CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team returns to Gulf South Conference play this weekend as the Choctaws travel to Livingston, Ala., to face the University of West Alabama. The series is slated to begin on Friday, April 19 with a 6 p.m. start. Saturday's doubleheader is marked for 1 p.m.

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West Alabama (Roster | Schedule | Statistics)

April 19 • 6 p.m. | April 20 • 1 p.m.

Livingston, Ala. | Tartt Field

Statistics | Video | Audio | In-Game Updates

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THE SERIES
• The series with West Alabama is one of the longest in Mississippi College history with 85 total meetings. UWA leads with a record of 61-24 and a 30-10 mark in Livingston. The Choctaws won three of the four meetings last season, including an 11-1 victory over the Red and White in the GSC Tournament in Cleveland, Miss.
 
CHOCTAWS VS. THE YELLOWHAMMER STATE
• West Alabama becomes the fourth opponent from the State of Alabama this season for the Choctaws this season. Mississippi College holds a 5-2 record against the opposition from the Yellowhammer State this season, including a sweep against Montevallo and a series win at Auburn-Montgomery. Miles is the only non-GSC, Alabama institution on the schedule this season for the Navy and Gold.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• West Alabama enters the weekend slate riding a three-game losing streak after getting swept at Delta State last weekend. The Tigers sport a 22-15 overall record and 9-13 in the GSC.
• UWA is hitting .278 as a team this season with three Tigers batting .300 or better this season. The team ranks fifth in the GSC in batting average and is ninth in RBI with 194.
• West Alabama sits seventh in the conference with a 5.05 ERA. The Red and White have totaled 290 strikeouts in 305 innings this season with opponents hitting .287 against them.
• Trevor Smeeton leads the team in hits (50) and is second in batting average with a .345 clip. Gavin Rogers leads the team with a .347 batting average on the season. Taylor Clemmons leads the team with 34 RBI.
• Cole Waites leads the Tigers' pitching staff with 100 strikeouts and 3.71 ERA. Waites is 3-3 on the campaign this season, which ranks third in wins. Nick Rathke and Peyton Warren lead the team with four wins.
• The Tigers have three GSC Championships with the most recent coming in 2015. UWA also won the crown in 1992 and 2005.
• Formerly known as Livingston State College and Livingston University, the school changed its name to the University of West Alabama in 1995.
 
HAWORTH VS. WEST ALABAMA
• Mississippi College head coach Jeremy Haworth is 3-8 against West Alabama in his career. All 11 meetings have come during his time in Clinton.
 
RECORD CHASING
• Blaine Crim is second in home runs (33), RBI (185), total bases (396), runs (152) and games played (182).
• Ryan Lane moved to third in career saves with two against Shorter last weekend. Lane have 10 career saves and is four away from becoming the career leader.
• Zack Ingram is tied for seventh in starts (33), ranks ninth in strikeouts (153) and is 10th in innings (196.1). Ingram sits just outside the top 10 in wins with 14 during his career.
• Chris Crosby ranks eighth in school history in strikeouts (157). Crosby is just outside the top 10 in innings with 174.2 and starts with 27.
• Tommy Taborda is third in saves (9) and seventh in appearances (50).
 
CHOCTAWS RETURN TO NCBWA TOP 25
• After winning nine straight contests, the Mississippi College baseball team returned to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25 as the Choctaws checked in at 17th in the poll. MC is one of three teams listed from the Gulf South Conference and the second highest behind the University of West Florida in 12th. Delta State University checks-in at 24th in the national poll. The three GSC schools are joined by the University of Tampa, which is ranked sixth, as the only institutions from the NCAA Division II South Region in the ranking.
 
MC FALLS IN EXTRAS AT SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
• Mississippi College saw its nine-game win streak snapped in the final, non-conference contest of the regular season as the Choctaws fell 7-6 in 13 innings at Southern Arkansas University on Tuesday. The extra-inning affair marked the fourth of the season for the Navy and Gold and the longest outing of the season. Luke Yancey and Blaine Crim each posted multiple hit efforts. Crim went 3-for-6 while Yancey went 3-for-5. The duo each scored a run. Billy Cameron led the team with three RBI. Christian Bellew (1-2) tossed two innings and allowed one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the loss.