VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State baseball team returns home after a short road trip to face Auburn Montgomery at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park this weekend. The Blazers and the Warhawks begin the three-game series with a single game Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader set for Sunday, Feb. 21, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there will be limited capacity at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park during all home baseball games. A hard, limited capacity of 230 (two hundred thirty) fans will be admitted to each home game. Face coverings will be required at all times for all guests over the age of 2. Fans are encouraged to come to Billy Grant Field early to ensure admittance. Doors will open one (1) hour before each game and ticket prices for adults is $5 and senior (65+) and youth (5-College w/ID) ticket prices at $3.
 
VSU originally was supposed to play a doubleheader versus the Warhawks on Saturday and a single game Friday, but due to the potential for inclement weather this week, the series has been altered.
 
The Blazers (3-2, 3-2 Gulf South Conference) are looking to bounce back after Lee handed it a pair of losses during last weekend's series in Cleveland, Tenn. Slated for a three-game series, the teams were only able to play its doubleheader due to weather washing out the weekend finale. VSU saw 11 players cross home plate off 18 hits, with David Maberry sending one out-of-the-park to account for three runs. Left-handed pitcher Tristan Cone saw 4.1 innings on the mound and only allowed two hits with one earned run, sending six batters back to the dugout. Over the doubleheader, the Blazers allowed 22 hits with 16 runs and one error.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming and ticket information for the games at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page. Please call 229-333-SEAT for more information on purchasing tickets.
 
Auburn Montgomery enters with a 4-2 record overall and a 4-2 mark in the GSC. The Warhawks swept Christian Brothers last weekend, scoring 27 runs while only allowing 7. The week prior, AUM was only able to get one win versus West Georgia, getting outscored 22-18.
 
The Warhawks are led by freshman Jackson Ceman who's sporting a .471 batting average while tied for the team lead with 7 RBI with help from his two doubles. Senior Casey Henderson leads the Warhawks with 10 hits while also tied with Ceman with 7 RBI, with a batting average of .345. On the bump, the Warhawks have a combined 58 strikeouts and allow a batting average of .245 with a 3.83 ERA. Sophomore Hunter Viets has started both games he appeared in, allowing a 2.19 ERA with a 1-1 record. Viets has allowed nine hits during his 12.1 innings pitched, facing the most batters out of any other Warhawk with 45 while walking just three batters. Also on the mound, with a perfect 2-0 record, is senior Micah Henderson who leads the team with 13 strikeouts during his 11.2 innings pitched. Henderson has allowed just eight hits for a 3.09 ERA with an opponent batting average of .190.
 
As a team, the Warhawks are hitting .288 off of 208 at bats. The team has 60 hits for fifth nationally and second in the GSC, scored 45 runs for first in the GSC and sixth nationally, with 12 doubles and 36 RBI. The Warhawks have only been caught stealing once on its nine attempts and have been walked 18 times.
 
The Blazers are led by Maberry this season who is hitting a team-best .474 from the dish, good for 42^nd in the nation and seventh in the GSC. Maberry is tied with E.J. Doskow with nine hits and leads the team with 10 RBI. The senior has one double and one home run, while slugging .684 for the year. Chase Coker leads the team in stolen bases, going three for four so far this year.
 
Jowenrick Daantji is second in average among everyday players at a .438 clip. He's appeared in all five games with two starts, recording seven hits, three doubles, one triple, one home run, and four RBI. He is slugging .750 with a .438 on-base percentage. Doskow is third in batting average in five starts at a .429 clip. He has nine hits, seven RBI, and three doubles during his 21 appearances at the plate.
 
As a team, the Blazers are third in the nation hitting .349 on 59 of 169 from the plate, while scoring 41 runs for eighth in the nation and third in the GSC. The Blazers have knocked down 19 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 38 RBI.  The team is slugging .527 and reaching base at a .448 clip, walking 25 times, hit seven times and fanned 35 times. VSU has four errors on the year for a .975 fielding percentage.
 
On the bump, VSU boasts a 3.73 ERA in 41 innings for 13th best in the nation. The Blazers have allowed 35 hits, 19 runs – 17 earned, walked 14 and fanned 51.  The opposition is hitting .232 against the Blazers with just eight doubles and three home runs.  Senior Tristan Cone is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and fanning 12. Senior Zach Henderson has pitched 5.1 innings, allowing two hits with no runs scored and walking four batters while striking out five.
 
Nationally speaking, the Blazers rank first in doubles with 19, 13^th in ERA (3.73), 11^th in fielding percentage (.975), eighth in slugging percentage with .527, and second in shutouts with one. In the GSC, the Blazers lead in batting average (.349), doubles (13), RBI (38), slugging (.527), and on-base percentage (.448).
 
Following the series versus Auburn Montgomery, VSU hits the road to face Flagler Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. followed by a weekend series at Shorter.