2004 Gulf South Conference 
Baseball Championship
May 6-9, 2004

GSC Tournament Schedule

May 9, 2004
DSU WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE GSC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Millington, TN-Delta State University (47-10) defeated the Valdosta State University (33-26), 9-2, claiming the 2004 Gulf South Conference Baseball Championship at USA Stadium in Millington, TN.

West Division No. 1 seed DSU became the first team since Troy State in 1987 to win back-to-back Titles with its 10th overall Crown. The victory was sweet revenge for the Statesmen who fell to VSU on Saturday.

Valdosta State advanced to its second Title Game in three years, clipping No. 2 West seed Southern Arkansas, 3-1. The first three innings were dominated by the pitchers, but VSU plated a run in the fourth and fifth frames. Right fielder John McDonald doubled-home the first run while third baseman Greg Connell singled-in what proved to be the winning run. SAU got on the board in the bottom of the seven on center fielder Aaron Eggleston's RBI single, but the Blazers plated an insurance run in the top of the ninth via shortstop Robert Morgan's solo homerun. Michael Martinez earned the victory in relief, hurling six innings, while scattering five hits and fanning six. Connell led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a RBI.

Delta State broke out the big bats versus Valdosta State in the Championship Game, pounding out 22 runs on 22 hits. DSU scored three runs in the top of the first but VSU cut the lead to one in the second. The Statesmen took over from there, plating 17 unanswered runs headlined by a six-run fourth and a seven-run fifth. Delta State's offensive output was the most ever by one team in the Championship Game and both squads set the record for combined runs in the final contest (27). The win was sweet revenge for DSU, which fell to VSU yesterday. Designated hitter Chris Reed led the offense, going 5-for-6 with four RBI while Brad Lightsey notched the win on the mound.

Delta State third baseman Mark Broome was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, going 14-for-27 at the plate with two doubles, three triples, two homeruns and six RBI. Teammates Reed, Lightsey, Clay Smith and Jud Thigpen were named to the All-Tournament Team, while runner-up Valdosta State placed John McDonald, Michael Martin, Greg Connell and Greg Adams. West Alabama's Brandon Boles and Dustin Roberts and Southern Arkansas' Dustin Eisenbraun round out the All-Tournament selections.

Their GSC crown also puts the Statesmen in the driver's seat to host the four-team NCAA South Central Regional Tournament (May 13-15) for the third straight season. The winner of the regional receives an automatic berth in the 2004 NCAA World Series in Montgomery, AL.

May 8, 2004
DSU TO MEET SAU/VSU WINNER IN GSC BASEBALL TITLE GAME

Millington, TN-Three teams are still in the running entering the final day of the 2004 Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament at USA Stadium in Millington, TN.

As expected, No. 1 West seed Delta State advanced to Sunday's Championship Game (4:00 pm) to face the winner of the day's first game between No. 2 West Southern Arkansas and No. 3 East Valdosta State.

Delta State assured itself a berth in the Title Game out-hitting division rival Southern Arkansas, 16-11. SAU took a 2-0 advantage with two in the top of the first on catcher Ross Boudreaux's homerun, but the Statesmen tied matters in the bottom of the frame on Mark Broom's triple and Jud Thigpen's single. The Muleriders pulled in front with two more runs in the top of the second, but Delta State took over in the bottom of the inning, plating seven highlighted by Chris Reed's two-run single. Broome (3-for-6) and Reed (2-for-6) led the offense with three RBI apiece, while starter Matt McAplin notched the win on the mound in seven innings of work.

DSU found the opposite side of the result column in the second game of the day, losing in dramatic fashion to No. 3 East seed Valdosta State, 10-9. VSU entered the bottom of the ninth inning behind, 9-5, but the Blazers plated one run and then posted the win when designated hitter Greg Adams cranked a walk-off grand slam. The Statesmen seemed to have things under control, leading 4-0 in the top of the first and extending its edge, 9-6, when Eric Patten raced home on an error by the Blazers infield. Valdosta State saved its best for last rallying for five runs in the bottom of the ninth. Robert Morgan plated VSU's first run on a RBI double down the right field line, scoring Micah Smith and Delta State set up Adams' heroic with back-to-back walks. Right fielder John McDonald also highlighted the offense, going 3-for-3 with two RBI. The win snapped DSU's 18-game overall winning streak and its seven-game Tournament streak. Despite the loss, the Statesmen assured themselves a spot in the Championship Game.

