GSC ALL-DECADE TEAM

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Delta State University's Mike Kinnison and Zack Shannon headlined the Gulf South Conference Baseball All-Decade team as the Coach and Player of the Decade on Tuesday, July 14, 2020.

Overall, 10 Statesmen are scattered throughout the GSC All-Decade First and Second Teams and Honorable Mention list. Shannon is joined on the first team by Trent Giambrone (2B), Will Robertson (OF) and Tre Hobbs (P).

Clay Casey (OF), Jordan Chovanec (OF), Michael Vinson (OF), Seth Birdsong (P) and Josh Branstetter (P) garnered second team honors while designated hitter/outfielder Ben Kingsley was an honorable mention selection.

   Kinnison stepped away after 23 seasons as head baseball coach to become Delta State's sixth Director of Athletics following the 2019 season. Since 1997, Kinnison, a 2010 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee, accomplished a career record of 981-313-2 (.756). His all-time career record, including high school, is an astounding 1,271-396-2 (.762). Kinnison averaged 42 wins per season and posted 40-plus wins in a season 15 times. He also amassed five 50-win seasons.

In his 23 seasons at the helm, Kinnison guided the Statesmen to the 2004 NCAA Division II national title, six College World Series appearances (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2017), 15 NCAA Regional appearances (1999-2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), 11 GSC Western Division titles (1997-2005, 2007-2008), six NCAA South/South Central Regional championships and eight GSC titles (2019, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2003, 2000). In 2004, he earned the ABCA "National Coach of the Year" award after leading the Statesmen to the program's first-ever NCAA Division II National Champi­onship. He was also named GSC Coach of the Year honor nine times and was named back-to-back COY three times in his career. The 23-year veteran previously won COY honors in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2017.

Kinnison has also coached three American Baseball Coaches Association National Players of the Year, as Dee Haynes (2000), Jud Thigpen (2004) and two-time recipient Zack Shannon (2017, 2018) earned the honor.

Shannon finished his career with a school record .420 batting average, going 177-for-421. He had 26 doubles, two triples and 50 home runs while driving in 181 runs with 359 total bases. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native ranks second on DSU's career home runs list and fourth all-time in the GSC while his 181 RBIs rank sixth. Shannon finished with a GSC career record .853 slugging percentage while playing and starting in 110 career games.  

Shannon's Career honors include: 2018 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, NCBWA, D2CCA National POY, Perfect Game National POY, ABCA, NCBWA, D2CCA All-American 1st-Team , ABCA, NCBWA, D2CCA So. Region POY, ABCA, NCBWA, D2CCA All-So. Region 1st-Team, GSC Player of the Week (5x), GSC POY, All-GSC 1st-Team, C-Spire Ferriss Trophy Finalist, 2017 Tino Martinez Award (DII MOP), ABCA, NCBWA, D2CCA National POY, NCBWA, ABCA, D2CCA All-American 1st-Team, Perfect Game National Player of the Year, NCAA So. Region All-Tournament, NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA So. Region POY, NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA All-So. Region 1st-Team, GSC All-Tournament Team (MOP), GSC POY, All-GSC 1st-Team, C-Spire Ferriss Trophy Finalist.


  Giambrone played in 100 games with 95 starts at second base. The Metairie, La., native hit .351 (132-for-376) with 92 runs scored, 132 hits, 28 doubles, two triples, 12 round trippers and 74 RBI. Giambrone was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2016, spending the 2019 season with Triple-A Iowa. 

Giambrone's career honors include: 2016 ABCA/Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year; ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Second Base; GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player; GSC All-Tournament; All-GSC First Team; NCBWA All-American Honorable Mention; NCBWA All-South Region First Team; D2CCA All-South Region Second Team; ABCA All-South Region First-Team; 2015 GSC All-Tournament.

Robertson played in 103 games that included 101 starts in the outfield for the Statesmen. Robertson finished his career with a .394 batting average (153-for-388) with 89 runs scored, 153 hits, 34 doubles, one triple, eight homer runs and 107 RBI. The Falkner, Miss., also had a .455 on base percentage, a.549 slugging percentage and field .986. 

Robertson's career honors include: 2016 ABCA All-American Second-Team; D2CCA All-American Second-Team; NCBWA All-American Third-Team; ABCA All-South Region First-Team; NCBWA All-South Region First Team; D2CCA All-South Region First Team; All-GSC First Team; 2014 ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region First Team; GSC All-Tournament Team; All-GSC Second Team.


  Hobbs made 32 appearances, all starts, tossing 15 complete games with four shutouts. He finished with a 22-6 record and a 3.71 ERA along with 162 strike­outs against 55 walks in 199.0 innings pitched. The Greenville, Miss., native ranks 10th in career wins (22), fifth in career shutouts (4); third with 15 career complete games.  

