right at home

What do you take to a housewarming? Delta State’s players brought a handful of home runs and a little bit of pitching to newly refurbished Ferriss Field (Harvey Stadium) in Cleveland on Saturday, and an announced crowd of 881 brought some atmosphere. When the party was over, Statesmen baseball had settled in nicely with a doubleheader sweep of Harding. Ethan Gill blasted two homers for DSU, and Will Robertson and Colton Welch added one each. Juco transfer Dalton Moats didn’t pitch great in the season opener but did notch the win in an 11-5 romp. Tre Hobbs, another transfer (from Mississippi Delta Community College), was outstanding in Game 2, allowing one run and fanning six in 5 2/3 innings of a 2-1 victory. All in all, it was a good start for DSU, which ended the 2015 season a little short of its annual goal, which is an NCAA Division II regional appearance. The Statesmen went 25-18 last year, finishing with a loss in the Gulf South Conference Tournament title round. The new digs might provide some inspiration this season, though winning at Ferriss Field has never been a problem for DSU, which went 11-2 there in 2015.