Game 11-15: I-75 Challenge
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Thursday, Feb. 19 @ 3:30 p.m. – @ Georgia Tech
Friday, Feb. 20 @ 1 p.m. – vs. Yale (DH)
Friday, Feb. 20 @ 3:30 p.m. – vs. Yale (DH)
Saturday, Feb. 21 @ 6 p.m. – vs. Purdue
Sunday, Feb. 22 @ 11 a.m. – vs. Yale
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ATLANTA – Georgia State softball (5-5, 0-0 SBC) will serve as one of two host sites for the I-75 Challenge for the ninth consecutive season, alongside the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The tournament will also feature the College of Charleston, Yale, and Purdue. The Panthers will face Georgia Tech at Mewborn Field and will host Yale and Purdue at the Heck. The five-game tournament begins Thursday, Feb. 19, at 3:30 p.m., and will continue through Sunday, Feb. 22.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia Tech owns a 57-27 all-time record against Georgia State in a series that dates back to the Panthers first season in 1984. The two programs first met on March 24, 1984, when Georgia State opened the series with an 6-2 victory. The Panthers ruled the series in the beginning, winning nine of the first eleven meetings before the Yellow Jackets earned four straight series wins between the 1991-92 seasons. The most recent match on Apr. 16, 2024, when Georgia Tech took a 5-4 victory over Georgia State at the Heck.
This weekend will mark the first-ever meeting between Georgia State and Yale.
Georgia States holds a stalemate record of 1-1 against Purdue. The two programs first met on March 13, 1998, when the Panthers took the first series win, ending in a final score of 4-1. Georgia State and Purdue have not faced off since their most recent meeting came on Feb. 26, 2011, when the Boilermakers took a 5-4 victory to even the series.
SMASHING START
The Georgia State Panthers kicked off their season with the program's best start since 2008, sweeping the UWG Opening Weekend Event with a perfect 5-0 record. Over the weekend, GSU racked up 50 runs on 74 hits, boasting a scorching .446 team batting average. The Panthers showcased their power with six doubles, three triples, and four home runs, while their pitching held opponents to a stingy .169 batting average.
INSIDE THE CIRCLE
Georgia State will feature a fresh look inside the circle this season as the Panthers' return only one pitcher from last season, Makayla Stephens. Stephens made 27 appearances during the 2025 campaign, striking out 103 batter to rank seventh in the conference in strikeouts and fourth in strikeouts looking (33). She will be joined by a group of newcomers in the circle, as freshman Brynn Belstle, Fort Valley transfer Tenison Myricks and Illinois transfer Briana Bower look to add new style to the Panthers' pitching staff.
NEW TO THE A
Georgia State welcomes nine new faces to the roster for the upcoming season, including four freshmen and five transfers ready to make an immediate impact. Freshmen Kya Walker, Maya Bagsby, Brynn Belstle and Samantha Breaux bring youthful energy and potential, while transfers Caitlyn Hall (Abilene Christian), Tenison Myricks (Fort Valley State), Briana Bower (Illinois), Allison Jones (Rhode Island) and Dillyn Suggs (Campbell) bring collegiate experience to bolster the Panthers' lineup.
GEORGIA ON OUR MIND
Georgia State's roster reflects a strong homegrown presence, with 14 out of 21 players hailing from the Peach State. The remaining seven players bring added depth to the roster, representing Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Missouri (1) and Texas (1).
NADLER HERE TO STAY
Following two standout seasons with the Panthers, Nadler joined the Owens coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant. She concluded her senior campaign as the team's offensive leader, starting 46 of 47 games. Nadler led the 2024 roster in nearly every major statistical category, including batting average (.296), home runs (7), triples (2), RBI (22), slugging (.520), and OBP (.390). During a highlight performance against Robert Morris on Feb. 23, 2024, she etched herself into the record book with a single-game home runs record (2), marking the second highest in a single game in program history.
Admission is free to all Georgia State softball home games in 2026.
