What you need to know:
* Georgia State (24-23, 7-8 SBC) plays host to UT Arlington this weekend at the Bob Heck Softball Complex.
* GSU took two of three from the Mavericks last season.
* GSU will recognize cancer survivors Saturday for the annual Strikeout Cancer Day.
ATLANTA – Winners of five out of the last six, Georgia State's softball team will play a three-game series with Sun Belt-foe UT Arlington at the Bob Heck Softball Complex in Panthersville. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Saturday's doubleheader as GSU will honor cancer survivors as part of the annual Strikeout Cancer Day.
LEADING OFF
• Georgia State and UT Arlington meet this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt series beginning with a doubleheader Saturday. The Panthers lead the all-time series with a 4-3 record. GSU took two out of three at UTA last season.
• Georgia State has won five of its last six, but is coming off an 8-0 loss to No. 12/13 Georgia.
• In the latest RPI release of the season on April 18, GSU came in at No. 52 which ranks fourth-highest in the Sun Belt.
• Georgia State's defense ranks 24th in the country in double plays per game (0.48).
• Sophomore Ivie Drake leads the team in batting average (.372), slugging percentage (.715), on base percentage (.517), walks (41), and home runs (12). Drake was named an All-American as a freshman in 2015.
• Ivie Drake was named Sun Belt Player of the Week Monday after hitting .438 with two home runs and nine RBI last week. One of her home runs was a grand slam against App State in Game 1 on Saturday.
• Junior Kensey Caldwell leads the team with 38 RBI. Caldwell is slugging .481 this season, second-best on the squad.
• GSU's pitching staff is led by senior Katie Worley. Worley has both a perfect game and no-hitter to her name this season and ranks No. 45 in the country in hits allowed per seven innings (5.10).
• Ivie Drake has been walked 41 times this season, an average of 0.87 a game. She ranks No. 11 in the country in walks per game.
• Georgia State has 997 wins since the first year of fast-pitch competition in 1985. The Panthers are trying to become just the 36th program to reach the 1,000 win mark.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSU_Softball) for the latest news.
