VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball heads to Tampa for a midweek game Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Blazers are 13-13 on the year, while the Spartans are 20-5 and have won ten-straight games.
VSU is coming off a very disappointing series against No. 16 West Florida as the Argos swept the three game conference series in Valdosta this weekend, dropping the Blazers to 4-7 in Gulf South Conference play. VSU had a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth inning in the finale on Sunday, but gave up three runs, losing 7-5.
Fans can access links to live stats and video streaming of the game Wednesday on
www.vstateblazers.comon the baseball schedule page. Following the game, the Blazers head to Alabama Huntsville for a weekend series with the Chargers, before returning home to host Auburn Montgomery (Mar. 30-31).
Tampa has won 20 of its last 23 games after starting the season 0-2. The Spartans are coming off a 3-0 series win over Saint Leo, who downed the Blazers in the first meeting this season in extra-innings. VSU and Saint Leo will battle in Titletown later in the spring to complete the season series. Tampa also has a 3-0 series win over Albany State, but won just one of three against Florida Tech. FIT beat VSU earlier this year, while VSU and ASU split two meetings.
The Spartans are hitting .326 for the season on 296 of 907, while scoring 229 runs with 53 doubles, six triples, 30 home runs and 204 RBI. The team is slugging .497 and reaching base at a .407 clip, while recording 103 walks with 34 hit batsmen.
Individually, Yorvis Torrealba leads the team in average at a .418 clip on 33 of 79 with a team-high 30 runs scored, a team-high eight doubles and four home runs, while driving in 22. He has walked 11 times and gone 6 of 7 in stolen bases. Danny Sirven is second in average at .384 on 33 of 86, while recording 17 runs, five doubles, one triple, one home run and 23 RBI for second on the team. Alex Aleywine leads the team with seven home runs and eight doubles, along with three triples.
On the bump, the Spartans boast a 3.15 ERA in 220 innings, allowing 211 hits, 106 runs – 77 earned runs, walked 71 and fanned 228 as teams are hitting .248 against them. Mason Duke is 6-0 in seven starts for 41.1 innings for second on the team. Duke has allowed 42 hits, 19 runs – seven earned, walked eight and fanned 35 as he has a 1.52 ERA. Keven Pimentel is 5-1 with a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings for a team-high. He has allowed 34 hits, 17 runs – 15 earned, walked 11 and fanned 43 as teams are hitting .222 against him. Tyler Beck leads the team with four saves.
The Blazers enter the week hitting .281 for the season on 237 of 843. They have scored 134 runs with 42 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 114 RBI. The team is slugging .352 and reaching base at a .377 clip, while going 47 of 64 in stolen bases and boast a .965 fielding percentage with 32 errors.
Individually, junior
Logan Stephens leads the team in average at a .375 clip on 24 of 64. He has three doubles, one triple and 10 RBI. Senior
DJ King is second in average at a .340 clip on 34 of 100, while scoring 21 runs with five doubles and 13 RBI. Senior
Josh Broughton leads the team with 35 hits in 105 at bats (.333) with a team-high nine doubles with one triple and one home run, while driving in 16. Senior
Mack Hathcock is fourth in average at .307, while recording a team-high 24 runs scored, with a team-best 21 walks and nine hit batsmen for a .483 on base percentage to lead the team. He is 12 of 13 in stolen bases to lead the team.
On the mound, VSU has a 3.81 ERA in 222.1 innings of work with one complete game, two shutouts and six saves. The Blazers have allowed 183 hits, 109 runs – 94 earned, walked 122 and fanned 275 as teams are hitting .222 against them. Junior
Jonathan Gettys is 2-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 33.1 innings with seven starts. He has fanned 50 to lead the team and walked 20, while junior
Tristan Cone is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in nine appearances with five starts. Cone has pitched 32.1 innings with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks.
