Update (Feb. 1, - 10:15 a.m.) - The Columbus State University baseball game against Catawba has a new start time on Saturday, Feb. 1. First pitch will be at approximately 4:30 p.m. at Steinbrenner Field. For the latest updates, be sure to follow the Cougars on Twitter by searching for @CSUCougarsBSB.

COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University baseball team opens the 2020 season this weekend playing three games at the New York Yankees' Spring Training complex in Tampa, Fla.

Over the weekend, the Cougars will play Saint Leo (Jan. 31, 1 p.m), No. 5 Catawba (Feb. 1, 12 p.m.), and Barton (Feb. 2, 11 a.m.). Live scoring for all three games is available at CSUCougars.com.

Columbus State is opening its 51^st season of play and 23^rd under head coach Greg Appleton, who has a career 803-430 record at the helm of the Cougars. Overall, CSU has posted a winning record in 45 of its first 50 seasons as a program, including winning 30 or more games 12 times in the past 14 seasons.

In 2019, the Cougars went 31-20 and return four players who started 40 or more games. Appleton will also have two key arms back in 2020 with Jalen Latta (4-5, 3.51 ERA, 82 Ks) and Devin Dudal (30 APP, 2.92 ERA, 13 saves, 10.9 K/9), both All-Peach Belt Conference performers a season ago. Dudal was selected to the preseason All-PBC team after finishing with the second-most saves ever by a Cougar reliever last season.

Filling out the lineup will be preseason NCBWA All-Southeast Region selection Robert Brooks (.302, 10 HRs, 47 RBIs, .994 OPS) and 2019 All-PBC outfielder Dane Bullock (.910 OPs, 11 HRs, 11 2Bs). Both players can do damage on their own being two of only eight PBC players last season to hit 10 or more homers. Brooks drove in the fifth most runs in the league over 2019 and ranked inside the top-10 in slugging percentage (.558). 

Other key returners include sophomore Matthew McDade (13 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs), senior Drew Webb (.326, 13 2Bs, 8 HRs, .955 OPS), and senior Tyler Cadenhead (10 GS, 47.1 IP). Overall, Appleton will mix in 20 returnees, four transfers, and 10 freshmen into the 2020 Cougar lineup and pitching staff. 

Columbus State was selected to finish second in the PBC according to a poll by the league's head coaches. In the preseason NCWBA Southeast Region poll, the Cougars were tabbed sixth.

About Saint Leo

Saint Leo will look to improve in the new year after posting a .500 record in 2019. The Lions did play well in the Tampa area going 18-8.

Amir Wright (.320, 21 runs, 41 RBIs) and Jacob Reimold (11 HRs, 31 RBIs) are anchors in the SLU lineup hoping to return to the NCAA Regional for the first time since 2001. Joey Antonopoulos and McCabe Sargent (9 GS, 4-5, 3.77 ERA, 69 Ks) will be starting pitching options for head coach Rick O'Dette. Saint Leo was picked sixth in the Sunshine State Conference preseason poll. 

Last season, the Cougars swept three games from the Lions in Columbus. CSU scored 29 runs over the weekend series, including recording two 11-10 victories. 

About Catawba 

Catawba enters the season with high expectations after reaching the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2019. The Indians tied a program record for wins in a season going 47-14 en route to Cary. To begin the year, Catawba is ranked fifth in both the NCWBA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper polls. 

Two-way standout Hunter Shepherd returns for his senior season for head coach Jam Gannt. Shepherd hit .358 in 2019 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs while also going 7-4 on the mound. In 79 innings, he punched out 70 hitters and posted a 3.76 ERA. Bryan Ketchie (17 GS, 9-2, 3.47 ERA, 103.2 IP) will mostly likely also get a start for the Indians over the weekend.

Saturday's meeting will be the first-ever in the regular season between Columbus State and Catawba. The last meeting came in the 2014 NCAA Southeast Regional in Greenwood, S.C. with the Cougars coming away with a thrilling 5-4 10-inning victory. 

About Barton

After a disappointing 2018, Barton bounced back in a big way last year improving its win total by 19 games to post a 31-20 record. Keith Gorman is in his first year as head coach and will have an experienced club with 11 seniors. The Bulldogs finished second last season in the Conference Carolinas standings and were picked fourth in 2020.

JoJo Allen (.308, four HRs, 29 RBIs), Brayden Olson (three HRs, 21 RBIs), and Jakob Ryan (14 GS, 5-3, 70.1 IP, 78 Ks) were all All-Conference Carolinas players and will be relied on heavily over the course of the year.

Columbus State and Barton haven't met since 2011 when the two programs played a three-game set in Columbus. CSU won the series, thanks to a 13-1 win in the rubber game.

Cougar Notes

• It is the first time since the 1995 season that Columbus State is beginning the season in Florida. 

• Under Appleton, the Cougars are 15-7 in season openers. 

• In 2019, Columbus State was 15-4 against nonconference foes. CSU closed the year by winning the last 13. 

• The Cougars return their top three leaders in OPS (Brooks .994, Webb .955, Bullock .910). 

• Only three returning pitchers made starts for the Cougars last season (Latta, Cadenhead, and Russell Forthofer). 

• Columbus State begins the 2020 season with an overall program record of 1,704-950-5 for a winning percentage of .642.

• CSU has reached 26 NCAA Regionals, including 11 under Appleton. The Cougars have made eight NCAA Division II World Series appearances (four under Appleton) and won the 2002 national championship. 

• Columbus State's last NCAA appearance came in 2018 when the Cougars reached the NCAA Division II national championship. 

• The Cougars have played five full decades of baseball dating back to the inception of the program. In all five decades, CSU finished ranked inside the top-20 at the NCAA Division II level for most wins during each 10-year period. Columbus State is just one of two programs in the nation to have done so (Delta State).

• Columbus State has played in the Peach Belt Conference since the 1992 season winning three regular seasons and five tournament titles. 

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