VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team returns home to host Kentucky Wesleyan in a three-game series, beginning Sunday, Feb. 24, with a doubleheader at 1 p.m., followed by a single game Monday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m.  
 
The Blazers are 8-4 on the year and have lost their last three games after starting the season 8-1. VSU dropped two of three in the conference opener at Lee last weekend and lost 6-5 in an extra-inning heartbreaker Tuesday at No. 23 Saint Leo.  
 
Against Saint Leo, VSU tied a season-high with 17 strikeouts, but walked nine and hit two batsmen. Despite the loss, VSU battled back from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth inning with a three-run home run from junior Mack Hathcock and he tied the game in the top of the ninth with a RBI double. He finished the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored and four RBI with a home run and a double.  Along with Hathcock, three other Blazers had two hits in the game.  VSU used a season-high nine pitchers in the game.  Junior Zach Blankenship went 3.1 innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs, walked one and fanned six.  Junior Anthony Dahl (1-1) took the loss in 1.2 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run and struck out two.  
 
For the season, VSU is hitting .279 with 107 hits in 383 at bats, scored 59 runs with 20 doubles and three home runs, while driving in 47.  The team is slugging .355 and reaching base at a .388 clip with 58 walks and 12 hit batsmen.  The Blazers have committed 13 errors for a .969 fielding percentage and have allowed eight unearned runs.  
 
Junior Logan Stephens leads the team with a .462 average on 6 of 13 with two runs scored, one double and one RBI in eight games.  Among everyday starters, senior Josh Broughton has a .354 average in 12 starts with a team-high 17 hits in 48 at bats.  He has seven runs scored with a team-high ix doubles and eight RBI. Broughton is slugging .479 and reaching base at a .421 clip with two walks.  Senior DJ King is second in average among starters at a .326 clip. He is 15 of 46 with nine runs scored, four doubles and four RBI.  Hathcock leads the team with ten runs scored, while senior Aaron Haughton has a team-high nine RBI.  Hathcock and King both have reached base in each game thus far to lead the team, while King is on a team-best five-game hitting streak.
 
On the bump, the Blazers boast a 2.83 ERA in 101.2 innings.  VSU has two shutouts with six saves as teams are hitting .214 against it. The Blazers have allowed 79 hits, 40 runs – 32 earned, walked 53 and fanned 132 as the team is averaging 11 strikeouts per game.  
 
Reigning Gulf South Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week, junior Tristan Cone, is 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA in a team-high 16 innings, allowing 13 hits, two earned runs, walked six and fanned a team-high 24 as teams are hitting .210 against him.  Junior Jonathan Gettys has 22 strikeouts on the year, while Blankenship and junior Cooper Cain each have fanned 21.  
 
Kentucky Wesleyan enters with a 2-6 mark and has lost its last five games, including being swept last weekend at Newberry.  Against the Wolves, the Panthers were outscored 26-6 in the four games and outscored 30-9 during the five-game skid.  
 
This season, the Panthers are hitting .295 through eight games on 66 of 224.  KWU has scored 37 runs with 13 doubles, six triples and two home runs, while driving in 31.  The team is slugging .433 and reaching base at a .388 clip.  KWU has six errors leading to two unearned runs.
 
Brayden Sisson leads the team at a .417 average from the dish as he is 10 of 24 batting with six runs scored, two doubles, two triples, two home runs and four RBI.  He is slugging .667 and reaching base at a .483 clip. Cam Curry is hitting .407 with 11 hits in 27 at bats, five runs scored, three doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBI, while Lane Kennemore is hitting .333 for the year with eight hits, four runs scored and two doubles.  Kennemore has driven in four.  
 
On the mound, Kentucky Wesleyan has a 6.57 ERA in 50.2 innings, allowing 57 hits, 39 runs – 37 earned, walked 26 and fanned 35 as teams are hitting .295 against it.  Zach Burton has pitched 10.1 innings to lead the team and has a 5.23 ERA and a 0-1 record.  Devin Smith has a 2.00 ERA and is 1-0 on the year.  Ryan Hundley (0-2, 6.30 ERA) has a team-high seven strikeouts. 
 
Following the games against KWU, the Blazers have a quick turnaround as they travel to Georgia Southwestern for a Feb. 27 game at 5 p.m. in Americus, Ga.  After that, VSU returns home to host the 2019 Gulf South Conference home-opener Mar. 2-3 against Union at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park. 
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats, streaming information and more on the baseball schedule page.  Follow the Blazer baseball team all season long on Twitter @BlazerNationBB.