COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University baseball team will begin its best-of-three Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinal series with 24th-ranked UNC Pembroke on Saturday at Cox Field. 

First pitch is at 1 p.m. on Saturday with game two being scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. as well. If the two teams split over the first two games, the if-necessary game will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

It's the second weekend in a row that the fourth-seeded Cougars and top-seeded Braves are meeting in Pembroke, N.C. UNCP took two-of-three from CSU in the final regular-season series of the year.

The PBC adjusted its postseason set up for the 2021 season, with the top four teams from the regular-season standings advancing to the tournament. Following the semifinal round, the two series winners will meet in the championship on May 14-16 at the highest remaining seed. In the other semifinal match-up, the second-seed and 25th-ranked University of North Georgia is hosting third-seeded Young Harris College.

Columbus State closed its regular-season slate with a 25-14 overall record and a 19-13 mark inside the PBC. The Cougars dropped just three PBC series over the year, all on the road, to earn a spot in the program's 22nd conference tournament. CSU has appeared in every PBC Tournament held and has won five championships with the last coming in 2016. It's the 16th time Appleton has taken the Cougars to the PBC postseason with CSU having a 24-22 all-time mark in tournament play under the longtime skipper. 

The Cougars carry one of the most dangerous lineups in the nation into the postseason. CSU averages 8.5 runs per game, while ranking 10th at the DII level with 69 home runs. Robert Brooks is in the hunt to lead the nation in homers as the catcher has 19 on the year, one behind the national leader, Tucker Greer of Young Harris. The junior needs just one more to become the fifth Cougar in program history and the first since Jason Rogers in 2010 to reach the 20-homer mark. Brooks is fifth in the nation in total bases (124) and holds a .377 average with 46 RBIs headed into the weekend. Thanks to three two-homer games over the past month, Steven Minter now has 14 round-trippers on the year to rank 16th in the nation. 

Isaac Bouton (.327 avg., 1.030 OPS, 16 2Bs, 9 HRs, 41 RBIs) and Dane Bullock (.353 avg., 1.030 OPS, 10 2Bs, 9 HRs, 43 RBIs) are having very similar seasons for head coach Greg Appleton. Bouton is 10th in the nation in doubles, while Bullock leads the team in multi-hit games with 20.

Columbus State is hoping to find success on the mound this weekend. Five Cougars have started three or more games on the hill in 2021, with senior Jalen Latta leading the team in starts (11), innings pitched (65.2) and strikeouts (52). Noah Windhorst has a team-high four wins in 13 appearances, all out of the bullpen, while flamethrower Miles Dutton has a 3.12 ERA in 17.1 innings. Dutton has 21 strikeouts this year, averaging more than one per inning.

UNC Pembroke captured the program's first PBC regular-season championship after going 25-8 in conference play. Overall, the Braves are 29-11 and 15-4 at home this season. Two-way standout River Ryan showed his talents last weekend both at the plate and on the mound against CSU. Ryan is hitting .355 with eight homers and a team-leading 47 RBIs, while having a 2.04 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched for the Braves. Ryan recorded a win, a save and hit a three-run homer in the series against the Cougars. 

Trevor Clemons is fourth in the PBC in hitting with a .390 average, while Gage Hammonds is sixth in the league with 44 RBIs.

Bucky Bonynge is 6-2 for the Braves and leads the team in innings pitched (78) and strikeouts (81). He also holds a very respectable 3.00 ERA. 

Fans, can watch this weekend's series on the PBC Sports Network and also listen to Scott Miller call all the action remotely on 88.5 WCUG FM. Live statistics will be available as well.