Complete Week 11 Notes
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- No. 5/5
Delta State University (29-6, 17-3 GSC) welcomes
Lee University (22-18, 13-8 GSC ) for an important Gulf South Conference series starting with a twin bill on Saturday at 2 p.m. and wrapping up with a single game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Statesmen have won nine straight overall and six straight GSC games entering the series.
The GSC Race: The race for the right to host the 2018 GSC Baseball Tournament intensifies beginning this weekend with three conference series remaining. Delta State enters the Lee series atop the GSC standings with a 17-3 (.850) record with three conference series remaining. West Florida (15-5/.750) is second followed by North Alabama (15-6/.714), Mississippi College (13-6/.650), Montevallo (13-6/.650) and Lee (13-8/.619). All are in striking distance of hosting the tournament, which will be hosted by the regular season champion on May 5-8.
Shannon Named To Golden Spikes Award Watch List: Zack Shannon is listed among 40 finalists on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. Shannon is one of two NCAA Division II players listed along with Florida Southern pitcher Logan Browning. The winner of the 41st Golden Spikes Award will be named on Thursday, June 28, at a presentation in Los Angeles. The finalists and their families will be honored at the Rod Dedeaux Foundation Award Dinner that evening at Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. Fan voting will be apart of the Golden Spikes Award in 2018. Beginning with the semifinalist announcement and continuing through the finalist round voting deadline, fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player on GoldenSpikesAward.com.
The Big Three: Seniors Brian Lane, Zack Shannon and Clay Casey make up the Big Three in the Statesmen lineup. Opposing pitchers have had to tread lightly when it comes navigating through the 3-4-5 spots in the lineup. The Big Three have combined for a .369 batting average (154-of-417) with 31 doubles, three triples, 40 home runs, 148 RBIs and 129 runs scored while slugging .746 with a .449 on base percentage in 35 games. They have combined for 311 total bases while walking 37 times, being plunked 30 times and striking out once in every 8.1 at bats.
Birdman Approaching Wins Mark: Senior righty Seth Birdsong is 7-0 this season and has 17 career wins entering the series against Lee. The Brownsville, Tenn., native is three wins shy of tying Josh Melton (1995-96) for 10th on the school's career wins list. Birdsong has started 10 games with 53 strikeouts against 20 walks while yielding 37 runs, 30 earned, on 62 hits in 60 innings pitched this season.
Scouting Lee: The Flames lost their series 2-1 at home to second place West Florida last weekend, salvaging the series with a 10-2 game three win. Lee claimed a 4-3 win over Trevecca Nazarene in the midweek game to enter the series winners of two straight. Jordan Howard has eight home runs and is second with 29 RBIs while hitting .349 average with nine doubles. Miguel Pimentel has a team-best .359 average with 11 doubles and 19 RBIs. Spencer Mossburg has nine home runs and 35 RBIs followed by Tyler Payne with 31 RBIs. Probable rotation (based on last series): Wes Albert (1.15 ERA, 44 Ks, 17 BB, 34 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 47.0, 13 G, 8 GS); Jumpei Akanuma (3.94 ERA, 54 Ks, 15 BB, 64 H, 32 R, 28 ER, 64.0 IP, 10 GS, 10 App.); Pat Morrow (3.58 ERA, 33 Ks, 14 BB, 49 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 39.1, 13 GS, 6 app.);
Midweek Recap: Delta State used a six-run, sixth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit en route to an 8-3 win over Harding University on Tuesday at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy, Ark. Tyler Walton gave up a run on three hits with a strikeout to earn the win. A Zack Shannon two-run home run tied the game 3-3 and kick-started the six-run rally. Jason Popovich and Emil Ellis drove in two runs apiece while Casey, Shannon, Popovich and Ellis each had two hits.
Records Watch: Zack Shannon sixth inning home run against Harding moved him past Dee Haynes (1998) into second on the single-season home runs list and is also tied for second with Jud Thigpen (2001-04) with 43 career home runs. Shannon needs three RBIs to pass Jason Page (1994-96) for 10th all-time and one more RBI to move into the top 10 on the single-season RBIs list. Shannon is four home runs away from breaking the single-season record of 26 held by Haynes (1998-2000). Clay Casey's 27 career round-trippers rank eighth all-time and can pass Ronald Davis (1979-82) and Mike Moore (1983-84) with two more long balls.
GSC TEAM NUMBERS
Delta State ranks in the top five in 15 GSC stats categories. The Statesmen ranks first in home runs (50), home runs per game (1.4), batting average (.329), hits (331), slugging percentage (.512), RBIs (301), runs scored (331), scoring (9.5), total bases (639) and fewest strikeouts (166). The Statesmen are second in on base percentage (.424) and sac-flies (22). DSU ranks third in at bats 1,249 and fielding percentage (.966) and fourth in doubles (66) and hit by a pitch (62).
