Tag Archives: Delta State

23 Mar

runs-apalooza

It’s officially spring, and runs are in bloom in college ballparks all over the place. At Columbia, Mo., Ole Miss belted six homers Saturday to overpower Missouri 17-10 in Game 2 of their SEC series. The Rebels (17-5, 3-2) have 46 homers on the season; seven players have four or more, led by Judd Utermark with nine. … At Wilberforce, Ohio, Rust College’s Shamaar Stapleton, an Olive Branch native, had a day: 5-for-6 with nine RBIs in a 27-7 win Saturday that completed a three-game sweep of the HBCUAC series. … In Hattiesburg, William Carey’s array of mashers put up 57 runs in a three-game sweep of Mobile. Josh Alexander drove in 11 runs and Rigoberto Hernandez 10 for the NAIA No. 8 Crusaders, 26-4 (16-2 SSAC) with 12 straight wins. … At Clinton, Mississippi College scored 37 times in a series sweep of Trevecca Nazarene. J.T. Vance went 6-for-13 with a homer, five RBIs and four runs on the weekend for the Choctaws (21-9, 13-5 GSC). Of note: MC coach Jeremy Haworth notched his 300th career victory. … In Jackson, Millsaps (16-5, 4-2 SAA) clinched its series victory over Hendrix with a five-run sixth inning in an 11-10, seven-inning win in Game 2 of a Saturday twinbill. E.J. Ousley drove in three runs and scored the go-ahead tally in that rubber game. … Mississippi State (15-8, 1-4 SEC) was on the short end of a 13-11 game at Oklahoma; the Bulldogs got two homers from Ace Reese and another from Hunter Hines (No. 58 career) but couldn’t hold a late lead. … At Goodman, No. 1-ranked Pearl River Community College swept No. 24 Holmes CC 16-1 and 10-3 in a big juco showdown. The Wildcats (25-5, 5-1 MACCC) blasted four homers on the day, and Jaxon Milam went 4-for-6 with a homer, three RBIs and five runs. P.S. Something completely different: Run prevention was the story for Delta State, which swept a Gulf South series at West Alabama, getting shutouts from the amazing Drake Fontenot (7-0, 0.64) and Logan Eldridge (3-2, 5.88) in Games 1 and 3. The Statesmen, ranked 10th in NCAA Division II, are 22-7 and 15-3 GSC.

14 Mar

hot spots

Big weekend in the Magnolia State. Where to start? Conference play begins for the NCAA Division I schools, and there are Top 25 SEC matchups in Oxford (Arkansas at Ole Miss) and Starkville (Texas at Mississippi State). In Hattiesburg, Southern Miss, also nationally ranked in various polls, welcomes Old Dominion to launch Sun Belt play. Not to be overlooked by any means is Valdosta State-Delta State in Cleveland. DSU, 17-5 and ranked 12th nationally in Division II, leads the Gulf South Conference with a 10-2 mark, and the visiting Blazers are a tick behind at 9-2. Senior right-hander Drake Fontenot, the Statesmen’s No. 1 starter, has not allowed a run in his last four starts. The reigning D-II South Region and GSC pitcher of the week, the 6-foot-5 Louisiana native is 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA, 46 strikeouts and seven walks in 39 2/3 innings. He’ll face a Valdosta lineup that includes the GSC’s leading hitter, Marcus Sevillano (.466), and top RBI man, Orlando Pena (32 with seven homers). Brett Burrell paces the Statesmen’s attack at .465 with five homers and 30 RBIs. DSU is unbeaten (10-0) at Ferriss Field. Of note: Mississippi College, which has won eight straight and climbed into the D-II South Region rankings at No. 8, travels to Cleveland, Tenn., to meet Lee University in a GSC series. MC is 15-8, 8-4 in the league. P.S. In the jucos, Holmes Community College, Jones College and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC all opened MACCC play this week with doubleheader sweeps. Holmes, ranked No. 24 in NJCAA D-II, is 19-4 overall and 16-1 in Goodman. The Bulldogs travel to Copiah-Lincoln (17-10, 1-1) today. Former Brandon High star Xavier Myles has sparked Holmes at the plate, batting .389 with five homers, 29 RBIs and seven steals — top 10 in the MACCC in each category. … No. 2-ranked Pearl River (20-4 with eight straight wins) opens league play Sunday vs. Northwest in Poplarville.

