VALDOSTA, Ga - The Valdosta State baseball team hits the road to face Delta State at Harvey Stadium at Ferriss Field Friday, Apr. 2, with first pitch at 6 p.m. ET, along with a doubleheader the following day at 2 p.m. ET.
 
The Blazers (14-9, 12-8 Gulf South Conference) are looking to bounce back after it drop its weekend series against West Florida, having been outscored 33-22. VSU's bats didn't fall short though as it accounted for 36 hits during the three games with graduate student Jordan Holt leading the team with seven. Before its weekend series, the Blazers were able to come away with a close 3-2 win versus Georgia Southwestern Tuesday, Mar. 23. Senior David Maberry hit a crucial homerun in the bottom of the sixth to put the Blazers up 3-1, the extra run it needed to come out on top.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming and ticket information for the games at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.
 
Delta State enters with a 12-10 record overall and a 10-10 mark in the GSC. The Statesmen have won its last six games and have swept its last two series. A weekend sweep against Christian Brothers this past weekend, DSU outran its opposition 16-1 with help from its 21 hits and six hits allowed. The Statesmen also swept Union the week before, totaling 21 runs off 32 hits while allowing 11 runs.
 
The Statesmen are led by junior Hayden White who sits at a .341 batting average with a team leading 31 hits and 25 RBI. The junior has eight doubles on the season along with five homeruns during his 91 at bats. He slugs at a .593 clip while reaching base at a .419 clip. Right behind the junior is sophomore Kirkland Trahan whose appeared in all 22 games the Statesmen have played this season. Trahan sits with a .333 batting average off 31 hits, five doubles, and five homeruns, good for 23 RBI. Leading the clubhouse in stolen bases is junior Chad Ragland who is a perfect four for four on the pads this season.
 
On the bump, the Statesmen have a combined 152 strikeouts and allow a batting average of .248 with a 3.87 ERA. Junior Hunter Riggins leads DSU starting pitchers with a 2.61 ERA and an overall record of 3-3. The junior has seen a team high 48.1 innings and 183 batters, holding his opponents to a .230 batting average. Riggins has struck out 46 for a team-high, and has pitched two complete games, one of which was a shutout. With 17 runs – 14 earned, he has allowed 42 hits. The only other pitcher to have started seven games is graduate student Christian Day who has a 2-2 record. Day has allowed 35 hits in 37.1 innings pitches, good for a 4.34 ERA and an opponent batting average of .241.
 
As a team, the Statesmen are hitting .276 off of 751 at bats and have 207 hits for sixth best in the GSC. Delta State has scored 157 runs on the year with 35 doubles and 145 RBI. The Statesmen have been walked 91 times with 174 strikeouts.
 
The Blazers are led by Maberry this season who is hitting a team-best .409 from the dish, good for third in the GSC. Maberry also leads the team with 36 hits which is good for 18^th in the nation and fifth in the GSC, in front of Lewis with 28 hits. Lewis, along with Ben Rowdon, has smacked the most doubles with nine, tied for 27^th in the nation and second in the conference. Rowdon also plays the base pads well where he finds himself 22^nd in the nation with 11 stolen bases.
 
Lewis is second in average among everyday players at a .350 clip. He's appeared in 21 games this season, slugging at a .5000 clip, with one homerun, 16 RBI, and a .447 on-base percentage. Rowdon, who sits at third on the team in hits and batting average, has recorded 27 hits this season with two home runs and 14 RBI for a .287 average.
 
As a team, the Blazers are third in the league hitting .295 on 233 of 789 from the plate, while scoring 164 runs for 32^nd in the nation and fifth in the GSC. The Blazers have knocked down 53 doubles, four triples, 17 homeruns and 148 RBI. The team is slugging .437 and reach base at a .393 clip, have been walked 105 times, hit 28 times and fanned 176 times. VSU has 27 errors on the year for a .968 fielding percentage.
 
On the bump, VSU holds a 4.48 ERA in 201 innings. The Blazers have allowed 206 hits, 121 runs – 100 earned, walked 70 and fanned 210. The opposition is hitting .265 against the Blazers with 44 doubles and 15 homeruns. Senior Zach Blankenship leads starting pitchers with a 4.8 ERA with an overall record of 2-2. Blankenship has allowed 35 hits and has walked just seven batters in 30 innings. Junior Jeremy Adams has pitched 18.2 innings, allowing 16 hits with four runs scored for a 1.93 ERA while walking three batters and striking out 20.
 
Following the weekend series versus Delta State, VSU will return home for a weekend series versus West Alabama with a doubleheader set for 2 p.m. Apr. 10, followed by a single game the following day with first pitch set for 1 p.m.