Valdosta State’s Jasmin Stewart (13) celebrates with teammate Jayme Prandine (12) after scoring a run against Lee Sunday, April 2 at Steel’s Diamond.

VALDOSTA – The No. 10 Valdosta State softball team is set to host Gulf South Conference foe, West Alabama, in a major three-game series this weekend. The action kicks off with a doubleheader on Friday, April 7 at 3 p.m. before concluding in a single game on Saturday, April 8 at 12 p.m.

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

The Blazers opened the week with a doubleheader sweep over the Hurricanes of Georgia Southwestern on Tuesday. VSU took game one, 6-4, as the Blazers excelled early with four runs scored in the first inning. Valdosta State then completed the Tuesday sweep as sophomore Abby Sulte and junior Morgan Hill each tallied solo home runs in the 5-2 game two victory over the Hurricanes.

Valdosta State Currently holds a 30-5 overall record and are 16-2 in GSC play. Collectively, the Blazers have hit 88 home runs for first in the nation and are averaging 2.51 home runs per game for a national best.

Individually, the Blazers are led by Sulte at the plate, batting .418 for 34 runs on 41 hits with two doubles, 18 home runs and 48 RBI. Her 18 home runs are good for first in the Gulf South Conference and second in the nation while she is also first in the conference and third in the nation in home runs per game, tallying 0.51 per game. Sulte is also second in the GSC in RBI with 48 for sixth in national rankings. Senior Taylor Lewis is also making a splash for the Blazers this season, batting .375 on 39 hits, 18 runs with three doubles, 12 home runs and 31 RBI. Lewis’ 12 home runs rank fourth in the conference and 14th in the nation. Also of note, Hill leads the conference in runs per game with 1.17 runs a clip, having 41 total on the season.

Senior Samantha Richards continues to be a standout in the circle for the Blazers, hoisting a 2.12 ERA behind 173 strikeouts, 28 walks and 51 runs on 129 hits in 158.1 total innings. Richards has 21 complete games for a national best while also hoisting 19 starts for first in the conference and first in the nation. She has six shutouts for a conference best and seventh nationally. Her 173 strikeouts are good for first in the GSC and sixth in the nation while her 22-2 record is a conference best and is second in the nation. Sophomore Madison Lumpp has also been making her presence felt in the circle for the Blazers, currently hoisting a 6-0 record heading into the weekend.

No. 25 West Alabama enters the week 28-8 overall with a 17-4 conference record. The Tigers are under the direction of head coach Stephanie DeFeo, who in two seasons with UWA has amassed a 56-33 record. DeFeo is currently 1-3 against the Blazers while VSU leads the all-time record with UWA since 2010, 27-4.

Individually, the Tigers are led by LP Trammell, who is batting .390 with 35 runs on 39 hits, eight doubles, one triple, 17 home runs and 42 RBI. Trammell’s 17 home runs rank second in the conference and third in the nation behind Sulte while she leads the conference in slugging percentage at 1.000. Meanwhile, Kelsie Gilliam is second in the nation and first in the conference in stolen bases with 45 while Ana Marie Stanbridge is first in the conference and fifth in the nation in RBI with 49. Madison Wright is the leading pitcher for UWA, holding a 2.20 ERA with 16 wins in 22 starts. Wright has 18 complete games with five shutouts and one save while she has tallied 130 strikeouts, 29 walks and 48 runs on 83 hits in 127 innings pitched.

Following the series with the Tigers, the Blazers will hit the road to face off against GSC-rival, Alabama Huntsville with action beginning on Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m.