE | OPPONENT | TIME	March 18, 2017 | UWG | 3:00 p.m. (DH) March 19, 2017 | UWG | 12:00 p.m.
LIVE STATS	Click Here
GAME NOTES	DSU vs. UWG
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES	@DeltaStateSB

INSIDE THE SERIES: PREVIEWING THE FIRST PITCH

• The Lady Statesmen enter the series riding a three-game winning streak, having swept Union on March 4-5.
• DSU earned its first GSC series win and sweep of the season.
• Delta State is the only team in the GSC undefeated on home turf.
• The Wolves enter the series having taken two-of-three from Lee University for their first GSC series win of the season.
• The Wolves are currently sixth in the GSC in batting average (.310), hits (168) and RBIs (102).
• Delta State holds an 8-3 advantage in the past 11 meetings between the two schools.
• UWG finished the 2016 season 33-23 overall and 16-17 in the GSC.
• Last season, the Lady Statesmen took the series from the Wolves in Carrollton, Ga., splitting the doubleheader and winning game three. All three games were decided by one run, and two games went to extra innings. 

 
QUICK HITS

• The Lady Statesmen set a season-high 16 runs and 15 RBIs in game three against Union. The 16 runs and 15 RBIs are also the second most in a GSC game this season.
• The Lady Statesmen drew eight walks in game three, tying the season high.
• In the circle, Mari Alex Sandridge pitched her second career shutout. She boasts a 1.09 ERA, the lowest in the GSC. At the plate, she leads the team in batting average and has reached base safely in the past 16 contests.
• Jordan Jones tallied her ninth double of the season and moves to second in the GSC in doubles.
• The Lady Statesmen tallied 13 hits in Sunday's finale, tying the second most for a single game this season. 
• Head coach Casey Bourgoyne-Charles earned her 100^th win on University Field and 225^th overall career win this past weekend.

 
IN THE CIRCLE
 
The Lady Statesmen pitching staff has combined for a 3.27 ERA and holds opponents to .257 batting average, which ranks sixth in the conference. Delta State has struck out 76 batters. Freshman RHP Mari Alex Sandridge leads the team in batters struck out with 25. She recorded her second career shutout in Delta State's 4-0 win against Union and boasts a 1.09 ERA—the lowest in the GSC. Bailie Springfield and Taylor Tucker also rank in the top 10 for lowest ERA in the conference. Springfield improved to 4-0 and Tucker earned her second win of the season against Union.
 
EARLY AND OFTEN
The Lady Statesmen are 8-2 when scoring the first run of the game and 5-1 when scoring in the first inning. Delta State has scored a combined 98 runs so far this season, 69 of which came within the first four innings.  
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
 
The Lady Statesmen have tallied 22 doubles. Sophomore Jordan Jones leads the team in doubles with nine and is tied for second in the GSC in doubles. She is only 14 away from tying the Delta State season record.
 
WALK THIS WAY
 
Delta State has drawn 54 walks this season, the seventh most in the GSC. In conference-only games, Delta State ranks fourth in walks with 24. The Lady Statesmen drew eight walks against Union—the  third most in a conference game this season. Mari Alex Sandridge and Kara Lane Nowell are tied for the team lead with eight apiece.  
 
WE'RE ONLY FRESHMEN
 
The 2017 DSU roster includes eight incoming freshmen (P/OF Mari Alex Sandridge, INF Hannah Salmon, INF Colben Patin, INF Shelby Newsom, C Carlie Vice, INF Miranda Smith, INF/P Bailie Springfield and OF Olivia Dick).
 
In her first start in the circle, Springfield led the Lady Statesmen to their first win over a nationally ranked opponent this season on Friday, Feb. 10, when Delta State defeated No. 16 the University of Indianapolis 3-1 at the Montevallo Falcon Frenzy Tournament. The freshman right-handed pitcher from Mantee, Miss., pitched the entire seven innings, sacrificing only one run on one hit. She is the only Lady Statesman not to have suffered a loss in the circle this season.
 
Sandridge pitched the 7-0 shutout against Tuskegee on Feb. 11, tying junior LHP Taylor Johnson for the team lead in strikeouts per game with eight and the 4-0 shutout against Union on March 4. She has the lowest ERA of the conference and holds opponents to a .198 batting average. At the plate, Sandridge leads the team in batting average (.417), on base percentage (.500) and runs scored (15).
 
Dick, Newsom, and Vice have each collected hits and their first RBIs as Lady Statesmen.
 
WHERE THEY'RE FROM
 
The 2017 Delta State softball team features 19 players from six different states. Thirteen players are Mississippi natives. Two players call Louisiana their home, while four states are home to one player (Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee).  
 
CHASING 250
 
Head coach Casey Bourgoyne-Charles is only 25 games away from her 250th career win. Last season, she eclipsed most wins in a season with 34. Under Charles, the Lady Statesmen are 101-74 at University Field, 64-95 on the road, and 60-66 at neutral sites.
 
DELTA STATE PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN GSC
 
For the first time since 2011, the Delta State University softball team has been picked to finish in the top five of the Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
 
Jumping one spot from last year, the Lady Statesmen were picked to finish fifth in the conference with 72 points.
 
Defending GSC and national champion, the University of North Alabama was picked unanimously to finish first with 121 points. Alabama Huntsville was picked second with 105 points, followed by Valdosta State (98) and West Florida (92). 
 
Delta State received three fourth place votes, five fifth place votes, one sixth place vote, one seventh place vote and one 10th place vote. Mississippi College (68 points), Shorter (64), West Georgia (54), Lee (51), West Alabama (32), Union (21) and Christian Brothers (14) rounded out the poll.
 
The GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll is voted on by League's head coaches.
 
TWO LADY STATESMEN TAPPED 2017 GSC TOP NEWCOMERS
 
Freshmen Olivia Dick and Mari Alex Sandridge were named to the GSC 2017 Top Newcomers list.
 
Dick is an outfielder from Brandon, Miss. She played at Northwest Rankin High School under the direction of Britt Bennett and Taylor Hughes. She was named The Clarion-Ledger 's Best of MS Preps in 2015. She holds the season record for most hits (54) and stolen bases (51).
 
Sandridge is a pitcher/outfielder from Hernando, Miss. She lettered in softball and basketball at Magnolia Heights High School.
 
Dick and Sandridge highlight Delta State's 9 newcomers. The Lady Statesmen also return 10 letterwinners from last year's squad. 
 
UP NEXT
DSU travels to Huntsville, Ala., for a three-game series against GSC rival UAH, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18, at 1 p.m. followed by a single game on Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m.