party on

Delta State, which hasn’t played a game yet, is already in a celebratory mood. This season marks the 10th anniversary of the Statesmen’s NCAA Division II national championship campaign. Of course, DSU may have plenty of other things to celebrate. The Statesmen, who open Friday at Palm Beach Atlantic in West Palm Beach, Fla., are a consensus top 10 team in the D-II preseason polls. Coach Mike Kinnison (747 wins in 17 years) has five preseason All-Gulf South Conference players on his roster. That group includes preseason All-Americans Jordan Chovenac (.333, 64 runs, 20 stolen bases) and Michael Manley (9-0, 1.93 ERA). Also back are pitchers Ricky Winters (5-0, 3.93) and Taylor Stark (3-0, five saves) and second baseman Kasey Hinton (.331). DSU went 44-11-1 in 2013, won the GSC regular season title and made the NCAAs. This team appears capable of similar accomplishments, and that 10th anniversary buzz certainly won’t hurt. P.S. The state’s junior colleges also start this weekend, with defending MACJC champion East Central Community College opening Saturday against Pensacola JC in Decatur. The Warriors went 32-21 last year but lost star shortstop Tim Anderson to the MLB draft. Two Mississippi schools are ranked in the NJCAA Division II preseason Top 20: Northwest (31-18) at No. 14 and Northeast (30-18) at No. 20. Defending South Division champion Pearl River, 41-14 in 2013, didn’t make the poll. … The best player in the league might be East Mississippi sophomore outfielder LeDarious Clark, a former two-sport (baseball/football) star at Southeast Lauderdale High. Clark is rated the No. 40 juco draft prospect by Sporting News. Also on that chart is former Northwest Rankin outfielder Daniel Sweet, No. 27, now playing at Polk State JC in Florida.