VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 21 Valdosta State softball team continues at home as it will host Coker College for a doubleheader Tuesday at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader against Georgia Southwestern Wednesday at 3 p.m., in non-conference action.  VSU then will host Lee for a three-game series in Gulf South Conference play Mar. 7-8.  
 
The Blazers are coming off an open weekend and downed Albany State in a doubleheader last Thursday in an 11-5 victory and a 5-0 win where junior Shayne O'Connell tossed her first no-hitter as a Blazer and the tenth no-hitter or perfect game in program history.  She improved to 4-2 on the year, walking two and fanning seven, while facing 23 batters.  
 
Senior Logan Hill hit .429 for the twin bill on 3 of 7 with three runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI.  She slugged 1.286 and reached base at a .500 clip with one walk.  Hill was 2 for 2 in stolen bases with 17 putouts in 19 chances and no errors.  Junior Nicole Pennington also had three hits with three runs scored.  VSU hit .333 for the series, scoring 16 runs with 18 hits, four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.  The team slugged .574 and reached base at a .415 clip with nine walks and just two strikeouts.  VSU was 4 for 4 in stolen bases and had three errors leading to one unearned run.
 
In the circle, VSU held ASU to a .146 average on 7 of 48, while the Golden Rams scored five runs with one home run and four RBI.  Senior Avery Lamb picked up the win in the opener in relief, going 2.1 innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, walked one and fanned two. 
 
Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the games this week at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for complete stats and recaps following each game.
 
Nationally speaking, VSU is second in home runs with 26 on the year and leads the nation in home runs per game at 1.63.  The Blazers are third in the league and 25^th nationally in ERA at 2.03, while they are 20^th nationally and second in the league in fielding percentage at a .973 clip.  VSU is 16^th nationally in shutouts (4), 19^th in slugging percentage (.512), 24^th in sacrifice bunts (17), 27^th in sacrifice flies (6) and 33^rd in WHIP (1.20).  
 
Individually, Hill leads the nation in home runs with nine, while sophomore Kiley Robb is 11^th and second in the GSC with six.  Senior Jordenne Gaten is 25^th nationally in round-trippers with five for fourth in the league and Pennington is ninth in the league for 46^th nationally with four.  Hill is third in the league in on-base percentage at a .554 clip, while she is second in the league and 26^th nationally in RBI (22) and lead the conference in RBIs per game (1.38) for 25^thnationally.  Hill is sixth nationally in slugging percentage at a 1.136 clip.  
 
In the circle, O'Connell is fourth in the league in ERA at 1.36 for 47^th nationally.  She also is fourth in the league in hits allowed per seven innings (4.67) for 48^th nationally.  Sophomore Samantha Richards leads the team in saves with two for 21^st nationally and third in the league, while she is eighth in the league in strikeouts per seven innings (7.1) to lead the team.  
 
The interesting thing about the home runs this season for the Blazers is with Hill's nine blasts and Robb's six, the duo has more than every team in the league except Alabama Huntsville, who is second behind VSU with 20 home runs on the year as a team.
 
Coker enters with a 17-2 record overall and a 2-0 mark in the South Atlantic Conference.  Coker has won six-straight games and has losses to Mount Olive (3-2) and Auburn Montgomery (4-0) this season.  The Cobras are coming off a 3-0 and 3-2 win over King (Tenn.) and a 9-2 and 3-1 victories at North Greenville.  
 
The Cobras are led by Alex Alverson at a .395 clip on 15 of 38 from the dish with six runs scored and two RBI.  Ava Jay is second in average at .389 on 7 of 18 from the plate with one run scored, two doubles and three RBI.  Ashley Meckley is hitting .352 for the season on 19 of 54 from the plate with a team-high 13 runs scored, two doubles, four triples, two home runs and 13 RBI.  She has walked a team-high 16 times.  As a team, the Cobras are hitting .289 with 96 runs scored, 143 hits, 29 doubles, eight triples, 11 home runs and 82 RBI.  The team is slugging .447 and reaching base at a .369 clip.
 
In the circle, the Cobras have a 1.42 ERA in 128 innings, allowing 83 hits, 33 runs – 26 earned, walked 49 and fanned 119.  They have three complete games with three shutouts and one save.  Christine Carver has a 1.20 ERA and a 6-0 record in ten appearances with nine starts.  She has three complete games and one shutout, while pitching a team-high 52.1 innings, allowing 35 hits, 14 runs – nine earned, walked 18 and fanned 54.  Jordyn Goodman is 4-1 with a 1.65 ERA in 34 innings, allowing 28 hits, nine runs – eight earned, walked five and fanned 22.  Isabelle Mullen also is 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 32.1 innings, allowing 17 hits, ten runs – nine earned, walked 17 and fanned 32.
 
Coker was 31-19 last season and went 0-2 in the NCAA Southeast Regional.  The Cobras were picked sixth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.  Mullen was named to the preseason all-conference first team, while Chloe Pelham earned preseason second team honors.  Head coach Travis McCall is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cobras. 
 
VSU and Coker have played just once on the diamond with Coker winning 3-0 on Mar. 15, 1997, at the VSU Spring Fling in Valdosta.
 
Georgia Southwestern enters with a 13-5 record overall.  The Hurricanes have doubleheader sweeps of Fort Valley State and Albany State last week.  GSW has played Albany State five times and Fort Valley State four times already this season.  GSW lost to Coker (4-1) and lost to Union out of the Gulf South Conference, 4-3 in nine innings.  The 'Canes split doubleheaders with Barry and Lynn this season.  
 
The 'Canes are hitting .355 on the year with 162 runs scored, 178 hits, 30 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs and 129 RBI.  The team is slugging .519 and reaching base at a .443 clip.  Chloe Zoeller leads the team with a .361 average as she tied for second in hits (22) and second in runs scored (21), while recording three doubles, one triple and driven in 12, while walking a team-high 12 times.  Kimmy Singer is second in average at .367 on 22 of 60, while scoring 13 runs with two doubles and 14 RBI.  Katelyn Wood is 19 of 58 from the plate with a .328 average, while leading the team with four home runs and 19 RBI.  She is slugging .603 and reaching base at a .426 clip.  
 
Shannon Gibson leads the staff in the circle as she is 6-2 with four complete games and a team-high 36.2 innings of work.  She has a 2.10 ERA, allowing 27 hits, 18 runs – 11 earned, walked 14 and fanned 39.  Jennifer Jernigan is 5-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 29.1 innings, while leading the team with 51 strikeouts and just nine walks. 
 
GSW was picked sixth in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Poll and finished 29-26 last season, losing in the PBC tournament final.  Head coach Nicki Levering is in her third year at the helm of the 'Canes.  VSU leads the all-time series with GSW 28-0, including four wins last season, with two in Valdosta and two in Americus.  VSU is 20-0 all-time at home against the 'Canes.  This is the only two games the teams will play this season.  
 
The Blazers are scheduled to host the Flames this weekend, as VSU will be playing seven games in six days.  VSU then will close the homestand on Mar. 11 with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. versus Flagler.