CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team will take on the Lions of North Alabama in a three-game Gulf South Conference series this weekend in Florence,Ala. The Choctaws will play a double header with the Lions on Friday, March 23 beginning at 1:00 p.m., and a single game on Saturday March 24 at 1:00 p.m.
 
Live audio will be available for all three games this weekend at portal.stretchinternet.com/mc. Live stats will also be available for all three games in the series, with live video being available for game three on Saturday. Links to both can be found at portal.stretchinternet.com./una.
 

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STORY LINES AND NOTES
- Mississippi College (18-4, 8-3 GSC) heads up to Florence, Ala. for a crucial three-game Gulf South Conference series with the Lions of North Alabama (18-10, 8-4 GSC). The Choctaws currently sit tied for second in the GSC standings, while the Lions sit tied for third.
- In their most recent action, the Choctaws took down the Reddies of Henderson State University 7-3 on Tuesday, March 20.
- The Choctaws are hitting a GSC-best .330 as a team, highlighted by five players hitting above the .350 mark. Junior outfielder Luke Yancey paces the Choctaws with a .397 batting average. Senior right fielder Kyle Smith leads the Choctaws and sits tied for second in the GSC with 10 doubles, in addition to ranking among the GSC's best in on-base percentage (.514) and runs scored (28).
- On the mound, Chris Crosby (4-1) has posted a team-best 33 strikeouts in a team-high 39 innings pitched. The Saucier, Miss. native also paces the Choctaws with four wins on the season.
- Relievers Ryan Lane and Tommy Taborda have combined for five of the Choctaws seven saves on the season, with Lane accounting for three wins of out the bullpen. Lane also boasts a team-low 2.79 earned run average for the Choctaws in 2018.
- Brandon Kennedy and Christian Bellew both lead the Choctaws with nine appearances on the season. Kennedy also ranks atop the Choctaw pitching staff, with four wins in eight appearances out of the pen, and one start.
- The Choctaws checked in at number 21 in the most recent NCBWA, rankings, while coming in at number four in the south regional rankings compiled by the NCBWA. MC was also receiving votes in the most recent Collegiate Baseball national rankings.
- North Alabama is coming off of a 10-6 midweek win over Auburn Montgomery on Tuesday, March 20.
- The Lions are hitting .274 as a unit. Kyle Hubbuch leads the Lion offense with a team-best .391 batting average, to go along with team highs in runs (30), hits (36), doubles (4), triples (2), home runs (9) RBIs (28) and walks (27).
- Senior Tyler Joyner anchors a UNA staff that currently sports a 4.17 ERA. In a team-best 49.2 innings pitched, the senior right-hander has struck out a team-high 48 batters, recorded a GSC-best three shutouts, and notched a team-high four wins.
- Three Lions hold ERA's under three, with reliever Josh Stillman leading the Lions with a 2.37 ERA. Stillman's opponents' batting average of .175 also paces the Lions.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and started competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.