Nighthawks wrap up season in Final Four
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team won its first two games at the NCAA Division II championship to reach the Final Four before dropping a pair of games to end its season.
UNG scored an 8-2 victory against Adelphi University on May 26 and an 8-0 five-inning win against Auburn University at Montgomery on May 27 in Denver to earn a day off before playing for a spot in the championship series. Eventual national runner-up Cal State Dominguez Hills earned 8-6 and 7-5 victories May 29 to eliminate the Nighthawks.
UNG finished the season 49-18 overall, including a 7-3 mark in the NCAA tournament and a 2-0 run to earn its eighth consecutive Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournament title.
They didn't care who got the credit or the accolades. In the end, they just wanted to keep winning softball games and play together one more day.
Mike Davenport
UNG softball head coach
The team also won the PBC regular-season championship with a 20-4 record after adding 10 new players in the offseason.
The Nighthawks have won at least 43 games in all but one full-length season since 2009 and have reached the eight-team NCAA Division II championship seven times, including winning the 2015 national championship. Head coach Mike Davenport has 975 career wins in 22 seasons.
"I am extremely proud of this team. They have improved from the beginning of the fall until our final out in Denver more than any team I have coached in 22 seasons," Davenport said. "This team was extremely unselfish, and that is unusual with as many new faces as we had on our roster. They didn't care who got the credit or the accolades. In the end, they just wanted to keep winning softball games and play together one more day."
Delaney Heaberlin, a sophomore, picked up the pitching win in each of UNG's triumphs, recording all but one of the outs between those two contests.
Hannah Forehand and Jaycie Michael tallied home runs in the first victory, with Madison Simmons adding a homer in the second win.
Madi Perry and Mallory Parker each earned all-tournament honors at the eight-team NCAA championship after tallying six hits apiece.
The future is bright for the Nighthawks, with eight of the nine players in their batting lineup either freshmen or sophomores and their top four pitchers all sophomores.
Baseball's Taylor collects All-American and Position Player of the Year honors: UNG baseball player Crews Taylor became the program's second consensus All-American, earning second-team honors from American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings and third-team recognition from both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the D2 Conference Commissioners Association.
ABCA/Rawlings also tabbed Taylor as an All-Region performer and the Position Player of the Year in the Southeast Region.
The senior outfielder from Lawrenceville, Georgia, led the PBC in home runs, doubles, runs scored, slugging percentage, and total hits and was in the league's top 10 in batting average and RBI.
His 23 home runs this season is tied for ninth-most in a single season in PBC history and is sixth-most in NCAA Division II this season.
Additionally, UNG baseball player Nik Levensteins was named a College Sports Information Directors of America third-team Academic All-American.
Nighthawks wrap up season in Sweet 16
The UNG women's soccer team fell 2-0 to Columbus State University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional championship Dec. 1.
Women's soccer team makes Sweet 16
The UNG women's soccer team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 with a 1-0 victory against Lander University on Nov. 24.
Nighthawks make NCAA tournament
The UNG women's soccer team has earned the No. 3 seed in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Division II tournament, marking its fourth consecutive postseason appearance.
Basketball teams aim high in 2024-25
The UNG men’s and women’s basketball teams tip off their seasons in early November. Both teams return all-conference performers as they aim for national and PBC supremacy.