VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team travels to No. 23 Saint Leo for a Tuesday game set for 5 p.m.  The Blazers are 8-3 overall this season, while Saint Leo is 6-4. 
 
Fans can access links to live stats and video streaming at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.  Check back with the site following the game for a complete recap and stats.
 
The Blazers enter following a 1-2 weekend at Lee in the 2019 Gulf South Conference opening weekend. VSU won the first game 5-0, but were unable to string enough hits together and capitalize with men on base in the final two games, losing 2-1 and 5-1.  

VSU hit just .207 for the weekend on 17 of 82, while recording five doubles, scoring seven runs and driving in six. VSU slugged just .268 and reached base at a .340 clip with 13 walks and four hit batsmen.  The Blazers were just 1 of 4 on the base paths and had five errors leading to four unearned runs.  Junior Mike Christopoulos hit .600 on 3 of 5 from the dish with two runs scored, one double and five walks.  Senior DJ King had five hits to lead the team and had two doubles to lead the team.  VSU stranded 23 runners in the three games, while Lee left 18 on base.
 
On the mound, junior Tristan Cone went six innings and combined on a shutout as he allowed no hits, walked two and fanned five for the win.  The Blazers had a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings, allowing 12 hits, seven runs – three earned, walked 10 and fanned 15 as Lee hit .154 against them.  
 
Saint Leo enters with a 6-4 record after being swept by No. 3 Columbus State in a three-game series over the weekend in Columbus, Ga.  The Lions lost the opener in ten innings, 11-10 and lost the finale 11-10.  
 
For the season, the Saints are hitting .302 with 78 runs, 105 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs and 74 RBI.  The team is slugging .491 and reaching base at a .400 clip with 52 walks and 10 hit batsmen.  The Saints are 15 of 18 in stolen bases, while recording a .964 fielding percentage with 13 errors leading to 14 unearned runs.  
 
Four Saints are hitting over .300 this season as Jared Morello leads the team with a .459 average. He has scored a team-high 16 runs with 17 hits (tying for team lead), three doubles, one triple, one home run and has driven in ten.  He is slugging .676 and reaching base at a .592 clip with 11 walks and one hit batsmen. He is 8 of 9 in stolen bases.  Peyton Issacson is second in average at a .405 clip with 17 hits, 11 runs scored, two doubles and a team-high four home runs, while driving in 11.  He is slugging .738 and reaching base at a .490 clip.  Brett Coffel leads the team with six doubles and is third in average at a .341 clip.  
 
On the mound, Saint Leo has a 4.69 ERA in 86.1 innings, allowing 97 hits, 59 runs – 45 earned, walked 40 and fanned 85 as teams are hitting .284 against it.  Joey Antonopoulos leads the team with 15.2 innings pitched as does Ryan Nolan. Both have 16 strikeouts on the year and each are 1-0 in three starts.  Trevor Sanchez leads the team with three saves.    The Saints were picked fourth in the Preseason Sunshine State Conference poll. 
 
VSU is 3-1 this season against Sunshine State Conference teams as the Blazers went 3-0 against Embry-Riddle and 0-1 against Florida Tech thus far.   The Blazers also face Saint Leo in Valdosta on Apr. 9 and VSU travels to Tampa for a Mar. 20 game.  
 
The Blazers are hitting .280 for the season on 97 of 347 with 54 runs scored, 17 doubles, two home runs and 42 RBI.  The team is slugging .346 and reaching base at a .387 average with 51 walks and 12 hit batsmen.  VSU is 15 of 23 in stolen bases and has a .966 fielding percentage with 13 errors leading to eight unearned runs.  Christopoulos leads the team with a .370 average on 10 of 27.  He has scored five runs, recorded a double and driven in four. Senior Josh Broughton leads the team with 15 hits and five doubles.  He has scored seven runs and driven in seven.  King has scored a team-high nine runs.  
 
On the mound, VSU has a 2.54 ERA in 92 innings, allowing 69 hits, 34 runs – 26 earned, walked 44 and fanned 115 as teams are hitting .207 against it.  Cone leads the team with a 2-0 record and 14 innings pitched.  He has allowed 11 hits, two earned runs, walked five and fanned 20.  Junior Jonathan Gettys leads the team with 22 strikeouts, while senior Trevin Eubanks has a team-high three saves on the year. 
 
Following the game at St. Leo, VSU returns home to host Kentucky Wesleyan next Sunday and Monday in a three-game series at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.