GAME 44 | 2022 SUN BELT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
May 11-14, 2022 | Mobile, Ala. | Jaguar Field | 7 pm

MEDIA INFORMATION
Television: ESPN+
Audio Stream: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Web Broadcast: www.USAJaguars.com
(In-Game Updates) Twitter: @WeAreSouth_SB


No. 2 Seed | South Alabama JAGUARS 
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SBA:  -- | D1S: -- | RPI: 58
Record: 24-19, 16-6 SBC
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .251 / .400 / .328 | Team ERA: 2.55

In SBC Tournament: 24-18
As the No. 2 Seed: 14-4

No. 7 Seed | Georgia State PANTHERS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SBA:  -- | D1S: -- | RPI: 173
Record: 20-31, 9-15 SBC
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .237 / .358 / .325 | Team ERA: 4.38

SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS    
– South Alabama (24-19, 16-6 SBC) enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed at the Sun Belt Championships.
– The Jaguars edged out Texas State by percentage points (.727 - .705) to claim the spot after earning a 9-0 six-inning victory at Troy on Saturday.
– The 16 Sun Belt wins are the most by the program since earning 17 in 2017, and just one league wins shy of the program mark accomplished in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
– The Trojans took two of three from the Jags over the weekend, but despite the series loss, South has won 19 of its last 25 coming into the tournament.
– South Alabama captured numerous postseason awards as head coach Becky Clark was named the Sun Belt's Coach of the Year, while Olivia Lackie, Mackenzie Brasher and Caroline Nichols earned first-team all-league honors and Jenna Hardy and Meredith Keel earned second-team honors.
– Brasher leads the team at the plate with a .349 batting average, which ranks just outside the top 10 in the league, and her 19 stolen bases are tied for sixth in the conference.
– Brasher's 44 hits and 11 multi-hit games this spring also top the club.
– The junior outfielder has been even better in league play as she is batting .394 in those 22 games.
– Brasher has had a hit in 14 of her last 16 and 17 of her last 20 outings.
– Fellow slappers Nichols (.321) and Meredith Keel (.308) have also sparked the lineup. 
– Nichols has recorded at least one hit in 15 of her last 19 and has scored at least one run in 14 games during the stretch, and a total of 17 runs.
– Like Brasher, Nichols (.333) has been solid at the plate during conference play. 
– One other player as of late playing well for the Jags is Kamdyn Kvistad, who has had a hit in 12 of her last 15 outings with 16 RBI over that same stretch.
– Victoria Ortiz (30) leads the team in RBI while Gabby Stagner and Kvistad rank second on the roster with 25 apiece. The trio has combined to drive in 65 runs during Sun Belt play. 
– Stagner has driven in 20 runs against Sun Belt foes this spring with five of her six home runs coming in league play.
– Ortiz has also seen her power numbers jump as she has recorded eight home runs in SBC action and all 10 of her home runs this season have come since March 6. 
– The Mobile, Ala., native paces the club with 23 extra-base hits and has now driven in at least one run in 10 of her last 17 outings, including four runs in Sunday's series finale at Troy.
– Ortiz's .700 slugging percentage ranks fifth in the league and her 11 doubles are tied for seventh, while her 10 home runs are tied for sixth in the SBC.
– The Mobile native batted .339 against league foes and held a .871 slugging percentage in those 22 contests. 
– Ortiz also has a team-high eight multi-RBI outings, while Kvistad (7) and Stagner (5) are right behind her.
– Abby Allen leads the team and is tied for fourth in the league with 28 walks, 16 of which came during a 21-game reached base safely streak earlier this spring. 
– Brasher has scored a team-best 27 runs this spring for the Jags, while Ortiz (25), Nichols (23) and Allen (21) have crossed the plate 20-plus times.
– Lackie (14-7) leads the Jags in the circle as she holds a 1.90 earned run average in her 140.1 innings of work. 
– The Walker, La., native has struck out 185 this season and is holding opponents to a .153 batting average, which leads the league. Both her strikeout total and strikeouts looking (60) are third-most in the SBC.
– She has gone the distance in 15 of her 18 starts and holds eight shut outs, including a shut out of Troy on Saturday. 
– Lackie has won 10 of her 14 decisions and holds a 1.61 ERA in league play, while also holding a 5:1 strike-ball ratio against SBC foes, striking out 129 and walking 25.
– Jenna Hardy has been just as solid in the circle holding a 2.52 ERA in 102.2 innings of work in the circle, while she has struck out 82 and issued just 17 walks this spring.
– Hardy has been outstanding in conference play holding a 1.97 ERA and a 6-2 record.

