Games 16-19: Charleston, S.C.
Wednesday, Feb. 25 @ 5 p.m. – Charleston Southern
Friday, Feb. 27 @ 5 p.m. – College of Charleston
Saturday, Feb. 28 @ 2 p.m. – College of Charleston
Sunday, March 1 @ 12 p.m. – College of Charleston
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ATLANTA – Georgia State softball (9-6, 0-0 SBC) travels to Charleston, S.C, opening the week with a midweek contest at Charleston Southern on Wednesday, Feb. 25, before wrapping up with a three-game weekend series against the College of Charleston starting Friday, Feb. 27.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State holds a perfect 3-0 record all-time against Charleston Southern. The two programs first met on March 7, 1992, when the Panthers opened the series with a 2-0 victory. Georgia State continued its success with a 6-1 win on Feb. 15, 2001, before securing the most recent matchup on Feb. 12, 2005, with a 6-2 victory to remain undefeated in the series against the Buccaneers.
Georgia State owns a 2-0 record against the College of Charleston. The series began on April 29, 1994, when the Panthers earned a dominant 9-0 victory. Georgia State later picked up a 6-2 win on March 10, 2001, securing the most recent meeting and maintaining its perfect record against the Cougars.
BACK TO HER ROOTS
Georgia State head coach Becca Owens will face her alma mater this weekend as the Panthers take on College of Charleston. Owens started 220 games in the outfield, finished her career ranked in the program's top 10 in 12 offensive categories, including a .335 batting average and helped lead Charleston to three 35-win seasons. As a two-time team captain, she was twice named All-CAA, earned two CAA All-Tournament selections and collected third-team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors following her senior campaign in 2016. Owens graduated from the College of Charleston in 2016 with a degree in political science, then returned to Charleston in 2018 as a volunteer assistant coach for one season.
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.
SUN BELT DOMINANCE
The Georgia State Panthers have made a statement early in nonconference play. Georgia State ranks fifth nationally and first in the Sun Belt Conference in hits (165), 11th nationally and second in batting average (.374) and 32nd nationally and second in on-base percentage (.440). Within the conference, the Panthers also rank third in RBIs (89), runs per game (6.53), team strikeouts per seven innings (6.40) and total runs scored (98).
Individually, Makayla Stephens has dominated the mound, ranking third nationally in innings pitched (55.2), sixth nationally in complete games (5) and strikeouts (62), 11th in pitching appearances (12), 22nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.75) and 27th in wins (5). In the Sun Belt, she leads in complete games (8) and strikeouts (62), while ranking second in innings pitched (55.2) and WHIP (0.86). Briana Bower adds depth to the staff, ranking fifth in the SBC with two complete games and sixth in games started (6) while logging 35 innings. Offensively, McKenzie Walker leads the lineup with a .468 batting average (fifth in the SBC), tops the conference in runs scored (18) and ranks fourth in sacrifice flies (2), while also placing 25th nationally in triples (2). Maia Mumpfield ranks second in the SBC in hits (19) and third in RBIs (17), while Chloe Hatcher ranks fourth in RBIs (16).
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, 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), 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.
