Longwood University Athletics

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Longwood is looking to shake its two game losing streak in South Carolina this weekend in the teams second conference weekend of the year. Longwood holds a 23-8 record over Charleston Southern, with only two of those losses happening under Head Coach Megan Brown. 

The series will kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday Mar. 19 with a double header, and finish things up with a solo game on Sunday at 12 p.m. 

LONGWOOD GAME NOTES 
CHARLESTON SO. LIVE STATS 

The First Pitch:

• 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 started behind the plate in every game this season earning a .966 fielding percent. Wayland sits with a .281 b/avg and a .453 slg% - best on the Lancers as right now on the year.
• Sydney Jacobsen has exploded from the plate the last few outings for Longwood raising her b/avg to  .250, slugging at .396. Jacobsen has one home run, one tirple, and one RBI on the year. She's grabbed 19 starts, and appeared in 20 of the 22 games so far this season.
• Overall as a team, Longwood has a .249 b/avg, and a .272 b/avg against over the year.
• Pone and Vinson combine for 21 of the 62 runs scored so far this season for the Lancers as two true freshman.
• Wayland leads the team in RBI's with 13, and in home runs with two - best for the Lancers with Korynna Anderson also knocking two out of the park so far this 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.

By the Numbers: 

• Sydney Backstrom continues to be a force in the circle for the Lancers who now has an ERA of 3.66, b/avg against of .201, and has collected 83 strikeouts on the year so far. Backstrom (6-7), has pitched 78.0 innings so far this season grabbing 12 starts, and appearing in 16 out of the 22 games on the year.
• Last weekend, Backstrom picked up one win with 14.2 innings pitched, only allowing 12 hits after appearing in all three games over the first Big South weekend for Longwood.
• Sydney Jacobsen and Mason Basdikis had great opening conference weekends as well. Jacobsen batted .500 adding a double and a run to her stat sheet. Jacobsen walked away with the best slugging percentage for the Lancers at .600. Basdikis following the same path, batted .556 slugging .556, too. Basdikis added two RBI's, and two stolen bases, as well as three starts. 
• Freshman Jaden Pone and Emily Vinson continue to contribute to Longwood's offensive, and defensive force in their first year with the Lancers. Pone sits now with .297 b/avg and .328 slug%, with three RBI's and 10 runs scored for Longwood. Vinson has a 1.000 fld% with 24 PO, and 33 catches, and nine assists.
• Longwood has won five of the past eight Big South Championship tournaments since joining the conference in 2013 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019).

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