VALDOSTA, Ga.- The Valdosta State softball team returns to action at Steel's Diamond on Sunday, Mar. 23 for a non-conference doubleheader against regional-foe No. 25 Nova Southeastern. The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon with the second game following the conclusion of the first game.

Blazer fans can access links to video streaming, live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.

The Blazers are coming fresh off the success of winning their fifth consecutive Gulf South Conference series of the season last weekend when VSU downed Alabama Huntsville two games to one. VSU came out swinging quite literally in the series opener last Friday as the Blazers blasted a season-high 15 hits including five homers and a double to overcome UAH in a five inning-inning slug fest, 20-9. The Charger stuck back in the second game of the series on Saturday, taking advantage of VSU miscues to down the Blazers, 8-3. The Blazers ended up claiming the rubber match as junior pitcher Savannah Barfield went the distance to deliver her best performance of the season in a 9-3 Blazer victory.

Overall, Valdosta State currently hoists a 19-12 overall record with an 11-4 mark in the GSC. The Blazers have tallied 270 hits in 31 games including 24 doubles, five triples and a nation-leading 76 home runs for 2.45 homers a game. VSU earned 233 total runs and 214 RBI while hitting a collective .318 and slugging .626 for first in the nation. The Blazers also pride themselves with patience at the plate, ranking fifth in the nation in walks with 132 on the season.

For the season, junior Carly Bogart leads the team in hitting percentage, bolstering a .420 average on 29 hits in 69 plate appearances with two doubles and nine home runs. Meanwhile, junior Abby Sulte leads the team in runs (41), home runs (21) and RBI (47) while slugging a team-high 1.041 percent. Senior Morgan Hill leads the team in hits with 38 as well as doubles with seven while also recording eight stolen bases. On a national level, Sulte's 21 home runs rank first in the nation while senior Aniston Gano's 13 rank fourth and Hill's 12 rank fifth.

Individually, the Blazers are looking to make history this season with senior Morgan Hill well on her way to cementing her name in VSU softball history. For her career, Hill ranks sixth in the Gulf South Conference in career home runs with 54, just two short of tying Valdosta State's Marti Littlefield with 56. In program history, her 54 homers rank third all-time while she also sits at third in career runs with 183. Meanwhile, junior Abby Sulte has put together a 2024 campaign that is nothing short of spectacular. Sulte currently boists a nation-leading 21 home runs, already passing her 2023 20 home runs. Her 21 single season home runs tie for fourth in VSU history while she is just three away from Nicole Pennington's 24 (2021) in the third spot and six away from Courtney Albritton's leading 27 (2014).

No. 25 Nova Southeastern is set to take on Georgia Southwestern in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon before heading back down south to face off with Valdosta State. Prior to that matchup, the Sharks hold a 20-7 overall record with an 8-4 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. NSU is led by head coach Julie LeMaire who is 222-171 in her ninth season as the head of the program. The Blazers hold the advantage in the program series record with the Sharks 15-4, dating back to 1998. Just last season, on opening weekend of the 2023 season, VSU and NSU split a doubleheader in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Individually, the Sharks are led at the plate by Alexis Smith who bolsters a .448 batting average on 26 runs with 43 hits including five doubles, seven triples and a home run for 18 RBI. Brenna Lokeinsky leads the team in home runs with three while also recording five doubles and a triple for a team-best 20 RBI. NSU has a trifecta of excellent pitchers including Alyssa Drogemuller, Brooke Mahaney and Julia Allen who have a collective 1.62 ERA. Drogemuller (10-4) has seen the most action for the Sharks, pitching 11 complete games for a total of 83.1 innings with four shutouts. She has allowed just 13 earned runs on 72 hits while racking up 33 strikeouts and eight walks. Mahaney (7-2) has tallied eight complete games with one shutout in 64.2 innings of work. She has fanned 22 while walking 19.

Following Sunday's doubleheader, the Blazers will set their sights on the Gulf South Conference leading Montevallo Falcons. VSU is set to head to Montevallo, Ala. on Friday, Mar. 29 for the start of the series which kicks off with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. ET. The series will conclude with a single game on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. For more information on that series as well as all things Valdosta State softball, visit vstateblazers.com and head to the softball schedule page.