AROUND THE HORN: STATESMEN TRAVEL TO CBU FOR THREE-GAME GSC SERIES
INSIDE THE CBU SERIES: The Statesmen and Buccaneers have met 102 times on the diamond with the Statesmen holding a 93-9 overall record and a 40-4 record at Joe Nadicksbernd Field in Memphis, Tenn. Delta State has won the last 26 meetings at CBU, dating back to a  12-9 loss on March  10, 2001, which is also the last loss by the Statesmen in the series. 

2019 SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS: Delta State's midweek contest at Ouachita Baptist University at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia, Ark., was rained out and rescheduled for Wednesday, April 9 at 3 p.m. 

RANKINGS: The Statesmen are ranked No. 1 in the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National polls and NCBWA South Region poll this week. The Statesmen top the NCBWA national and region polls for the third consecutive week after a 3-1 week that included a win over No. 9 Southern Arkansas.

STATESMEN ARMS:  The Statesmen pitching staff leads the GSC in ERA (1.69/1st NCAA), shutouts (2/19th NCAA), fewest runs allowed (40), fewest hits allowed (121), hits allowed per nine innings (6.15/4th NCAA), strikeout to walk ratio (3.00/10th NCAA), opponent batting average (.191), fewest earned runs allowed (33), and saves (7) while ranking 2nd in strikeouts (204) and fewest walks (70). Hunter Riggins (1.30), Dalton Minton (1.54), and Melvin Frazier (1.56) make up the top three in ERA. Riggins leads the GSC and NCAA in wins (6/1st NCAA), while ranking 2nd in innings pitched (41.2), and  3rd in runs allowed and earned runs allowed (6). The Hernando, Miss., native is 6th in opponent batting average (.184), 7th in strikeouts (43/24th NCAA) and 9th in strikeouts looking (10). Minton paces the GSC in runs and earned runs allowed (4) and is 3rd in wins (3) and 7th in opponent batting average (.190). Frazier leads the GSC in opponent batting average (.160) and strikeouts (53/17th NCAA) and is 3rd in strikeouts looking (14), 4th in runs allowed (9) and earned runs allowed (7). Tommy Childree leads the GSC in saves with four.

GSC NUMBERS:  Jake Barlow is 1st in triples (4/5th NCAA), 2nd in total bases (56/24th NCAA) 3rd in slugging percentage (.691) and fourth in RBIs (22) and home runs (5). David Herrington is tied for 4th in hits (29) and  Darek Sargent is 1st in sac flies (5/2nd NCAA) and Josh Russell is 2nd  in sac flies (4/6th NCAA). The Statesmen are ranked 1st in fielding percentage (.977), 2nd in toughest to strikeout(118) and 3rd in triples (5). 

QUEST FOR 1000: Statesmen skipper Mike Kinnison is in his 23rd season at the helm and needs 44 wins to reach 1000 career wins. The Benton, Miss., native has an unbelievable career record of 956-301-2 (.756), averaging 42.4 wins per season as head coach. His all-time career record, including high school, is an astounding 1,246-384-2 (.768). 
 
STATESMEN REWIND: The Statesmen went 3-1 last week defeating Southern Arkansas and taking a 2-1 series win over visiting West Georgia last weekend.  Statesmen pitchers combined to post 13 strikeouts that included four strikeouts apiece by starter Dalton Minton and reliever Christian Day in the win over SAU. Hayden White had a single, a double and two runs scored and Weber Herbison had two hits with a run scored to lead the Statesmen at the plate. Herbison and Jake Barlow went deep to lead the Statesmen to a 6-2 win to open the West Georgia series and Herbison delivered a walk off two-RBI walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to propel the Statesmen to a 3-2 win in the series finale. 

OUT OF THE PEN: The Statesmen bullpen continues to be solid on the back end of games. DSU relievers have a 2.04 ERA with 69 strikeouts against 19 walks while allowing 18 runs, 13 earned, on 45 hits in 57.1 innings. Opponents are batting .206 against DSU relievers.  Tommy Childree (RHP) leads the GSC with 4 saves while Christian Day, Tyler Walton and Dalton Minton each have a save.  The Statesmen are 14-0 when leading after six innings and 15-1 overall when leading or tied after six innings.  Last week, Statesmen relievers 1-0 with a save and a 2.13 ERA while allowing three runs and striking out 19 in 12.2 innings or work.

STATESMEN vs. the GAC: The Statesmen are 8-1 this season and 362-83 all-time record against the Great American Athletic Conference.  East Central (3-0), Arkansas Monticello (1-0), Arkansas Tech (1-1), Ouachita Baptist, Southern Arkansas (2-0) and Henderson State (1-0) are on the 2019 Statesmen Schedule.

IN THE NINE HOLE: Who says the nine whole hitters don't produce? Weber Herbison was key par to DSU's 3-1 week last week. Herbison drove in five runs that included his first career home run in a 6-2 win in game one and stroked a walk off two-run single to left field to give the Statesmen a 3-2 win in game three of the West Georgia series.  The senior went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in a 5-2 win at No. 9 Southern Arkansas on Wednesday. 

MISCELLANEOUS SEASON NOTES
SEASON BEST STARTS: Delta State's 13-0 start matched the 1996 club under then Head Coach Bill Marchant for the best start in school history and marked the best start under skipper Mike Kinnison.

The Statesmen lost eight position starters and three pitchers off the 2018 team that included two All-Americans Zach Shannon (OF) and Clay Casey (OF). 

Zach Shannon (Diamondbacks) and Trent Giambrone (Cubs) both spent spring training with their respective MLB clubs. 

WALK OFFS:  Weber Herbison delivered a two-RBI single in Delta State's only walk off win so far this season against West Georgia (2.10), 3-2.

Jake Barlow leads the GSC with four triples and is tied for 3rd with five home runs. 

Jake Barlow hit for the cycle in game one of Union series to become the first Statesmen to hit for the cycle since Kellen Bozeman vs. Arkansas Tech (15-11) on April 17, 2011.

IN THE ZONE:  Statesmen hurlers have combined for 10 plus strikeouts 10 times this season, posting 11 punch-outs in game two versus West Georgia.  DSU's season-high is 17 at Henderson State on (2.9) followed by 16 vs. East Central (2.1).  Individually, Hunter Riggins registered 12 against Montevallo (2.16) and Melvin Frazier had 12 against Henderson State (2.9).

TWO OUT RBIs:  The Statesmen have 110 RBIs with 26 RBIs coming with two outs. Weber Herbison and Matt Majeur have a team-high 5 two-out RBIs followed by Jake Barlow with four. 

EARLY & LATE INNINGS:  The Statesmen have outscored opponents 41-12 through the first three innings and 39-8 in the seventh through ninth innings.

FAST STARTS:  The Statesmen are 12-2 when scoring first and 5-1 when scoring in the first inning.

ONE OR NONE:  The Statesmen are 7-1 when committing no errors and 6-1 when committing one error.