VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team returns home to host Auburn Montgomery in Gulf South Conference play this weekend to close out the month of March. The Blazers are 14-16 overall and 4-10 in GSC play.
Fans can access links to live stats and video streaming of the games on vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page. The series is set for a single game Friday at 5:30 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.
AUM enters with a 15-14 record overall and a 7-8 mark in conference play as the Warhawks will play at Georgia Southwestern on Wednesday, before heading to Valdosta on Saturday. AUM is not eligible for the postseason as it is in its final year of transitioning to NCAA Division II.
Looking at the conference standings, the Blazers sit 11
thin the standings and five games out of eighth for the final conference tournament spot. VSU has 15 league games left to get back into position for a berth in the conference tournament.
VSU is coming off a disappointing series at Alabama Huntsville last week, after upsetting top-ranked University of Tampa in a midweek contest in arguably the best game of the season for the Blazers. After the win at Tampa, UAH swept the conference series as VSU had leads in each of the three games, but was unable to pull out the victory. Big innings proved to be costly for the Blazers in each game as UAH plated five runs in the fourth inning of the opener, but the Blazers battled back with four runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game. UAH used the walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, 7-6. The Chargers scored eight runs in the fourth inning of a 9-5 win in the second game of the doubleheader and then scored nine runs over the final two innings of the final game for a 10-5 win.
VSU junior
Jowenrick Daantji went 6 of 12 with three runs scored, two doubles, one triple and one home run against the Chargers, while recording five RBI. He slugged 1.083, while reaching base at a .500 clip. Senior
Josh Broughton hit .417 with five hits in 12 at bats, while recording two doubles, scored two runs and drove in one. VSU hit .247 for the series on 23 of 93, while scoring 16 runs with four doubles, one triple and three home runs, while recording 15 RBI. The team slugged .409 and reached base at a .360 clip, with 12 walks and six hit batsmen. VSU stranded 24 runners in the three games and committed eight errors, leading to six unearned runs.
On the mound, VSU struggled with an 8.06 ERA in 22.1 innings, allowing 27 hits, 26 runs – 20 earned, walked 12 and fanned 28 as UAH hit .297. Junior
Tristan Cone had the best outing of the weekend as he went 5.1 innings, allowing two hits, one unearned run, walked two and fanned six as he didn't factor into the decision. He was the only pitcher to pitch more than four innings for the series.
Junior
Logan Stephens leads the team with a .358 average on 29 of 81, while scoring 14 runs, three doubles, one triple and 14 RBI. Stephens is slugging .420 and reaching base at a .416 clip with two stolen bases. Broughton is second in average at a .347 clip with a team-high 42 hits, 24 runs scored, a team-best 11 doubles, two triples, one home run and 17 RBI. He is slugging .496 and reaching base at a .410 clip. Senior
DJ King is third in average at a .336 clip with 39 hits, five doubles, 16 RBI and 24 runs scored. Senior
Mack Hathcock leads the team with 26 runs scored, while Daantji leads the team with 22 RBI.
As a team, the Blazers are hitting .280 with 272 hits, 158 runs scored, 46 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 136 RBI. The team is slugging .360 and reaching base at a .379 clip with 120 walks, 41 hit batsmen and the Blazers have a .961 fielding percentage with 41 errors leading to 21 unearned runs.
On the mound, Cone leads the team with a 2.95 ERA and a 2-0 mark among starters as he has played in 11 games with seven starts. He has pitched a team-high 39.2 innings, allowing 37 hits, 15 runs – 13 earned, walked 13 and fanned 51 as teams are hitting .239 against him. Junior
Cooper Cain is second in innings pitched at 38.0 as he has 53 strikeouts in nine appearances with a team-high eight starts. Cain is 2-4 with a 5.21 ERA. Junior
Jonathan Gettys is 2-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 36.2 innings, allowing 34 hits, 21 runs – 16 earned, walked 22 and fanned a team-high 56.
As a staff, VSU has a 4.15 ERA in 253.2 innings, allowing 219 hits, 138 runs – 117 earned, walked 135 and fanned 311 as teams are hitting .230 against it. VSU has two shutouts and seven saves this season.
AUM enters dropping two of its last three against Mississippi College, as the Warhawks won the finale 4-2. Brett Lightsey scattered two runs over five innings, while Harrison Morris allowed just one base runner of the final two frames for a save. For the season, Matthew Zielonko leads the team from the plate with 28 RBI and five home runs. He has 11 multi-RBI games with a .313 average for second on the team as one of four AUM players hitting over .300 for the year. Dalton Cobb leads the team with a .320 average as the Warhawks hit .273 for the season as a team. Cobb has 33 hits with nine doubles to lead the team. Quinterrious Arrington leasd the team with 22 stolen bases and has 21 walks, while scoring 25 runs.
On the bump, AUM is led by Todd Burkett who has appeared in a team-high 13 games this season. Teams are hitting .179 against him. Troy Jones leads the team with 42.1 innings pitched and 40 strikeouts.
VSU leads the all-time series with AUM 3-2, as AUM went 2-1 against the Blazers in 2018. The Blazers close out the homestand Tuesday in a single game at 4 p.m. versus Augusta at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.
