MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team will begin a stretch of six-straight road games this weekend with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against Georgia State at the Robert E. Heck Softball Complex. Game one of the series is set to begin on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. (CT). Games two and three are scheduled to start at 12 p.m. (CT) on both Saturday and Sunday.
GAMES 38-40 | GEORGIA STATE SERIES
Venue: Robert E. Heck Complex | Decatur, Ga.
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: April 12, 2019 | 4 p.m. (CT)
Game 2: April 13, 2019 | 12 p.m. (CT)
Game 3: April 14, 2019 | 12 p.m. (CT)
GAME INFORMATION
Television: None
Radio: 99.5 The Jag FM (Fri. and Sat. Games)
97.1 The Prowl FM (Sun. Game)
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Stream: www.USAJaguars.com (Audio Only)
(In-Game Updates) Twitter: @WeAreSouth_SB
South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SA: -- | RPI: 102
Record: 12-25 (2-14 SBC)
Head Coach: Becky Clark (Mobile, '95)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .263 / .419 / .359
Georgia State PANTHERS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SA: -- | RPI: 227
Record: 5-35 (3-12 SBC)
Head Coach: Roger Kincad (Georgia, '87)
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .209 / .284 / .295
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
– South Alabama (12-25, 2-14 SBC) comes into the weekend series versus the Panthers after fall 3-2 to Troy on Wednesday.
– Trailing by three, the Jaguars cut the deficit to one on Kennedy Cronan's two-run, seventh-inning home run and brought the winning run to the plate with one out, but a pair of pop outs on the infield ended the rally.
– Cronan (.299) leads the club with nine home runs and also has eight multi-hit and seven multi-RBI outings this spring.
– The nine home runs by Cronan are tied for second-most by a Jag freshman and are also tied with three other former South Alabama players for fifth-most overall in a single-season overall.
– The Daphne, Ala., native has 64 total bases this season and her 25 runs driven in lead the team.
– As a team, South has recorded 34 home runs this year which are sixth-most in program history. Along with Cronan's nine, South has seven other players with two or more home runs this season and coming into the weekend South has hit at least one home run in nine of its last 12, including each of its last four.
– Junior outfielder Brittani Reid leads the team at the plate with a .369 average. She also has 41 hits, 30 runs scored, nine doubles and 11 multi-hit outings this season. She leads the club in all but one of those categories with her nine doubles second-most on the roster.
– B. Reid has also hit six home runs on the year and drive in 15 runs. In addition to those offensive numbers, B. Reid has recorded 70 total bases, a .631 slugging percentage and a .489 on-base percentage.
– Her nine doubles rank third in the Sun Belt, while she is also among the conference leaders in walks (23 – sixth), on-base percentage (seventh), slugging percentage (seventh) and hits (T-ninth).
– Freshman outfielder Victoria Ortiz has been solid at the plate as she is now second on the club with a .317 average. Ortiz recorded her 10th double of the season and her eight multi-hit outings are second-most on the Jag roster. She is now tied with Troy's Kaylee Hussey for second in the conference in doubles.
– In conference play, Ortiz is batting .353 and seven of her 12 extra-base hits have come against SBC competition.
– Kamdyn Kvistad (.294) has five home runs this season and has driven in 16.
– Freshman right-hander Samantha Yarbrough has been solid in the circle as of late. Over last six outings, Yarbrough has struck out 22 in 17.1 innings of work and allowed just 11 hits, while holding opponents to a .175 batting average.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
– Georgia State (5-35, 3-12 SBC) enters the series after falling 5-1 at No. 5 Alabama on Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide scored three runs in their half of the first and held the Panthers to two hits.
– The loss was the 11th straight for Georgia State. GSU was swept on the road at Troy last weekend. All three games of the series were decided by three runs or less with game two a one-run decision decided in the 11th on an unearned run.– All three of GSU's Sun Belt wins this season have come on its home field.
– The Panthers took two of three at home over UT Arlington during week two of conference play and also hold a 1-0 victory over second-place Appalachian State.
– Offensively, Georgia State is led by Kristin Hawkins who enters play with a .302 average. Hawkins has six doubles and a team-high four home runs.
– Caitlin Ray (.277) leads the team with 33 hits and her 11 doubles are the most by any Sun Belt player. She has also driven in 13 runs.
– Remington Hasty leads the team with 17 RBI and her three home runs are second-most on the team.
– As a staff, the Panthers hold a 5.24 earned run average and opponents are batting .305. The staff has pitched better in Sun Belt play as the team ERA is 3.36.
– Both Savannah Freeman and Emily Soles have produced stronger numbers against league competition. Freeman holds a 2.22 ERA, while Soles is at 2.82.
THE SERIES VS. GEORGIA STATE
– South Alabama and Georgia State have met 19 previous times in the all-time series with the Jaguars holding a 12-7 advantage in those contests.
– Of those 19 meetings, 16 have come during regular-season action.
– South owned the early series advantage taking 10 of the first 11 meetings. Since defeating the Jaguars 3-2 at the 2016 Sun Belt Conference tournament, the Panthers hold a 6-2 series lead.
– The two clubs have meet six times on the Panthers' home field with each picking up a series sweep. USA swept the 2015 series, while GSU swept the three meetings during the 2017 season.
– South took two of the three meetings during the regular season a year ago in Mobile, but Georgia State defeated the Jags from last season's conference tourney, 8-3 in Lafayette, La.
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE PANTHERS
Series: 12-7 (H: 7-3 / A: 3-3 / N: 2-1)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 10-5 (H: 7-2 / A: 3-3 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 1-2 (H: 0-1 / A: 0-0 / N: 1-1)
Extra-Inning Games: 1-0 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 2-1 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-1 / N: 1-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 2/9/13
Last Meeting: 5/9/18
Longest South Alabama Streak: 8 ('14-'16)
Longest Georgia State Streak: 5 ('16-'18)
Current Streak: 1 by Georgia State
Last 5 – 2-3
Last 10 – 5-5
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the weekend series versus Georgia State: "This weekend we start a six game road swing with Georgia State and then ULM. Obviously these games are important for us for conference standing considerations. On our end we have to stay focused on pushing forward as a team and playing fundamental softball. There are areas we still need to improve on and make adjustments so we will be working hard in those areas and fighting together as a team."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear. All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.
—USA—
