Georgia State baseball hopes to make a run in Sun Belt Conference Tournament

Coming into the 2021 season, the Georgia State Panthers baseball team already raised some eyebrows with a championship-caliber schedule in head coach Brad Stromdahl’s second season. The Panthers’ schedule was arguably the toughest in the country, highlighted by a power five-laden, non-conference slate.

Georgia State got off to a hot start with wins over West Virginia, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. The Panthers were able to beat Vanderbilt with the help of the right arm of North Gwinnett grad Ryan Watson. Watson pitched five innings, only allowing one run, handing the then No. 2-ranked Commodores a rare Friday night loss, 4-2.

The upstart Panthers continued their winning ways by dominating in-state rival Georgia Tech, 10-2, with the help of a homer from Brookwood grad Will Mize. Georgia State seemed like it might be running out of momentum after being swept at Tennessee and Kentucky.

In conference play, the Panthers found a spark with the help of their offense, led by freshman shortstop Will Mize, senior catcher Elian Merejo, and sophomore outfielder Josh Smith. Mize, a Brookwood grad, is a young, bright spot for the Panthers, batting .298 with five homers and 25 RBIs. Merejo has seven homers and 30 RBIs. Smith has one of the teams leading hitters at .326, with nine homers and 30 RBIs.

The Panthers have surged down the stretch with series wins over in-state rival Georgia Southern, Troy and Arkansas Little Rock, along with a sweep over Texas State on the road.

On the mound, there has been a redefining of roles for Watson as the sophomore was able to record back-to-back saves in the regular season series finale at Little Rock. The Panthers hope to ride their positive momentum into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Georgia State is currently 17-36 overall and 12-12 in conference play. The Sun Belt tourney, in Montgomery, Ala., will begin with a round-robin pool play format. The Panthers open tournament play against University of Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and then face Georgia Southern on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The top team from each of the four pools will advance directly to Saturday’s semifinals. The Panthers are hoping to play the Cinderella role and make an incredible run to an NCAA regional berth.

Pool A: East No. 1 seed South Alabama,West No. 4 seed Arkansas-Little Rock, and East No. 6 seed Coastal Carolina

Pool B: East No. 2 seed Georgia Southern, West No. 3 seed ULM, and East No. 5 seed Georgia State

Pool C: West No. 1 seed Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns , East No. 4 seed Appalachian State, and West No. 6 seed Texas State

Pool D: West No. 2 seed Texas-Arlington, East No. 3 seed Troy University, and West No. 5 seed Arkansas State