VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State softball team continues on the road this week as it travels to Florida Southern, No. 10 Tampa and Saint Leo for doubleheaders Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  
 
The Blazers and the Mocs are set for a doubleheader beginning Friday at 4 p.m., while VSU travels to Tampa for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a 12 p.m. doubleheader Sunday at Saint Leo.  Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming at of each game at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page. 
 
VSU is coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Gulf Shores Invitational where it defeated Spring Hill College 8-0 in five innings and downed Florida Tech 4-2, behind two standout pitching performances from graduate newcomer Claire Maulding.  VSU dropped a 7-1 decision to No. 24 Oklahoma Christian, lost 14-10 to Lubbock Christian and lost 5-3 to No. 9 Rogers State. 
 
Maulding, a native of Casey, Ill., transferred to VSU from Florida Gulf Coast and opened her VSU career going 2-1 in three starts and three complete games with one shutout.  She pitched 18 innings, allowing 19 hits, nine earned runs, walked four and fanned 22, including striking out 12 versus Florida Tech.  Seniors Savannah Barfield and senior Madison Lumpp, along with sophomore Toree Wofford all saw action in the circle last weekend.  The staff pitched 31 innings, allowing 43 hits, 28 runs – 23 earned, walked 11 and fanned 29.  Teams hit .319 against the Blazer staff.  VSU committed five errors for the week leading to five unearned runs.
 
Offensively, the Blazers were led by junior Saylor McNearney, who hit .526 on 10 of 19 from the dish with seven runs scored, one home run and four RBI.  Senior Carly Bogart hit .438 with three runs scored, seven hits, two doubles, one triple and four RBI.  Senior Aniston Gano also hit .438 with seven hits, one run scored, one double and two RBI.  McNearney went 2 for 2 in stolen bases.  Blazer junior newcomer Rachael Lee belted a grand slam versus Spring Hill College for her first home run as she was 5 of 18 from the dish with four runs scored, one double, one home run and four RBI.  The team hit .348 on 47 of 135, while scoring 26 runs with ten doubles, one triple, two home runs and 25 RBI.  The Blazers slugged .481 and reached base at a .401 clip with ten walks and four hit batters.  
 
Florida Southern enters with a 1-1 record after splitting two games last weekend with Georgia Southwestern.  FSC dropped the opener 5-0 and won the nightcap 4-0 on Saturday.  For the twin bill, Alissa Kessler went 3 of 6 from the dish with one run scored, while Shelbie Valencia also was 3 of 6 from the plate with two runs scored.  In the circle, Des Aitken went 1-0 with a complete game shutout, scattering three hits, with three walks and six strikeouts.  Ella Torres took the loss in the opener, going 5.2 innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, walked two and fanned six.  Amanda Lieberman pitched the final 1.1 innings.  
 
The Mocs were picked tied for ninth in the Preseason Sunshine State Conference Poll after going 17-34 last season and 9-21 in SSC play.  The Mocs are under the direction of fifth-year head coach Mo Triner.  Former Blazer softball standout and VSU Hall of Famer Marti Littlefield is an assistant coach for the Mocs.  Littlefield was inducted into the VSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.  She capped her career in 2012 with a national championship for the Blazers and head coach Thomas Macera.
 
FSC leads the all-time series with Valdosta State 17-13, but the teams haven't played since Mar. 15, 2016, when VSU swept a doubleheader in Lakeland, Fla., 6-1 and 8-0.  The Blazers have won the last eight meetings in the series dating back to a 9-3 win by FSC on Apr. 26, 2008.  VSU is 7-8 all-time at FSC.
 
The No. 10-ranked Spartans enter with a 2-0 record following a sweep of Georgia Southwestern, 2-1 and 3-1 last Sunday.  Tampa will face Alabama Huntsville in a doubleheader on Thursday and West Alabama on Friday, before hosting VSU for a twin bill on Saturday.  This season, the Spartans were picked to win the SSC crown this season as Tampa won the league title last season finishing 43-11 overall and 23-7 in league play.  The Spartans went 2-2 in the NCAA South Regional at Mississippi College.  
 
This season, the Spartans are hitting .225 with nine hits, five runs scored, one double and five RBI. Mckenna Demartino went 3 of 6 against GSW with a run scored and one RBI, while Alexa Russo was 2 of 4 from the dish with a run scored and two RBI.  Former Blazer Abby Sulte went 1 of 4 from the dish with one run scored and one double.  In the circle, Mariah Galhouse is 1-0 on the year with a 1.00 ERA, allowing three hits, one earned run, walked none and fanned one in seven innings.  Gwen McGinnis is 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA in five innings of work, allowing four hits, one earned run, walked two and fanned five.  Kate DeSimone pitched two innings with one save.  
 
VSU leads the all-time series 35-16, but the Spartans have won the last three and seven of the last ten. Tampa won both meetings last season in Daytona Beach, Fla., 14-0 and 4-2.  The teams split two meetings in Valdosta in 2023 with Tampa winning 11-8 and VSU winning 8-7. Tampa head coach Leslie Kanter is in her 31^st season at the helm of the Spartans and is 819-490.  She has helped lead Tampa to three-straight SSC titles and seven overall.
 
The Lions enter the week with a 3-1 record as they also were at the Gulf Shores Invitational last weekend. There, the Lions lost 2-1 to West Florida, beat Union 10-0 (5 innings), downed No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne 3-0 and beat No. 9 Rogers State 4-3.  The Lions will host Alabama Huntsville on Friday and West Alabama on Saturday, before entertaining the Blazers on Sunday.  
 
Saint Leo was picked third in the Preseason SSC Poll after going 38-19 last season and 21-9 in SSC play earning its second-straight NCAA postseason berth.  Head coach Erin Kinberger is in her 11^th season at Saint Leo with a 338-140 record and her 14^th season overall with a 445-191 record.  
 
This season, the Lions are hitting .274 with 26 hits, 18 runs scored, four doubles, one home run and 17 RBI.  The team is slugging .347 and reaching base at a .346 clip with seven walks and four hit batters.  Highlighting the offense is Haleigh Thomas who is 7 of 9 from the dish with three runs scored, three doubles and four RBI.  Sydney Cline is hitting .429 with one run scored and one RBI, while Briana Neal is 5 of 13 from the plate with four runs scored, one home run and five RBI.  She is 3 of 3 in stolen bases.   
 
In the circle, Thomas also pitches as she is 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 14 innings, allowing ten hits, two earned runs and has fanned 23 with no walks with teams hitting .196 against her.  Tierney Hocquard is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 9.1 innings, allowing seven hits, one walk and fanned eight.  Teams are hitting just .202 against the Lions this season.  The staff has fanned 32 and walked just five, while allowing just five runs (all earned) on 19 hits.
 
VSU leads the series 10-8 dating back to Feb. 3, 2007.  SLU won two of three meetings last season, winning 10-4 in Gulf Shores and then the teams split a doubleheader in Valdosta, with VSU winning 9-7 in eight innings and SLU winning 12-11.  VSU has won six of the last nine in the series dating back to 2010.  
 
Following the weekend, the Blazers open Gulf South Conference play Feb. 15-16 at Union, before opening the 2025 home slate Feb. 22-23 versus GSC-newcomer Trevecca Nazarene at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park.