12 Mar

crooked numbers

Here’s a cool statistical oddity from Tuesday night on the Mississippi college scene: Delta State pounded Arkansas-Monticello 20-11 as three different players — Brett Burrell, Bo Rock and Brendan McCauley — got three hits with a home run and drove in five runs. The Statesmen, ranked 13th in the latest NCBWA NCAA Division II poll, improved to 17-5. … DSU put up an eight-run inning, but Jackson State did the Statesmen one better, scoring nine in the first inning of a 15-3 win against visiting Tougaloo. Arjun Huerta drove in three of the nine runs. JSU, heading into SWAC play this weekend, moved to 11-3 with a twinbill sweep of the Bulldogs. … Mississippi State (12-4), ranked No. 22 by Baseball America, beat Old Dominion 9-4 at Biloxi’s Keesler Federal Park. The Bulldogs hit six doubles, drew six walks and used six pitchers to overthrow the Monarchs. State will play Nicholls State in Biloxi today, then welcomes No. 9 Texas to Starkville to begin SEC play this weekend. … Mississippi College (14-8) won its seventh straight game, beating Ouachita Baptist 10-0 on the road. The Choctaws, who had a seven-run inning, were sparked by Korey Cooper, who drove in four runs, and got a combo four-hitter from five pitchers. … Belhaven University rallied from 4-1 down to beat MUW 5-4 at Trustmark Park in Pearl. Trey Fletterich drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth for the Blazers (10-5). MUW slipped to 3-9. … Josh Alexander doubled and tripled and knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as William Carey University won at West Alabama 4-2. Carey, ranked 12th in NAIA, is 19-4.

27 Feb

heat check

Something’s burning in Cleveland. And in Hattiesburg. And Goodman, too. Red-hot Delta State has racked up 11 straight wins, boosting its record to 12-3 and its ranking to No. 19 in the NCBWA’s NCAA Division II poll. William Carey University (13-6) has reeled off six straight victories, and Holmes Community College (12-3) is on a five-game tear. DSU’s Statesmen take a 6-0 Gulf South Conference record into this weekend’s league series at West Florida. Drake Fontenot is the BMOC in Cleveland at the moment, having won back-to-back GSC pitcher of the week honors. The senior right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in four starts. Josh Hill has chipped in with six saves in seven appearances. At the plate, Brett Burrell is batting .500 with four home runs and 18 RBIs. Jacob Hill is batting .367 with 18 runs, and Dylan Coleman is at .309 with three homers and 18 RBIs. In the Hub City, Carey is 5-1 in SSAC heading into a league series at Tennessee Southern. On Tuesday, Cory Cook (1-0) fired a seven-inning no-hitter against John Melvin U. in Game 2 of a twinbill after the Crusaders torched the visitors for 17 runs in the opener. Bridley Thomas has been hot stuff in Carey’s attack with a .404 average and 21 steals. Preston Ratliff has provided power with four homers and 20 RBIs, and Josh Alexander has four homers among his 10 hits. On the bump, Matthew Davis is 3-0 with a 1.85. In Goodman, Holmes CC’s hot start has been fueled by Hunter Azemar (four homers, 17 RBIs), Amari Conley (.394) and John Paul Buckner (2-0, 2.08, 22 K’s in 13 innings).