The clock struck midnight on Cinderella in the nightcap when Southern Arkansas topped No. 4 East West Alabama, 7-3. UWA grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the opening inning Dustin Roberts' RBI single, but SAU tied matters in the top of the second on shortstop Armando Alvarez's RBI single. The Riders pulled ahead for good with three in the fourth, headlined by sacrifice flies by Clayton Childers and Alvarez. Starter Josh Jaraman collected the win in 6.1 innings of work, while Dustin Eisenbraun notched the save.

Delta State seeks to become the first team to win back-to-back GSC Titles since Troy State in 1987 and its 10th overall Crown. Valdosta State is in search of its third Championship, second in three years, while Southern Arkansas hopes to capture its first baseball Title.

May 7, 2004
DSU, SAU, VSU UWA MOVE ON AT GSC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Millington, TN-Two West Division teams and a pair of East Division squads advanced to the Third Day of the 2004 Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament at USA Stadium in Millington, TN.

The top two West Division seeds, No. 1 Delta State and No. 2 Southern Arkansas moved on to the Semi-Final round of the Tournament, while the last two East seeds No. 3 Valdosta State and No. 4 West Alabama advanced to the third day.

In-state, East Division rivals West Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville clashed in the first elimination game with UWA nipping UAH, 5-4. The Chargers jumped out on top, 1-0 in the top of the first when center fielder Ryan Cox raced home on a ground out but the Tigers took their first lead of the game on right fielder Dustin Robert's three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth. Alabama-Huntsville stormed back, tying the contest, 3-3, highlighted by shortstop Wes Long's sacrifice fly. West Alabama did not wait long to retake the lead for good, plating two in the bottom of the frame. Roberts UWA, going 1-for-3 with three RBI while designated hitter Jason Floyes went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Starter Shane Martin earned the victory on the mound, going six innings while scattering six hits and fanning five. The victory evened the Tigers' mark versus UAH this season, 2-2.

Delta State survived a scare from No. 3 West seed Central Arkansas, 6-5, in the first "Winner's Bracket" game. DSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Bert Pickard's sacrifice fly, but UCA answered one run in the second and third innings. The Statesmen retook the lead with two runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth. Mark Broome blasted a three-run homerun in the second and Clay Smith's RBI single. The Bears closed the gap to one in the bottom of the seventh but Delta State plated an insurance score in the top of the ninth. Broom finished the game, going 3-for-5 with two RBI while Smith went 4-for-4 with a RBI. The win upped the Statesmen winning streak versus Central Arkansas to 10.

Valdosta State exploded for 20 runs on 24 hits in the final elimination matchup, blowing past No. 4 West seed Arkansas Tech, 20-2. VSU raced out to a 6-0 advantage in the top of the first highlighted by a two-run double by third baseman Greg Connell and extended the lead to 14-1 with eight more in the third. Right fielder John McDonald went 4-for-4 with five RBI while catcher Mark Rucker (1-for-4) and Greg Connell (3-for-7) added four RBI. VSU's win evened the all-time series versus ATU, 1-1, and its run total was the most in the GSC Tournament since 2000.

A pair of regionally ranked teams faced-off in the final "Winner's Bracket" game, as Southern Arkansas (No. 4 in the South Region) topped No. 1 East seed West Florida (No. 3 in the region), 8-4. UWF did not wait long to jump on top, plating two in the top of the first frame. Right fielder Peter Antoske played a part in each run, lacing a RBI single and scoring the second run on a wild pitch. SAU recorded all the runs the needed in the bottom of the third, scoring five headlined by shortstop Armando Alveraz's two-run single. Alveraz led the offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBI while bwas 3-for-5 with one RBI. Starter Brian Barr earned the victory, going 8.2 innings with seven strikeouts. The triumph evened the season series versus the Muleriders and Argonauts, 2-2.

Valdosta State played its way into the third day, nipping Central Arkansas, 7-6 in 11 innings. UCA sprinted to a 5-0 lead after four innings, plating three in the third and two in the fourth. Center fielder Roger Lenderman hit a two-RBI double in the third and first baseman Zak Clark also laced a two-run double in the fourth. VSU fought back, trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh but scored four unanswered runs to cinch the win. Robert Morgan's two-RBI single in the eighth forced extra innings and Connell's single scored McDonald with the game-winning run.

East rivals West Florida and West Alabama squared-off in the nightcap with UWA outlasting UWF, 6-4 in 11 innings. UWA took advantage of Argonaut errors en route to a 3-0 lead in the top of the eighth but West Florida took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the frame with four runs. Ryan Fillingim highlighted UWF's scoring, lacing a two-RBI double. The Tigers answered and forced extra innings on center fielder A.J. Ray's one-run double. West Alabama secured the victory in the 11th when Lewis Bradford scored the go-ahead run thanks to a UWF error and Rafael Farrell added an insurance run on a one-run double. The win evened the season series between the two schools, 2-2.

