VALDOSTA, Ga.- Coming off a successful 5-1 road trip, the Valdosta State softball team is set to return to Steel's Diamond to face off with Union University in a three-game Gulf South Conference series. Action kicks off in a doubleheader set for Saturday, Mar. 2 at 2 p.m. with the series concluding in a single game on Sunday, Mar. 3 at 1 p.m.
 
Fans can access links to video streaming, live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.
 
Just last week VSU hit the road for a five-game road trip, kicking off the stretch in St. Augustine, Fla. with a Wednesday doubleheader against Flagler. The Blazers dropped the opener in a tight knit 8-5 contest before Abby Sulte and Carly Bogart's pair of homers willed the Blazers to a game two victory over the Saints, 5-3. VSU then set its sights on the Lee Lady Flames in Cleveland, Tenn. for a three-game GSC showdown. In the opening doubleheader of the series, the Blazers defeated Lee in the first game 13-5 (6 Inn.) before clutching the series victory in the nightcap, 15-5 (6 Inn.). Valdosta State busted out the brooms on Sunday, completing the series sweep in the finale, 13-5. Over the weekend, the Blazer bats exploded for 41 runs on 32 hits including three doubles, one triple and a staggering 12 home runs.
 
For an excellent string of performances at the plate, junior Abby Sulte was honored as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA DII Player of the Week as well as the GSC Player of the Week. Sulte had an incredible stretch at the plate for Valdosta State, recording a home run in each of her five games started last week. Overall, she hit .533 against Flagler and Lee, tallying eight hits in 15 plate appearances. The St. Petersburg, Fla. native tacked on 12 runs and 11 RBI with one double and six home runs while taking five walks over the week. She got on base at a .667 rate while slugging a team-high 1.800 percent.
 
For the season, Sulte has tallied 28 runs on 25 hits on the season with 13 of them being home runs, good for first in the nation. She also ranks first in the nation in total bases with 65 while sitting at fourth in the nation and first in the GSC in RBI with 27. She is currently batting .410 while slugging a team-high 1.066.
 
Valdosta State currently holds a 12-8 overall record with a 5-1 mark in the GSC. The Blazers have tallied 171 hits over 20 games including 18 doubles, four triples and a nation-leading 42 home runs for 2.10 home runs a game. VSU has cashed in 140 total runs and 124 RBI while hitting a collective .320 and slugging .605.
 
Individually, junior Carly Bogart leads the team in hitting percentage, bolstering a .500 average on 19 hits in 38 plate appearances. Senior Morgan Hill has also had an impressive year at the dish, leading the team in double with six while tallying 24 runs and eight homers. For her VSU career, Hill currently ranks fourth in VSU history in home runs with 50 homers for ninth in GSC history while ranking third in school history in runs scored (171). Meanwhile, Blazer seniors Aniston Gano and Katie Proctor have been on a tear at the plate with Gano racking up two doubles, one triple and seven home runs for 25 RBI while Proctor gets on base at a .514 rate with 17 hits and 18 walks.
 
Union enters Steel's Diamond with a 13-5 overall record with a 5-1 skid in league play. Union most recently swept Delta State in a three-game series last weekend before splitting a mid-week doubleheader against Trevecca Nazarene University on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs are led by head coach Sydney Sturner, who is 37-31 in two seasons with Union. Valdosta State holds the program record with Union since 2013, 22-3, with VSU taking the most recent series 2-1 in 2021.
 
Individually, Union is led by Macey Neal at the plate, who holds a blistering .492 average with 19 runs on 31 hits including eight doubles, three triples and three home runs for 21 RBI. Another notable batter for the Lady Bulldogs is Courtney Marler, who is batting .400 on 13 runs, 22 hits with four doubles and two home runs for 15 RBI. The Lady Bulldogs are led in the circle by ace Lainey Baker (5-2) who holds a 1.56 ERA with five starts in eight appearances. Over the course of 40.1 innings pitched, Baker has tallied four complete games, two shutouts and has 58 strikeouts with only 14 walks.
 
Following this weekend's conference matchup, the Blazer softball team will head to Livingston, Ala. to take on West Alabama for another GSC series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 9 at 2 p.m. ET. For more information on Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and head to the softball schedule page.