VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team opens the 2021 season with a doubleheader set for Sunday against Mississippi College at 1 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park. The series then will conclude on Monday with opening pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
VSU originally was supposed to play a doubleheader versus the Choctaws on Saturday and a single game Sunday, but due to the potential for inclement weather, the Blazers now will play the twin bill Sunday beginning at 1 p.m., and the single game Monday at 1 p.m.  All games this season will be nine-innings.
 
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be limited occupancy for home games at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park and face coverings will be required at all times for all guests over the age of two (2).
 
Due to the pandemic, there will be no paper programs at the games this season, please click on the link to the right of this story and each home game preview throughout the season.  There also will be sheets at the entrances of Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park each gameday with the QR code for the game program.
 
The Blazers are coming off a 13-6 record during the shortened 2020 season, coming away with a 7-1 win the last time the team saw the field on Mar. 10, 2020.
 
VSU is under the direction of head coach Greg Guilliams who enters his 14^th season at the helm of the program where he holds a record of 384-251-1 (.605). He enters his 31st season of coaching with an overall record of 1061-508-2 (.676). Guilliams spent 16 seasons at Embry-Riddle, recording a 663-236-1 record there, prior to coming to VSU in 2007.
 
The Blazers were picked fourth in the 2021 Preseason Gulf South Conference Poll, while seniors Tristan Cone and Nick Lewis were named to the GSC returning players watchlist. Junior pitcher Elijah Gill and senior infielder Ben Rowdon were listed as top newcomers.
 
West Florida was picked as league champions, followed by Alabama Huntsville, Delta State, and the Blazers. Mississippi College rounded out the top five in the poll.
 
 Lewis looks to build off his strong start to last season as he led the team with a .383 batting average in 17 games played and in his 17 starts, good for fourth in the league. The senior had 23 hits which tied for the team-high while recording six doubles, one triple, and three home runs. Lewis slugged a team-best .667 for the season which placed him second in the GSC, while walking eight times and hit twice for a .465 on base average. On the field, he had 31 putouts with 36 assists and just two errors for a .971 fielding percentage.
 
Cone will take his success from the previous year into this season where he went a team-best 4-0 with a 3.86 ERA in six appearances and six starts during the shortened 2020 season. He pitched a team-high 35 innings, allowing 37 hits, 17 runs with 15 earned, walked 18 and fanned a team-high 45. The left-handed pitcher is 12-3 for his career with two complete games and combined on four shutouts under his belt. He has a 3.86 ERA in 56 appearances with 20 starts with teams hitting .253 against him.
 
Gill, a transfer from East Carolina University, pitched in four games with a pair of starts for the Pirates. He gave up no runs and only allowed one hit during his two relief outings while he only allowed one walk in four games. Prior to ECU, Gill was a two-year letterman at St. John's River CC. He finished his freshman season 7-2 in 14 appearances and struck out 61 batters and continued his success into his sophomore year, posting an 8-2 record. He struck out a personal-best 13 batters in one game while throwing double-digit strikeout games on two other occasions and was ranked as the ninth left-handed prospect in the state of Florida.
 
Rowdon attended Gardner-Webb where he appeared in 41 games while starting 35. The senior started all 13 games in 2020 before the season was cut short as he drove in 12 runs and batted .277 while racking in ten doubles and one triple. Prior to Gardner-Webb, he played in 47 games while starting 46 at Gulf Coast State in 2018 where he batted .320 with three home runs.
 
Valdosta State found itself ranked 19 in the initial Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll and was the highest out of all GSC schools. Alabama Huntsville was close behind at 23rd, and West Georgia ranked 25th. West Florida, Delta State, Mississippi College, and Lee all received votes. VSU placed sixth in the South Region, receiving 37 points, as Tampa sits at number one, followed by Barry, West Florida, Alabama Huntsville, and Delta State to round out the top five.
 
Mississippi College, coached by sixth year head coach Jeremy Haworth, finished the 2020 season 11-9 (.550) with a 6-3 (.667) record inside the conference. The Choctaws return infielder Dylan Duplechain along with Bryce Lewis on the bump.
 
Duplechain played in all 45 games during the 2019 season, before he redshirted the 2020 season, hitting .279 after his 190 looks from the plate. With two home runs on the year along with 19 RBI's, the redshirt-senior saw a slugging percentage of .389 to go along with his .333 on-base percentage.
 
Lewis appeared in seven games during the 2020 campaign, starting one, with a 2-1 record. Lewis recorded a 2.65 ERA which was the best on the team in pitchers with over five innings pitched. The redshirt-sophomore struck out 11 batters while only giving up two home runs and held his batters to a .206 batting average.
 
Catcher Alex Hay and right-handed pitcher Dylan Marsh got the nod as a top newcomer for the Choctaws.
 
Hay, a transfer from Austin Peay, hit .296 in 16 games with a pair of home runs. Before his time at Austin Peay, he attended East Central Community College where he hit .305 overall with 58 hits and 52 RBI's.
 
Marsh, who pitched at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, struck out 18 batters in his 22.2 innings pitched. Before then, the senior went 9-7 with five saves and a 3.26 ERA, along with 110 strikeouts at East Central Community College.
 
For the Blazers, Mike Christopoulos returns after hitting a blistering .333 during the 2020 season, knocking in 13 runners to go along with his three home runs. Right behind Christopoulos is David Maberry, who led the team in RBI's with 21 and tied for first on the team with home runs in five.
 
Following the series, VSU heads on the road to Cleveland, Tenn. to faceoff against Lee with the first game set for Friday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. before a doubleheader the following day, with first pitch set for 12 p.m.
 
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.