VALDOSTA, Ga.- The Valdosta State softball team begins its 2024 campaign in Gulf Shores, Ala. where it will face off against some of the best teams in the nation including (RV) Lubbock Christian, Spring Hill, No. 1 North Georgia, No. 18 Saint Leo and No. 5 Nova Southeastern. The first pitch of the 2024 season is set to take place on Friday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. ET as the Blazers are set to take on Lubbock Christian before closing out the day against Spring Hill at 1:30 p.m. ET. Valdosta State will then turn its attention to the defending National Champions, North Georgia on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET before squaring off with regional foe, Saint Leo at 1:30 p.m. ET.  VSU will close out its five-game weekend against Nova Southeastern on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
 
Fans can access links to live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.
 
The Blazers were picked fifth in the Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced last week by the league office. The Blazers received 102 total points. Alabama Huntsville was tabbed the league favorite with 143 points and 11 first-place votes, while Mississippi College was second in the poll with the final two first-place nods and 123 points. West Alabama rounded out the top three with 120 points.
 
Auburn Montgomery was picked fourth with 118 points, while Valdosta State was selected fifth (102), followed by West Florida (87), Union (74), Montevallo (71), Lee (51), and West Georgia (46).  Delta State checked in at 11th with 41 points, followed by Christian Brothers (21) and Shorter with 17 points rounded out the poll.
 
The Blazers finished the 2023 season with a 34-16 record overall and a 19-11 mark in GSC play as they finished fifth in the league standings. Last season, VSU made it to the GSC Championship tournament, falling in the hard-fought opener to AUM 10-4 before bouncing back against West Florida in an elimination game, 8-4. The Blazers' 2023 campaign ended up coming to an end at the hands of Mississippi College 13-1 on the third day of the GSC tournament. Valdosta State head coach Thomas Macera returns for his 19th season at VSU with a 771-239-2 record, while he is 977-313-2 overall in stints at Thomas University, Lynn and Valdosta State.
 
Macera welcomes back several players from 2023, including junior outfielder Abby Sulte, senior outfielder Morgan Hill, sophomore infielder Jayme Prandine, senior infielder Aniston Gano, senior infielder Katie Proctor and sophomore outfielder Jasmin Stewart among others.
 
The team also learned last Wednesday that Sulte was named to the Preseason All-GSC team.  Last season, Sulte earned multiple accolades including First Team All-GSC at-large as well as Second Team NFCA All-Region. She also earned GSC Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA DII Player of the week honors on 3/14/23. Sulte went 53 of 140 for a team-high .379 batting average. She had two doubles, 20 home runs and 55 RBI through 50 games.
 
Meanwhile, Hill hit for .323 in the 2023 season in 47 games with 47 starts, while she recorded 51 hits, 10 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBI. She also led the team in stolen bases, swiping 16 bags on 18 attempts. Stewart hit for .307 in her freshman season, playing in 49 games with 47 starts in center field where she recorded 39 hits, seven doubles, 11 home runs and 29 RBI. Prandine also showed out in her freshman season, recording 37 runs on 40 hits with five doubles, one triple and seven home runs for 18 RBI, primarily playing at first base.
 
Macera added the services of several key newcomers, including a few transfers in junior Sydney Ray of Tallahassee CC, junior Brandie Seber out of Pensacola State College, junior Sierrah Snook from St. Petersburg College, and graduate student Nadia Zenteno who attended Florida A&M among others. Last season at pitcher, Ray recorded a 4-3 record with four complete games and 75 innings pitched, tallying 60 strikeouts while Zenteno tallied 53 strikeouts and 53 walks with 10 complete games, and two shutouts over 110.1 innings pitched at Florida A&M. Meanwhile, Seber Played in 38 games at Pensacola State College at SS/UTL, recording a .261 batting average with 22 runs, 23 hits, six doubles, one home run, 15 RBI and two stolen bases. Snook played in 48 games in 2023 at St. Petersburg College, recording a .585 average with 96 hits, 54 runs, seven doubles and 38 stolen bases. She was named to the Division I All-FCSAA/ NJCAA Region-8 First Team in 2023.
 
A couple of other fresh faces Blazer Nation should keep an eye out for include freshman Toree Wofford and Syren Letiza. Wofford, a native of Dallas, Ga. attended Villa Rica Highschool where she recorded a .480 batting average with 51 runs, 47 hits, 43 RBI, 15 doubles, one triple and eight home runs in 2022-23 while Letiza made the trip to Valdosta State from Innisfail, Australia to play infield under head coach Thomas Macera.
 