TOURNEY HOST/SEEDING    
– This year marks the third time in program history that South has hosted the league championship event and the first since 2016. 
– South Alabama is seeded second in the league tournament for the first time also since the 2016 season and the sixth time in program history. The Jags hold a 14-4 tournament record as the second seed and has advanced to the championship game and/or won the championship as the second seed four times.
– The Jags have captured the tournament title three times during program history: 2012, 2013 and 2015, while advancing to the championship game in 2014 and 2021.

TURNAROUND MOMENT
– While it was just a 5-2 victory over Dartmouth (3/6) on the final game of the Tennessee Invitational, the three-run win seemed to be a defining moment for the program this season.
– Over the first 18 games of the season, South Alabama seemed to be struggling to find its way on both sides of the ball as the club was batting .219 and had scored just 42 runs (2.3 runs per game), while striking out 108 times (6.0 SO per game) compared to 25 walks.
– South also held a team ERA of 3.38 and a .954 fielding percentage.
– The Jaguar pitching staff had allowed 29 home runs and issued a total of 44 walks, 20 hit batters, while committing 21 errors.
– Since the three-run victory over the Big Green (12 games), South has posted a 19-6 record over its last 25 games.
– As a club, the Jags are hitting .273 and have scored 124 runs (5.0 per game), while the Jaguar pitching staff holds a 1.99 ERA and the defense has been nearly flawless with a .978 fielding percentage over that stretch.
– The offense has also drawn 91 walks, while the pitching staff has issued just 40 walks, struck out 186, hit only three batter and held opponents to a .194 batting average over the 25-game stretch.
– The slapper trio of Mackenzie Brasher (.405), Caroline Nichols (.364) and Meredith Keel (.343) have done a great job of setting the table at the top and bottom of the lineup, while recording 12 extra-base hits and scored 51 runs.
– Victoria Ortiz is batting .319 with 17 extra-base hits (5 doubles, 2 triples and 10 home runs) to go along with 27 RBI, and Gabby Stagner and Kamdyn Kvistad have homered five times each and driven in 22 and 18 runs, respectively, during that same stretch. 

NO. 1 SEED LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS
THE SERIES VS. LOUISIANA    
– South Alabama and Louisiana have met 53 previous times in the all-time series. 
– Louisiana holds a 42-11 advantage in the all-time series and has won 20-straight in the series dating back to the 2015 Sun Belt Championship game.
– Of the 53 series meetings, 18 have been decided by two runs or less.
– Five meetings in the series have gone into extra innings, while nine decisions have been by run-rule.
– The Ragin' Cajuns have won the last seven Sun Belt Conference series versus the Jaguars.
– During the program's 16 seasons, South has won two SBC series versus the Ragin' Cajuns (2013 and 2009).  The two clubs also tied the first conference series during the 2007 season with each picking up a win.
– The two teams have met 10 times in the postseason with four of those meetings coming during the championship game of the Sun Belt tournament (2012, '14, '15, '21).

