Complete Week 12 Notes
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- No. 5/10
Delta State University (32-7, 18-4 GSC) travels to No. 27
University of North Alabama (30-12, 18-6 GSC) for a three-game Gulf South Conference series beginning with a single game on Friday at 5 p.m. at Mike Lane Field in Florence, Ala.
The series concludes with a twin bill on Sat. at 1 p.m. This will be the final GSC series between the Lions and the Statesmen with UNA making the move to NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Sun and Big South Conferences (Football) next year. UNA trails the Statesmen by two games in the loss column for the right to host the 2018 GSC Baseball Tournament.
The GSC Race: The race to host the 2018 GSC Baseball Tournament is down to two conference weekends remaining. Delta State remains on topof the GSC standings with an 18-4 (.850) record with North Alabama (18-6) and West Florida (17-6) lurking just behind the Statesmen.
Montevallo is 16-7 followed by Mississippi College (15-7) and Lee at 14-9. West Alabama (11-12), West Georgia (11-13) and Alabama Huntsville (10-13) round out the top eight teams coming into the weekend.
GSC Weekly Honor No. 5: For the second straight week, and fifth time this season, Delta State University senior
Zack Shannon was named the GSC Player of the Week this week. Shannon helped the Statesmen post a 2-1 week, defeating Harding and splitting a conference doubleheader against Lee University. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was one of three Statesmen to bat above .500 for the week, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and three runs scored while slugging 1.273 with a.688 on base percentage.
Bash Brothers: Seniors
Zack Shannon and
Clay Casey make up the college version of the Bash Brothers. Shannon leads GSC and NCAA in home runs (25), home runs per game (.64), RBIs (76), RBIs per game (1.95), total bases (160), runs scored (62) and slugging percentage (1.067). Shannon also paces the GSC and ranks in the top 12 nationally in batting average (.453/8th NCAA), on base percentage (.545/5th NCAA), hits (68/11th NCAA) and runs per game (1.59/3rd NCAA). Casey ranks second in the GSC in RBIs (53/8th NCAA), RBIs per game (1.36/14th) home runs per game (.33/27th NCAA) and fifth in slugging percentage (.665).
The Big Three: Seniors
Brian Lane,
Zack Shannon and
Clay Casey have made thing 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 .377 batting average (173-of-458) with 34 doubles, three triples, 45 home runs, 170 RBIs and 149 runs scored while slugging .760 with a .469 on base percentage through 39 games. The trio has also combined for 348 total bases and 82 extra base hits while walking 51 times, being plunked 37 times and striking out once in every 8.5 at bats.
Birdman Approaching Wins Mark: Senior righty
Seth Birdsong is 7-0 this season and has 17 career wins entering the series against North Alabama. 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.
Midweek Glance: The Statesmen swept a two-game midweek series from Arkansas Tech by the scores of 25-16 and 13-6.
Clay Casey hit. .778 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and six runs scored while
Matt Majeur hit .750 with five RBIs and five runs scored to lead the Statesmen at the plate. Casey hit a home run and had five RBIs and Majeur went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in game one. Casey was 4-for-4 with a two home runs and five RBIs and Majeur 3-for-4 with two RBIs to following up the game one performance in game two.
Records Watch: Zack Shannon's home run in the Arkansas Tech series was his 25th of the year, one shy of the school's single-season home runs list record held by
Dee Haynes (1999). Shannon also passed
Jud Thigpen (43/2001-04) for second on the all-time home runs with 44. Shannon's 76 RBIs are tied for seventh 0n the single-season RBIs with
Craig Newton (2005) and
Jud Thigpen (2003) while his 164 career RBIs rank 10th in school history. Shannon's 160 total bases are tied with
Mark Broome (2004) for sixth in a single-season and is seven away from passing himself for fourth (166).
Clay Casey's 13 round-trippers are one away from moving onto the single-season home runs list for the second straight season while 29 career bombs tied for sixth with
Jason Cochran (1998-99) and
John Edwards (1980-83).
