Softball Begins Sun Belt Conference Play at Georgia Southern

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (12-13, 0-0 Sun Belt) opens Sun Belt Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Georgia Southern (14-11, 0-0 Sun Belt) in Statesboro, Ga.

The Golden Eagles enter their third season of competition in the Sun Belt on a hot streak, having won eight of their last ten games. During that span, Southern Miss has amassed 100 hits and outscored opponents 89-30.

Southern Miss looks to build on last season's momentum, when the Golden Eagles reached the conference tournament for the second straight season, marking the program's first back-to-back conference tournament appearances since 2012-2013.

Due to inclement weather, the series schedule has been adjusted. The series opener remains set for Friday at 5 p.m. CT, but Sunday's game has been moved to a Saturday doubleheader starting at 10:30 a.m. CT.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, March 14
At Georgia Southern- 5 p.m. CT
ESPN+: https://bit.ly/3Fzvo5O
Live Stats: http://smttt.info/Stats

Saturday, March 15
At Georgia Southern-10:30 a.m. CT
ESPN+: https://bit.ly/43FmyNW
Live Stats: http://smttt.info/Stats

At Georgia Southern-1 p.m. CT
ESPN+: https://bit.ly/4kN2RKb
Live Stats:http://smttt.info/Stats

Southern Miss Notes

Freshman Carrie Green led Southern Miss with a career-high four hits against Alabama State, surpassing her three-hit outing the previous game against North Dakota State. Green became the first Golden Eagle to record four hits in a game this season and the first to knock three doubles in a game since Katie Cleary did so against ULM on March 1, 2014.

Freshman pitcher Kayla Giardina struck out a career-high nine batters Wednesday against Alabama State, including the first eight she faced. Giardina paces the pitching staff with 45 strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles extended their streak of double-digit games to five consecutive games-the program's longest stretch in two decades.

Senior infielder Maddie Weeks leads Southern Miss with 24 hits and 17 RBI, riding an 11-game hitting streak, her career long and one of the nation's longest active streaks. Weeks' hitting streak started Feb. 22 at No. 5 LSU.

Southern Miss Softball delivered a record-breaking performance last Thursday, scoring 28 runs in a 28-2 rout against UMES. The total marked the second-highest single-game run total in program history and the highest ever at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The team's 28 runs also set the Division I season-high, surpassing UCLA's 26-run effort against Weber State. The all-time program record remains 29 runs, achieved on Feb. 28, 2009, against North Carolina Central. The previous second-highest total was 24, recorded against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2015 and Louisiana Tech in 2007.

Scouting the Competition

Georgia Southern is led by fourth-year head coach Sharon Perkins, who has a 74-99 record with the program. The Eagles recorded a 30-win season for the first time since 2016 last season.

Payton Cushman leads the team with 24 hits with a .316 batting average and team-high 434 slugging percentage. Valerie Combs' eight doubles are tied for third most in the Sun Belt.

Emma Davis has stolen ten bases this season, ranking fifth in the Sun Belt. Davis is one of the Eagles' leading hitters with 19 hits and a team-high 14 runs scored.

Freshman Maddie Johnson leads the Georgia Southern pitching staff with a 1.86 ERA (4th Sun Belt) through 71.1 innings pitched (2nd Sun Belt). Johnson has allowed just 19 earned runs and 15 walks with 53 strikeouts (8th Sun Belt). She became the first Eagle to earn the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week award since 2021 after tossing the program's 19th all-time no-hitter against George Mason, picking up a career-high 11 strikeouts in the win.

Georgia Southern boasts the second-best ERA in the Sun Belt (2.51), trailing only Texas State (2.18).

The Eagles earned their first ranked win since 2022 earlier this season with a 2-0 win over No. 22 Michigan, led by a complete game shutout performance from Johnson. Georgia Southern has also picked up other notable wins in nonconference play against Maryland and UCF.

Series History

Southern Miss has played Georgia Southern just once, winning 8-1 in a neutral game in the 2022 season at Madeira Beach, Fla. The weekend series will mark the team's first time playing in Statesboro.

For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).

Softball Begins Sun Belt Conference Play at Georgia Southern

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kayla Giardina

Carrie Green

Maddie Weeks

Softball Begins Sun Belt Conference Play at Georgia Southern

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kayla Giardina

Carrie Green

Maddie Weeks

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