GEORGIA STATE (21-20, 10-8) vs. APPALACHIAN STATE (23-14-1, 8-9-1)
April 26-28 | GSU Baseball Complex

THE SERIES
Friday, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, 3 p.m. (ESPN+/WGTJ-FM 97.5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State hosts Appalachian State in a weekend series that pits the top two home run-hitting teams in the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers and Mountaineers have each hit 68 long balls this season, tied for No. 27 in Division I.

> But the two teams have arrived at their 68 home runs differently. App State features three players in double figures including Sun Belt leader Banks Tolley with 17. Georgia State has four players with players nine homers and two more with eight.

> JoJo Jackson has hit four homers in the last three games, with two against Troy and two more at Presbyterian. He is 7-for-12 with seven RBI in the three contests.

> Brennan Hudson was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on April 15. The sophomore catcher-first baseman hit .571 with an eye-popping 1.914 OPS, including a walk-off homer. He was 8-for-14 on the week with three homers, six RBI and nine runs scored. He also drew five walks for a .700 on-base percentage in the four games.

> Third baseman Will Mize is the Panthers' top hitter on the season at .350 on a Sun Belt-leading 62 hits. He leads the team with 40 RBI and is tied for the GSU lead with nine homers.

> Outfielder Michael Maginnis is hitting .331 with nine homers and 35 RBI. He is fifth in the Sun Belt with 19 stolen bases.

> Brennan Hudson (.326/8/22) is fourth in the Sun Belt with a .508 on-base percentage, including a team-leading 28 walks, and third in the league with an OPS of 1.148

> Georgia State is tied for first in the Sun Belt and No. 27 in Division I with 68 home runs. Will Mize, Michael Maginnis, Ryan Dyal and JoJo Jackson are tied for the team lead with nine homers, while Luke Boynton and Brennan Hudson are at eight and Jesse Donohoe has six.

> The Panthers have hit 253 homers since the start of the 2022 season (1.62 per game):

GSU'S TOP SEASON HOME RUN TOTALS
110    2023 (59 games)    No. 14 in D1
82    2010 (58 games)
77    2000 (59 games)
75    2022 (57 games)
74    2009 (61 games)
68    2024 (39 games)    No. 27 in D1

> Three current Panthers rank in the Top 20 in school history in career homers. Luke Boynton has moved up to No. 6 with 36 career homers. Will Mize is tied for 11th with 26, and JoJo Jackson has climbed into the Top 20 with 24.

> Georgia State scored 46 runs, including 12 homers, both program records for a Sun Belt Conference series, to take two of three games from Southern Miss. Brennan Hudson (8-11, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2.345 OPS) and outfielder Michael Maginnis (7-14, 3 HR, 8 RBI) combined for six home runs and 14 RBI in the three games. Maximus Martin (7-for-13, six runs scored) and Ryan Dyal (5-for-11, two homers, seven RBI) also had big series.
 
THE ELDER STATESMAN 
> The veteran of the GSU squad as a fifth-year senior, third baseman Will Mize is the 13th player in GSU history to record at least 200 career hits, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. 

> Mize has a .311 career batting average is climbing Georgia State's career lists in numerous offensive categories:
Hits: 231 (8th)
HR: 26 (T-11th)
2B: 46 (6th)
RBI: 144 (8th)
Total Bases: 357 (T-5th)
At-Bats: 742 (8th)
Games: 204 (183 starts)

SERIES NOTES
> Georgia State holds a 17-12 lead in the all-time series, including a 13-10 advantage since the teams began playing as Sun Belt foes in 2015.

> The Panthers are 9-4 against App State in Atlanta, including 6-3 in Sun Belt games.

> Last season, App State two of three in Boone, including a 15-14 win the series finale.

> Beginning in 2016, the home team has won two out of three every year except 2019, when the Panthers won two of three in Boone.