The 2004 GSC Baseball Tournament resumes tomorrow with Delta State and Southern Arkansas meeting in the "Winner's Bracket" game at 10:00 am. Game times for the second and third games (Games 12 and 13) are 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm respectively, but the matchups will not be final until tomorrow.

May 6, 2004
TOP GSC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT SEEDS PREVAIL
DSU, SAU, UWF VICTORIOUS IN OPENING ROUND, UCA UPSETS UAH

Millington, TN-The first day of the 2004 Gulf South Conference Tournament opened with an upset but ended with no surprises.

No. 3 West seed Central Arkansas opened the Tournament with a 10-4 upset of No. 2 East seed Alabama-Huntsville. UCA second baseman Barrett Ward gave the Bears an early lead with a leadoff solo homerun in the top of the first. Central Arkansas put the game out of reach, plating five in the third and two in the fourth inning. Center fielder Roger Lenderman highlighted the third inning with a two-RBI double and then scored on left fielder Brian Post's single. UCA starter Brian Parr dominated on the mound, hurling a complete-game, scattering eight hits and striking out nine. Lenderman led the squad at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBI. The victory was sweet revenge for the Bears who lost to UAH in last year's Tournament and evened the all-time series between the squads, 1-1.

Tournament favorite, No. 1 West seed Delta State, thwarted No. 4 East seed West Alabama's upset bid, outlasting the Tigers, 11-10 in 11 innings. UWA jumped out to a 3-0 edge in the top of the first on first baseman Dustin Carter's three-run double. DSU responded scoring eight unanswered runs, including seven in the second and one in the third. The Statesmen used the long ball in the second, as catcher Craig Newton launched a two-run bomb and left fielder Will Waldkirch blasted a three-run shot. Delta State seemed to have the game in hand, leading 11-8 in the top of the eighth but West Alabama forced extra innings, scoring three runs on a pair of throwing errors by the DSU infield. The Statesmen put the game on ice in the bottom of the 11th on center fielder Jud Thigpen's RBI single. Newton (2-for-5) and Waldkirch (3-for-5) led Delta State with four-RBI efforts. The win moved DSU's record versus UWA this season to 2-1 and its mark versus the Tigers in post-season play to 8-2.

No. 1 East seed West Florida scored five unanswered runs in the first two innings en route to a 9-4 triumph over No. 4 West seed Arkansas Tech. Right fielder Peter Antoske stroked a RBI-double in the bottom of the first, while center fielder Jarret Dring's two-run double highlighted UWF's four-run second. Catcher Casey Gierke led the Argonauts at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI behind a two-run homerun in the sixth. The win was West Florida's seventh straight over ATU, first-ever in Tournament action.

In the final game of the first day, No. 2 West seed Southern Arkansas, out-battled No. 3 East seed Valdosta State, 4-2. SAU jumped out to 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Aharon Eggleston raced home on a wild pitch and added another run when VSU starter Robbie Wachman walked-in a run. Mulerider starter Bobby Beeson seemed to be on cruise control but the Blazers tied matters, 2-2, in the top of the eighth on an error by the Southern Arkansas infield. SAU did not wait long to jump back in front for good, as Eggleston laced a two-RBI single with two outs on the board. Beeson earned the victory on the mound, going the distance while scattering 11 hits and fanning 11.

Friday's action begins at 10:00 am with Alabama-Huntsville taking on West Alabama in the first elimination game on Field 2, and Central Arkansas and Delta State facing off in "Winner's Bracket" action on the Stadium Field. Arkansas Tech and Valdosta State play the second elimination match-up at 1:00 pm on Field 2, along with West Florida and Southern Arkansas locking horns in the second "Winner's Bracket" contest on the Stadium Field.

May 3, 2004
#3 Delta State looks to repeat as Gulf South Conference baseball tournament opens in Millington

MILLINGTON, TN - The #3-ranked Delta State Statesmen baseball team is seeking back-to-back Gulf South Conference Championships at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn., May 6-9, 2004. The eight-team field contains five teams ranked in the top thirty in the nation including #3 Delta State, #12 Alabama-Huntsville, #20 Southern Arkansas, #28 Valdosta State, and #30 West Florida as well as Central Arkansas, West Alabama, and Arkansas Tech. The tournament has been expanded to eight teams this year for the first time in conference history. USA Stadium will be the hosting the event for the third consecutive year.

The tournament will continue through Sunday, with the championship being played Sunday afternoon at either 1:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.