Valdosta State AthleticsValdosta State pitcher Tyler Moore (6) delivers during a game against Thomas University on Tuesday.

VALDOSTA –– The No. 11 Valdosta State baseball team continues at home as it hosts Lee University in a key Gulf South Conference series this weekend at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park. The Blazers and Flames begin the three-game series with a single game Friday evening at 5 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Blazers (12-3, 4-1 GSC) have won a league-best eight-straight games, including an 8-7, walk-off win over Thomas University on Tuesday. VSU scored three runs in the final two innings for the win, as senior Nick Lewis singled in the ninth, stealing second and third base and then scoring on an errant pitch for the winner. He has reached safely in each of the 13 games he’s played this season to lead the team. Senior Alec Aleywine blasted his second home run of the game in the eighth and senior Mike Christopoulos singled home senior Logan Stephens, who tripled in the eighth for the second run.

Last weekend, VSU posted a three-game sweep of Rollins in a key regional series, including a 4-3, walk-off victory last Saturday. VSU trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth and Lewis belted an RBI double to right for the first run and then senior Jordan Holt hit a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded for the winner.

Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more for the series at vstateblazers.com on the baseball schedule page. The series will be broadcast on Fox Sports Valdosta on 1150 AM and 96.1 FM with Bill Malone having the call of the series. Check back with vstateblazers.com for complete recaps and stats of each game.

VSU moved into the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25 this week following the sweep of the Tars at No. 11 Along with the Blazers, West Georgia is 17th as the only two GSC teams ranked.  Delta State is among other teams receiving votes. Tampa is the top-ranked team in the poll from the South Region, while Barry is 19th and Florida Southern is 28th. In the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25, VSU is among other teams receiving votes in the poll.  No GSC team is ranked in the top 25 this week, while VSU sits fourth in NCBWA South Region Top Ten. Tampa leads the region top ten as it is fifth in the national poll, while Nova Southeastern is 24th in the national poll and second in the region poll. VSU is scheduled to play Tampa in Tampa on Mar. 24 and then in Valdosta on Apr. 23. VSU won at Tampa last season when the Spartans were ranked No. 1 nationally.

Lee enters with an 10-9 record overall and a 3-3 mark in the GSC. The Flames dropped a doubleheader on Tuesday to Bellarmine at home in Cleveland, Tenn. Bellarmine won the opener 7-2 and the nightcap, 9-6.

The Flames, who are 2-6 this season on the road, are led by Alan Smith who leads the team with a .386 average on 27 of 70 from the dish. He has 14 runs scored to tie for second on the team, while he leads the team in hits. Smith has a team-high nine doubles, for seventh nationally, with two home run and 21 RBI, which is good for 20th nationally and first in the league. Ryan Beamish is hitting .329 on the year for second on the team, while he has 23 hits, 14 runs scored, eight doubles (19th nationally, 2nd GSC) and a team-high three home runs, while driving in 14. Landon Silver is third in average at .306 and has 19 hits, 11 runs scored, five doubles, one home run and eight RBI.

As a team, the Flames are hitting .267 in 19 games and 603 at bats. The team has 161 hits for 49th nationally and second in the GSC, scored 117 runs for second in the GSC and 40th nationally, with 38 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 103 RBI. The Flames are 16 of 22 in stolen bases, as Thomas Zazzaro leads the team with 7 of 7 in thefts, while he is 40th nationally and first in the GSC in walks with 14 free passes.

On the mound, Lee has a 4.47 ERA in 153 innings, allowing 153 hits, 88 runs – 76 earned, walked 91 (10th nationally) and fanned 165. Teams are hitting .262 against the Flames this season. Lee has one complete game on the year, one shutout and two saves. Lee is third in the GSC and 47th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings at a 9.7 clip, while VSU leads the league in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.8.

