VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 19 Valdosta State baseball team hits the road again for a weekend series against Shorter with a doubleheader set for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 11 a.m. and a single game Sunday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m.
 
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there will be limited capacity at the Robert H. Ledbetter Baseball Complex at Shorter University. All baseball contests at Shorter University are limited to 90 fans.
 
VSU originally was supposed to play a doubleheader versus the Hawks on Friday and a single game Saturday, but due to the potential for inclement weather this week, the series has been altered.
 
The Blazers (6-3, 5-3 Gulf South Conference) have won its last three games with its most recent win coming against the Flagler Saints Tuesday, Feb. 23, by a final score of 7-2. Five separate Blazers batted in runners where EJ Doskow and Ralph Morla Jr. both batted in two apiece. David Maberry along with Morla Jr. led the team in hits with two each to go along with the Blazers seven hits as a team. Junior right-handed pitcher Jeremy Adams picked up his first win after allowing just one hit and five strikeouts during his five innings pitched, only facing 15 batters.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming and ticket information for the games at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.
 
Shorter enters with a 7-2 overall record and 4-2 in the GSC. The Hawks have won its last five games with a run total of 49 compared to its opponents 19 with help from a 25-3 win over Bluefield State College in seven innings. The Hawks have outhit its opponents so far this year by 16 and have a team batting average of .304 to aid its 72 runs scored. The Hawks average eight runs per game and hold its opponents to an average of 5.2.
 
The Hawks are led by freshman Jacob Pajer who's sporting a .522 batting average along with 12 hits with four doubles and one homerun for four RBI. Senior Nathaniel Butterworth is tied for the team lead in hits with Pajer with 12 off two doubles and two homeruns from 33 at-bats, good for a .364 average. Leading the Hawks with 12 RBI is senior Bailey Gerstner who sports two doubles and a homerun.
 
On the bump, the Hawks have a combined 89 strikeouts and allow a batting average of .251 with a 5.18 ERA. Junior Jonathan Pintaro is the Hawks leading starting pitcher with a 3-0 record with a complete game under his belt. The junior has a 3.92 ERA in 20.2 IP with 11 hits allowed and 33 strikeouts, holding his opponents to a .153 batting average.
 
As a team, the Hawks are hitting .304 off of 296 at-bats. The team has 90 hits and have scored 72 runs with 22 doubles and 61 RBI. The Hawks are 19-22 on stolen base attempts and have only allowed three stolen bases.
 
The Blazers are led by Morla Jr. this season who is hitting a team-best .450 from the dish, good for fifth in the GSC. Leading the Blazers in hits is Ben Rowdon, Chase Coker, and Maberry with 13 which is good for eighth in the GSC. Coker has three doubles along with a triple for four RBI with a .474 slugging percentage as Rowdon has hit two balls out of the park with six doubles for nine RBI. Maberry leads the team in runs batted in with 13, good for second in the GSC, as he is sporting a .382 batting average off 13 hits, three doubles, and a homerun.
 
As a team, the Blazers are hitting .318 on 99 hits off 311 at-bats while scoring 73 runs. The Blazers have knocked down 28 doubles, two triples, five home runs, and 70 RBI.  The team is slugging .469 and reach base at a .424 clip, walked 49 times, hit 10 times, and fanned 63 times. VSU has 14 errors on the year for a .956 fielding percentage.
 
On the bump, VSU boasts a 3.87 ERA in 79 innings with 67 hits allowed with 42 runs – 34 earned, walked 24, and fanned 89.  The opposition is hitting .225 against the Blazers with 13 doubles and four home runs. Senior Zach Blankenship is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 13.0 innings, allowing 12 hits, four walks, and fanning 16. Senior Tristan Cone leads the Blazers with 21 strikeouts during his three appearances.
 
Following the series versus Shorter, VSU will head back to the road to face Montevallo with a single game set for Friday, Mar. 5, with first pitch at 6 p.m. E.T. and a doubleheader Saturday with first pitch at 2 p.m. E.T.