20 Feb

just wondering …

Here are nine questions regarding Mississippians in MLB spring training camps:
Will Jake Mangum — a .296 career hitter in the minors — earn a spot on Tampa Bay’s roster and make his long-awaited big league debut?
Can Brandon Woodruff — 46-26, 3.10 career — reclaim his pre-injury form for Milwaukee after missing the ’24 season?
How will Colt Keith handle the sophomore jinx and the move from second base to first in Detroit?
Can Hunter Renfroe — .229 and 15 homers in 2024 — be a productive power bat for Kansas City?
What will 2024 All-Star Garrett Crochet — 3.58 ERA, 209 strikeouts — do for an encore after moving from lowly Chicago to Boston?
Can Hurston Waldrep, after a disappointing 2024 trial in Atlanta, be an impact arm for the Braves this season?
Does Brent Rooker, now armed with a fat contract, have another 30-homer season in him for the (Sacramento) A’s?
Is Doug Nikhazy — 7-4, 2.98 in the high minors in 2024 — ready to break through in Cleveland?
Can Tim Anderson, the fallen All-Star, carve out a role at shortstop or the outfield for the Los Angeles Angels?
P.S. Justin Steele, the ex-George County High standout from Lucedale, reportedly will be the Chicago Cubs’ starter in the second game of next month’s Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Steele, a 2023 All-Star, went 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts last season. The season-opening Japan series is set for March 18-19. … Samil De La Rosa, a 5-foot-8 Dominican infielder, has signed with the Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new independent club. De La Rosa, 21, played four years in the rookie-level minors in the St. Louis and Atlanta systems from 2021-24. … Delta State, 8-3 with seven straight wins, is ranked No. 20 in the new NCBWA Division II poll, the first time the Statesmen have cracked the Top 25 in that poll in almost three years, per a school release. DSU swept three from then-nationally ranked Lee last weekend and beat Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday.

15 Feb

pitching in

This one goes out to the ones who pitch. A boatload of state college pitchers showed no love for hitters on Valentine’s Day. Yes, Mississippi State scored 30 runs in a doubleheader demolition of Manhattan on Friday, but not to be overlooked are the mound efforts of starters Pico Kohn (no runs, one hit, 11 strikeouts in five innings) and Karson Ligon (one run, eight K’s in four innings). The visiting Jaspers scored just four runs on the day. For Southern Miss, in a 9-2 victory against visiting Lafayette, J.B. Middleton delivered six scoreless innings. Ole Miss took down nationally ranked Arizona 2-1 as Hunter Elliott, looking like his old self, threw five shutout innings at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Delta State’s Drake Fontenot and Dylan Farley combined for 13 shutout innings in the streaking Statesmen’s 6-0 and 3-0 sweep of Lee University to open Gulf South play. Fontenot punched out 11 in seven innings. Mississippi College beat GSC foe West Georgia 3-1 as Caleb Peterson held the Red Wolves to one earned run over five innings. Andrew Shirah went 7 1/3 innings (two earned runs) for William Carey in a 9-2 win at Abraham Baldwin AC. Shirah is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA for the 6-2 Crusaders and has won 21 games in his three seasons at WCU. At Trustmark Park in Pearl, Belhaven opened its season with a 7-3 win against Mount Saint Mary and with Colton Sylvester limiting the New York-based visitors to a lone earned run over six innings. And Millsaps beat Edgewood 10-4 as Nick Tarantino allowed one earned run with nine K’s in five innings.

11 Feb

small world

Home cooking was just what Delta State seemed to need. After a 1-3 start on the road, the NCAA Division II Statesmen returned to Ferriss Field in Cleveland and outscored Spring Hill 37-17 in a three-game sweep last weekend. Preseason All-Gulf South Conference pick Dylan Coleman has lived up to that billing, batting .467 with a homer, 10 RBIs and nine runs as DSU’s offensive leader. Jacob Hill is at .409 and Dylan Bundy at .346. More good news for the Statesmen: They start GSC play at home this weekend against Lee University. Lee is 5-2, having played only home games. … Mississippi College climbed over .500 on Monday with a 13-1 rout of Blue Mountain Christian in a small-college matchup at Frierson Field in Clinton. Jordan Evans went 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs for the Choctaws (4-3). Six MC pitchers combined on an eight-hitter and hung an 0-for-4 collar on BMC’s Hayden Redding, who came in batting .444 with three homers, eight RBIs and 10 runs for the now 5-4 Toppers. MC starts GSC play at home this weekend against West Georgia. … In a D-III matchup, Millsaps College beat MUW 14-1 on Monday in Jackson as E.J. Ousley drove in five runs for the Majors (1-0). … Bridley Thomas of William Carey University is 12-for-12 on steal attempts and is batting .381 with 13 runs. Carey (5-2) is ranked ninth in NAIA. … In the junior college ranks, Copiah-Lincoln Community College is 8-1 with eight straight wins, including a walk-off (on a Trey Davidson knock) on Sunday against St. Charles CC. Caleb Brooks is hitting .483 for the Wolves. … Hunter Azemar has belted four homers and driven in 13 runs to pace Holmes CC to a 7-1 start. … Meridian, ranked 20th in the NJCAA D-II preseason poll, is also 7-1. Brayden Martin is batting .360 with nine steals for the Eagles, and Connor Gehr is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in nine innings. P.S. Joe Gray Jr.’s long and winding road in pro ball has led the former Hattiesburg High star to Lake Country (Wisc.) in the independent American Association. Drafted in the second round by Milwaukee in 2018, Gray reached Double-A in the Brewers’ system in 2023 and again with Kansas City last year before being released. He played for three different Atlantic League teams after that, batting a combined .211.

