VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a key regional series sweep at Embry-Riddle to open the 2019 season, the Valdosta State baseball team is scheduled to open the 2019 home season Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park against Flagler. Both teams enter the midweek game at 3-0 on the year.
Fans can access links to live stats, video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page. Check back with the site following the game for a complete recap and box score of the game.
VSU opened the season with a convincing 6-0 win over the Eagles on Friday and then battled back from deficits in each game of a doubleheader on Saturday, including scoring three runs in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory in the first game of the twin bill. VSU hit .301 for the weekend on 28 of 93, while scoring 18 runs with four doubles, one home run and drove in 17. The Blazers slugged .376 and reached base at a .416 clip with 17 walks. VSU went 6 of 10 in stolen bases and held a .970 fielding percentage with three miscues leading to one unearned run.
On the mound, VSU carried a 2.88 ERA with one combined shutout and two saves. VSU pitched 25 innings, allowing 24 hits for a .247 opposing batting average. The Blazers surrendered nine runs – eight earned, walked 14 and fanned 35. VSU allowed six extra-base hits for the series.
Individually, senior
Aaron Haughton, junior
Parker Stephens and senior
Josh Broughton each had four hits to lead the team against Embry-Riddle. Haughton hit .444 with four hits in nine at bats, scored two runs, recorded two doubles and drove in two. He had a team-high four walks for the series. Broughton hit 4 of 12 with a run scored, one double and a team-high four RBI. Junior
Jonathan Gettys started the season pitching four innings of the opener fanning ten and walking just two as he combined on the opening day shutout. Broughton also recorded two saves in the doubleheader sweep of the Eagles on Saturday. All three wins came from the bullpen for the Blazers.
Flagler enters with 3-0 record also after a home sweep of Barton College over the weekend. The Saints dominated Barton, hitting .394, scoring 31 runs on 41 hits with ten extra-base knocks and driving in 30. Flagler held Barton to a .163 clip and allowed just nine runs for the series and 15 hits. On the mound, Flagler had a 3.00 ERA with one shutout in 27 innings, while walking 12 and fanning 26. A total of 11 pitchers have seen action for the Saints thus far.
The Saints were picked sixth in the preseason Peach Belt Conference poll. Flagler returns preseason all-conference selection Aaron Anderson and Dillon Reed. Reed finished 2018 as the top returning hitter with a .344 average. He had 73 hits, scored 48 runs and had ten steals. Anderson hit .330 with 65 hits, while senior Jason Moore also returns after a .340 campaign in 2018 and slugged a team-best .567. Flagler finished the 2018 season with a 31-22 record and a 16-14 mark in the PBC.
Flagler posted a 3-1 victory over VSU in the Flagler Kick Off Classic last season in St. Augustine, Fla. In the game, VSU scored the first run of the game in the sixth inning, but three runs in the seventh gave the Saints the lead for good.
The Blazers were picked fifth in the preseason Gulf South Conference poll earlier this month as they garnered 92 points, one point ahead of Lee and one behind Montevallo. VSU finished 20-26 last season and was 12-17 in GSC play. The Blazers are under the direction of head coach
Greg Guilliams, who is in his 12
th season at VSU and 29
th overall. He is 342-222-1 (.604) at VSU while going 1019-479-2 (.679) for his career.
Following the game, VSU will return to the Sunshine State as it will travel Melbourne, Fla., for three games this coming weekend. VSU will face Wingate twice and Florida Tech once, Feb. 8-9.
Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats for the games this coming weekend.
