CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team will wrap up their regular-season slate this weekend in Cleveland, Miss. when they take on in-state rival Delta State University in a three-game Gulf South Conference series. The series will begin with a double-header on Saturday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m., and conclude with a single game on Sunday, April 29 at 2:00 p.m.
 
MC will provide live audio for all three games at portal.stretchinternet.com/mc, while live stats and streaming video will be available for the series through Delta State's athletic website.
 

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STORY LINES AND NOTES
The Choctaws (28-13, 17-8 GSC) come into the contest sitting in fourth place in the GSC standings, trailing Montevallo and West Florida in second place by just a half game.
 
In their most recent contest, the Choctaws fell 5-2 to the Muleriders of Southern Arkansas on Tuesday, April 24 in Magnolia, Ark.
 
 As a team, MC is hitting .315, led by Blaine Crim's batting average of .370. Crim also leads the Choctaws in hits, (60), home runs (9) and runs batted in (48), all marks that rank among the top-10 in the conference.
 
Kyle Smith leads the Choctaws and ranks 5th in the GSC in runs scored (45), while also ranking in the top five in the conference in doubles (14) and on base percentage (.490).
 
On the mound, reigning GSC and NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Week Zack Ingram's 3.16 earned run average paces the Choctaws, who bring a team ERA of 4.46 into the weekend. Ingram struck out a career-high nine batters in eight innings of work in a 6-2 victory over West Alabama in his most recent outing this past weekend.
 
Chris Crosby and Hunter Mullis both have notched a team-high five wins on the season, while Crosby has struck out a team-high 68 batters in a team-high 70 innings pitched.
 
Reliever Brandon Kennedy has been one of the Choctaws most reliable options out of the bullpen in their most recent action. In his last three appearances, Kennedy has allowed just four hits and given up no runs over 5.2 innings pitched.
 
Closer Ryan Lane (3-2) leads the MC bullpen and currently ranks third in the GSC with five saves. The junior right-hander has not allowed a hit in his last three relief appearances.
 
The Choctaws checked in at number eight in the first NCAA South Regional Rankings, while holding down the number nine spot in the NCBWA South Regional Rankings.
 
The Statesmen (36-7, 21-4 GSC) head into the series having clinched first place in the GSC regular-season standings, and the rights to host the GSC Postseason Tournament for a second-consecutive year.
 
Delta State checked in at number seven in the most recent NCBWA national rankings, while coming in at number two in the south regional rankings compiled by the NCBWA.  The Statesmen reached number three in the Collegiate Baseball National Rankings, while checking in at number three in the first NCAA South Regional Rankings.
 
The Statesmen are hitting a GSC-best .340, led by reigning GSC player of the year Zack Shannon's average of .439. Shannon leads the GSC in a bevy of offensive categories, including home runs (27), RBIs (80) and runs scored (68).
 
The Statesmen hold a team-ERA of 4.97 through 43 games. Starting pitcher Seth Birdsong leads the Statesmen in wins (8) strikeouts (63) and innings pitched (74). Relievers Hunter Riggins and Peyton White both lead the Statesmen with four saves apiece.
 

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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 601-925-3234or nichols@mc.edu.