COLUMBUS - After an extra-inning win on Wednesday, the No. 9 Columbus State University baseball team welcomes USC Aiken to Ragsdale Field at Burger King Stadium for a three-game Peach Belt Conference series this weekend.

The two long-time rivals will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., with the series finale taking place on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Columbus State will be allowing fans inside Burger King Stadium this weekend. Spectators must wear masks/face coverings at all times (unless eating or drinking) and adhere to physical distancing guidelines. Stadium seating will be limited. Admission is free of charge.

Cougar fans can watch the games live on Cougar Sports TV with live statistics also being available at CSUCougars.com.

Keep It Rolling
It took 10 innings, but the Cougars continued their home winning streak on Wednesday. CSU's 7-6 victory over the University of West Georgia was the 12th in a row at Burger King Stadium, extending the year-long mark. The streak has lasted over a calendar year, with CSU's last home loss coming on Feb. 16, 2020. 

Opponents Beware
Burger King Stadium has been a house of horrors for Columbus State's opponents. Since the renovation of Ragsdale Field for the 2016 season, the Cougars are 94-26 and carry a .783 winning percentage. The success in Columbus is nothing new as the Cougars have a .744 winning percentage (195-67) at home over the past decade. Columbus State is 4-0 so far at home in 2021. 

Bombs Away 
The Cougar lineup is giving fans plenty of souvenirs this season, launching homers left and right through nine games. CSU added three more against UWG on Wednesday to up their season total to 15. Columbus State is averaging 1.67 home runs per game, the 18th best mark in the nation, and has hit two more homers in five games. However, 12 of the 15 have been solo shots. 

Kicking It Into Gear
Columbus State's bullpen has been excellent during its four-game winning streak. In 10.2 innings, CSU has a 2.53 ERA with two victories. Zack Brockman has tossed four of those innings, not allowing a run while holding hitters to a .214 batting average.  

The Killer Bs
Colby Brabston, Isaac Bouton, Robert Brooks and Dane Bullock have been pests in the Cougar order for opposing pitchers. The quartet has combined for 21 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs, while collecting 36 of CSU's 69 RBIs this season. Bouton (1.185), Brooks (1.267) and Bullock (1.202) all have an OPS over 1.000 in 2021 with Brabston having two go-ahead hits already to his ledger.

In the PBC...
Two Cougars sit in the top-10 in the PBC leaderboard in home runs. Brooks is tied for sixth with a team-leading five, with Bullock being tied for 10th with his three. Bullock (.400) also ranks 10th in average, while Brooks (.836) is sixth in slugging. Steven Minter is tied for fifth with five doubles.

Cougars in the Polls
The Cougars remain inside the top-10 in two of the three major Division II baseball polls. CSU remained ninth in the latest Perfect Game Poll, while the first regular-season edition of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll hasn't been released yet. 

Collegiate Baseball - 9th (preseason)
Perfect Game - 9th (March 10)
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association - Not Ranked (March 10 )

Head Man in Charge
Head coach Greg Appleton is now in his 24th season in charge of the Cougar program. Already the winningest coach in Columbus State and PBC history, Appleton holds an 828-435 record at CSU and is 45 wins away from 1,000 in his collegiate coaching career when adding his totals from Young Harris College. Under Appleton, the Cougars have made four trips to the Division II College World Series, including a national championship in 2002 and appearances in the national title games in 2007 and 2018.

One of the Bests
Since the inception of the program in 1970, the Cougars have put together an all-time program of 1,729-955-5 for a winning percentage of .643. CSU has reached 26 NCAA Regionals and eight NCAA DII College World Series, with a national championship in 2002. Columbus State is one of two NCAA DII programs to finish inside the top-20 in wins in each of the past five decades. 

Active Streaks
Multiple Cougars will carry over active on-base and hitting streaks from the 2020 season into Wednesday.

Hitting Streaks (min. 5 games)
Dane Bullock - 14 games
Steven Minter - 7 games

On-Base Streaks (min. 7 games)
Isaac Bouton - 20 games
Dane Bullock - 14 games
Steven Minter - 9 games

• USC Aiken comes to Columbus with a 5-7 record through the first month of the season. All 12 games have been in PBC play, with the Pacers dropping two-of-three at No. 19 Georgia College last weekend.

• The schedule makers didn't do USCA any favors this season. After the Pacers wrap up the series this weekend, USC Aiken will have already played the top-four teams in the preseason PBC coaches poll (CSU, GC, UNC Pembroke and the University of North Georgia). USC Aiken is 3-6 so far in those games.

• Jeff Cyr holds a team-high .902 OPS, thanks to a .400 on-base percentage. The second baseman has drawn 14 walks in 12 games to go along with four doubles.

• Jackson Hannon is hitting .292 and has picked up a team-leading 10 RBIs for the Pacers. Eight players have four or more RBIs on the roster.

• The Pacers haven't shown much power at the plate in 2021, but do cause chaos on the base paths. USCA is 26-for-30 in stolen base attempts and ranks 13th in the nation in steals.

• Alex Stobert hasn't lost a decision, holding a 3-0 record for the Pacers in three starts. In 20 innings, he is limiting opponents to a .227 average and has a 1.00 WHIP. Lindsey Robinson Jr. (0-2, 7.36 ERA) and Daniel Wiggins (0-1, 6.00 ERA) have made four and three starts on the mound, respectively.

• Longtime USC Aiken head coach Kenny Thomas announced his retirement after the 2021 season. Thomas has been the headman in charge of the Pacer program for 22 seasons and has over 1,200 wins in his 34 seasons as a collegiate coach.