Logan Workman leads the team in five starts with a 4-0 record and a 0.27 ERA. His 4-0 mark is tied for fifth nationally with VSU senior Tristan Cone. Workman has pitched a team-high 33 innings, allowing 11 hits, four runs – one earned, walked 16 and fanned 41. His 41 K’s puts him 13th nationally and second in the league. He is 16th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (3.00) for first in the league, while his 0.27 ERA is good for 23rd nationally. Alex Harper-Cook is 2-2 in five starts for 21.1 innings, allowing 25 hits, 16 runs – 15 earned, walked 14 and fanned 27. Alan Carter is 2-0 in four starts for 17 innings. He has allowed 24 hits, 15 runs – 14 earned, walked eight and fanned 21. Both Workman and Harper-Cook are tied for second nationally in starts. Michael Hendricks is 11th nationally and second in the league in appearances with nine.

The Blazers are led by Lewis this season who is hitting a team-best .468 from the dish with a team-high 22 hits, 11 runs scored, a team-best six doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI. He is slugging .787 for the year to lead the team and has eight walks for second on the team with one hit batsmen for a .554 on-base percentage. Lewis is 4 for 4 on the base paths and has 23 putouts in 48 chances with 24 assists.

Christopoulos is second in average among everyday starters at a .340 clip. He has started all 15 games with 17 hits, three doubles, 11 runs scored, three home runs and ten RBI. He is slugging .580 with nine walks and a .441 on-base percentage. Aleywine is third in average in 15 starts at a .300 clip. He has 15 hits, a team-high 17 runs scored, three doubles and is tied for the team-lead in home runs with five. Aleywine has 12 RBI and a .660 slugging percentage, while walking a team-high 13 times for a .462 on-base percentage.

As a team, the Blazers are hitting .281 on 135 of 481 from the plate, while scoring 100 runs with 25 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 84 RBI. The team is slugging .462 and reaching base at a .381 clip, while walking 69 times, hit 12 times and fanned 110 times. The Blazers are 14 of 22 in stolen bases and are led by both Lewis and senior Jowenrick Daantji, who each have four thefts. VSU has 20 errors on the year for a .963 fielding percentage, while leaving 105 stranded and turning eight double plays.

On the bump, VSU boasts a 3.46 ERA in 130 innings, allowing 116 hits, 62 runs – 50 earned, walked 52 and fanned 141. The opposition is hitting .235 against the Blazers with 35 extra-base hits on 30 doubles and five home runs. Cone is 4-0 with a 3.90 ERA in 30 innings, allowing 31 hits, 15 runs – 13 earned, walked 12 and fanned 41. Senior Cooper Cain is 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA in 24.2 innings, allowing 16 hits, nine runs – three earned, walked six and fanned 29. Senior Zach Blankenship is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 23.1 innings, allowing 26 hits, 14 earned runs, walked seven and fanned 21. Aleywine also pitches and has a 0.71 ERA and a 1-0 record in 12.2 innings.  He has three saves to lead the team, while allowing four hits, two runs – one earned, walked nine and struck out 19. Teams are hitting .098 against him.

Nationally speaking, VSU is 15th in home runs and second in the GSC with 18, while the Blazers lead the GSC in slugging percentage at a .462 clip for 42nd nationally. VSU has a league-best four triples (57th nationally), while the team is 29th nationally in ERA at a 3.46 clip for second in the GSC. VSU is second in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio at a 2.71 clip, while it leads the league in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.8 for 45th nationally.

Lewis is second in the GSC in batting average and 35th nationally at a .468 clip, while he is second in the GSC in hits per game at 1.69. He is 41st nationally and first in the GSC in slugging percentage at a .787 clip. Aleywine is fourth in the league in walks (13), third in home runs (5) for 27th nationally as is senior David Maberry, while Aleywine is third in the league in runs (17). Daantji and Stephens each have two triples for second in the league. Junior Ryan DelNegro is fifth nationally in sacrifice bunts with five. Maberry is third in the GSC and 33rd overall in RBI with 19.

On the mound, Aleywine is 13th nationally and second in the league in saves with three, while Cain is 57th and second in the league in ERA at 1.09, behind Lee’s Workman. Cain is fourth in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.83) and Cone is second in the league and 13th nationally in strikeouts with 41. Just one K behind league-leader Jonathan Pintaro of Shorter. Cone is averaging 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings for second in the GSC, while Cain is third in the league in WHIP at a 0.89 clip.

Following the series versus Lee, VSU returns to the road at Albany State on Mar. 10 for a 4 p.m. start, and then at Union Mar. 14-15, in GSC play.