COLUMBUS - The 2022 season opener is here for the No. 12 Columbus State University baseball team as the Cougars open a three-game set on Saturday, Feb. 5, against the University of West Alabama at Tartt Field.

SERIES SCHEDULE (all times eastern)*
Game One: Saturday, Feb. 5 - 1 p.m. (9 innings)
Game Two: Saturday, Feb. 5 - 4 p.m. (7 innings)
Game Three: Sunday, Feb. 5 - 2 p.m.
*- schedule was changed on Wednesday due to rain

COUGAR NOTES
• Columbus State begins the season as the defending Peach Belt Conference Tournament champions after a historic run to the title. Overall in 2021, CSU went 31-16 and advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regional championship game
• CSU returns eight players from a top-10 nationally ranked lineup in runs. Preseason All-American Isaac Bouton (1.079 OPS, 20 2Bs, 12 HRs, 50 RBIs) and preseason All-PBC selections Steven Minter (1.018 OPS, 16 HRs, 54 RBIs) and Robert Brooks (1.350 OPS, 22 HRs, 56 RBIs) headline the returnees. Brooks finished 2021 with the third-most homers ever by a Cougar
• Jamie Boatright (11 GS,3-1, 43 Ks), Devin Dudal (13 APP, 3-1, 46 Ks) and Noah Windhorst (16 APP, 4-2, 41 IP) have the most experience returning for the pitching staff
• Head coach Greg Appleton will begin his 25th season at the helm of the Cougars. Appleton holds a 852-449 record with the Cougars and is 979-523 in his 28-year coaching career. He is the all-time winniest coach in CSU and Peach Belt Conference history. 
• 2022 will be the 53rd season of Cougar baseball. CSU has an all-time record of 1753-969-5 (.644 winning percentage) with eight trips to the NCAA DII College World Series

WEST ALABAMA NOTES
• West Alabama has already taken the diamond once this season. UWA dropped its season-opener 5-1 to the University of Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday at Tartt Field. The Tigers managed just five hits and sent seven pitchers to the mound
• UWA went 13-21 in 2021 and 11-17 in Gulf South Conference play. The Tigers were 8-8 in Livingston
• Third baseman Jake Nemith (1.005 OPS, 9 2Bs, 15 RBIs, 36 runs) is a player to watch after being named to the preseason NCBWA All-South Region team. Brayden Lyman (1.000 OPS, 8 2Bs, 16 RBIs) also joined Nemith on the preseason All-GSC team. Nemith was 1-for-4 with a RBI in the opener
• Head coach Gary Rundles is in his 22nd year at West Alabama and has coached over 1,600 collegiate games. He is 642-418 at UWA. 

SERIES HISTORY
• Columbus State and West Alabama first met during the 1988 season. Since then, the two sides have met 81 times with CSU holding a 48-33 series lead
• The schools have met reguaalrry to open the year since Appleton and Rundles took over their respected programs
• CSU has won six of the last nine meetings, however, UWA is 3-1 over the last four games