The No. 5-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team concludes play in the Grizzly Open on Saturday, Feb. 9 with single games against the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) and Bluefield College (Va.) at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The Grizzlies face the Red Storm at noon before facing Bluefield at 2 p.m.

GGC won both games during Friday's action, defeating Rio Grande 5-1 and Bluefield 18-4. Rio Grande earned an 8-6 win in eight innings against Bluefield to round out the action.

Fresh off two shutout victories to begin the 2019 season, the No. 5-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team hosts the Grizzly Open on Friday, Feb. 8, and Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Grizzly Softball Complex.

The Grizzlies opened the season Wednesday with 20-0 and 1-0 home wins against Bryan College (Tenn.).

Three GGC players are hitting over .500 on the young season: senior Aubree Cox has a team-leading .667 batting average, junior Sydney Willhite collected three hits in five at bats on Wednesday and senior Elyssa Melton is at .500, including a two-run home run.

Senior Taylor Hansis and sophomore Piper Wagner each posted shutouts in the pitching circle. Hansis recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed just one hit across five innings, while Wagner had five strikeouts in seven innings.

Admission to home games will be $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens, military personnel with identification and children more than five years of age. GGC students, faculty and staff with a valid Claw Card receive free admission. Also, children under five years old receive free admission.

Softball season passes are available for $100. This is a 33-percent savings for admission to all softball home regular-season contests.

LIVE VIDEO

LIVE STATS
 
GAME NOTES

MEET THE COACHES
Georgia Gwinnett College: Kat Ihlenburg is in her seventh season leading the Grizzlies. She has guided the program to a 245-86-2 record and four trips to NAIA postseason appearances.
Rio Grande: Chris Hammond is in his fourth season guiding the Red Storm. He has posted a 123-32 record and three seasons with 35 or more wins.
Bluefield: Andrew Bailey makes his Bluefield coaching debut at the Grizzly Open. He spent the 2018 season as the head baseball coach at Averett University (Va.).
 
NATIONAL RANKING
The Grizzlies were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll, marking the program's highest ranking to begin a season. GGC went 53-6 and reached the World Series last season. The team also held the No. 1 ranking throughout the entire 2018 regular season.
 
SWEEP IN OPENER
GGC enters this weekend's Grizzly Open off a sweep of Bryan College (Tenn.) on Wednesday. The team outscored the Lions 21-0 in the two games.
 
MELTON MOVING UP CAREER LISTS
Senior Elyssa Melton holds the career school record for games played (176) and could set the program mark for at-bats (482) during the Grizzly Open this weekend. The senior ranks in the top five for RBI (107), hits (156), doubles (25), triples (17), home runs (12), total bases (251) and runs scored (128).
 
SERIES HISTORY
GGC has won four of the five meetings with Rio Grande, with the Red Storm winning 2-1 on Feb. 11, 2017 in Lawrenceville.
 
The Grizzlies have won all three meetings with the Rams, sweeping a doubleheader during the 2015 season.
 
SCOUTING THE RED STORM
Rio Grande went 35-12 last season after posing consecutive seasons with 40 or more wins. The team reached the NAIA Opening Round last season. The Red Storm received votes but wasn't ranked in the 2019 NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Bluefield is coming off a 16-21 season in 2018. The Rams went 10-12 on the road.
 
FOLLOW THE GRIZZLIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
GGCAthletics.com will be home for the latest news and information regarding the baseball season. Video broadcasts of all home games will be through the Grizzly Digital Network with Matt Mahony providing play-by-play commentary. Keep track of GGC Athletics through the following social media: Twitter (@GGCAthletics), Facebook (GGCAthletics) and Instagram (GGCAthletics).
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