COLUMBUS - The No. 9 Columbus State University baseball team will dip into non-conference play for the first time this season as the Cougars host the University of West Georgia on Wednesday. First pitch is at 4 p.m. at Ragsdale Field at Burger King Stadium.

Columbus State will be allowing fans inside Burger King Stadium on Wednesday. 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 game live on Cougar Sports TV and listen on 88.5 WCUG FM with Scott Miller calling all the action from Burger King Stadium. Live statistics will be available at CSUCougars.com.

Midweek Special
CSU is playing the first of seven midweek games on its 2021 schedule. The Cougars will host two more non-conference opponents this season (Albany State University - March 24 & Spring Hill College - April 7). The Cougars went 7-2 in non-conference games last season, including having a 2-1 mark in midweek action. 

Offensive Explosion
The Cougar bats were hot against Augusta University last weekend. CSU collected 35 hits en route to 26 runs in three games. In the Saturday doubleheader, Columbus State scored 11 runs in both games while having a season-high 13 hits in the series finale. CSU has had 10 or more hits in each of the last four games and nine or more in six of the eight games in 2021. 

Keep It Rolling
Columbus State added to its home winning streak over the weekend after sweeping Augusta in a three-game set. The Cougars have won 11 straight games at their home park, with the streak beginning over a year ago (Feb. 21, 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 93-26 and carry a .776 winning percentage. The success in Columbus is nothing new as the Cougars have a .740 winning percentage (194-67) at home over the past decade. 

Be Aware of the Long Ball
The Cougars haven't been shy about launching homers to begin the year. CSU has 12 long balls in eight games to rank 24th at the Division II level in home runs per game (1.50). Junior catcher Robert Brooks is eighth in the PBC with four homers on the season. 

Making a Quick Impact
Junior college transfer Steven Minter quickly has made an impact in the Cougar lineup. The third-year sophomore is hitting .375 and has driven in 10, including having four multi-RBI games already this season. He is tied for sixth in the PBC with five doubles and is also a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts. 

Finding Success
The Cougar pitching staff got things rolling last weekend. In 23 innings, CSU had a 1.96 ERA and struck out over a hitter per inning against the Jaguars. Jamie Boatright and Tyler Cadenhead collected the first wins from the starting staff on Saturday. Boatright twirled a seven-inning complete-game, needing just 60 pitches to finish off the win.

Cougars in the Polls
The Cougars dropped out of the latest NCBWA poll following losing two-out-of-three to Lander University last weekend. 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 3)
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association - Not Ranked (March 3 )

Preseason Favorites
The Cougars earned nine of the possible first-place votes to grab the top spot in the preseason PBC coaches poll. It's the second straight year that CSU has been tabbed as the preseason favorites. The University of North Georgia was second followed by UNC Pembroke and Georgia College.

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 827-435 record at CSU and is 46 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 1,728-955-5 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 - 13 games
Steven Minter - 6 games

On-Base Streaks (min. 7 games)
Isaac Bouton - 19 games
Dane Bullock - 13 games
Steven Minter - 8 games

• West Georgia is a member of the Gulf South Conference and is located in Carrollton, Ga.  The Wolves enter Wednesday with a 7-8 record playing all 15 games inside the conference.

• UWG took two-of-three from Shorter University last weekend in Rome, Ga. Both of the Wolves' wins were in dramatic style. UWG had a two-run homer in the ninth to grab a 2-1 win in the opening game of the series before a 5-4 11-inning victory on Saturday.

• A trio of hitters are pacing the UWG lineup. Brody Wortham is leading the GSC with a .446 average and has a hit in all 15 games this season. Dan Oberst and Collin Moore both have 14 RBIs to lead the team with Oberst having three triples and homers on his ledger.

• The Wolves are 10th in the nation in total hits (150) and seventh in stolen bases (28). Oberst and Jason Fointno are both 6-for-7 in stolen bases attempts.

• The pitching staff has struggled though for head coach Jeff Smith. The Wolves have a team ERA of 7.43, with opponents hitting over .300 against them. Weekend starter Andrew Smith has been a bright spot, going 2-0 in three starts with a 2.45 ERA in 14.2 innings of work.

• West Georgia is 5-4 on the road this season and was ranked 25th in the preseason Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll.