VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State baseball team concludes its eight-game homestand Tuesday at 5 p.m. versus Georgia Southwestern at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.  The Blazers enter with a 23-10 record on the year, while GSW is 21-13.  
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page.  The game also will be broadcast on 94.3 WJEM FM and online at foxsportsvaldosta.com with Bill Malone having the call.  
 
The Blazers enter after a 3-1 week where it swept a season series with No. 2 Tampa in a 15-14, 11-inning thriller on Tuesday and then won two of three games against West Alabama.  The Blazers sit tied for first in the GSC standings with Montevallo as both teams are 14-7 in league play.
 
GSW enters after winning three of four games against ranked foes this past week.  The Hurricanes downed No. 15 West Georgia 17-6 on Tuesday in Americus and then took two of three from No. 13 Columbus State over the weekend.  GSW is 14-7 in Peach Belt Conference play.  GSW outscored Columbus State 16-11 for the series. 
 
VSU is coming off a 3-1 weekend where it swept the season series with No. 2 Tampa, in a thrilling 15-14, come-from-behind victory on Tuesday in 11 innings.  Sophomore Trent Lewis laced an RBI double to right center in the bottom of the 11^th for the walk-off, while he also pitched the 11^th inning, getting out of a bases loaded jam unscathed to earn the win on the bump.  The Blazers then won two of three against West Alabama over the weekend as they used extra-inning heroics with a three-run blast by graduate student Nick Gonzalez in the bottom of the tenth for a 4-2 victory.  VSU then won 6-4 in the second game, but came up short on a series sweep with a 3-1 loss in the finale.  
 
This marks the second meeting of the season with GSW as VSU won 9-2 on Feb. 28 in Americus, Ga.  VSU raced out to a 4-1 lead through three innings as the 'Canes cut it to 4-2 in the fifth, but VSU scored five runs over the final two frames, two in the eighth and three in the ninth for the victory.  Graduate student JP Gates went 3 for 4 with two runs scored, two doubles, one RBI and a walk, while junior David Crawford was 2 for 5 with two runs scored and a double.  
 
VSU leads the all-time series with GSW 19-14 and has won the last four in the series.  Prior to that, the Hurricanes had won five-straight.  The teams have split the previous ten meetings and VSU leads the series 11-6 in Valdosta.  
 
This season, the Hurricanes are led by Jake Blinstrub who leads the team hitting .386 on 50 of 136 from the dish.  He has scored 38 runs with 12 doubles, one home run and 21 RBI.  He is slugging .478 and reaching base at a .492 lip with 24 walks and been hit seven times.  Reid Ragsdale is second in average at a .352 clip on 25 of 71 from the dish.  He has scored 20 runs with five doubles, one triple, one home run and nine RBI.  Kalvin Alexander leads the team with eight home runs this season in 34 games.  As a team, the 'Canes are hitting .274 with 317 hits, 250 runs scored, 55 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs and 210 RBI.  The team is slugging .398 and reaching base at a .390 clip with 168 walks and 66 hit batsmen.  
 
On the bump, the Hurricanes boast a 4.18 ERA in 293 innings, allowing 282 hits, 154 runs – 136 earned, walked 131 and fanned 292 as teams are hitting .252 against them.  Carsen Plumadore pitched the first game against VSU. 
 
This season, the Blazers are hitting .276 in 33 games with 294 hits, 224 runs scored, 48 doubles, 11 triples, 26 home runs and 196 RBI.  The team is slugging .415 on the year and reaching base at a .380 clip with 141 walks and 46 hit batsmen.  The Blazers are 59 of 77 in stolen bases this season.  Gates leads the team with a .398 average on 51 of 128 from the plate.  He has scored 31 runs to lead the team, while recording a team-high ten doubles, four home runs and 25 RBI.  He is slugging .570 and reaching base at a .458 clip with eight walks and six hit batsmen, while going 6 of 8 in stolen bases.  Graduate student Jakob Sessa is second in average at a .368 clip on 32 of 87 from the plate.  He has scored 19 runs with two doubles, a team-high four triples, and two home runs, while driving in 16.  Senior Bryson Gandy leads the team with eight home runs, while Crawford is a team-best 13 of 16 in stolen bases.  
 
On the bump, VSU boasts a 4.06 ERA in 281.1 innings of work.  The team has allowed 296 hits, 163 runs – 127 earned, walked 104 and fanned 228 as teams are hitting .266 against it. A number of different pitchers have been used as midweek starters this season for VSU.  
 
Following the game Tuesday, VSU returns to the road for a key, three-game series at Alabama Huntsville this weekend, before returning home to host Saint Leo on Apr. 18 at 5 p.m. at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.