pitching in

Delta State’s hot start with the bats had grabbed a lot of attention, but it was pitching that carried the Statesmen in their first Gulf South Conference series of the year. DSU allowed just eight runs in taking two of three at Alabama-Huntsville over the weekend, a performance punctuated by Aaron Newcomb’s five-hit, 12-strikeout effort in Sunday’s third game. Newcomb, a senior right-hander, is 3-0. He took a 1.38 ERA into Sunday’s game, and the only run he yielded in nine innings of the 5-1 win was unearned. The nationally ranked NCAA Division II Statesmen are 10-2 heading into a two-game set at Arkansas Tech on Tuesday and Wednesday.
P.S. Mitch Moreland homered in his second at-bat of the spring on Sunday. “The wrist is good,” the Mississippi State product told mlb.com. Moreland had wrist surgery in the off-season after struggling down the stretch for the Texas Rangers in 2011. The lefty-hitting first baseman has 25 homers in 181 major league games and is a .258 hitter with a good glove. Still, the Rangers looked into signing Prince Fielder. … Hinds Community College has moved to 12-2.