VALDOSTA, Ga. – Off to their best start since 2003, the No. 12 Valdosta State baseball team is set to host Flagler College for a midweek matchup on Wed., March 30, at 6 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.
 
Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the game at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page. Check back with the site for complete recaps and stats of each game throughout the season.
 
The 19-6 record on the year marks the best start for the Blazers since 2003 through 25 games when the '03 edition began the season 24-1. Currently, Valdosta State is 11-3 in the Gulf South Conference and are a half game back of West Florida in the GSC standings. 
 
Following the game on Wednesday against Flagler, the Blazers continue at home this weekend with a visit from Christian Brothers for a three-game series, beginning Saturday at 1 p.m., at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.  
 
The Blazers moved to No. 12 nationally in the newest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25, while they are 19^th in the NCBWA Top 25.  This week's NCBWA Top 25 will not be announced until Wednesday afternoon.  The last time VSU was in the top 15 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25 was 11^th the week of Mar. 2, 2020.  The highest ranking in the poll for the Blazers all-time was fourth on the week of Feb. 17, 2014.  
 
VSU is coming off a 3-1 week where it defeated Georgia Southwestern 9-6 and then took two of three at Mississippi College over the weekend.  VSU won the opener 11-6, battling back from an early deficit in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday, before falling 9-5 in the nightcap.  On Sunday, VSU posted an 8-3 victory to clinch the series.  
 
Previously this season, the Blazers and Saints met on Wed., March 2, in St. Augustine, Fla., when the Blazers walked away with a 1-0 win.  Junior EJ Doskow singled up the middle plating a run in the fourth inning for the only run in the game.  Doskow finished the game 2 for 3 with a double, RBI and a walk.  Sophomore Nick Ferrara earned the win in relief, while graduate student Adrian Garrastazu picked up the save.  The 1-0 score marked the first time VSU had won a nine-inning game 1-0 since Mar. 15, 2014, at West Alabama.
 
VSU leads the all-time series with Flagler 20-12 and has won the last four in the series.  The Blazers are 12-3 all-time at home against the Saints, while they are 7-9 in St. Augustine and 1-0 in neutral site matchups. 
 
The Blazers are fourth this week in the latest NCBWA South Region Top Ten as Tampa leads the poll, followed by Rollins at second and West Florida is third.  Nova Southeastern sits fifth to round out the top five.  Florida Tech is sixth, followed by Delta State, Savannah State, Montevallo and Florida Southern in tenth.  
 
In the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25, this marks the fourth-straight week the Blazers have been in the poll.  Tampa leads the poll, followed by Wingate, Columbus State, Central Missouri and North Greenville round out the top five. Point Loma (Calif.) is sixth, followed by Southern Arkansas, West Texas A&M, Colorado Mesa and Trevecca Nazerene (Tenn.) rounds out the top ten.  VSU is the highest ranked team from the GSC and second in the region behind Tampa.  Following the Blazers, Nova Southeastern is 20^th, while Rollins is 23^rdand Saint Leo is 25^th.  Delta State is among others receiving votes, as is West Florida.  
 
VSU is under the direction of head coach Greg Guilliams who is in his 15^th season at the helm of the Blazers and is 428-273-1 (.610) during his time in Titletown.  For his career, Guilliams is 1105-530-2 (.676) with stops at Embry-Riddle, Penn State-Behrend and VSU in his 32^nd season of coaching.
 
Nationally speaking the Blazers are 23^rd nationally in ERA this season at a 3.73 clip for second in the GSC.  The Blazers are fourth nationally in shutouts with four for tops in the league, while they are tops in the league in strikeouts per nine innings at 2.54 for 41^st nationally.  VSU also leads the league in triples with eight for 56^thnationally.  
 
Individually, Doskow is 12^th nationally in batting average at a .451 clip to lead the league, while he is 28^thnationally and tops in the league in on base percentage at a .540 clip.  He is 31^st nationally and leads the GSC in slugging percentage at a .793 clip.  Doskow is fourth in the GSC in doubles with ten and eighth in the league in home runs with six, while he is fifth in the league in RBI with 32.  
 
On the bump, senior Elijah Gill is fifth nationally in victories with six to lead the GSC, while he is 18^th nationally and tops in the conference in ERA at a 1.50 clip.  He is second in the league in strikeouts (51) for 41^stnationally, while he is third in the league in strikeouts per nine innings at a 10.93 clip.  
 
Flagler enters the week with a 16-13 record overall and a 9-3 mark in the Peach Belt Conference. The Saints are scheduled to battle Florida Tech on Tuesday, before heading to Titletown for Wednesday's game.  The Saints are 27^th nationally and first in the PBC in ERA at a 3.82 clip.  FC is 32^nd nationally and tops in the league in hits allowed per nine innings (8.38), while it is fourth nationally in shutouts (4) and 20^th nationally in WHIP at a 1.32 clip to lead the league.  Individually, Trey Newland leads the league with 13 stolen bases for the season for 52^nd nationally and teammate Mason Gray is fourth in the league with 12.  Both Newland and Gray are 36^th nationally in sacrifice bunts for second in the league with four each. 
 
VSU and Flagler will conclude the three-game series for the season in the final regular season home game for the Blazers on Apr. 27 at 6 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.

For all information on Blazer baseball visit vstateblazers.com or follow Valdosta State Athletics on social media.