GAME NOTES: Delta State vs. Christian Brothers (2.21-22.2020)
CLEVELAND, Miss. --  No. 11 Delta State University (7-3, 1-2 GSC) hosts Christian Brothers University (2-8, 0-3 GSC) for a three-game Gulf South Conference series on Friday and Saturday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. The series begins with a single game on Friday at 2 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
HI GUYS!: Christian Brothers will square off against a familiar face when the Bucs come to Cleveland for this weekend's series. Jared Cramer played in 142 games, starting 139, behind the plate for CBU from 2017-2019 before coming to play for the Statesmen as a graduate transfer in 2020.

MIDWEEK REWIND: The Delta State University baseball team scored three unanswered runs late in the game and got a solid start from Wesley Grantham to notch a 4-1 win over Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday afternoon at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. Tanner Propst worked a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts to register his first save as a Statesmen. Chad Ragland went 2-for-4 with an RBI with a stolen base out of the leadoff spot.  Blake Wolferding was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a triple while Bradley Sanford was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

CATCHING FIRE: Junior Chad Ragland continues to set the table in the leadoff spot, batting .437 with two doubles, two RBI and a .533 on base percentage over the last four games. Ragland is hitting .450 with three doubles, three RBI and 11 runs scored so far this season.  Darek Sargent had a hot bat in the UAH series, hitting .545 with a double, two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. The Smyrna, Tenn., native was hitting .294 through the first six games but has since raised his average to .367 with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and nine runs scored.

GOOD BEGINNINGS:  Freshman Devin Fox went 1-for-4 in his first collegiate start for the Statesmen. Fox's single set up Bradley Sanford's go-ahead run in the fifth inning.  Wesley Grantham tossed three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no hits allowed in the junior's first start on the bump. Grantham has tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts against no walks through two outings.

SCOUTING CBU: The Buccaneers enter the weekend 2-8 overall and 0-3 in the GSC. The Bucs were swept at Auburn Montgomery to open GSC play and lost to Harding 12-3 in a midweek contest. Larry Hubbard leads CBU with a .406 batting average, three doubles and five RBI. Connor McTeer has a .364 average with a double and one RBI while Garnett Reason-Kerkhoff has a .304 average with a double and two RBI. Ben Brocato has four RBI while Luke Wewers has driven in three.

CBU PROBABLE WEEKEND ROTATION: Blake Dallas (LHP) (3 GS | 0-2 | 5.00 ERA | 7 K | 11 BB | 12 R | 10 ER | 18.0 IP); Jonathan Baldelli (RHP) (14.2 IP | 5.52 ERA | 1-1 | 15 K | 9 BB | 12 R | 9 ER | 14 H);  Nick Myers (RHP) (15.1 IP | 0-2 | 8.80 ERA | 13 K | 2 BB | 15 R | 15 ER | 23 H).

WALK OFFS: A pair of walk-off wins highlighted the series sweep of visiting Lynn University last weekend at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field. Blake Wolferding's RBI single to left field scored Will Myers to give the Statesmen a 7-6 game one win. Tied 6-6 in the ninth, pinch hitter Landon Roberts blasted a singe off the wall in left field to give DSU a 7-6 win in the series finale.

GOING WITH TWO:  The Statesmen have scored 27 of their 69 runs scored with outs and have 21 two-out RBI. Hayden White leads with six two-out RBI and Wyatt Pratt has five two-out RBI. Blake Wolferding and Will Myers follow with two while Chad Ragland, Jake Barlow, Jared Cramer, CJ Estave, and Darek Sargent and have one apiece.  The Statesmen are hitting .308 (33-for-107 as a team with two outs.

SCHEDULE CHANGES:  After the two previous dates were rained out, Delta State and Arkansas Monticello have rescheduled for Wed., March 11 at 2 p.m. in Monticello, Ark.  The March 10th match up with Ouachita Baptist is a home game at 5 p.m. instead of a road game as previously published.

WELCOME HOME: Rodney Batts begins a new era for DSU baseball but is a very familiar face in the Statesmen dugout. Batts, who was an assistant coach under Mike Kinnison for 13 seasons, returns to his alma mater after five seasons at the helm of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College baseball program.  The Columbus, Miss., native was introduced as the 10th head coach on July 8, 2019, becoming just the fourth Statesmen head coach in the last 57 years.  Batts joins a distinguished list of former Statesmen to lead the program, including Don Ward, Bill Marchant, and Mike Kinnison. All three previous alumni head coaches led the program to at least one NCAA College World Series appearance. Batts, a former All-Gulf South Conference second baseman, played for former Statesmen skipper Bill Marchant during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, batting, .334 with 24 doubles, eight triples, 10 home runs, 86 RBIs and 39 stolen bases during his DSU career.

RETURNING STATESMEN: Delta State returns four starters in 2020. Jake Barlow (2B | Jr.), Darek Sargent (Sr. | SS), Hayden White (Jr. | 1B) and CJ Estave (Sr. | DH/C).  Estave led the Statesmen with a .324 batting average, just ahead of Barlow's .322. Estave finished with four doubles, three home runs and 23 RBIs in the designated hitter role. Sargent started 56 games at shortstop, earning GSC All-Tournament honors while batting .296 with 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 55 RBIs. White batted .302 with five doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs in 52 games, starting 32    $  $at first base. Senior Patrick Hodges had 16 starts at DH, hitting .296 with four doubles, one round-tripper and 12 RBIs.

ON THE BUMP: The Delta State pitching staff boasted the nation's lowest ERA at 2.56. Game one starter Hunter Riggins (RHP | Jr.) returns along with key bullpen arms Christian Day (Sr.| RHP), Patrick Hodges (RHP) tossed 18.1 innings in 10 relief outings, posting a  2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts against three walks while allowing five runs on 15 hits.  Senior Christian Day (RHP) made 13 appearances with one start, tallying 22 strikeouts against 17 walks over 26.2 innings.  Kris Peet had a 3.47 ERA in 10 relief appearances with 11 strikeouts, three walks and six runs allowed in 14 innings pitched.  Charlie Darnall (So. | RHP), Layne Tedder (Sr. | LHP), Matthew Sneed (Sr. | RHP), Bailey Hargrave (Sr. | RHP), Payton Griffin (Sr. | RHP) and Parker Caston (Jr. RHP) return after combining for 23.2 relief innings in 2019.