VALDOSTA, Ga. - Gunning for their seventh Gulf South Conference Title in as many years, Head Coach Thomas Macera and the Valdosta State Lady Blazer softball team aim to hit the ground running this weekend with a double-header season opener at 4:30 p.m. against Columbus State on Saturday at the Georgia College and State Bobcat Blast in Milledgeville, Ga.
 
Excitement abounds in 2015, as the Blazers were selected as the No. 2 pick in the first release of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II softball rankings. The ranking comes on the heels of a 2014 season in which VSU fell 3-2 to top-ranked West Texas A&M in last year's national championship game. The GSC was well-represented in Wednesday's poll, as the rival Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville were placed among the nation's top 15 teams at No. 12.

This season, the Blazers return five of their eight starting position players and both Caitlyn Calhoun and Maci Fletcher from last year's three-woman pitching staff. Other starters returning from the 2014 squad include first baseman Kiley Rusen, second baseman Chelsea Canara, catcher Morgan Butler, and senior outfielders Courtney Albritton and Fran Johnson, who have competed in the national championship game in two of their three seasons as a Blazer.

"These girls came in winning a national championship in 2012," said Macera of his two seniors. "They have made tremendous contributions both on and off the field and are big parts of this program. They are both 4.0 students that will be graduating on time, and they both do a lot of missionary work. Courtney and Fran are the types of kids that you would want your own children to emulate because of what they bring to the table as people. They will be missed dearly, and we are just working toward giving them a great senior year and sending them out the way they came in."
 
Both Johnson and Albritton were preseason All-GSC selections and will team up this year to anchor an outfield that will also benefit from the return of sophomores Halie Imler and Brittany Smith. Additionally, Caleigh McCauley, a freshman newcomer out of Columbia High School adds to the outfield depth, while slugger Brandy Morgan from Jasper, Fla. is expected to serve up some big innings as a freshman as well.

"Brandy played on a State Championship team in Florida, so she's played in some big games," said Macera of the young outfielder. "She's a freshman with some stuff to learn, but she is a plus in our lineup who hits for power and is very very fast. She has a big arm in the outfield, and we expect her to fill the spot very well."

In the circle, Calhoun will enter her junior season looking to build on a fantastic conclusion to her sophomore campaign. The Hamilton, Ohio native bolstered the VSU pitching rotation throughout last season's dramatic playoff run and dealt a no-hitter in the final series of the regular season against the rival Wolves of West Georgia. Fletcher, a sophomore righty who finished her freshman season with a 10-1 record and a 2.50 ERA, joins newcomers Huntyre Elling and Courtney Condon to round out the rotation for the upcoming campaign.

The right side of the infield will be familiar to fans of last year's team, as Rusen returns at first base to join second-baseman Canara, who was selected as an All-GSC First Teamer after a freshman year that included a .313 average, four doubles, two triples, 42 RBI's and six homers.

Coach Macera will be faced with the challenge of replacing Heather Strickland and Shelby Altman on the left side of the infield, but options abound with returning sophomores Samantha Smith, Heather Robinson, and Brandi Blount. Jaime Phillips and Jennifer Phillips add depth to the infield as junior transfers from Northwest Florida State, while junior transfer Bree Wells from Darton State joins freshman Taylor Hartenbach to expand on the possibilities of infield combinations for Macera this season.

Butler came on strong at the catcher position with several key hits during the playoff run for the Blazers in 2014 and showed some signs of power with two home runs in the postseason, one of which came in the NCAA Division II Championship. The sophomore is expected to return to her duties behind the plate, and will be backed up by Kelly Gordon, a Genava, Ill. native who earned 18 starts last season for the red and black.

Altman, last year's All-American shortstop, returns to Blazer softball this season as a member of the coaching staff, and will be joined by Graduate Assistant Jessie Hutchens. Another familiar face to join the 2015 coaching ranks is Matt Williams. Blazer nation will remember Williams as a former Blazer baseball player who also spent time as a graduate assistant coach for the Blazer baseball program in recent years. Williams will serve as the assistant coach for VSU softball this season and is expected to bring a wealth of knowledge to the program, particularly on the defensive side of the game.
 
The aforementioned season opener was recently rescheduled, and is set to take place this Saturday, January 31, at 4:30 p.m. with an additional double-header also slated for a 4:30 p.m. start on Sunday, February 1, against GCSU. The home portion of the 2015 schedule kicks off with a GSC double-header against the rival Argonauts of West Florida on February 21^st, and features 16 different dates that include 28 games for Blazer Nation to enjoy!
 
Riding the wave of an unprecedented six straight Gulf South Conference Championships and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Softball Championship Tournament, the Valdosta State softball program has reached elite status at the national level, and you are invited to come along for the ride this season! Keep up with the Blazers all season long right here at www.vstateblazers.com!