Lubbock Christian enters after going 40-17 last season with a 29-13 record in the Lone Star Conference. The Lady Chaps were picked fourth in the LSC Preseason Poll after falling just short in the conference championship to Cameron in 2023. The Lady Chaps are led by head coach Daren Hays, who is entering his 14^th season at the helm of the program. With an overall record of 523-174, Hayes has defeated the Blazers the one time they faced off back in 2020, 4-3, in an eight-inning thriller in Gulf Shores.
 
The LSC picked infielder Skyler Herrera and pitcher Maxine Valdez as players to watch on Lubbock Christian this season. Herrera enters the season after having a career best year in 2023, hitting .318 in 57 games, recording 56 hits and 27 stolen bases. She claimed her first All-Region Team honors (NFCA) in 2023 and became a three-time All-Conference selection. In the circle, Valdez recorded an All-Conference season in 2023 with a 17-7 record and a 2.74 ERA with 159 strikeouts in 125.1 innings. She also recorded four no-hitters over the course of last season.
 
Spring Hill comes into the 2024 season after going 23-23 with a 17-2 mark in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) last year. The Badgers are led by head coach Hannah Lythberg, who is set to begin her second season as head of the program after going 23-23 in her first season. Overall, the Blazers hold a 6-0 program winning streak over the Badgers since 2004. VSU last defeated Spring Hill in 2022 at the Gulf Shores Invitational, 11-0 (5 innings).
 
No. 1 North Georgia enters the 2024 season following a National Championship-bearing campaign in 2023. The Nighthawks went 64-7 overall with a 24-3 mark in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). This season, UNG was tabbed first in the NFCA Preseason Poll as well as the PBC Preseason Poll. Head coach Mike Davenport's Nighthawks set a program-record with 64 wins in 2023, going 10-1 during the NCAA postseason after winning the program's ninth consecutive Peach Belt Conference championship. Davenport holds a 1042-267 record as he is set to command his 24^th season as the head coach of the program. The Blazers hold the edge in program matchup history against the Nighthawks 8-4 since 2006 with VSU claiming its most recent victory over UNG in 2022, 3-1 in Gulf Shores.
 
Five Nighthawks were selected for the PBC preseason All-Conference team with Sydney Blair, Jolie Lester, Mariah Wicker, Sophie Mooney and pitcher Kristen Davis all earning spots on the team. Along with the five members of the All-PBC Preseason team, UNG returns eight total All-Conference players with 13 juniors and seniors on the roster.
 
No. 18 Saint Leo comes into Gulf Shores following a 2023 season that saw the Lions go 43-12 overall and 23-7 in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) play, earning them hosting honors in the NCAA South Regionals. The Lions were picked third in the SSC Preseason Coaches' Poll just trailing four points behind the number two spot, Nova Southeastern. Saint Leo is led by head coach Erin Kinberger who is entering her tenth season at the helm. She holds a 297-120 record in nine seasons with Saint Leo while boasting a 404-171 record in her 12-season career.
 
The Blazers hold a slim 9-6 record over the Lions in program history since 2007. The two teams faced off just last season in Saint Leo, Fla. where Saint Leo claimed the first game in a two-game series 3-1 before Valdosta State bounced back for a thrilling 6-2 victory in extra innings. Gulf Shores will not be the only time the two teams clash this season as VSU is set to host Saint Leo down the stretch for a doubleheader on April 10 at 3 and 5 p.m.
 
No. 5 Nova Southeastern enters the 2024 season after going 43-16 with a 22-8 mark in SSC play. The Sharks claimed the second spot in the SSC Preseason Poll after falling just short in NCAA Division II Championship last season. The Sharks are under command of head coach Julie LeMaire, who is 202-164 entering her ninth season with the program. Over her 15-year career, she holds a 458-305 overall record and is 1-2 against VSU. Overall, Valdosta State holds a 15-4 advantage in the schools' matchup history since 1998.
 
Just last season, the Blazers and Sharks faced off at the beginning of the year. NSU and VSU faced off in a doubleheader in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. this same time last year in which the two teams split the two-game series. The Sharks took the first matchup 6-1 before the Blazers bounced back for an 11-6 victory in the second game. Much like Saint Leo, Valdosta State will see Nova Southeastern again down the line when it hosts the Sharks on March 24 in a doubleheader set for 1 and 3 p.m.
 
Following this weekend, VSU will return to the road next weekend to compete in the Embry-Riddle Tournament where the Blazers will face the likes of Tampa, Embry-Riddle and Eckerd. The Blazers then return home to host West Florida in a mid-week doubleheader, opening Gulf-South Conference play on Feb. 14.