Delta State University’s baseball team is traveling to Valdosta, Georgia, to face Valdosta State in a weekend series at Billy Grant Field at Tammy Thomas Park.
The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 1 p.m. Central Time (2 p.m. Eastern Time), with a single game Saturday at noon CT (1 p.m. ET). Michael Gross will provide play-by-play commentary on the Statesmen Sports Radio Network on Majic 107.5 FM, according to the school.
Delta State enters the series seeking to end a two-game losing streak. The Statesmen are third in the Gulf South Conference standings with a 13-7 overall record and a 9-3 mark in league play. Senior left-hander Adrian Byrd is expected to start game one. Byrd has a 3-0 record with a 1.76 ERA and a .91 WHIP this season, striking out 38 batters in five starts, according to team sources.
Offensively, senior first baseman Bo Rock had a notable game Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with his third career home run and three RBIs in an extra-inning loss to Arkansas Monticello. Austin Estes led the team with three hits and an RBI, maintaining a .343 batting average this season. The team’s leading hitter is designated hitter Levi Lang, batting .361 with 22 hits and 13 RBIs. Redshirt freshman Cooper Walls also has seen time at third base, batting .400 in 10 at-bats.
Valdosta State aims to bounce back after a recent loss to Embry-Riddle in a non-conference game. The Blazers secured a series-clinching win against nationally ranked West Alabama last weekend. They are expected to start junior right-hander Garrett Moody in game one. Moody, who has a 0-2 record with a 7.81 ERA, pitched 5.2 innings last weekend against West Alabama, striking out six, according to team stats.
Offensively, junior outfielder Charlie Banks leads the Blazers with a .351 batting average, seven home runs, and 21 RBIs. Against Embry-Riddle Tuesday, Banks went 3-for-9 with two solo homers and three runs scored, according to game reports.
