VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team returns to action Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Flagler for the final non-conference game of the regular season.  
 
VSU had its GSC series at Shorter cancelled due to inclement weather over the weekend, but the Blazers did secure a berth in the Gulf South Conference Championship, despite not playing. The Blazers are 24-18 overall, while Flagler is 27-18.  VSU won the earlier meeting this season in Valdosta, 6-4, back on February 5, in the 2019 home-opener for the Blazers. 
 
Fans can access links to live stats and video streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.  Check back with the site for a complete recap of the game Tuesday evening.  
 
The Blazers are 12-11 in GSC play this season and will close the regular season Apr. 27-28 at home versus rival West Georgia.  Heading into the week, VSU sits two games back of West Georgia for sixth in the league standings with three games to play.  Shorter and Lee are tied for eighth at 11-14.  If VSU were to sweep UWG this weekend and Montevallo were to be swept by Alabama Huntsville, VSU would jump to a tie for fifth to finish the regular season.  The 2019 Gulf South Conference Championship will be played in Oxford, Ala., at Choccolocco Park, May 3-7.  
 
This weekend also will be Senior Weekend as the Blazers will honor seven seniors playing in their final regular season game in a VSU uniform on Sunday in the single game versus West Georgia.  
 
In the previous meeting versus Flagler, VSU battled back from a 4-2 deficit with a run in the third, two in the fourth and one in the seventh for the 6-4 win as the Blazers tallied eight hits in the game.  Flagler had nine hits, while the Saints had three miscues and VSU had two errors. Three different Blazers had two hits each as senior Josh Broughton was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two walks, while senior Aaron Haughton was 2 for 3 with one RBI, and senior DJ King was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI.  Junior Zach Blankenship went five innings, allowing seven hits, four runs – three earned, walked one and fanned eight to earn his first win of the season. 
 
For the Saints, Frankie Martello went 3 for 4 with one RBI, while Jason Moore went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI, along with a home run.  Noah Allen took the loss in relief of starter Ryan Ashworth.  Allen pitched one inning, allowing three hits and two runs with one earned. 
 
This season, the Saints are led by Aaron Anderson who is hitting .363 with a team-best 61 hits, 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI.  He is slugging .506 and reaching base at a .460 clip with 27 walks for second on the team and been plunked five times.  Moore is second in average at .326 on 47 of 144 with 28 runs scored, 12 doubles, one triple and is tied for the team-lead in home runs with five. Moore is slugging a team-best .528 and reaching base at a .410 clip.  Sean Lawlor is third in average a .321 on 50 of 156 with 29 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple and five dingers.  Flagler is 20-8 at home this season and is 10-1 in its last 11 games at home as UNC Pembroke snapped a 10-game winning streak at home with a 7-2 win at Flagler on Apr. 20.  Tuesday's game against VSU is Flagler's final home game of the regular season.  
 
The Saints are hitting .269 on 416 of 1547 with 267 runs, 79 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs and 230 RBI.  The team is slugging .368 and reaching base at a .365 clip with 198 walks and 50 hit batsmen.  Flagler is 39 of 54 in stolen bases and has a .968 fielding percentage with 55 errors leading to 42 unearned runs.  
 
On the mound, Flagler has a 4.34 ERA in 402 innings of work.  The Saints have allowed 406 hits, with 236 runs – 194 earned, walked 176 and fanned 375 as team are hitting .261 against it.  Robert Girgis leads the team with a 2.33 ERA and a perfect 8-0 record in 11 starts.  He has pitched a team-high 69.2 innings with 72 strikeouts and 28 walks. Ashworth is 5-2 on the year with a 3.83 ERA in 44.2 innings.  He has allowed 46 hits, 24 runs – 19 earned, walked 16 and fanned 35.  Luke Cooksey is 3-1 in nine appearances, while Derick Garcia is 3-3 in 44.2 innings and eight starts.  
 
The Blazers, who haven't played in exactly one week, are led by Broughton leads the team with a .380 average in 42 starts. He has a team-high 63 hits with 38 runs scored, a team-best 13 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 36 RBI.  He is slugging .536 and reaching base at a .443 clip.  Broughton is 11 of 14 in stolen bases.  Junior Logan Stephens is hitting .360 with 45 hits, 25 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple and 22 RBI.  Senior DJ King is second in hits with 54 and third in average at a .325 clip. King has eight doubles, one home run and 29 RBI.  Senior Andrew Williamson leads the team with four home runs, while junior Jowenrick Daantji is 18 of 24 in stolen bases to lead the team and is hitting .322 on the year. Senior Matt Hathcock leads the team with 36 walks and 16 hit batsmen as he is reaching base at a .487 clip to lead the team.
 
As a team, the Blazers are hitting .301 with 405 hits, 259 runs scored, 69 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs and 227 RBI.  The team is slugging .388 and reaching base at a .400 clip, while going 80 of 106 in stolen bases and has a .959 fielding percentage with 61 errors leading to 31 unearned runs.  
 
On the bump, VSU has a 4.00 ERA in 353.1 innings, allowing 302 hits, 188 runs – 157 earned, walked 191 and fanned 406 as teams are hitting .227 against it.  Junior Tristan Cone is 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in 16 appearances with 10 starts.  Cone has pitched 59.1 innings to lead the team, while allowing 53 hits, 20 runs – 18 earned, walked 18 and fanned 70 for second on the team.  Junior Zach Blankenship is 4-2 in 14 appearances with eight starts and a 3.76 ERA.  He has pitched 52.2 innings, allowing 40 hits, 25 runs – 22 earned, walked 21 and fanned 55.  Junior Jonathan Gettys is 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 50.2 innings as he leads the team with 77 strikeouts.  
 
Nationally speaking, VSU leads the GSC in batting average at a .301 clip for 53^rdnationally, while ranking 30^thin ERA at a 3.97 clip for third in the conference.  The Blazers are 15^thnationally in hit by pitch (63) for second in the conference, while ranking 34^thin hits (405) for first in the conference. VSU is 10^thin hits allowed per nine innings (7.69) for second in the league, while ranking sixth nationally in sacrifice flies (41) for first in the league. VSU is 14^thnationally in shutouts (4) for second in the league, while ranking 26^thin stolen bases (80) for first in the GSC and 43^rdin strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.90) for first in the league.  VSU is 11^thin strikeouts per nine innings (10.3) for first in the conference.  
 
Individually, Hathcock is ninth nationally in walks with 36 for first in the league.  Broughton is third in the GSC in doubles (13), while Cone ranks fourth in the conference in ERA at 2.58.  Gettys is tenth in starts (11) for second in the league, while Hathcock is 12st in hit by pitch (16) for second in the league.  Broughton is 13^thnationally in hits with 63 to lead the league, while ranking 29^thnationally in sacrifice flies (5) for third in the GSC.  Hathcock is 58^thnationally in runs (43) and second in the league, while ranking fifth in the GSC in on base percentage (.487).  Junior Mike Christopoulos is 14^thnationally and second in the league in sacrifice bunts (8), while Daantji is 45^thin stolen bases (18) for third in the league. Gettys is second in the GSC and 20^thnationally in strikeouts (77), while Cone is fourth in the GSC and 42^ndnationally (70).  Gettys is 3th in strikeouts per nine innings (13.68) for second in the league.