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Zack Shannon leads the GSC in nine offensive categories, including average (.445), home runs (23), RBIs (70), RBIs per game (2.0), home runs per game (0.66), runs scored (55), slugging percentage (1.066), runs per game (1.57), and total bases (146). Shannon is second in on base percentage (.515), tied for third in doubles (12) and tied for fifth in triples (2). Clay Casey is tied for third in home runs (10) and tied for seventh in at bats (141). Brian Lane is first in hit by pitch (17), second in runs scored (42) and tied for fourth in home runs (9). Lane and Emil Ellis are tied for seventh in hits (48) while Lane and is tied for fifth in RBIs (38) Nick Morgan is tied for first in sac-flies (5) and Jason Popovich is fourth in at bats (145) and eighth in runs scored (36). Seth Birdsong is tied for first in wins (7) and ranks third in games started (10). Dalton Minton is fifth in strikeouts looking (15), second in fewest hits allowed (44), and tied for third in wins (5). Tyler Walton is tied for second with five wins.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Delta State ranks in the top 15 in the NCAA in eight categories: 5th in Runs (331) and Runs/GM (9.5); 8th in Batting Average (.329); 9th in Hit By A Pitch (62); 10th in Home Runs/GM (1.43); 11th in Hits (411); 13th in Home Runs (50); 16th in On Base % (.420); Zack Shannon leads all levels of the NCAA and NAIA in home runs (23), home runs per game (.66), RBIs (70) and runs scored (55) and leads Division II in slugging percentage (1.066), total bases (146) and RBIs per game (2.0). The Cincinnati, Ohio, native ranks fourth in runs per game (1.57), ninth in batting average (.445) and eighth in hits (61). Brian Lane is fourth in the NCAA in hit by a pitch (17) and Nick Morgan is 12th in the NCAA in sac flies (5). Seth Birdsong is 10th in wins (7), while Tyler Walton is 27th (6) and Dalton Minton is 68th (5).
TOUGHEST TO K
Brian Lane, Josh Russell, Emil Ellis and Jason Popovich are among the GSC's top hitters in terms of toughest to strikeout. Lane is second in the GSC and 18th in the nation striking out one in every 17.4 at bats while Russell is fourth (13.4/51st NCAA), Ellis is fifth (12.7/60th NCAA) and Popovich is seventh (12.1/70th NCAA).
DOUBLE DIGIT HITS & RUNS
- The Statesmen have posted double-figure hits in six straight games and in 25-of-35 games this season. The Statesmen pounded out 13 hits in the 8-3 win over Harding on Tuesday.
- Delta State has scored double-figure runs in 17 of 35 games.
- The Statesmen had 21 runs on 21 hits against Nova Southeastern (2.3) and 26 runs on 21 hits at Southern Arkansas (3.27).
MISCELLANEOUS NUMBERS
EXTRA INNINGS: The Statesmen are 3-1 in extra innings with wins over Nebraska-Kearny (2.10), Valdosta State (2.24) and Union (4.10). DSU dropped a 6-5 decision in 10 innings to Mississippi Valley State (3.21).
TWO OUTS: The Statesmen are hitting .326 with two outs and have 111 two-out RBIs and 10 home runs in 411 at bats with two outs. Zack Shannon sports a .479 (23-for-48) average with 24 RBIs with two outs. Josh Russell is hitting.429 (15-for-35) with two outs with nine two-out RBIs while Clay Casey has 21 two-out RBIs.
LOAD 'EM UP: DSU is hitting .380 (27-for-71) with the bases loaded. The Statesmen have six grand slams: Justin Nussbuam (vs. Nova Southeastern), Brian Lane (vs. Palm Beach Atlantic), Clay Casey (at West Georgia/at Union), Jason Popovich (vs. Harding) and Jamell Newson (at So. Arkansas).
RISP: The Green-and-White own a .362 average with runners in scoring position. Zack Shannon has a .490 average (25-for-61) followed Emil Ellis with a .476 average (20-of-42).
SCORING: The Statesmen have outscored opponents 331-172 overall and 136-50 in innings 4-7. DSU is 8-2 in games decided by two runs or less and 19-3 in games decided by five-plus runs. The Statesmen are 25-2 when leading after six innings and 14-3 when clubbing multiple home runs.
- Zack Shannon leads the team with 21 multi-hit games, including nine three-hit games. Emil Ellis has 17 multi-hit games followed by Brian Lane and Clay Casey with 16 and Jason Popovich with 14.
- Zack Shannon has recorded 20 multi-RBI games, including 10 games with three-plus RBIs and five four-RBI performances.
- Zack Shannon has reached base safely in 80-of-92 career games.
OFF THE BENCH: Payton Lane is 3-for-4 with a .750 average while David Herrington has a .429 (3-for-7) average with a home run as pinch-hitters.
STREAKING STATESMEN: Clay Casey and Juwan Burney enter the Lee series on a nine-game hitting streaks and Clay Casey has reached base in 18 straight games.
SWING AND A DRIVE!
The Green-and-White have belted 50 home runs which leads the GSC and ranks 13th in the NCAA. The Statesmen have hit 10 home runs with two outs, 11 home runs with a two-strike count and 10 have come when behind in the count. Zack Shannon leads all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA in home runs (23) and home runs per game (0.66). Clay Casey's 10 home runs are fourth in the GSC and 42nd nationally. Shannon has hit six home runs with two outs, five have come with two strikes and eight have come in the sixth inning or later. Shannon has homered in 18-of-35 games in 2018 and 36-of-92 career games, while Clay Casey has home runs in 24-of-92 career games and 8-of-35 games this season.
- Shannon's has homered in his last two games to push him past the Ole Miss single-season record of 21 (by Jason Huisman, 1998; Brian Pettway, 2005). He is now tied for the Southern Miss single-season record of 23 (Jeff Cook, 2003; Clint King, 2003, Fred Cooley, 1989; Bill Selby, 1992).
- Shannon needs seven home runs to surpass the Mississippi State single-season home run mark of 29 held by Rafael Palmeiro (1984) and Bruce Castoria (1981).
- Shannon is tied with slugger Brent Rooker, last year's Ferriss Trophy winner, who clubbed 23 dingers a season ago for Mississippi State. Rooker is currently playing professionally in Double-A for the Chattanooga Lookouts (Minnesota Twins).
SHANNON, RIGGINS EARN GSC WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Zack Shannon and freshman Hunter Riggins have been named the Gulf South Conference Player and Freshman of the week on Tuesday. Riggins and Shannon were instrumental in helping the No. 5/6 Statesmen to a 4-0 week, defeating No. 17 Arkansas-Monticello before sweeping a GSC series from Union University on the road last weekend.
