CLEVELAND, Miss. -- No. 6/3 Delta State University (34-8, 22-5 GSC) hosts Valdosta State University (28-16, 15-12 GSC) for a GSC series starting with a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. and concluding with a single game on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field.
Senior Day: Seniors
Corey Beard (P, Jefferson City, Mo.),
Brady Chambley (P, Winona, Miss.),
Dakota Glore (OF, Potosi, Mo.),
Tre Hobbs (P, Greenville, Miss.),
Bryant Johnston (P, Saucier, Miss.),
Zach Osbon (P, Monroe, La.) and
Kyle St. Pierre (1B, Flower Mound, Texas) will be honored prior to Sunday's doubleheader.
Series Promotions: 1) $1 Admission - Youth Baseball League wearing uniforms (Sun.) 2) Boy/Girl Scouts admitted free in scout uniform/t-shirt (Sun.) 3) Community National Anthem - Kids 12 & under stand on the field for the National Anthem (Sun.); 4) Kids run the bases with the Statesmen after Sunday's doubleheader; 5) Free Admission Monday.
Getting Offensive: Delta State leads the GSC in 12 offensive categories, including average (.323), at bats (1435), home runs (42), runs (442), runs per game (8.1), hits (463), RBIs, (307), total bases (686), slugging percentage (.478), hit by pitch (90), fewest strikeouts (194) and on base percentage (.413). The Statesmen are second in doubles (81). The Statesmen lead the GSC and are third nationally in double plays turned (43) and fourth in double plays turned per game (1.08).
Strength of Schedule: Delta State has the eighth ranked strength of schedule in the country and second strongest among South region teams. Tarleton State (Lone Star), St. Mary's (TX) (Heartland), Fresno Pacific (Pacific West), Missouri A&T (GLVC), Seton Hall (PSAC), Flagler (PBC), Nova Southeastern (SSC), Delta State (GSC), LIU Post (ECC) and Missouri Western State (MIAA) make up top 10.
Toughest to K: Delta State has struck out 194 times in 1,435 (7.9) at bats, the fewest in the GSC.
Brian Lane is at the top of the GSC and ranks 14th nationally as the toughest to strikeout with eight strikeouts in 157 at bats (19.6).
Jason Popovich is fourth in the GSC with 13 strikeouts in 182 at bats (14.0).
DSU Family: Assistant coach
Eric Patten and wife Britni welcomed the newest member to the DSU Family. Eva Rose Patten (7.3 lbs | 20" tall) was born on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
Dalton Murray leads the Blazers with 12 doubles, five home runs and 40 RBIs and is second on the team with a .374 average. Luke Suchon has a .386 average with eight doubles, two home runs and 24 RBIs. Kendall Herron has 30 steals (35 att.) and Elias Macias is second with 11 doubles. The Blazers are hitting .274 with 66 doubles, 13 triples and 21 home runs. Probable starting rotation (based on last series): Hunter Jones (RHP, 5-3, 2.17 ERA, 67 Ks, 19 BB, 18 R, 15 ER, 62.1), Cooper Cain (RHP, 3-0, 2.50 ERA, 34 Ks, 8 BBs, 13 R, 11 ER, 39.2) and Austin Hamilton (LHP, 4-4, 3.01 ERA, 87 Ks, 15 BBs, 30 R, 24 ER, 71.2). Blazers' pitchers lead the GSC with 388 strikeouts and their 130 walks are the second fewest issued behind the Statesmen's 123.
THE 4-5 PUNCH
Zack Shannon and
Clay Casey have made for tough times for opposing pitchers in the heart of the order. Shannon leads or is tied for first in seven categories in the GSC including: batting average (.444), hits (68), RBIs (66), home runs (12), sac-flies (5), slugging percentage (.758) and on base percentage (.508). The Cincinnati, Ohio native is tied for second with Casey in runs scored (46). Shannon is hitting .532 (33-for-62) with runners in scoring position and .832 (6-for-7) with the bases loaded. Casey is tied for first in GSC with 12 home runs and ranks third in doubles (13), RBIs (45), and slugging percentage (.667). The Melbourne, Fla., native is batting .353 with a .667 (4-for-6) average with the bases loaded and .462 (24-of-52) with runners in scoring position.
19 CONSECUTIVE SCORELESS
Statesmen pitchers have tossed 19 consecutive scoreless innings in GSC play coming into the series. After yielding five runs through six innings, the Statesmen closed the West Florida series with 19 scorless innings.
