CLEVELAND, Miss. -- No. 8/5 Delta State University (29-8, 19-5 GSC) travels to the University of West Florida (23-15, 15-9 GSC) for a Gulf South Conference series starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 2 p.m. and concluding with a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Getting Offensive: Delta State leads the GSC in nine offensive categories, including average (.320), runs scored (293), runs per game (7.9, hits (398), RBIs, (263), total bases (586), slugging percentage (.471), hit by pitch (85) and on base percentage (.417). The Statesmen are second in home runs (34) and doubles (70). Nationally, the Statesmen are 26th in hits, 19th in on base percentage, 21st in runs scored, 21st in runs per game, 12th in sac-flies (21), and 41st in home runs. The Statesmen are second in the country double plays turned (39) and fourth in double plays per game (1.05).
About The Statesmen: Zack Shannon leads the team in average (.436), RBIs (57), home runs (10), hits (58), slugging percentage (.744), and on base percentage (.509).
Clay Casey has nine home runs,11 doubles and 32 RBIs.
Jason Popovich (.363) is tied with Shannon in hits (58) and with Casey in runs scored (39).
Brian Lane has .333 average with eight doubles and two home runs. The probable weekend rotation is
Corey Beard (RHP, 5-0, 4.45 ERA, 51 Ks, 17 BBs, 39 R, 29 ER, 58.2 IP),
Tre Hobbs (LHP, 4-4, 5.91 ERA, 50 Ks, 16 BBs, 48 R, 37 ER, 56.1 IP) and
Seth Birdsong (RHP, 6-1, 3.59 ERA, 49 Ks, 17 BBs, 26 R, 23 ER, 57.2 IP). Senior
Zach Osbon is 6-1 with four saves and a 1.00 ERA out of the bullpen.
Scouting UWF: LadeavonMatthews has a .362 batting average, nine doubles and 2 RBIs followed by Justin Ambrosino with a .344 average, seven home runs and 44 RBIs. Chase Kiefer has 25 steals (29 att.) and Brandon Harmon is hitting .341 with 15 steals (21 att.). The Argonauts are hitting .281 and ranks third in the GSC with 51 doubles and second in the GSC with 76-of-99 stolen bases. Probable starting rotation (based on last series): Jarrod Petree (RHP, 4-2, 3.49 ERA, 46 Ks, 14 BB, 25 R, 22 ER, 56.2), Trace Penton (RHP, 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 30 Ks, 23 BBs, 17 R, 16 ER, 35.0) and Jared Gonzalez (RHP, 3.46 ERA, 3-0, 22 Ks, 5 BBs, 21 R, 15 ER, 39.0). UWF's pitching staff leads the GSC with a 3.87 ERA and the eight saves is third. Opponents are hitting .261, fourth in the GSC.
Streaking Statesmen: The Statesmen have won seven straight overall, 12 straight in the GSC, and 15 of their last 16 games entering the series.
SHORTER SERIES RECAP
Delta State swept a GSC series for the fourth straight week with a weekend sweep of Shorter. The Statesmen claimed 5-4 and 6-5 wins on Saturday and a 12-2 (7 inn.) win on Sunday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.
Dakota Glore's two-run pinch hit single capped a five run eighth that erased a 4-0 deficit en route to the 5-4 win in game one. Glore continued his pinch prowess in game two with two-run triple to force extra innings.
Josh Russell's single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Statesmen the 6-5 win. in game two. The Statesmen got a three run single from Glore, a two-run home run from
Clay Casey and a two-run single from
Nick Morgan in the 12-2 run-rule win on Sunday.
Zach Osbon gave up a hit with a strikeout to record his fourth save in game one before working 1/3 of inning for his sixth win in game two.
Seth Birdsong struck out four while allowing two runs on nine hits in a complete game win on Sunday. hit.700 with a home run and 10 RBIs.
BIRDSONG ZINGING A TUNE
Junior
Seth Birdsong been nothing short of solid in the his last four starts. The Brownsville, Tenn., native has tossed 31 innings allowing seven runs, five earned, with 21 strikeouts and two walks. Birdsong has pitched through the seventh inning in his last four starts, including three games into the eighth inning. In his last two starts, Birdsong has allowed two runs and registered 12 strikeouts against no walks in 15 innings.
BLACK AND BLUE
The Green-and-White have been hit by pitch 85 times, which leads the GSC and NCAA. The Statesmen were plunked nine times in the Shorter series.
Clay Casey is second in the GSC and 13th in the NCAA with 14 HBPs followed by
Brian Lane, who is third in the GSC (27th NCAA) with 12 HBPs.
LONG BALLS
The Statesmen rank third in the GSC and 41st nationally with 34 home runs. Shorter and Union are tied for first in the GSC with 38. Delta State hit one home run in the series last weekend for its lowest home run total in a three-game series this season.
Zack Shannon has the lone walk off home run, belting a two-run big fly in a 10-8 win over Union (3.4). Shannon's 10 home runs are tied for first in the GSC with Union's Nolen Milton.
DOUBLE DIGIT HITS/RUNS
The Statesmen have registered double digit hits 20 times and in five out of the last seven games. DSU posted 12 hits and 12 runs in game three versus Shorter University (4.9) The Green-and-White has posted 15 hits five times. Delta State has tallied double figure runs 13 times and eight-plus runs 19 times. The Statesmen scored a season-high 22 runs vs. CBU (4.1).
TWO OUT LIGHTNING
Delta State has scored 110 of its 293 runs with two outs and have 99 two-out RBIs. The Statesmen are hitting .334 with two outs. The Statesmen scored 10 of its 23 runs with two outs in the Shorter series.
Clay Casey leads the Statesmen with 15 two out RBIs followed
Zack Shannon (13) and
Jason Popovich (10).
DUCKS ON THE POND
The Statesmen are hitting .362 with runners in scoring position.
Zack Shannon,
Emil Ellis,
Clay Casey,
Juwan Burney,
Jason Popovich and
Nick Morgan and have been the top hitters with runners in scoring position. Shannon is hitting .519 (28-for-54) followed by Ellis (.410), Casey (.405), Popovich (.391), Morgan (.389) and Burney (.344).
Dakota Glore has a .700 (7-for-10) average off the bench with runners in scoring position.
K ZONE
The Statesmen pitching staff has registered double digit strikeouts in five games, including a season-high 12 strikeouts versus Lee (2.26). DSU pitchers struck out 11 against Florida Southern (11/2.10) and Union (3.4), and 10 versus Harding (2.5) and Mount Olive (2.11). Delta State hurlers have notched seven-plus strikeouts in 22-of-34 games.
STATESMEN IN EXTRA INNINGS
The Statesmen are 3-1 in extra inning games following a 6-5 win in nine innings over Shorter University in game two (4.1). Delta State opened the season with a 9-7 win over Harding in 11 innings and beat Union University 10-8 on a
Zack Shannon walk off home run in the bottom of the 10th. The Green-and-White dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 decision in 11 innings at then No. 11 Southern Arkansas (3.28).
