GAME NOTES
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- After dropping all three games last weekend, the Delta State University Lady Statesmen Softball team returns home this weekend for their third Gulf South Conference series. It will be the second series at University Field for the Lady Statesmen. The Green and White are 2-1 at home this year. DSU will now have faced the top three ranked teams in the GSC preseason poll in the first four weekends of conference play.
OPPONENTS: Auburn Montgomery is in their first season of full NCAA Division II eligibility. The Warhawks were a traditional NAIA powerhouse and won the NAIA national championship in both 2014 and 2015. In their three seasons of NCAA DIvision II play they have gone 97-46. Last year they finished the 2019 season with a 43-12 record and went 20-9 in GSC play. They had the third best record in conference last season. AUM is led by Molly Cobb at the plate this year. In 41 at bats, she has 22 hits and 18 RBI while hitting a GSC best .537. Kendall Tucker has 14 hits and 22 RBI for the Warhawks as well. She is second in the GSC in RBI. Alanna Goble has ten starts in the circle for AUM and has a 5-2 record. She has recorded 61 strikeouts which is fourth best in the GSC. She has only allowed 13 runs in 49 innings with eight of those being earned. As a team, AUM is second best in the GSC with a .331 batting average and they are the best in strikeouts with only 50. Their team ERA of 2.20 is fourth best in the Gulf South. They have only given up 42 runs with 32 of those earned so far this year.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT FOR LADY STATESMEN: Haley Simpson leads the newcomers in batting average at .267 so far this year. She has 12 hits with four of them being extra base hits. Jenny Griggers has 11 hits and two homeruns this season. Callie Newman has added nine hits this season as well and she has a team high two triples.
IN THE CIRCLE: Olivia Burns leads the Lady Statesmen with a 3.85 ERA. She has five complete games and has thrown 63.2 innings. She has struck out 36 and has given up 72 hits. Emily Baker has thrown 20 innings this year and has 16 strikeouts. In 11 appearances, she has a record of 2-2 with one start.
EXPERIENCE IN THE INFIELD: Kailyn Lofton had the best weekend for DSU against UWF. She had two hits in seven at bats and had one RBI. She also had five putouts and seven assists with no errors at shortstop. Taylor Picou continues to lead the Lady Statesmen with a .370 batting average. She has 17 hits, three doubles, and three homeruns for seven RBI.
UPCOMING: The Lady Statesmen host their first midweek game this season as they welcome the University of Arkansas Monticello on Tuesday, March 10 at 1 and 3 p.m.