31 Jan

and the beat goes on

There are great expectations at William Carey University this season. So … what else is new? The defending Southern States Athletic Conference champs, slated to open the 2025 season at home today against Pikeville, were picked preseason No. 1 in the league by the coaches and are ranked ninth in the NAIA preseason poll. “It’s always good to receive positive accolades with regard to our program,” said Carey coach Bobby Halford, who knows about positive accolades. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame last fall and is about to begin his 40th season at Carey with countless coach of the year awards and 1,337 wins on his ledger. The 2024 Crusaders, 37-16, reached the NAIA World Series for the second straight year and third time overall under Halford. The team welcomes back Jerod Williams (.299, 16 steals), Bridley Thomas (.284, 48 runs), two-way standout Preston Ratliff (.316, 2-2, 1 save), Luke Lycette (7-1, 4.04) and Andrew Shirah (8-5). They’ll launch the season with a three-game series at Wheeler Field in Hattiesburg against NAIA foe Pikeville (Ky.), 30-19 in 2024. The first SSAC series is Feb. 14 at Abraham Baldwin in Georgia. P.S. Blue Mountain Christian, pegged seventh in the SSAC poll, opens this weekend with two doubleheaders against William Woods (Mo.). Back for the Toppers (31-23 in ’24) is Carson Gault, who hit .359 with nine homers and 54 RBIs. … Rust College is slated to play today against Miles (Ala.) in the Ron Washington Classic in New Orleans. The Bearcats’ Ja’Shaun Franks (.376) was pegged as a first-team HBCU preseason elite by Black College Nines. Also today, NCAA Division II Delta State opens against Palm Beach Atlantic in Florida and fellow D-II Mississippi College takes on Arkansas-Monticello in the Houston Astros Winter Invitational.

24 Jan

one week out

Opening day is coming … it’s practically here. The major college season in the Magnolia State begins a week from today, on Jan. 31, when five teams take the field in various locations. NCAA Division II Delta State opens against Palm Beach Atlantic in Florida, and Mississippi College takes on Arkansas-Monticello in the Houston Astros Winter Invitational. Also on Jan. 31: NAIA William Carey University hosts Pikeville (Ky.), NAIA Blue Mountain Christian welcomes William Woods (Mo.) for a twinbill and NAIA Rust College plays Miles (Ala.) in the Ron Washington Classic in New Orleans. DSU, Carey and BMC are coming off strong seasons that ended in the postseason. The Statesmen, who finished 33-24, bowed out in the D-II South Regional. The team returns, among others, third-team All-America selection Dylan Coleman, a Madison native who batted .398 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs in 2024. Carey went 37-16 and reached the NAIA World Series. Again. The Crusaders welcome back, among others, coach Bobby Halford, the NAIA Hall of Famer who is about to embark on his 40th season at the Hattiesburg school. BMC enjoyed its best season, going 31-23, reaching the final of the SSAC Tournament (losing to Carey) and getting an NAIA regional invite. Elsewhere, NAIA Tougaloo hosts Southeastern Baptist of Laurel on Feb. 4. NCAA D-III Millsaps College opens at fellow D-III member MUW on Feb. 11, and D-III Belhaven University begins against Mount Saint Mary (N.Y.) on Feb. 14 at Pearl’s Trustmark Park. … The NCAA Division I schools start the 2025 season on Feb. 14. Southern Miss opens at home against Lafayette (Pa.); Mississippi State, ranked in some preseason polls, welcomes Manhattan; Ole Miss begins against Arizona in the Shriners Showdown round-robin in Arlington, Texas; Jackson State plays Grambling State in the Cactus Jack HBCU Classic round-robin in Houston; Mississippi Valley State hosts Western Illinois; and Alcorn State, under new coach Carlton Hardy, will also play Western Illinois in Itta Bena. P.S. Ex-Southern Miss standout Tyler Stuart has received a non-roster invite to Washington’s big league spring camp. He’s one to watch — and hard to miss: The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Stuart, the Nationals’ No. 19 prospect (per MLB Pipeline), was acquired from the New York Mets last summer in a deal for big leaguer Jesse Winker. Right-hander Stuart is 11-10 with a 3.31 ERA over three pro seasons; he was outstanding in Double-A the past two years but scuffled after the Nats promoted him to the Triple-A level.