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE RAGIN' CAJUNS    
Series: 11-42 (H: 6-17 / A: 2-21 / N: 3-4)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 7-36 (H: 6-17 / A: 1-19 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 4-6 (H: 0-0 / A: 1-2 / N: 3-4)
Extra-Inning Games: 2-3 (H: 0-1 / A: 1-2 / N: 1-0)
Run-Rule Games: 1-8 (H: 1-3 / A: 0-4 / N: 0-1)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 4/15/07
Last Meeting: 4/15/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 3 ('12-'13) 
Longest Louisiana Streak: 20 ('16-'22)
Current Streak: 20 by Louisiana
Last 5 – 0-5
Last 10 – 0-10

NO. 3 SEED TEXAS STATE BOBCATS
THE SERIES VS. TEXAS STATE    
– South Alabama and Texas State have met 24 previous times in the all-time series with the Bobcats holding a 17-7 series advantage.
– The Jaguars won the regular-season series, taking two of three in Mobile. USA one game one 2-1 in eight innings and then game two 7-0. The Bobcats picked up the finale with a 3-0 victory.
– The Jaguars won the first meeting between the two clubs, defeating the Bobcats 8-0 in San Marcos, but the Bobcats won the next 13 meetings until South's 3-1 win in game two of the series in 2019.
– South has now won six of the last seven series meetings.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE BOBCATS    
Series: 8-16 (H: 3-7 / A: 4-8 / N: 1-1)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 7-14 (H: 3-6 / A: 4-8 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 1-1 (H: 0-1 / A: 0-0 / N: 1-0)
Extra-Inning Games: 2-1 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-1 / N: 1-0)
Run-Rule Games: 0-1 (H: 0-1 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 4/5/14
Last Meeting: 3/20/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 6 ('21-'22)
Longest Texas State Streak: 13 ('14-'19)
Current Streak: 1 by Texas State
Last 5 – 4-1
Last 10 – 7-3

NO. 4 SEED TROY TROJANS
THE SERIES VS. TROY    
– South Alabama and Troy have met 46 previous times in the all-time series. 
– The Jaguars hold a 28-18 record in the all-time series and all but three of the neutral series meetings have come during Sun Belt Conference regular-season play.
– This season, Troy took two out of three meetings in Troy on the final weekend of the regular season.
– The Trojans took games one and two of the series, before South picked up a 9-0 (6 inn.) victory in the series finale to earn the second seed in the tournament. 
– The two clubs met in an elimination game in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament last season on the Trojans' home field. 
– Jaguars trailed 6-0 in the tournament contest, but rallied back to pick up a 10-6 victory and eliminate the Trojans.
– South used a five-run fifth and a five-run seventh to complete the comeback.
– The six-run rally tied for the largest come-from-behind win in program history. 
– Prior to Troy's win at the 2018 SBC tournament, South had won 11-straight in the series. The win started a five-game streak by the Trojans, which was ended in the regular-season finale last spring.
– During the 11-game series win streak by the Jaguars, South held a 68-11 scoring advantage with two run-rule victories. 
– Of the 45 series meetings, 15 have been shutouts with the Jaguars recording nine of those.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE TROJANS    
Series: 28-18 (H: 14-7 / A: 14-10 / N: 0-1)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 26-15 (H: 14-7 / A: 12-10 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 2-1 (H: 0-0 / A: 2-0 / N: 0-1)
Extra-Inning Games: 2-2 (H: 2-1 / A: 0-1 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 4-0 (H: 3-0 / A: 1-0 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 5/5/07
Last Meeting: 5/7/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 11 ('15-'18) 
Longest Troy Streak: 6 ('18-'21)
Current Streak: 1 by South Alabama
Last 5 – 3-2
Last 10 – 3-7

NO. 5 SEED UTA MAVERICKS
THE SERIES VS. UTA    
– South Alabama and UTA have met 24 previous times in the all-time series. 
– The Jaguars are 17-7 overall in the series after sweeping the regular-season series in Arlington. 
– USA won 8-0 in five innings in game one of a doubleheader, and then 9-3 in game two. South completed the sweep with a 10-0 victory in the finale.
– South holds seven shutouts in the series, while the Jags have yet to be held scoreless in any of the 24 series meetings.
– The two teams first met on March 22, 2014 with South Alabama winning a pair of run-rule decisions.
– The Jaguars won the first nine meetings in the series, but the Mavericks have taken five of the last seven series contests.
– South Alabama has outscored UTA 131-66 in the series.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE MAVERICKS    
Series: 17-7 (H: 9-1 / A: 7-5 / N: 1-1)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 16-7 (H: 9-1 / A: 6-3 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 1-1 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 1-1)
Extra-Inning Games: 1-1 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-1 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 3-0 (H: 2-0 / A: 1-0 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 3/22/14
Last Meeting: 3/13/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 9 ('14-'16)
Longest UTA Streak: 3 ('19)
Current Streak: 3 by USA
Last 5 – 4-1
Last 10 – 6-4

