VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State softball team returns to the road this coming weekend as it travels to Huntsville, Ala., for a three game, Gulf South Conference series at Alabama Huntsville.  The series is set for a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 1 beginning at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a single game Sunday, Mar. 2 at 1 p.m. ET. 
 
Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.  The games will be broadcast on FloCollege. 
 
VSU enters with a 6-10 record overall and a 2-3 mark in GSC play after going 1-2 in the 2025 home-opening series last weekend versus No. 12 Trevecca Nazarene.  TNU scored six runs over the final two innings of the opener for a 6-2 victory, while the Blazers responded with a 10-8 victory in the nightcap as the teams combined for 13 home runs (seven by VSU) for the double-header and 23 of the 26 total runs scored Saturday were via home run.  On Sunday, TNU posted an 8-6 victory to win the series. 
 
For the series, VSU hit .305 with 25 hits, 18 runs scored, three doubles, ten home runs and 17 RBI.  The Blazers slugged .707 and reached base at a .395 clip with three walks and two hit batters.  Senior Aniston Gano hit .600 on 6 of 10 from the dish with two runs scored, one double, one home run and three RBI. Senior Carly Bogart went 4 of 9 from the plate with three runs scored, three home runs and six RBI.  
 
In the circle, senior Savannah Barfield went 1-0 in two appearances with a 4.57 ERA.  She pitched 7.2 innings, allowing ten 10, five earned runs, walked three and fanned four.  Graduate Claire Maulding went 0-2 in 12 innings as she played in all three games with two starts, one complete game and one save.  She allowed 11 hits, 14 runs – nine earned, walked one and struck out 19.  
 
This season, the Blazers are 16^th nationally and second in the GSC in home runs with 14, while the team 32^nd nationally and second in the league in walks with 48.  VSU is 19^th nationally and second in the GSC in sacrifice bunts with 12 and 25^th nationally in sacrifice flies (6) for fourth in the league.  VSU is 11^th nationally in hit by pitches to lead the GSC with 14.  
 
Individually, Maulding is fourth in the nation in complete games (7) for second in the league and she is third in the nation in starts with nine to lead the league.  She is sixth nationally in strikeouts (58) for third in the GSC, while she is eighth in shutouts (2) to lead the league and 10^th in innings pitched (56.1).  Junior Rachael Lee is eighth nationally in hit by pitches to lead the league (5) and is 26^th nationally in runs scored (17) to lead the league.  Saylor McNearney leads the team with four home runs for 26^th nationally and third in the GSC.  Bogart is sixth in the GSC in RBIs with 14 to lead the team.   
 
This season, Bogart has an 11-game hitting streak currently to lead the team and has reached base safely in each of the past 11 games.  Gano has a current six-game hitting streak and has reached safely in the last ten games.  Gano leads the team with six multi-hit games this season, while Bogart has six multi-RBI games to lead the team.  Blazer head coach Thomas Macera is 808-265-2 in his 20^th season at VSU.  
 
UAH leads the all-time series with VSU 78-55 dating back to Mar. 16, 1996.  The teams have split the last four meetings and the last ten.  VSU went 2-1 against the Chargers last season in Valdosta, while UAH won 2-1 in the GSC postseason tournament in Oxford, Ala., on May 1, 2024, in the last meeting.  VSU is 16-38 all-time in Huntsville, Ala., and has not won there since Mar. 23, 2019, as UAH has won the last seven and 11 of 13.   
 
The Chargers enter with a 10-8 record overall and 4-2 mark in GSC play as they went 1-2 against Lee last weekend.  UAH has dropped three of four after winning six-straight prior to a 2-1 loss to then-No. 11 North Georgia on Feb. 18.  Lee won 7-5 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, while UAH won the nightcap 6-3 and the Lady Flames posted a 6-4 win on Sunday in eight innings with a two run, walk-off home run.  
 
UAH head coach Les Stuedeman is 1278-439-1 in her 30^th season at the helm of the Chargers.  This season, UAH is 38^th nationally and second in the GSC in doubles (23), while the team is 35^th nationally and fourth in the league in hit batters (10).  The Chargers are third in the GSC and 33^rd nationally in hits (134), while they are 24^th nationally and third in the league in stolen bases (32).  UAH leads the league in free passes for eighth nationally with 65.  The Chargers average 6.71 strikeouts per seven innings for second in the GSC and 25^th nationally.  
 
Individually, Jada Henderson leads the GSC with seven doubles for sixth nationally and is third in the league in RBI with 16 for 46^th nationally.  Maddie Cartron is 38^th nationally and third in the league with 23 hits and is tenth nationally and tops in the GSC in total bases with 44.  She is second in the GSC and 12^th nationally in home runs with five.  Brittany Slaten is second in the GSC and 18^th nationally in stolen bases with 11.  In the circle, Katie Bracken is tenth nationally and fourth in the league in complete games with six, while she is 11^thnationally and fourth in the league in starts (6).  Bracken is eighth nationally in innings pitched (57.2) for fourth in the league.  She is second in the country in strikeouts with 75 for tops in the league.  Megan Shurtz leads the team with five wins for 23^rd nationally and fifth in the league.  
 
Following the series at UAH, the Blazers return home to host West Alabama (Mar. 8-9) at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park, beginning with a doubleheader on Mar. 8 at 1 p.m., followed by a single game Sunday, Mar. 9 at 1 p.m.