22 Oct

minor matters

Though Jake Mangum’s numbers weren’t — for whatever reason — enough to rate a call to the big leagues, they were certainly good enough to rate a spot on the all-Mississippi minor league All-Star team for 2024. The Mississippi State product led the Triple-A International League in batting at .317 with six homers, 56 RBIs and 20 steals in the Tampa Bay system. Pencil Mangum in as one of the outfielders, joined by two other Tampa Bay farmhands: ex-MSU standout Colton Ledbetter (.273, 16 homers, 34 bags at the High-Class A level) and Southern Miss alum Matthew Etzel (.272, 11 homers, 66 RBIs and 45 steals at two levels, finishing in Double-A in the Rays’ chain after a trade from Baltimore). Behind the plate, former MSU standout Gavin Collins had a resurgent season at Triple-A Memphis (.264, nine homers, 35 RBIs) in the St. Louis organization. Former Ole Miss star Tim Elko is the pick at first base; he batted .289 with 18 homers and 73 RBIs between Double-A and Triple-A for the Chicago White Sox. At second base, it’s minor league vet Hunter Stovall, an MSU alum who hit .271 with seven homers and 41 RBIs for Colorado’s Triple-A club. The shortstop is rising star Cooper Pratt, the former Gatorade player of the year from Magnolia Heights who batted .277 with eight homers, 45 RBIs and 27 bags at two Class A levels in Milwaukee’s organization. (Pratt is likely to start 2025 at Double-A Biloxi.) R.J. Yeager, another former State standout, gets the nod at third base after batting .254 with 15 homers and 65 RBIs in Double-A in St. Louis’ system. Put ex-Mississippi College star Blaine Crim (.277, 20 homers, 86 RBIs for Texas’ Triple-A team) at DH. Justin Foscue, a former MSU standout who made the majors in 2024, would make a fine utility player; he hit .276 with nine homers in Triple-A for Texas in an injury-curtailed season. On the mound, Ole Miss alums Doug Nikhazy (7-4, 2.98 ERA, at Double-A and Triple-A for Cleveland) and Gunnar Hoglund (9-7, 3.44, in Double-A and Triple-A for Oakland) make for a fine lefty-righty combo. The closer: former MSU closer Landon Sims, who went 4-0 with nine holds, two saves, a 3.07 ERA and a bunch of punchouts at two A-ball levels in Arizona’s system. P.S. On the news front: Elko has been selected to the U.S. roster for the World Baseball Premier 12 tournament. Team USA begins play on Nov. 9 in Mexico. Also on the roster are former Mississippi Braves Drake Baldwin and Touki Toussaint, the latter an MLB veteran. … Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product Brandon Parker, who played for the M-Braves in 2024, has been released by Atlanta, and ex-USM standout Ben Ethridge (3.38 ERA in two A-ball seasons) was released by Minnesota. … Happy 45th birthday to Eli Whiteside, the New Albany native and Delta State alum who won a World Series ring as the backup catcher (to Buster Posey) with the 2010 San Francisco Giants.