CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team returns to the Gulf South Conference Tournament for the first time in 21 years in its first, full season back in Division II. The No. 7 seed Choctaws are set to face No. 2 seed West Alabama on the opening day of "pool play". First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE
Stats | Video | Audio

THE SERIES

• Mississippi College and West Alabama meet for the 50th time on Saturday with the Tigers leading the series with a 32-17 mark.
• Saturday's meeting against West Alabama is the fourth of the season after the Tigers slipped past MC with three, consecutive walk-off wins in Livingston. The opening day affair of the conference tournament also marks the fifth meeting between the two schools in GSC Tournament play with the last meeting in 1986 in Clinton.

 
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE NOTES

• MC has won 18 of its last 26 games entering the conference tournament for the first time since 1996. The Navy and Gold opened the season 2-17 and 0-9 in GSC play before going rattling off GSC series wins over Union (2-0), Christian Brothers (2-1), West Georgia (3-0) and Valdosta State (3-0).
• Four Choctaws were named to the All-GSC Teams on Tuesday afternoon by the conference office. Hunter Wilson and Grant Barber were tabbed to the All-GSC First Team while Casey Echols and Kyle Smith grabbed All-GSC Second Team laurels. The quartet marks the first All-GSC selections since Ray Hagar, Chris Tipton, Brandon Gray and Scott Herrington were the last Choctaws to be named to the All-GSC team. MC's last all-conference performers were Brooks Fortenberry, Robbie Jernigan, Blake Mcilwain and Spencer Wilson, who were named to the 2014 All-American Southwest Conference.
• Mississippi College clinched its first berth and the No. 7 seed in the GSC Tournament since 1996 with a 10-3 win over in-state foe and then third-ranked Delta State on Friday, Apr. 28. Blaine Crim led the offensive charge for the Choctaws going 5-for-5, including three doubles and 5 RBI en route to becoming the GSC Player of the Week. The Mobile, Ala., sophomore finished the series hitting .900 with nine hits, a walk and five 5 RBI.
• Four Choctaws are hitting over .333 this season led by Crim's .356 clip. Smith ranks second on the team with a .353 while Wilson is batting .346. Echols closes out the quartet with a .335 average at the dish.
• Hunter Mullis leads the MC pitching staff with 56 strikeouts, a 4.12 ERA and four wins on the season. The junior has tossed 54.2 frames, which ranks third on the team. Tim Holloway ranks second on the team in strikeouts with 45 in 45.1 innings. Zack Ingram has totaled the most innings on the bump with 66.2 and is tied with Mullis for most wins.
• The Choctaws are making their third GSC Tournament appearance in Cleveland, Miss., this weekend. MC's last GSC Tournament appearance was in Cleveland in 1996 with a prior visit coming in 1986, the Navy and Gold's first berth in the GSC Tournament.
• This weekend's tournament action marks the first time Mississippi College has played at a neutral site this season. MC's last neutral site outings came last season when the Choctaws took two of three from North Greenville University in Hoover, Ala., at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Feb. 12-13.

TOURNAMENT INFO

• Tickets to the event will include a day pass for adults ($10) and youth (6-17)/students ($5) with a valid school-issued ID, and an All-Tournament pass for adults ($30) and youth (6-17)/students ($15) with a valid school-issued ID. Tickets go on sale Monday, May 1 at 9 a.m. at the Chadwick-Dickson Fieldhouse or online at GoStatesmen.com.
• Everyone attending the tournament must purchase a ticket, including fans planning on watching the game from one of DSU's outfield deck areas.
• Live video and statistics will be provided for each game of the tournament, including Tuesday's championship finale. Broadcasts will begin 10 minutes before first pitch.