THE GSC NUMBERS
Delta State leads the GSC in 12 categories and ranks in the top five in 16 categories overall. The Green-and-White lead in batting average (.340/
4th NCAA), runs scored (390), scoring per game (10.0/
1st NCAA), hits (479/
7th NCAA), home runs (57/
10th NCAA), home runs per game (.435/
4th NCAA), RBIs (355), total bases (742), slugging percentage (.527/
8th NCAA), on base percentage (.435/
4th NCAA), sacrifice flies (26/
9th NCAA), and fewest strikeouts (187). DSU is second in at bats (1409), doubles (78/
42nd NCAA) and hit by pitch (76/
7th NCAA) and third in walks (182). The Statesmen also are fourth in fielding percentage (.964).
OTHER GSC NUMBERS
- Brian Lane's is second in runs scored (48) and first in hit by pitch (20/4th NCAA) in the GSC. Lane is also eighth in RBIs (41).
- Emil Ellis in third in runs scored (47) and second in runs scored per game (1.27/17th NCAA).
- Jason Popovich ranks seven in runs scored (42) and is sixth in hits (55).
- Nick Morgan is tied for first in the GSC with five sac-flies.
- Seth Birdsong is second in the league in wins (7/20th NCAA), seventh in innings pitch (66.0) and eighth in strikeouts (56).
- Tyler Walton is tied for third in wins (6) and Peyton White is tied for fifth in saves (4).
TOUGHEST TO K
Brian Lane,
Emil Ellis, Jason Popovich and
Josh Russell are among the GSC's top hitters in terms of toughest to strikeout. Lane is second in the GSC and 18th nationally, striking out once every 16.8 at bats while Ellis is fourth (14.1/41st NCAA), Popovich is fifth (14.0/42nd NCAA) and Russell is seventh (12.2/65th NCAA).
DOUBLE-DIGIT HITS & RUNS
- Delta State leads the GSC and country averaging 10.0 runs per game. The Statesmen notched double-figure hits in six straight games and in 29-of-39 games this season. The Statesmen pounded out a season-high 25 hits in a 25-16 win over Arkansas Tech (4.17).
- Delta State has scored double-figure runs in 21-of-39 games this season, recently scoring 25 runs against Arkansas Tech (4.17).
- The Statesmen had 21 runs on 21 hits against Nova Southeastern (2.3) and 26 runs on 21 hits at Southern Arkansas (3.27).
- The Statesmen have scored double-figure runs in five straight games and notch double-digit hits in 10 straight games and 12 of the last 13 contests.
MISCELLANEOUS NUMBERS
- EXTRA INNINGS: The Statesmen are 3-2 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) and a 13-10 loss to Lee University (4.15) in 10 innings.
- 4TWO OUTS: The Statesmen are hitting .338 with two outs and have 131 two-out RBIs and 12 home runs in 468 at bats with two outs. Zack Shannon sports a .481 (25-for-52) average with 24 two-out RBIs. Josh Russell is hitting.405 (17-for-42) with two outs with 13 two-out RBIs while Clay Casey has 28 two-out RBIs.
- LOAD 'EM UP: DSU is hitting .418 (36-for-87) with the bases loaded. The Statesmen have six grand slams: Justin Nussbaum (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 owns a .366 average with runners in scoring position. Zack Shannon has a .475 average (28-for-59) followed Emil Ellis with a .458 average (22-of-48) and David Herrington with a .462 (6-for-13).
- SCORING: The Statesmen have outscored opponents 390-212 overall and 150-70 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 28-3 when leading after six innings and 16-3 when clubbing multiple home runs.
- Zack Shannon leads DSU with 23 multi-hit games, including 10 three-hit games. Clay Casey has 19 multi-hit games and Emil Ellis has 18 multi-hit games.
- Zack Shannon has recorded 22 multi-RBI games, including 12 games with three-plus RBIs and five four-plus RBI games.
- Zack Shannon has reached base safely in 82-of-96 career games.
- OFF THE BENCH: Payton Lane is 4-for-5 with a .800 average while David Herrington has a .429 (3-for-7) average with two home runs as pinch-hitters.
