VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Valdosta State baseball team (6-12, 4-5 Gulf South Conference) will travel to face No. 8 West Alabama (16-2, 8-1 GSC) this weekend for a Gulf South Conference series in Livingston. The Tigers hold an early lead in the GSC standings this season.
Valdosta State leans on a lineup that has shown the ability to produce throughout the order, with junior Charlie Banks being the most dangerous bat for the Blazers so far. Banks is slashing .347/.417/.560 with a team-best four home runs and another team-best 18 RBI, while also swiping a team-high five bases. Senior Jackson Webster has delivered in key moments this season and carries a .317 average with a .472 on-base percentage, the highest among regular starters.
Junior Luke Flading has also been a steady presence in the lineup, hitting .308 with six doubles and a .419 on-base percentage. Senior Brent Howard has reached base consistently as well, batting .273 with a team-high 18 walks and a .419 OBP while adding 12 RBI. Juniors Matt Keller and Jason Mack have each started every game this season, with Keller scoring a team-high 14 runs while Mack has driven in 12. Both middle infielders have also provided strong defense up the middle.
Junior Isaiah Pou continues to contribute offensively with two home runs and a perfect 3-for-3 mark in stolen bases, while sophomore Parker Ladd has been one of the hottest hitters on the team in limited action. Ladd is slashing .458/.533/.625 across his first 10 appearances with a home run and seven RBI, having been the day-to-day third basemen for about two weeks now.
On the mound, the Blazers will likely turn to their regular weekend rotation of senior Drake LaRoche, junior Garrett Moody, and junior Jack Butler. LaRoche leads the staff with two wins and has recorded 22 strikeouts across 28.0 innings of work. Moody has been the strikeout leader for Valdosta State with 28 punchouts in 22.0 innings, while Butler earned a win last week with a complete-game effort.
Out of the bullpen, junior Cam Habada has been one of the most active arms with eight appearances and two wins in relief. Seniors Vinny Del Negro and Keaton Fuller have provided reliable innings, with Del Negro posting a 2.70 ERA and Fuller holding opponents to a .143 batting average.
West Alabama enters the weekend as the hottest team in the conference, powered by a lineup hitting for both contact and power. Nick Wilson leads the Tigers with a .400 batting average, four home runs, and 23 RBI, while Rashad Robinson has produced a 1.124 OPS with nine stolen bases and 15 RBI. Kyle Blevins rounds out the top offensive threats, batting .315 with 12 RBI.
The Tigers' pitching staff has also been a strength early this season. Blake Westry carries a 1.19 ERA through four starts, while Thomas Kerby has posted a 2.08 ERA and an impressive 0.83 WHIP. Colin Woodham and Baker Green have each made five starts, combining for 46 strikeouts between them.
Historically, Valdosta State holds a 22-17 advantage in the all-time series against West Alabama. The Blazers won last year's series two games to one in Valdosta and will look to build on that success this weekend when the teams meet in Livingston.
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 as they continue into GSC play.
