COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University softball team is set to begin Peach Belt Conference play Saturday, March 5 against No. 4 the University of North Georgia. The teams will play a three-game series at Cougar Field, with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon and one single game on Sunday at noon.

Tickets must be purchased online and are $10 per day.

Cougar Notes

• Columbus State (7-8) is coming off of a series win against the University of West Alabama last weekend. CSU went 2-1 against UWA, with Morgan Elston hitting a home run in all three games. Elston leads CSU in homers with four on the season and is ranked second with 12 RBIs.
• Hannah Rose Corbin still leads the Cougar offense in almost every category including: batting average (429), slugging percentage (.771), on base percentage (.623), RBIs (17) and walks (18). Corbin ranks second in Division II with 1.20 walks per game. Inside the circle, Corbin has struck out 71 batters and posts a 3.90 ERA.
• Caitlyn Canady is tied with Corbin with 15 hits on the year so far including three doubles and one triple. The sophomore leads the team with 16 runs scored.
• With 32.1 innings pitched, Haylee Folds leads the Columbus State pitching staff with a 2.51 ERA.
• Jessica Lopez earned her first win for CSU inside the circle against UWA on Feb. 25 after relieving Corbin in the fifth inning. She struck out three and only allowed two runs in three innings of work.

North Georgia Notes

• The Nighthawks are ranked fourth in the nation with a 14-6 record. UNG is coming off of a sweep against Bluefield State where the Nighthawks scored a total of 31 runs in the doubleheader.
• Madi Perry leads UNG's offense with a .404 batting average while Jolie Lester is right behind her with a .372 average. Lester leads the Nighthawks in RBIs (18), hits (29), triples (2) and at bats (78). Perry and Lester each have 19 runs scored.
• Hannah Forehand is UNG's home run hitter with five this season as she also posts 15 RBIs.
• Tybee Denton is the leader inside the circle, marking a 7-2 record with a 1.43 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched and tallies 77 strikeouts.
• Delaney Heaberlin is also a threat inside the circle with a 1.52 ERA in 50.2 innings pitched. She holds a 5-3 record.

Last Matchup

The Cougars and Nighthawks played in the PBC Tournament semifinals on May 8, 2021. The 2021 champions, North Georgia beat Columbus State 6-1.