NO. 6 SEED APP STATE MOUNTAINEERS
THE SERIES VS. APPALACHIAN STATE    
– South Alabama and Appalachian State have met 24 times in the all-time series. 
– The two teams only played one of three scheduled games this spring as two games were canceled due to weather and travel.
– The Jaguars won the first 11 meetings in the series, the Mountaineers then took three of four, but South has won eight of the last nine meetings, including the one meeting during the 2022 season and all five meetings last spring, which included a regular-season sweep in Mobile and then a pair of wins in the Sun Belt tourney.
– Overall, South Alabama holds a 129-58 scoring advantage in the series. 
– The 20 runs put up by App State in the 2020 series marked the most runs scored by the Mountaineers in a three-game series against USA.
– Prior to the 2019 series, App State had scored a total of 14 runs in the first 12 meetings versus the Jaguars.
– South holds eight shutouts in the series.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS    
Series: 20-4 (H: 10-2 / A: 8-2 / N: 2-0)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 18-4 (H: 10-2 / A: 8-2 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 2-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 2-0)
Extra-Inning Games: 1-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 1-0 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 2-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 1-0 / N: 1-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 3/21/15
Last Meeting: 4/10/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 11 ('15-'18) 
Longest Appalachian State Streak: 2 ('18-'19)
Current Streak: 6 by South Alabama
Last 5 – 5-0
Last 10 – 8-2

NO. 7 SEED GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS
THE SERIES VS. GEORGIA STATE    
– South Alabama and Georgia State have met 22 previous times in the all-time series. 
– The Jaguars hold a 14-8 series advantage, and of those 22 meetings, 19 have come during regular-season action.
– The two clubs were supposed to have met earlier this spring, but the series was canceled.
– The programs have met three times in Sun Belt tournament play with the Panthers taking two of those three meetings.
– 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 7-4 series lead.
– South Alabama did win the regular season series the last time the two clubs met during the 2019 season, taking two of three from the Panthers on their home field.
– USA and GSU were supposed to have met in 2020, but the day prior to the start of the series, the Covid-19 Pandemic shutdown all of sports.
– The two teams did not face each other in 2021.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE PANTHERS    
Series: 14-8 (H: 7-3 / A: 5-4 / N: 2-1)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 12-6 (H: 7-2 / A: 5-4 / 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: 4/13/19
Longest South Alabama Streak: 8 ('14-'16)
Longest Georgia State Streak: 5 ('16-'18)
Current Streak: 1 by South Alabama
Last 5 – 3-2
Last 10 – 4-6

NO. 9 SEED COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS
THE SERIES VS. COASTAL CAROLINA    
– South Alabama and Coastal Carolina have met 17 previous times in the all-time series. 
– The Jaguars hold an 11-6 series advantage and have swept the past two regular-season series.
– USA picked up shutout wins in games one and three of the series (4-0 and 3-0), and 3-2 in game two.
– Eight of the last 12 series meetings have been decided by three runs or less.
– The two clubs first met during the 2009 season with the Jags winning both (12-1 and 10-0) in five innings at the Florida Lipton Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.

INSIDE THE SERIES VS. THE CHANTICLEERS    
Series: 11-6 (H: 5-4 / A: 4-2 / N: 2-0)
Sun Belt Conference Games: 9-6 (H: 5-4 / A: 4-2 / N: 0-0)
Sun Belt Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
Extra-Inning Games: 0-1 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-1 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 3-0 (H: 1-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 2-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 2/15/09
Last Meeting: 4/3/22
Longest South Alabama Streak: 6 ('21-'22)
Longest Coastal Carolina Streak: 4 ('18-'19)
Current Streak: 6 by South Alabama
Last 5 – 5-0
Last 10 – 6-4

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