Brady Chambley and
Zach Osbon combined for three scoreless innings in a 7-5 comeback win in game one at West Florida (4.14).
Tre Hobbs tossed seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a four-hit shutout in a 8-0 game two win and
Seth Birdsong gave up four hits with three strikeouts over nine innings in the 6-0 game three win on Sunday.
IN THE GSC
The Statesmen have swept their last five GSC series after losing the 2-of-3 to West Georgia (3.12-13). The Statesmen are hitting .331 with 52 doubles, seven triples and 22 home runs in GSC games. The Green-and-White enter this week's series with a 22-5 GSC mark and have outscored opponents 236-139.
HOME SWEET HOME
Delta State is 14-4 this season and is on a nine game home winning streak entering the VSU series. The Statesmen are hitting .344 with 34 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs.
Zack Shannon has a .463 average with 26 RBIs, five home runs, four doubles and 20 runs scored followed by
Clay Casey with a .450 average, 26 RBIs, seven home runs and six doubles.
Jason Popovich is hitting .397 with six doubles and
Brian Lane has a .391 average with three doubles, a triple, a home run and 14 RBIs.
MIDWEEK RECAP
The Statesmen batting .388 with six doubles and seven home runs and scored a combined 28 runs in two midweek wins.
Clay Casey homered twice with five RBIs and
Tyler Brown and
Darek Sargent had solo home runs in a 15-4 win over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday.
Zack Shannon, Casey and
Nick Morgan homered in a 13-10 win over Arkansas-Monticello on Wednesday.
BIRDSONG ZINGING A TUNE
Junior
Seth Birdsong has tossed four gems over his last four starts. The Brownsville, Tenn., native has a 0.56 ERA, allowing four runs, two earned with 17 strikeouts and two walks through 32 innings. Birdsong is tied for second in the GSC with a 7-1 record and sixth in the GSC with 66.2 innings pitched.
BLACK AND BLUE
The Green-and-White have been hit by pitch 90 times, which leads the GSC and NCAA. The Statesmen were plunked four times in midweek games against Mississippi Valley and Arkansas Monticello this week.
Clay Casey is second in the GSC with 14 HBP while
Nick Morgan and
Brian Lane are tied for second with 13.
GOING DEEP
The Statesmen have hit seven home runs in two games this week to take over the GSC lead with 42. The Statesmen hit a season-high four home runs against Mississippi Valley State (Tuesday) and added three more against Arkansas-Monticello (Wednesday).
Clay Casey, who has three home runs this week, and
Zack Shannon are tied for GSC lead with 12. Shannon has the lone walk off home run this season, belting a two-run blast in a 10-8 win over Union (3.4) in 10 innings. Shorter is two behind the Statesmen in the GSC with 40 while Limestone and Lynn lead nationally with 75.
DOUBLE DIGIT HITS/RUNS
The Statesmen have registered double digit hits 23 times and in five out of their last six games. DSU posted 18 hits against Mississippi Valley State (Tuesday) and 13 against Arkansas-Monticello (Wednesday). The 18 hits against MVSU fell one shy of the season-high 19 against Christian Brothers (4.1). The Green-and-White has posted 15-plus hits 10 times. Delta State has tallied double figure runs 14 times and eight-plus runs 21 times. The Statesmen scored a season-high 22 runs vs. CBU (4.1) and lead the GSC with 8.1 runs per game.
TWO OUT LIGHTNING
Delta State has scored 124 of its GSC leading 342 runs with two outs. The Statesmen are hitting .330 with two outs and have 113 two-out RBIs. The Statesmen have scored 14-of-49 runs in the last five games with two outs.
Clay Casey leads the Statesmen with 21 two out RBIs followed
Zack Shannon (14) and
Jason Popovich (11).
DUCKS ON THE POND
The Statesmen are hitting .376 with runners in scoring position.
Zack Shannon,
Clay Casey,
Emil Ellis,
Juwan Burney,
Jason Popovich and
Nick Morgan and have been the top hitters with runners in scoring position. Shannon is hitting .532 (28-for-54) followed by Casey (.462), Ellis (.400), Popovich (.391), Morgan (.385) and Burney (.333).
Dakota Glore has a .583 (7-for-12) average as a pinch hitter with runners in scoring position.
STATESMEN IN EXTRA INNINGS
The Statesmen are 3-1 in extra inning games following a 6-5 win in nine innings over Shorter University (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).
