COLUMBUS, GA. – Columbus State baseball opened the 2026 campaign with a drama-filled affair against West Alabama, falling by a score of 4-2 to the visiting Tigers inside Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-
The Cougars struck first in the bottom half of the first inning when junior Jax Yoxtheimer reached on a lead-off single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Luke Miller. Yoxtheimer stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the UWA catcher before crossing home plate for Columbus State's first run of the 2026 season.
-
West Alabama got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs on five hits, before adding an additional run in the fifth inning to build a 4-1 lead.
-
Senior Jackson Chizek doubled down the right field line with two out in the bottom of the seventh and stole third, but was left stranded.
-
Redshirt-junior Gavin Blair entered the game in the top of the eighth with two runners on and no outs and got out of the jam without giving up a run.
-
Junior Danny Hershberger got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to keep West Alabama from extending its lead.
-
In the home half of the ninth, junior Cole Eison laced a one-out single to left field and advanced to second when Chizek was hit by a pitch. Senior Michael Cruz drove in a run in the next at-bat with an RBI single up the middle, but the Cougars' rally was cut short on a close called third strike to end the game.
NOTES
-
Columbus State and West Alabama combined for 18 hits in the season opener and left a total of 16 combined players on base.
-
Chizek was the only Cougar to record a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate, while a total of seven Columbus State batters registered a hit.
-
Chizek and Miller each had a double, while Chizek and Yoxtheimer each recorded a stolen base.
-
Junior Connor Michel got the start on the mound for Columbus State in his first career game as a Cougar but suffered the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in four innings of work.
-
A total of four players saw action out of the bullpen for CSU with Blair, Hershberger, and junior Trenton Burnett combining for four innings of scoreless relief.
UP NEXT
Columbus State and West Alabama are scheduled to begin the second game of this weekend's three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. from Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field.
