Softball 5/1/2019 5:00:00 PM

Softball Preview vs. Valdosta State

Softball 5/1/2019 5:00:00 PM

Softball Preview vs. Valdosta State

Tournament Opener
The #5 Seed West Alabama Tigers and the #4 Seed Valdosta State Blazers are set to meet in the first round of the Gulf South Conference Championship Tournament

When and Where
The contest will take place on tomorrow at 3 p.m. on the campus of the University of West Florida at the UWF Softball Complex.

Live Stats and Live Video
West Florida will be providing both live stats which can be found HERE and live video available HERE. Nicholas Finch will be on the call for the live video feed.

West Alabama
The Tigers finished the regular season 28-21 overall and 15-13 in GSC play. UWA dropped three straight games to #2 in the country and tournament hosts West Florida to end the regular season in tight competitive matchups.

Valdosta State
The Blazers wrapped the regular season with a 33-14 record and 14-12 mark against league competition to grab the #4 seed by .002 percentage points. VSU dropped two of three games at home to West Georgia to end the season.

Feels Like the First Time
With only so many weekends to play league games, VSU and UWA didn't meet during the 2019 regular season. Last year, Valdosta State swept the weekend series in Livingston, Alabama 7-2, 4-3 and 8-5.

Eye of the Tiger(s)
Kierra Hague and Grace Self were named to the 2019 All-GSC Second Team for their performances this season.

Hague, a junior from Holland, Ohio, posted career highs in batting average (.349), hits (37), RBIs (29), runs (24) and home runs (7) while also stealing seven bases, drawing nine walks and hitting three doubles. Hague led the Tigers in batting average, homers, On-base plus slugging percentage (.975) and slugging percentage (.575) and was third in runs and hits (37). Defensively, she posted a .984 fielding percentage with 55 putouts, five assists and one error.

Self, a freshman from Ridgeland, Mississippi, came on strong in the second half of her first year with the Tigers and finished the regular season with a .307 batting average, 19 RBIs, eight doubles, seven runs scored and four walks. She also posted a .768 OPS and .416 slugging percentage. Defensively, Self posted a .928 fielding percentage with 58 putouts, 32 assists and five errors.
Those Other Guys
VSU features four players on the All-GSC Second Team in catcher Lacey Crandall, second baseman Kiley Robb and pitchers Kasie Johnson and Caylie Van Auken.

VSU Statistical Leaders

Player	Position	G-GS	Avg.	HR	RBIs	K	BB	SB-Att.
Fallyn Johnson	OF	33-24	.394	0	6	8	5	4-5
Haley Garrett	Util.	47-47	.358	10	27	16	18	5-5
Natalia Bellinger	IF	45-41	.310	4	26	29	8	7-8
Lacey Crandall	C	46-44	.302	3	22	8	14	2-2
Kiley Robb	2B	47-47	.287	12	38	29	23	2-2
Jordenne Gaten	OF	39-39	.261	9	28	18	14	24-24

Player	L-R	App-GS	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	S
Caylie Van Auken	RHP	25-21	14-5	1.76	139.1	169	18	2
Kasie Johnson	RHP	23-20	14-5	2.72	116.0	132	16	1

UWA Statistical Leaders

Player	Position	G-GS	Avg.	HR	RBIs	K	BB	SB-Att.
Kacy Noland	1B	49-49	.360	2	25	9	13	9-9
Kierra Hague	OF	45-30	.349	7	29	17	9	7-9
Alli Craft	C	48-44	.328	5	33	19	12	5-5
Grace Self	3B	42-33	.307	1	19	5	4	0-0
Kendall Johnson	2B	47-46	.245	0	9	7	13	13-15

Player	L-R	App-GS	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	S
Nora Keehn	RHP	37-27	15-9	2.58	165.1	91	13	1

More Stats
To see more UWA statistics, click HERE. For VSU, click HERE.

What's Next?
With the GSC Softball Championship Tournament being a double elimination style tournament, UWA is certain to play either West Florida or Delta State Friday but the opponent will be determined by the outcomes of the VSU/UWA contest and the UWF/DSU game.

Print Friendly Version