COLUMBUS - The No. 6 Columbus State University baseball team will face its toughest test yet in 2022 as the Cougars travel to Salisbury, N.C. for a three-game series against Catawba College beginning on Friday. Newman Park will host all three games this weekend.

SERIES SCHEDULE 
Game One: Friday, Feb. 18 - 4 p.m.
Game Two: Saturday, Feb. 19 - 4 p.m.
Game Three: Sunday, Feb. 20 - 1 p.m.

COUGAR NOTES
• Columbus State is coming off a 4-1 homestand, scoring 56 runs in the five games
• The Cougars moved up six spots in the latest NCBWA national poll to sixth. CSU is the highest-ranked Peach Belt Conference school in the rankings and the second-highest from the Southeast region
• CSU has won nine straight road games
• The Cougars lead the nation in runs (106), second in walks (55), third in home runs (16), ninth in slugging percentage (.599), 11th in doubles (23), 15th in average (.339) and 15th in on-base percentage (.460)
• Individually, Robert Brooks is the nation's leader with 19 RBIs, while the catcher, along with Win Johns, is tied for eighth in with four homers. Derek Wylie is third with 15 runs scored and 11th with five doubles
• CSU's pitching staff has racked up 71 strikeouts in 64 innings. The Cougars are second in the Peach Belt Conference, only trailing Georgia College (85)

CATAWBA NOTES
• The Indians are 4-4 so far in 2022 after dropping a 4-3 midweek game to the University of Mount Olive on Tuesday
• This will be the second three-game series of the year for Catawba. CC swept a three-game set over Shippensburg University at Newman Park last weekend
• Joe Butts is hitting .406 to begin the year with three doubles and nine RBIs. He has speed as well, being 8-for-9 in stolen base chances
• Dawson Painter (.320, .600 SLG%) and Luke Spiva (.444 OBP, 4 2Bs) are also threats at the plate
• Maddux Holshouser is off to a great start on the mound for Catawba, holding a perfect ERA in 10.1 innings. He has 11 strikeouts in two starts this season. Holshouser should be the Saturday starter for the Indians
• Ben Gilks (1-1, 1.88 ERA, 14.1 IP, 8 Ks) is also a shutdown arm for Catawba 
• The Indians went 33-11 in 2021 and advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regional for the two straight seasons 

SERIES HISTORY
• This is the first three-game series between Columbus State and Catawba. The two teams have only met one other time in regular season
• Columbus State holds a 3-1 all-time record against the Indians. CC's only win against the Cougars came in last season's NCAA Southeast Regional in the opening game