- STREAKING STATESMEN: Clay Casey and Emil Ellis have reached base in 14 straight games and Nick Morgan has a
- 12-game hitting streak and Burney has an 11-game hitting streak.
SWING AND A DRIVE!
The Green-and-White have belted 57 home runs which leads the GSC and ranks 10th in the NCAA. The Statesmen have hit 12 home runs with two outs, 13 home runs with a two-strike count and eight have come when behind in the count. Seven home runs have been first pitch swinging home runs.
Zack Shannon leads all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA in home runs (25) and home runs per game (0.64).
Clay Casey's 13 home runs are second in the GSC and 29th nationally. Shannon has hit six home runs with two outs, seven have come with two strikes and two have been on the first pitch. Shannon has homered in 20-of-37 games in 2018.
Clay Casey has home runs in 26-of-96 career games and 10-of-39 games this season.
- Shannon needs five home runs to become the first collegiate player in the state to hit 30 home runs in a single-season. He would surpass the Mississippi State's single-season home runs mark of 29 held by Rafael Palmeiro (1984) and Bruce Castoria (1981).
MISSISSIPPI'S HOME RUN KINGS
Below is the single-season home runs list for all four-year schools in Mississippi. DSU owns six spots on the list, with former Statesmen
Dee Haynes ranking fourth all-time with 26 home runs in 1999. Two current Statesmen,
Zack Shannon (25 HRs this season) and
Clay Casey (17 HR in 2017), also appear on the list.
Mississippi Single-Season Home Runs List
1 Rafael Palmeiro (Miss. State, 1984)* 29
Bruce Castoria (Miss. State, 1981) 29
2 Will Clark (Miss. State, 1981) 28
3 Dee Haynes (Delta State, 1999)* 26
4 Will Clark (Miss. State, 1985) 25
Zack Shannon (Delta State, 2018) 25
5 Brent Rooker (Miss. State, 2017) 23
Jeff Cook (Southern Miss., 2003)* 23
Clint King (Southern Miss., 2003)* 23
Bill Selby (Southern Miss., 1992)* 23
Fred Cooley (Southern Miss., 1989)* 23
6 Ryan Firth (Southern Miss., 2004) 22
Dee Haynes (Delta State, 2000) 22
Tommy Rafo (Miss. State, 1989) 22
Tommy Sims (Southern Miss., 1985) 22
Greg Connor (Southern Miss., 1986) 22
7 James Land (William Carey, 2017)* 21
Brian Petteway (Ole Miss., 2005) 21
Eric Adkins (William Carey, 2004)* 21
Jason Huisman (Ole Miss., 1998) 21
Dee Haynes (Delta State, 1998) 21
8 B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss., 2010) 20
Sedgewick McCollum (Southern Miss., 1988) 20
Rafael Palmeiro (Miss. State, 1985) 20
Mark Gillaspie (Miss. State, 1981) 20
9 Zack Shannon (Delta State, 2017) 19
Matt Wallner (Southern Miss., 2017) 19
Connor Powers (Miss. State, 2009) 19
Brad Corley (Miss. State, 2004) 19
Brian Wiese (Miss. State, 1999) 19
Richard Lee (Miss. State, 1998) 19
Richard Lee (Miss. State, 1997) 19
Tommy Davis (Southern Miss., 1994) 19
Richey Hines (Miss. College, 1984)* 19
10 Stephen Head (Ole Miss., 2005) 18
Michael Rosamond (Ole Miss., 1999) 18
Mike Plumlee (Delta State, 1992) 18
Mike Moore (Delta State, 1984) 18
11 Clay Casey (Delta State, 2017) 17
Cody Overbeck (Ole Miss., 2008) 17
David Delluci (Ole Miss., 1995) 17
12 A.J. Downs (Delta State, 2000) 16
Richey Hines (Miss. College, 1985) 16
Hunter Owen (Millsaps College, 2008)* 16
Marcus Davis (Alcorn State, 2007)* 16
* Denotes school's individual single-season home run record holder
