Baseball team rolls into PBC title series

The University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team made quick work of the opening weekend of the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) baseball tournament. After three victories by a combined 32-4 score, the No. 1 seed Nighthawks will host No. 2 seed Lander in the best-of-three PBC championship series May 8-9 at Bob Stein Stadium in Dahlonega, Georgia. Game 1 of the PBC title series is at 5 p.m. May 8, with Game 2 at 1 p.m. May 9 and Game 3, if necessary, at 5 p.m. May 9.

UNG opened its four-team, double-elimination bracket with a 9-1 victory against Middle Georgia State on May 1, then beat Flagler 12-2 and 11-1 in consecutive days to advance to the PBC title series. The Nighthawks' two wins against Flagler each came in seven innings due to the run rule.

Matthew Heard, Andrew Duval and Rhaylin Carvajal picked up pitching wins during the first weekend of the PBC tournament. Ben Hamacher had a pair of three-hit games, while Kyle Robitzsch and Brody Yeomans each had a three-hit game.

First-year UNG head coach Nolan Belcher's team now sets it sights on the PBC championship matchup with Lander. The Nighthawks (41-12) won two out of three games against the Bearcats (34-19) from Feb. 20-22, with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings in the rubber game of the series in Dahlonega.

UNG is seeking the program's second-ever PBC tournament title and first since 2008. The team has already secured its first outright PBC regular-season championship since 2017, which was the last time the program reached the eight-team NCAA Division II championship.

The Nighthawks are also putting themselves in strong position ahead of the NCAA Division II tournament, as they moved up to No. 3 in last week's Southeast Regional rankings. In the national postseason format, the top two teams in each regional host four-team pods in the NCAA tournament's opening weekend. UNG is all but assured of earning an NCAA bid for the second year in a row and fifth time since joining Division II in 2006.

Belcher earned PBC Coach of the Year honors. First-team All-PBC selections for UNG were Hamacher, Heard and Robitzsch. Second-team All-PBC selections for the Nighthawks were JD Coleman, Kevin Cox, Duval, Cam Hodge, Brady Skipper, and Jake Streeter.

PBC baseball championship series

UNG vs. Lander

Bob Stein Stadium, Dahlonega, Georgia

• Game 1: 5 p.m. May 8
• Game 2: 1 p.m. May 9
• Game 3 (if necessary): 5 p.m. May 9