Mike Kinnison

CLEVELAND — Delta State learned Sunday night it will host the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament beginning Thursday, and, as the No. 1 seed, the Statesmen won’t have to play until Friday.

The Statesmen (41-11) have a coveted first round bye and will play the Florida Southern-Valdosta State winner Friday at 3 p.m.

Thursday’s games match defending national champion Nova Southeastern, the third seed, against No. 6 West Alabama at 11 a.m., followed by No. 2 Tampa vs. No. 7 Miles College at 3 p.m., and then No. 4 Florida Southern against No. 5 Valdosta State at 7.

This marks Delta State’s first chance to host a regional since 2008 and the 10th time in school history that the Statesmen have served as hosts.

“We believed all along that our body of work had put us in position to host and we are ready to get to work,” DSU coach Mike Kinnison said.

The double elimination event is scheduled to run through Monday, May 22.

Creative Commons License

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Today’s sports columnist since 2016. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s in journalism, Rick has worked for the Hattiesburg American, Monroe (La.) News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger as a reporter, editor and columnist.

He was executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. Rick has authored four books and has been recognized 13 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year.

He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Hattiesburg Hall of Fame in 2018. He received the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence in 2011 and was inducted into the University of Southern Mississippi Communications Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2000, he was honored with the Distinguished Mississippian Award from Mississippi Press Association. He has received numerous state, regional and national awards for his column writing and reporting.