GAME NOTES: Delta State @ No. 25 Mississippi College (4.27-28.19)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Delta State University softball team will close the regular season with a three-game Gulf South Conference series this weekend at No. 25 Mississippi College. The Lady Statesmen (21-21, 11-16 GSC) and the Choctaws (34-11, 17-8 GSC) will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 27 starting at 3 p.m. with the series finale set for 2 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be played at MC Softball Complex in Clinton. Streaming audio/video, live stats and complete game recaps will be available at GoStatesmen.com.
 
With five teams already clinching spots in the upcoming Gulf South Conference Tournament, Delta State is looking to lock in its 32nd appearance in the league's annual postseason dance. West Florida, Alabama Huntsville, Mississippi College, West Alabama and Valdosta State have confirmed tickets to the GSC Tournament while Union, West Georgia, Delta State, Montevallo and Lee compete for the remaining three slots. The GSC Tournament will be played May 2-6 at a yet to be determined campus site.        

In a series that resumed in 2015, Delta State has posted an 6-6 record against Mississippi College, including a 2-4 mark at the MC Softball Complex. The Lady Statesmen dropped the first two games of last year's series in Cleveland before claiming a 9-8 win in game three. The Choctaws swept DSU in Clinton during the Lady Statesmen's last trip to MC in 2017.  

The Lady Statesmen enter the weekend batting .276 as a team while averaging 4.9 runs per game. DSU features a 3.88 ERA and is allowing 4.6 runs a game. The Choctaws come into the series batting .303 as well, ranking 4th in the GSC, while leading the league with a minuscule 1.91 ERA. MC is averaging 6.0 runs per game and allowing 2.4.   

Delta State enters this weekend's series versus No. 25 Mississippi College with a 4-5 record against teams ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. The Lady Statesmen upended No. 5 Saint Leo (1-0) at the Gulf Shores Invitational followed by back-to-back victories over No. 12 Illinois-Springfield (9-7) and No. 1 Southern Indiana (13-4) at the Charger Chillout in Huntsville, Ala. DSU also lost three-straight last weekend to the new No. 1 in this week's NFCA Top 25 - West Florida. The Lady Statesmen won game three, 9-8, against No. 8 Alabama Huntsville, but dropped games one (8-0) and two (2-1).

AROUND THE HORN: @DELTASTATESB NEWS & NOTES

• As the Lady Statesmen prepare for their final series of the regular season at Mississippi College, Mallory Myers brings a seven game hitting streak into the weekend. The sophomore outfielder from Batesville, Miss., has doubled her average to .276 in the month of April. The career .281 hitter is batting .276 this season with 34 hits in 123 at-bats while scoring 26 runs and driving in seven more. She is also 6-of-7 in stolen base attempts. She ranks third on the team in runs scored (26) and fourth in hits (34).
   
• Jordan Jones enters the final week of the regular season batting .344 (45-of-131) with 12 doubles, six home runs and a team-leading 43 RBIs. The Crystal Springs, Miss., native ranks fourth in GSC in RBIs and doubles.
   
• Kelly Byrd has put together a phenomenal two-year career at DSU, ranking third in career batting average (.383) and sixth in home runs (19). The 2018 NFCA All-Region & All-GSC performer is batting .398 with 12 doubles, a team-leading eight home runs and 31 RBIs. She has also walked 30 times and recorded seven HBPs.
   
• Nicole Fullilove has quietly put together a solid two-year career for the Lady Statesmen, posting a 21-16 record with a 3.10 ERA and 197 strikeouts. The Batesville native ranks 9th on the DSU career strikeouts list and 5th on the single-season chart with 121 this season. In 25 starts this year, Fullilove is 12-12 with a 3.02 ERA. Her 148.1 innings pitched is 3rd in the GSC while her 121 strikeouts rank fourth.
   
• Ta'mya Johnson has posted a phenomenal freshman season for the Lady Statesmen, starting 41 of 42 games in the outfield. The Atoka, Tenn., native is batting .271 with seven doubles, four home runs and 30 RBIs.
   
• Abi Gibson, a four-year starter at shortstop, has been a mainstay for the Lady Statesmen since stepping on campus. The Coldwater native & former All-GSC selection has played in 191 games, batting .296 with 167 hits, 28 doubles, three home runs and 69 RBIs. Her 122 runs scored rank 6th on the DSU career charts & her 426 assists and third.
     
• The Lady Statesmen are batting .278 with runners in scoring position this season while opponents are managing a .253 clip. Senior outfielder/utility Jordan Jones has been the best in these situations, hitting .441 (26-for-59) including 38 of her 43 RBIs. Kelly Byrd is also batting .385 (15-for-39) with RISP.
   
• Delta State enters the weekend series versus Mississippi College with a 22-2 record when leading after five innings of play. The Lady Statesmen are 11-2 when leading after five and 11-0 after six.
   
• The Lady Statesmen are 16-3 this season when out hitting their opponents.
   
• Delta State is 12-5 this season when scoring six or more runs in a game. The Lady Statesmen are 7-5 when scoring 6-9 runs in a game and 5-0 when plating 10+ in a contest.
   
• The Lady Statesmen are 11-4 when allowing two or fewer runs in a game, including four shutouts.
           
• Casey Charles, a former All-Gulf South Conference shortstop for the Lady Statesmen from 1999-2002, is entering her 11th season as head coach at Delta State. In her previous 10 seasons, the Lady Statesmen are 283-296 with nine trips to the Gulf South Conference Tournament and a 2014 NCAA South Regional Tournament appearance. She has coached 21 All-GSC selections, four NFCA All-South Region players, and two D2CCA All-Region performers. Off the field, 77 Lady Statesmen have been named to the GSC Academic Honor Roll while five have won the prestigious Charles S. Kerg Senior Athlete of the Year Award at Delta State.