VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Old Coast Classic, the Valdosta State softball team takes momentum into the Gulf South Conference opening series at Trevecca Nazarene this weekend.

Due to the threat of inclement weather on Sunday, the teams moved the series to Friday-Saturday instead of Saturday-Sunday to make sure all of the games have the best chance to be played. The series now begins on Friday with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a single game Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the series at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page. The games will be broadcast on FloCollege. Check back with vstateblazers.com following the games each day for complete recaps and stats.

VSU enters league play with a 4-6 record, but earned wins over Flagler (5-4 /11-Innings), No. 20 Saint Leo (5-4) and Chowan (8-2) last weekend in Saint Augustine, Fla. The only setback was a 5-1 loss to Saint Leo in the finale of the tournament. Blazer senior Charlotte Phillips earned Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week for her efforts last week. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Phillips put together an outstanding performance at the Old Coast Classic, leading VSU with a .538 batting average on 7 of 13 from the dish. She scored four runs, with three doubles, and drove in four, while posting an on-base percentage of .571 and stole one base. She delivered in the 11-inning thriller against Flagler, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI, including the go ahead two-RBI double in the top of the 11th. For the season, Phillips leads the team with a .367 average and a 1.072 OPS in ten starts. She is 11 of 30 from the dish with eight runs scored, five doubles, one triple and driven in seven. Phillips is slugging .600 for the season, while reaching base at a .472 clip with four walks and been hit by pitches twice. She has two stolen bases for the year. Senior Saylor McNearney is second on the team in average at a .367 clip on 11 of 30 from the dish. She has four doubles, 13 runs scored, three home runs and five RBI, while slugging a team-best at a .800 clip and reaching base at a .513 average with nine walks. As a team, the Blazers are hitting .266 for the season with 48 runs scored, 71 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 44 RBI. The team is slugging .461 and reaching base at a .361 clip with 32 walks and been hit by nine pitches.

In the circle, the Blazers have pitched 67.2 innings as senior Savannah Barfield and junior Madison VanAllen each are 2-1. VanAllen has pitched a team-high 16 innings, allowing 16 hits, 13 runs – nine earned, walked 11 and fanned seven, while Barfield has pitched 13.2 innings, surrendering 14 hits, eight runs – seven earned, walked seven and fanned a team-high 12.

Trevecca Nazarene enters with a 4-0 record and has not played since Feb. 6-7, defeating Ashland twice, along with wins over Kentucky Wesleyan and Tiffin at the Music City Invitational. The Trojans are led by Shay Hollingsworth who is 10 of 13 from the plate with eight runs scored, four doubles, one triple and driven in seven. Both Parker Herrin and Bailey Goad are 2-0 in the circle for the Trojans. Goad has

pitched a team-high 12.0 innings, allowing nine hits, two earned runs, walked five and fanned 19. Herrin has pitched seven innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run and walked two.

TNU won two of three meetings during the regular season last year in Valdosta, while it also won 3-0 in Oxford, Ala., in the Gulf South Conference postseason tournament. The Blazers' lone win came in a 10-8 decision on Feb. 22, 2025, to split a doubleheader.

Following the series, the Blazers finally return home for the 2026 home-opener Feb. 28-Mar. 1 versus The University of Alabama in Huntsville.