VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Blazer baseball team will hit the road for the week, as they travel to Milledgeville, Ga. on Tuesday, Mar. 26 for a 5 p.m. battle with Georgia College before making the trek out west to Montevallo, Ala. to take on the Falcons for a weekend conference clash.
 
Valdosta State is coming off their longest break since the season began, as they last played on Tuesday, Mar. 19 versus Eckerd in Valdosta where VSU came out on top, 11-8. The Blazers were supposed to host Nova Southeastern this past weekend, but the spring showers didn't hold up to allow the teams to play.
 
VSU hits the road with an 14-11 (8-7 GSC) record and are winners in three of their last four games. The Blazers are led by head coach Greg Guilliams, who is in his 17^th year as head coach and 34^th overall. In Titletown, Guilliams is 487-314-1 and is 1164-571-2 overall. Guilliams' offense has been firing on all cylinders as of late, as VSU has scored 92 runs over the past eight games and are currently first in the Gulf South Conference in batting average with a combined .327 clip. On the other side, the Valdosta State arms have a team ERA of 5.28 and have allowed the least amount of hits in the league with 241 allowed on the season. Individually, senior Ryan Romano is leading the GSC in batting average and on base percentage with a .455 and .544 clip in 18 starts this season. Right behind him is sophomore Dennis Pierce with a batting average of .393 which is sixth in the league. Pierce has been filling up the stats sheet this season, as the Quakertown, Pa. native is second in the league in OPS, third in slugging percentage, fifth in on base percentage, third in RBIs and tied for first in triples. It has been a combined effort on the mound, as VSU has nine players that have logged ten or more innings pitched this season. It has been junior Nick Ferrara out of the bullpen who has been most effective recently, as the Tallahassee, Fla. native currently has a 1.00 ERA and most recently picked up his first save of the season last Tuesday versus Eckerd as he fanned four of the six batters he faced for the six out save.
 
Looking at Tuesday's matchup with Georgia College, the Bobcats will host the Blazers with a 18-11 (9-3 Peach Belt Conference) record and are winners of four straight after a weekend sweep over Flagler. Georgia College is led by fourth year head coach Nolan Belcher, who holds a career record of 93-73 during his time in Milledgeville. Individually, the Bobcats have four players that are batting above .350 on the season as they are headlined by senior Brandon Bellflower, who is hitting .398 on the year with five homers and 25 RBIs. Slightly behind him is the slugging infielder, Matthew Mebane. The junior from Dublin, Ga. has hit a nation-leading 14 homers and if coming off a two homer performance on Sunday versus Flagler. On the mound, the Bobcats have been very reliant on sophomore John Luke Glanton, who has started in eight games this season and holds a record of 4-3 with an ERA of 3.40. Glanton leads the team in WHIP out of qualified pitcher with a 1.11 on the year. Out of the bullpen, Georgia College is reliant on sophomore Kenny Lex, who has logged four saves on the season and has an ERA of 3.13 in 31.2 innings pitched thus far.
 
Following Tuesday's matchup, Valdosta State will continue their road trip to take on Montevallo for a three-game set with a single game on Friday, Mar. 29 at 6 p.m. ET and a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 30 with game one starting at 1 p.m. ET.
 
The Falcons are the hottest team in the Gulf South Conference, as they are winners of seven straight and are tied for first place in the GSC with an overall record of 20-10 and are 11-4 in conference play. Montevallo is led by head Coach Chandler Rose, who is in his 14^th season as the helm of the Falcons and holds a record of 363-290. At the plate, junior Connor Crowson is leading the team in hits with 43 and batting average with a .381 clip. In 26 starts, redshirt junior Ethan Huddleston has hit a team leading six homers and has driven in 27 on the year. The infielder leads the team in slugging percentage with a .655. On the hill, the Falcons are led by lockdown starter Gino Cozzi, who is 5-1 in eight starts and holds an ERA of 2.78 on the season.
 
Following these games, Valdosta State will host Georgia College. On Tuesday, Apr. 2 at 5 p.m. in Titletown. For a stats, news, updates, and behind the scenes content, visit vstateblazers.com