UPDATED
COLUMBUS - The Columbus State University baseball team is ready to start the 2023 season Friday, Feb. 3 at 4 p.m. against the University of West Alabama for a three-game series. The Cougars have won the last three season openers and are looking to make it a fourth. 

Columbus State is coming off one of their best seasons in history in 2022 as they went 46-13 overall last year. CSU won the Peach Belt Conference regular season title last year and hosted the PBC Final Four. They went on to win the Southeast Regional but fell short of the World Series when they took the number one ranked team and future champion, North Greenville, to the third game of a best-of-3 series in the Super Regional.  

The Cougars have multiple veterans throughout the order including seniors Matthew McDade, Connor Kirley and Steven Minter. CSU also has many battle tested veterans on the bump such as Noah Windhorst, Jamie Boatright, Zack Brockman, Chandler Ring and Colton Joyner. 

West Alabama is led by preseason All-Gulf South Conference selection Josh Bower. The Tigers went 15-34 last season, 11-19 GSC. They are returning 7-0 pitcher Brenton Thiels who was third in innings pitched and was tied for first on UWA with two saves.

The Cougars will host West Alabama at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field on CSU's Main Campus.