The Sports Inquirer

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

ATLANTA – After a third-place finish in the Panthers’ first season in the Sun Belt Conference, the Georgia State softball team in ready to embark on a historically challenging campaign in 2015.

GSU’s schedule is one of the toughest in program history and features 12 games against ranked opponents, including seven against teams currently ranked in the top 12.

“After our first year in the Sun Belt we realized what it would take to compete in this conference,” head coach Roger Kincaid said. “We take our schedule as a challenge and the team has embraced it. We are competitive at this level and we want to continue to improve so that we can win championships.”

The Panthers will rely heavily on experience as 14 letterwinners and seven starters return to a team that finished with 30 or more wins for the eighth consecutive season. However, there will be an infusion of youth with five freshman and one transfer strengthening the squad.

Georgia State’s season begins at No. 20 Auburn on Feb. 12 in the first game of the Tiger Invitational. Then GSU returns to Atlanta for its home opener against Savannah State on Feb. 20 in the Panther Invitational opener.

After blasting a program record 59 home runs last season, the Panthers will have plenty of pop in 2015 as 55 of those homers were hit by players returning to the field this season. Leading the pack are preseason all-conference selections Taylor Anderson and Lauren Coleman who were first and second with 14 and nine bombs last year, respectively.

“We want to have quality at-bats with good power numbers,” Kincaid said. “We have the potential to break that record again this year because we have added power at the plate that was not with us last year.”

In the circle, Georgia State must replace the winningest pitcher in program history. The Panthers will looker to four returners, transfer Chelsea Stanfield and freshman Randee Bettis to replace that production.

“All six are competing for playing time,” Kincaid said. “As a group they have gotten better and the entire staff wants to go out to perform for the team. When they are in the circle they set the tone for the game and they embrace that.”

What you need to know:

• GSU opens the season at No. 20 Auburn on Feb. 12, one of 12 games vs. preseason ranked teams.
• Panthers were picked to finish third in the team’s second season in the Sun Belt.
• Taylor Anderson and Lauren Coleman both received preseason all-conference honors.
• Return 55 of GSU team record 59 home runs from last season.