all eyes on cleveland

You never want to make too much of one regular season series in April in college baseball, but it’s hard to resist hyping the Arkansas Tech-Delta State matchup coming this weekend in Cleveland. First of all, Tech is in first place in the Gulf South Conference West Division with a 10-2 record. DSU is 9-3, tied with Harding. This series — doubleheader Saturday, single game Sunday at Ferriss Field — won’t make or break the season for either club. And yet, in the chase for NCAA Division II regional berths, every game really does count. DSU, a perennial postseason team, has missed out the last two years. Also on the minds of the Statesmen is the fact that Tech swept them in Cleveland last season, marking the first time in coach Mike Kinnison’s now 15-year tenure that his team was swept at home in a GSC series. And this Tech club appears every bit as strong as that one, at least on the offensive side. The Wonderboys lead the GSC with 50 home runs and 348 runs and are second in hitting at .347. Matt Johnson is batting .440 with eight homers, 58 runs and 40 RBIs, Nick Makris .383 with nine bombs and 45 RBIs. DSU counters with some good arms: Josh Branstetter is 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA; Brandon Hardin is 5-2, 4.42; and Aaron Newcomb has five wins despite a 5.02 ERA. Tech’s pitching isn’t so hot. The Wonderboys are 10th in the 14-member conference with a 5.73 ERA. DSU hitters Kellen Bozeman (.361), Michael Niemann (.341, five homers, 39 RBIs), Patrick Taylor (.386) and Cameron Robulak (seven homers) may be licking their chops. The Statesmen are fourth in the league in scoring. This series could turn into a knock-down, drag-out slugfest. At any rate, it’s worthy of some hype — and of our attention.