CLINTON, Miss. - The Valdosta State baseball team (11-19, 8-10 Gulf South Conference) hits the road for a three-game conference series at Mississippi College (17-14, 11-7 GSC) beginning with a Friday doubleheader at 4 p.m. ET before wrapping up Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
The Blazers hold a 24-10 advantage in the all-time series, including a sweep over the Choctaws in Valdosta last season. Mississippi College found vengeance in May with a 3-2 win over VSU in the 2025 Gulf South Conference Tournament in Oxford, Ala.
The Blazer lineup continues to be led by junior Charlie Banks, who is hitting .306 with a team-best nine home runs and a .556 slugging percentage. Banks' 30 RBI and eight stolen bases are also team-high marks. Sophomore Parker Ladd has been a steady presence at the plate, batting .353 with a .908 OPS, while senior Brent Howard has reached base consistently with a .417 on-base percentage to go with four home runs and 24 walks.
Junior Luke Flading and senior Jackson Webster have shown flashes of power behind consistent contact, each hitting .270. Juniors Matt Keller and Ryan Strachan have added crucial at-bats and as a unit, the Blazers have shown an ability to fill the bases one way or another, drawing the third-most walks in the GSC with 148 on the season.
On the mound, Valdosta State is expected to rely on its usual weekend rotation, headlined by senior Drake LaRoche, who enters with a 3.40 ERA and a 4-2 record across eight starts. Junior Garrett Moody has logged 40.2 innings this season with a team-high 47 strikeouts, while senior Jack Butler has added 29.0 innings pitched and 29 strikeouts over six starts.
Out of the bullpen, junior Keaton Fuller has been a reliable option, posting a 2.45 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 11.0 innings of work. Senior Vinny Del Negro and sophomore Jacob Page has also pitched high-volume innings in relief this season.
Mississippi College enters the weekend at 17-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play, led offensively by Alex Johnson, who is hitting .337 with 10 home runs and a 1.097 OPS. Will Langston (.327, seven home runs) and JT Thigpen (.310, five home runs) provide additional power in the middle of the lineup, while Ty Murphy has been active on the bases with 17 stolen bases, a total good for second in the GSC.
On the mound, the Choctaws are led by Coby Gollott, who holds a 3.02 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 44.2 innings, while Caleb Peterson has logged 45.2 innings this season. Mississippi College also features multiple bullpen arms with sub-3.50 ERAs.
Find live stats, written coverage, streaming links, and more on vstateblazers.com and follow @VState_Blazers as well as @VState_Baseball to stay up to date with the team throughout the season.
