welcome home — sorta

Delta State is finally playing at home again, but the Statesmen can’t get too comfortable. Greeting DSU today in its first game at Ferriss Field in Cleveland since April 5 is West Florida, the No. 4 team in the country in NCAA Division II and the No. 1 team in the Gulf South Conference standings. DSU is seventh in the Collegiate Baseball poll and second in the GSC, a game back of West Florida. This three-game series (single game today at 6 p.m, doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.) will decide the regular season title. The Statesmen lead the all-time series 25-23. Yes, this should be good. DSU (32-9, 21-5 GSC) went 8-2 (with one cancellation) on its extended road trip. The Statesmen are 13-3 at Ferriss Field. They feature five of the top 10 hitters in the league, led by Will Robertson, No. 2 at .392. And their pitching is pretty good, too. P.S. William Carey qualified for next week’s Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament with a 12-7 win at Bethel on Thursday. J.C. Cassidy led Carey with a 4-for-4 effort, including a home run and four RBIs. The Crusaders are 30-23, 16-12 SSAC.