Hobbs' career honors include: 2017 NCAA DII College World Series All-Tournament; NCAA South Region All-Tournament Team; GSC All-Tournament Team; ABCA/Rawlings All-Ameri­can (Third Team); 2016 D2CCA All-American (Second Team); NCBWA All-American (Honorable Mention), NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Year' NCBWA All South Region First-Team; ABCA/Rawlings South Region Pitcher of the Year, ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region First-Team; D2CCA South Region Pitcher of the Year; NCAA All-South Region First-Team; GSC Pitcher of the Year; All-GSC First Team.


  Casey finished his Statesmen career with a .341 batting average (146.of-428) with 29 doubles, two triples, 35 home runs, and 132 RBI while slugging .664 with a .420 on base percentage. The Melbourne, Fla., product helped the Statesmen to the 2017 GSC and NCAA Division II South Region titles and a berth in the school's 12^th NCAA Division II College World series. His 35 career home runs stand alone in sixth at DSU.  

Casey's career honors include:  CoSIDA Academic All-American All-District Team; GSC Spring Academic Honor Roll (2x); 2018 NCBWA, Honorable Mention All-American; NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA All-South Region First Team; All-GSC First Team; GSC All-Tournament; 2016 NCBWA, D2CCA All-American Third Team; NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA All-So. Region First Team, All-GSC First Team.


  Chovanec played in 200 games with 166 starts, hitting .341 (223 for- 654) with 170 runs scored 30 doubles, 11 triples, five home runs and 94 RBI. The Inez, Texas had a .432 career on base percentage and a .443 slugging percentage while fielding, .991.

Chovanec's career accolades include: 2014 NCBWA All-South Region Second Team; ABCA/Rawlings All South Region Gold Glove Team; ABCA/Rawlings All South Region First Team; 2014 GSC Baseball Preseason Team; Daktronics Baseball All-South Region Second Team; All-GSC First Team; 2013 Capital One Academic All-American Second Team; CoSIDA Academic All-District Region Team, Daktronics All-South Region Second Team; NCBWA All-South Region Honorable Mention; CoSIDA Academic All-District Team; Daktronics All-South Region Second Team; GSC Tournament Most Valuable Player; All-GSC First Team.


Vinson played in 215 games with 208 starts in the outfield. The Southaven, Miss., product batted .333 (247-for-742) with 158 runs scored, 247 hits, 48 doubles, five triples, 12 home runs and 168 RBI. Vinson finished with a.432 on base percentage, a, .974 fielding percentage and a .460 slugging percentage.  In 2012 (Junior) Vinson help guide Statesmen to 12th Gulf South Conference championship, 11th NCAA South Region title and a NCAA DII College World Series runner-up finish.

Vinson's career honors include: 2013 Named to the All-Gulf South Conference First Team; DSU as the NCAA DII national runner-up; ABCA Third Team All-American; ABCA First Team All-South Region; Daktronics First Team All-South Region; 2012 GSC, NCAA South Region and NCAA College World Series All-Tournament Teams.


  Birdsong posted a 19-2 record with a 3.47 ERA while tallying 166 strikeouts against 58 walks over 202.1 innings pitched during his Statesmen career. The Brownsville, Tenn., native's 19 career wins rank in the top 15 on the DSU career wins list. Birdsong was instrumental in helping the Statesmen captured the 2017 GSC Regular Season and Tournament Championships along with the schools 12th NCAA Division II Region Championship and 12th NCAA Division II World Series appearance.

Birdsong's career honors include: 2018 D2CCA All-South Region Second Team; All-GSC First Team; 2017 D2CCA All-South Region First Team; NCBWA All-South Second Team Region; All-GSC First Team;



Branstetter helped guide the Statesmen to their 12th Gulf South Conference championship, 11th NCAA South Region title and a NCAA Division II national runner-up finish. The Pensacola, Fla., native made 52 appearances with 47 starts on the mound, posting 2.82 career ERA and a 26-10 record. He had 13 complete games with three shutouts. He tossed 332 innings yielding 310 hits, 141 runs, 104, earned runs with 267 strikeouts against 64 walks.

Branstetter's career accolades: 2013 Finalist for the CSpire Ferriss Trophy for the top college baseball player in the state of Mississippi; NCBWA All-America Honorable Mention; NCBWA All-South Region First Team; Daktronics All-South Region First Team; GSC All-Tournament, All-GSC First Team; 2012 All-GSC and Second Team ABCA All-Region;

  Kingsley helped lead the Statesmen to their 12th Gulf South Conference championship, 11th NCAA South Region title and an NCAA Division II runner-up finish in 2012. The Mantachie, Miss., native finished his career with a .342 batting average while playing in 117 games with 115 starts at designated hitter. Kingsley scored 90 runs and had 156 hits in 456 at bats while recording, 31 double, three triples, nine home runs and 108 RBI.

Kingsley's career honors include: 2013 ABCA/Rawlings' All-American Second Team, NCBWA All-America Second Team; NCBWA All-South Region First Team; Daktronics All-South Region Second Team; All-GSC First Team; 2012 GSC All-Tournament Team;