VALDOSTA, Ga.- The No. 10 Valdosta State softball team is set to travel to No. 18 Saint Leo for a two-game doubleheader on Wednesday, Mar. 22 with action kicking off at 3 p.m.
 
Fans can access links to video streaming, live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.
 
On Tuesday afternoon, Valdosta State learned that it was once again number 10 in the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll. In the updated poll, North Georgia remained number one, followed by Rogers State, Tampa, UT Tyler and Central Oklahoma rounding out the top five. Grand Valley State is sixth, GSC rival UAH is seventh, Concordia is eighth, Indianapolis is ninth and Valdosta State caps out the top ten. Saint Leo was also named number 18 ahead of its matchup with the Blazers this week.
 
Last week, the Blazers dominated in all five road games they competed in, including a Wednesday doubleheader at Florida Tech and a three-game Gulf South Conference series at Christian Brothers over the weekend. VSU took the first game with Florida Tech, 12-2, before taking game two of the evening, 12-3. Valdosta State then scored 30 total runs on Saturday in a doubleheader with Christian Brothers as the Blazers won game one, 11-1, and were victorious in game two, 19-7. The Blazers closed out the week and the series with Christian Brothers on Sunday in a shutout 12-0 victory. Since Mar. 11 in the 10-2 triumph over West Georgia, the Blazers have scored seven consecutive double digit wins for a combined total of 86 runs.
 
Valdosta State currently holds a 24-4 overall record and are 13-2 in conference play. Collectively, the Blazers have hit 73 home runs for first in the nation and are averaging 2.61 homers per game for a national best. VSU has also amassed a conference high 243 runs for third in the nation and is third in the nation in slugging percentage, slugging .668 as a team.
 
Individually, the Blazers are led by sophomore Abby Sulte at the plate, batting .395 behind 32 hits, 27 runs, 2 doubles and 15 home runs, tying for first in the nation and conference in homers. She is also first in the conference and third in the nation in RBI with 42. Junior Morgan Hill has also had an impressive season so far, batting .378 with 36 runs on 37 hits, eight doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBI. Hill is currently first in the conference and 16^th in the nation in runs per game, averaging 1.29 a clip.
 
In the circle for the Blazers, senior Samantha Richards has been electric, hoisting a 2.22 ERA behind 139 strikeouts, 24 walks and 43 runs on 108 hits in 126.1 total innings. Richards has 17 complete games for a national best while also hoisting 18 starts for first in the conference and second in the nation. She has five shutouts for a conference best and fourth nationally. Her 139 strikeouts are good for first in the GSC and fourth in the nation while her 18-1 record is a conference best and ties for best in the nation.
 
Saint Leo enters the week with a record of 27-4 overall and is under the direction of head coach Erin Kinberger, who is 281-112 in her nine seasons with the Lions.  In her 12 seasons of coaching overall, Kinberger has a record of 388-163 and has not faced VSU as the coach of the Lions. Overall, the Blazers hold the all-time record with Saint Leo, 8-5, as the two have not faced off since Mar. 28, 2012.
 
Individually, Saint Leo is led at the dish by Briana Neal, who is batting .419 behind 23 runs on 36 hits, seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 21 RBI. In the circle for the Lions, Kayla Betts has a perfect 12-0 record with a 0.24 ERA for second nationally. Betts has 11 complete games under her belt with a national best nine shutouts. She has accumulated 138 strikeouts, 13 walks, and allowed three runs on 27 hits over the course of the season. She is also first in the nation in hits allowed per seven innings, allowing 2.13 runs a game.
 
Following the doubleheader with Saint Leo, the Blazers will have a little bit of a break before hosting Lee University in a three-game conference series, set to begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 1 at 2 p.m.