Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. - At long last the Lancers are coming home! The 2022 season home opener is finally here, and the Lancers welcome #5 Virginia Tech for a doubleheader on Tuesday Mar. 22 beginning at 4 p.m. 

Longwood has collected an overall 9-16 record through the first part of the season, Longwood sits at 3-3 in Big South play after two conference series over back-to-back weekends. Longwood standouts are seniors Lauren Taylor, Alexis Wayland, and reigning Big South Pitcher of the Year Sydney Backstorm. Several freshman have made a name for themselves in a Lancer uniform including Jaden Pone, Emily Vinson, and after a nine inning start, and victory from the circle, Er'ron Burton.  


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The First Pitch:

• Sydney Backstrom continues to be a force in the circle for the Lancers who now has 92.2 innings pitched on the year with 98 strikeouts. The b/avg against Backstrom sits at .191, and she has gathered two shutouts. She earned one save this weekend in the second win over Charleston Southern.
• Er'ron Burton picking up a few things from the super senior has an excellent outing on her second start on the year against the Bucs. Burton picked up her first win, along with 11 strikeouts, and only two runs on six hits in the nine innings she pitched.  She now has 20 strikeouts on the season, and a b/avg against of .284 over 21.2 IP, and an era of 3.74.
• Sydney Guess' bat heated up this weekend earning three starts at DP and a weekend b/avg of .400, with the game winning RBI in the 10th inning of game two. Guess sits with a season b/avg of .313 and a slug% of .344. She has six RBI's and three runs in her 17 appearances so far in 2022.
• Alexis Wayland continues on her senior season with strength. Wayland sits on the season with a b/avg of .253 and a slug% of .440 - highest on the team currently. Defensively, Wayland has started every game from the two position with 152 putouts and a fld% of .971.
• Longwood has won five of the past eight Big South Championship tournaments since joining the conference in 2013 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019).

 
By the Numbers:

• Sydney Backstrom is one of several returning arms for the Lancers, and was also picked as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the conference. Backstrom earned her first Big South Pitcher of the Week honor in week two of the 2022 season after grabbing two wins over #25 Wichita State and Power 5 Illinois.
• Backstrom now sits with 98 strikeouts, one save, two shutouts, 14 starts, 19 appearances, and an overall record of 7-8. Entering the game against #6 Virginia Tech, Backstrom has a b/avg against her of .191 and an ERA of 3.11.
• Er'ron Burton got her second start in her first season with the Lancers. She now has 20 strikeouts, with 21.2 innings pitched and an ERA of 3.74. Burton's b/avg against her in .284 - second best for Longwood. Burton pitched nine innings in the 10 inning win for Longwood against Charleston Southern last weekend.
• Alexis Wayland has had a stellar start to her senior year. She's grabbed 14 RBI's, three home runs, three doubles, and a triple so far from the plate. Wayland has started behind the plate in every game this season earning a .961 fielding percent. Wayland sits with a .253 b/avg and a .400 slg% - best on the Lancers as right now on the year.
• Sydney Guess charted a great weekend from DP for the Lancers. Grabbing three starts and a game winning RBI in game two against Charleston Southern. Guess now has a .313 batting average and .344 slug% on the year.
• Wayland leads the team in RBI's with 14, followed by senior Lauren Taylor. Taylor has 10 RBI's, two home runs, and two doubles from the plate. he has also grabbed 25 starts on the year.  
• With 130 steals last season, Longwood is only the second team in program history to surpass the century mark in that category. Only the 1999 Lancer squad stole more bases in the program's history, swiping 136 in 53 games.

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