Baseball team earns NCAA tourney bid

Head coach Nolan Belcher's first University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team has secured an NCAA Division II tournament bid. The Nighthawks earned the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Regional and will face No. 5 seed Francis Marion in the first round at 2 p.m. May 14 in Tigerville, South Carolina.

UNG (41-14) and Francis Marion (42-12) are part of a four-team, double-elimination pod hosted by No. 1 seed North Greenville University (47-10). No. 8 seed Lander (36-19), which swept UNG in the best-of-three Peach Belt Conference (PBC) championship series, rounds out the pod.

"Receiving an NCAA bid is incredibly exciting and a true reflection of the season our guys have put together. They earned this opportunity through their consistency and effort from start to finish, and I'm extremely proud of what they've accomplished up to this point," Belcher said. "It's exciting to be in, but we fully expect to go play good baseball and compete for a regional championship."

The team that advances from Tigerville will play in a best-of-three Super Regional series May 21-23 against the winner of a four-team, double-elimination pod including No. 2 seed Catawba, No. 3 seed Wingate, No. 6 seed Young Harris, and No. 7 seed Belmont Abbey.

In Belcher's debut season in Dahlonega, Georgia, the Nighthawks earned their first outright PBC regular-season championship since 2017. This is the second year in a row and fifth time overall that UNG has reached the NCAA tournament.

All eight UNG players who started at least 40 games have a batting average above .300, and the Nighthawks also have four pitchers with at least six victories. The Nighthawks will aim to make use of that balance as they enter the national tournament.

NCAA Division II Southeast regional pod

At North Greenville University

May 14

Game 1: No. 4 seed UNG vs. No. 5 seed Francis Marion, 2 p.m.

Game 2: No. 1 seed North Greenville vs. No. 8 seed Lander, 6 p.m.

May 15

Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.

May 16

Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, noon

Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 4 p.m.

May 17

Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, TBA