Longwood University Athletics

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After facing another tough weekend of competition in the Green and Gold Classic, Longwood looks at a 1-4 record entering its first weekend of Big South play. 

The team struggled in its most recent outing going 1-4 over last weekend, and looks to redeem itself against the team who beat them in game one of the Big South Tournament last season. The five most recent meetings between the Lancers and the Spartans have been decided by only one run - this includes all four meetings the teams had last season where the last one ended in a walk-off single off a Spartans bat in the seventh inning. 

The Lancers sit with a 6-13 overall record, and inch closer to its first home game of the year that will be in a little over two weeks on Mar. 22 against Virginia Tech. 


LONGWOOD GAME NOTES 
SPARTAN LIVE STATS 
ESPN+
    GAME ONE
    GAME TWO 
    GAME THREE 


First Pitch:

• Sydney Backstrom (5-6) after pitching three games in the Green and Gold Classic over the previous weekend. Backstrom added another two losses on the year as well as the team's only win on the weekend in Alabama. She added another 12 strikeouts on the year, while only giving up five hits and five runs over the weekend, with a .136 b/avg against her over the last five games.
• Backstrom earned her first Big South Pitcher of the Week honor during the second week of the season after throwing 23 strikeouts against two top teams in the country, all while only allowing only 14 hits, and six walks over a three game span. Backstrom has already pitched 64.0 innings, has 68 strikeouts, and a .198 batting average against her over the whole season.
• Alexis Wayland had started every game so far this season for the Lancers behind the plate. Wayland has gathered a b/avg of .296 and a slg/% of .500 on the year.
• Wayland smacked the only home run out of the park last weekend for Longwood in its lone win against Harvard on day two, game three. Wayland was 4-16 from the plate last weekend with slg/% of .500 over the five tough games over the weekend.
• Freshman Jaden Pone (.296 b/avg) was 2-9 at the plate while picking up a start every game over the weekend. Pone ripped a triple, her first of the year, in the loss against UAB on Saturday. Pone earned a slg% of .444 over the five games in Alabama.
• Longwood has won five of the past eight Big South Championship tournaments since joining the conference in 2013 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019).

 
By The Numbers:

• After seeing an upset in the 2021 Big South Tournament, Longwood returns in the 2022 season with a wealth of experience returning, and ranked third in the Big South Preseason Poll. 
• Sydney Backstrom is one of several returning arms for the Lancers, and was also picked as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the conference. Backstrom earned her first Big South Pitcher of the Week honor in week two of the 2022 season after grabbing two wins over #25 Wichita State and Power 5 Illinois.
• Alexis Wayland has had a stellar start to her senior year. She's grabbed 13 RBI's, two home runs, three doubles, and a triple so far from the plate. Wayland has grabbed 19 starts from behind the plate earning a .968 fielding percent. Wayland has gathered a .296 b/avg and a .500 slg% - best on the Lancers as right now on the year.
• Emily Vinson (.245 BA/.367 slg%) added her first Big South Freshman of the Year honor to her belt in the first week of the season. Vinson has appeared in every game for the Lancers, grabbing 16 starts. Vinson has scored 11 of Longwood's 52 runs on the season. Vinson earned her first career home run in the 8-7 victory over Fresno State in game one of the Black and Gold Classic in Florida.
• Jaden Pone (.302 BA/.340 slg%) has made a name for herself as leadoff for the Lancers grabbing 17-18 starts of the season. Pone has scored nine runs, one triple, and slated three RBI's on the year.  
• With 130 steals last season, Longwood is only the second team in program history to surpass the century mark in that category. Only the 1999 Lancer squad stole more bases in the program's history, swiping 136 in 53 games.

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