Softball | 3/29/2016 2:35:00 PM

GAME NOTES
 
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Georgia Southern softball team will play seven of their next 10 games at Eagle Field. This weekend, the Eagles will be on the road at UL Monroe for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series before returning home for seven straight home games. GS will open the stretch with a weekend series against Appalachian State on Saturday, Apr. 9 and Sunday, Spr. 10 before Kennesaw State comes to town for a midweek game on Wednesday, Apr. 13. The Eagles will then close out the homestand with another weekend Sun Belt series, this one against South Alabama on Saturday, Apr. 16 and Sunday, Apr. 17. So far this season, the Eagles are 6-1 at home.
 
FACILITY INFO
Wednesday's doubleheader will take place at Eagle Field in Statesboro. The address is 615 Fair Rd., Statesboro, GA 30458. Admission is free.
 
Live stats will be available through Georgia Southern and live video of the game will also be available via GS All-Access.
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE
The Jacksonville University Dolphins (17-19) enter Wednesday's doubleheader having recently broken up a five-game losing skid with a 4-0 win over Lipscomb this past Saturday. Prior to the win over the Bisons, the Dolphins had fallen in conference action at home to Kennesaw State twice and then went on the road and fell at No. 17 Tennessee before falling twice to Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn. On the road, JU is 1-7 in true road games and 2-2 in neutral site contests.
 
The Dolphins are currently batting .233 as a team this season with 133 runs scored, 61 extra base knocks and 30 stolen bases. They are led at the plate by senior Victoria Brown's .323 batting average and .636 slugging percentage. Through 36 games, Brown has accumulated 15 extra base hits, including seven doubles and eight home runs, both of which lead the team. She also leads the team with 27 runs batted in. Behind her, sophomore Danielle Baker is hitting .304 and slugging .598 with three doubles, three triples and seven home runs. Baker leads the team in triples and also has a team-best nine stolen bases in 13 attempts.
 
As far as pitching goes, the Dolphins have utilized three pitchers this season in senior Victoria Brown, junior Paige Curtis and senior Taylor Rossman. Brown leads the way with a 2.77 earned run average and has pitched 134 innings spread out over 25 games. She has made 22 starts and holds an 11-10 record while striking out 60 batters. Curtis has made 17 appearances, including three starts, and enters the week with a 4.33 ERA through 55 innings of work. She is 4-3 on the year and has struck out 19 batters. Rossman has made 15 appearances on the year and pitched 46 innings while posting a 6.70 ERA and 2-6 record.

JU ROSTER
JU SCHEDULE
JU STATS
 
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern will hit the road again, this time traveling to Monroe, La. for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at UL Monroe. The Eagles and Warhawks are slated to play a 2 p.m. ET doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 2 before closing out the weekend series on Sunday, Apr. 3 with a single game at 2 p.m. ET.
 
WEEKLY AWARD FOR WITKOWSKI
Georgia Southern softball player Lydia Witkowski was named the Sun Belt Conference Community Coffee Student-Athlete of the Week as released by the conference office on Tuesday, Mar. 15.
 
A redshirt freshman from Alpharetta, Ga., Witkowski led Georgia Southern on offense in the Eagles' Sun Belt Conference opening series at Texas State as the Eagles went 2-1 in San Marcos. The Eagles' starting left fielder went 6-for-11 (.545) at the plate with a triple and an RBI and scored a pair of runs herself. She slugged .727 with eight total bases and finished the three games with a .545 on-base percentage.
 
In the field, she recorded four putouts and had an assist in the first game when she gunned down a runner tagging up at third, trying to make it home. The throw out at home from left field completed one of the Eagles' two double plays on the weekend.
 
In the first game of the series, Witkowksi went 4-for-4 at the plate with three singles and a triple for a 1.500 slugging percentage. She also batted in a runner and scored a pair of runs herself as the Eagles defeated Texas State 6-1. Witkowksi followed that up by going 2-for-4 at the plate in the Eagles' 5-4 win over the Bobcats in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader, sealing the series victory for the Eagles. The win also pushed the Eagles' longest winning streak of the season to eight games.
 
YEAR NO. 5
Georgia Southern head coach Annie Smith is in her fifth season at the helm of the Eagles. Her tenure in Statesboro has taken the Eagles to new heights with two SoCon Regular Season Championships and two SoCon Tournament Championships as well as overseeing the transition to the Sun Belt Conference in Smith's four previous seasons. During her tenure, Smith has advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice (2012 and 2013) as the Eagles have quickly made a name for themselves within the regional and national landscape.
 
Smith has an overall career record of 139-125. In 2014, she became the fastest coach in Georgia Southern history to reach 100 career wins when her team posted a 4-0 victory over Appalachian State on April 5.
 
Smith joined Georgia Southern with 16 years of experience as a collegiate assistant coach, serving at Missouri for six seasons before heading to Mississippi State for nine years, handling all aspects of the program. In 2006, Smith was promoted to associate head coach of the Bulldogs.
 
RANDOM STATS AND NOTES
Career Games Started - by position (active)
A.J. Hamilton: 202 total - 202 C
Emily Snider: 139 total - 139 OF
Morgan Robinson: 136 total - 136 1B
Taylor Rogers: 108 total - 80 OF; 28 DP
Alesha Mann: 83 total - 31 2B; 45 SS; 7 DP
Michelle Mazur: 45 total - 42 3B; 3 DP
Kierra Camp: 35 total - 35 P
Rowan McGuire: 27 total - 27 DP
Heather Felt: 15 total - 15 P
Hannah Farrell: 32 total - 32 3B
Lydia Witkowski: 32 total - 29 OF; 3 INF
India Davis: 29 total - 28 2B; 1 SS
Dixie Raley: 17 total - 17 P
Macy Weeks: 16 total - 13 DP; 3 OF
Haley Carter: 3 total - 3 DP
 
EAGLES BY STATE (18)
Georgia: 13
Florida: 2
Illinois: 2
Tennessee: 1
 
EAGLES BY CLASS (18)
Seniors: 1
Juniors: 6
Sophomores: 6
Freshmen: 5 freshmen (3 redshirt)
 

 
 
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