VALDOSTA –– The No. 24-ranked Valdosta State softball team opens the 2020 season at the Gulf Shores Invitational this weekend in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The Blazers open the season with Miles College today at 4 p.m. ET, followed by facing Spring Hill College at 6:30 p.m. ET that evening. On Feb. 1, the Blazers face Palm Beach Atlantic at 10 a.m. ET, followed by a 12:30 p.m. ET matchup with Lubbock Christian. VSU is scheduled to conclude the tournament Sunday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. ET against No. 9 Florida Tech. Fans can access links to live stats at vstateblazers.com.

VSU is coming off a 36-18 record overall and 14-12 in Gulf South Conference play in 2019. The Blazers qualified for their 14th-straight NCAA regional and 18th overall appearance, as VSU went 1-2 in the regional. The 14-straight appearances in the NCAA postseason marks the second-longest streak in the country behind UAH’s 17-straight trips. VSU now is 56-38 all-time in the NCAA postseason and the 56 victories is seventh-most in NCAA Division II history. VSU has won a league-best nine Gulf South Conference championships in program history, one national championship (2012) and won the NCAA Division II South Regional five times.

The Blazers are under the direction of head coach Thomas Macera , who begins his 15th season at the helm of the Blazers. He is 643-186-2 (.775) at VSU and is the winningest coach in program history.

VSU is 24th in the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 (NFCA) and is one of three GSC teams either in the top 25 or receiving votes. Alabama Huntsville is tied for 18th in the poll, while Mississippi College is receiving votes. The Blazers were picked fifth in the GSC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as West Florida was tabbed the league favorite. Alabama Huntsville was picked second, followed by Auburn Montgomery, Mississippi College and the Blazers. Blazer junior Fallyn Johnson was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team, as announced by the league.

Johnson, a native of Alma, Ga., earned NFCA All-Region honors last season as a utility player. She played 40 games after transferring to VSU from Young Harris. Johnson had 31 starts with a .363 average in 91 at bats. She had 33 hits, 17 runs scored, six RBI and reached base at a .404. clip.

This marks the third time in the last four years VSU has opened the season at the Gulf Shores Invitational and second-straight season. Last year, VSU went 4-0 in the tournament with wins over Nova Southeastern, Spring Hill, then-No. 3 North Georgia and Miles. VSU went 3-1 in 2017 in the tournament.

Miles College is coming off a 7-39 record last season and a 6-14 mark in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. VSU downed the Golden Bears 14-0 in five innings in the tournament last season.

Spring Hill College, who VSU played in the Gulf Shores Invitational and in the NCAA South Regional last season, finished 30-21 and 17-2 in the SIAC under head coach Steve Kittrell. VSU ended Spring Hill’s season with a 3-2 win in the regional at West Florida in May, and won 5-1 in Gulf Shores.

Saturday’s matchup with Palm Beach Atlantic will be the first of three games against the Sailfish this season as PBA visits Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park on April 14 for a doubleheader. The Sailfish finished the 2019 season with a 27-24 record and a 15-15 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. PBU was picked seventh in the preseason SSC poll.

Lubbock Christian enters the season picked ninth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll after a 32-19 record in 2019, with a 16-14 mark in the Heartland Conference. LCU moved to the Lone Star Conference this season.

Florida Tech was selected second behind Rollins College in the Sunshine State Conference preseason poll and the Panthers are ninth in the NFCA Top 25. Florida Tech had a historic season in 2019, going 42-12 overall and 23-7 in league play, earning the program’s first conference title. It also earned the program’s first NCAA postseason appearance since 2015, reaching the South Super Regional.

Johnson earned NFCA All-Region honors last season for the Blazers, while senior Haley Garrett returns as she was a D2CCA Honorable Mention All-America selection a year ago. Senior Lacey Crandall returns behind the plate as she earned second team all-conference honors, as did sophomore Kiley Robb last season.

Johnson played in 40 games with 31 starts and hit .363 in 91 at bats. She had 33 hits, 17 runs scored and six RBI, while reaching base at a .404 clip. Garrett hit .344 in 54 starts and scored 42 runs to tie for the team-lead. She had a team-high 55 hits, while recording nine doubles, 12 home runs and 27 RBI. She slugged .588 to lead the team and reached base at a .417 clip. Senior Logan Hill also returns as she started 49 games last season with 39 hits and she knocked ten doubles which tied for the team-lead. Hill had seven home runs and 29 RBI, while walking 28 times for the most on the team and fanned just 15 times. She had just one error in 239 chances with 275 putouts and 17 assists to lead the team with a .997 fielding percentage.

Crandall hit .288 with 40 hits, 20 runs scored, seven doubles and three home runs, while driving in 25 last season. Robb led the team with 12 home runs and hit .291 in 54 starts. She had 46 hits, 42 runs scored, eight doubles and drove in a team-high 40. She slugged .570 to lead the team and reached base at a .384. clip. Also returning this season is senior Jordenne Gaten , who went 25 of 25 in stolen bases for the season and senior Natalia Bellinger , who hit .298 with six doubles and four home runs in 52 games.

Macera welcomes eight new players for the 2020 season and the Blazers head to the Flagler Invitational next week, before opening the 2020 home slate on Feb. 15-16 at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park versus Shorter.