Valdosta State pitcher Samantha Richards (26) comes out of her wind-up during the fourth inning against West Georgia Sunday at Steel’s Diamond.

VALDOSTA – The No. 13 Valdosta State softball team will hit the road one last time in the regular season to take on Gulf South Conference opponent, Auburn Montgomery, in a three-game series this weekend. Action begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22 at 2 p.m.ET and concludes with a single game series finale on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. ET.

Fans can access links to video streaming, live stats, rosters and more at vstateblazers.com on the softball schedule page.

Last weekend, The Blazers fell to then-No. 5 UAH on the road. The Blazers dropped game one in a narrow 2-1 loss before falling in game two, 8-0. The Blazers then put together a valiant effort in game three but came up just short, 7-6.

Valdosta State currently holds a 32-9 record and are 18-6 in GSC play. Collectively, the Blazers have hit 98 home runs this season for first nationally, averaging 2.39 home runs per game. Also, the Blazers’ 98 homers rank the best in all of the NCAA (Division I, II, III).

Individually, the Blazers are led by sophomore Abby Sulte at the plate, batting .383 for 36 runs on 44 hits with two doubles, 19 home runs and 52 RBI. Her 19 home runs are good for first in the Gulf South Conference and tied for first in the nation while she is also first in the nation in home runs per game, tallying 0.46 per game. Sulte is also third in the GSC in RBI with 52 for 15th in national rankings. Junior Taylor Macera is also making a splash for the Blazers this season, batting .357 on 45 hits for 33 runs with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBI. Macera and junior Morgan Hill are currently tied for fifth in the GSC in home runs with 13 apiece while they are both averaging a conference-ranking sixth 0.32 home runs per game.

Senior Samantha Richards continues to be a standout in the circle for the Blazers, accumulating a 2.09 ERA behind 205 strikeouts, 38 walks and 63 runs on 151 hits in 187.1 total innings. Richards has a national best 25 complete games while also hoisting 26 starts for first in the conference. She has seven shutouts for a conference best. She also has picked up three saves throughout the season for first in the GSC. Meanwhile, her 205 strikeouts are good for first in the GSC and her 23 wins are a league best. Sophomore Madison Lumpp has continued to make her presence felt in the circle for the Blazers, currently hoisting a 7-1 record heading into the weekend.

Auburn Montgomery enters the week 28-14 overall with a 17-6 conference record after scoring a conference series victory against West Florida last weekend. The Warhawks are led by Scottie Wilkes, who is in her first season as AUM’s head coach. The Warhawks have won 10 of the last 18 matchups with the Blazers and are currently 14-0 this season at home.

Individually, the Warhawks are led by Chloe Baynes, who is batting .421 with 38 runs on 56 hits, eight doubles, three triples and 20 RBI. Meanwhile, Allie Miller is batting .402 with 39 runs on 53 hits including eight doubles, five triples and 25 RBI. Avery Dickerson is the leading pitcher for AUM, holding a 2.76 ERA with 11 wins in 16 starts. Dickerson has 13 complete games with two shutouts while she has tallied 48 strikeouts, 22 walks and 38 runs on 87 hits in 91.1 innings pitched.

Following this weekend, the Blazers will return home for their final homestand of the regular season against GSC foe, West Florida with action beginning on Saturday, April 29 at 1 p.m.