2026 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Preview

The Peach Belt Conference Tournament kicks off Friday, May 1 with the opening round being broken into two pods and hosted at No. 1 seed North Georgia and No. 2 seed Lander. Joining North Georgia will be No. 4 seed Flagler, No. 5 seed Georgia Southwestern, and No. 8 seed Middle Georgia. Lander will play host to No. 3 seed USC Aiken, No. 6 seed Columbus State, and No. 7 seed Georgia College. The opening-round brackets are set to play out similarly to a Division I regional, with the only change being that an if necessary championship game would be played on Sunday, as opposed to being pushed to Monday in Division I. The two bracket winners will then face off in a best-of-three series hosted at the higher seed, with Game 1 slated for Thursday, May 8. Game 2 is set for Friday, May 9, with the if necessary game to follow that same day.

Links to know:

Tournament Website

Bracket

Live Stream Page (Peach Belt Sport Network / $25 first weekend pass / $40 full tournament pass)

Live Stats Page (North Georgia Bracket)

Live Stats Page (Lander Bracket)

Tickets (North Georgia Bracket)

Tickets (Lander Bracket)

No. 1 Seed: #11 North Georgia (38-12, 26-4 PBC)

Coming off an NCAA Southeast Regional appearance last season, North Georgia and first-

year head coach Nolan Belcher didn’t miss a beat in 2026, as the Nighthawks claimed its second-consecutive PBC championship and the first outright regular season title since the 2017 season, while Belcher was named PBC Coach of the Year. UNG enters PBC Tournament play ranked third in the latest NCAA Regional rankings. While the Nighthawks are positioned well for at least and at-large berth, the squad is searching for its first PBC Tournament championship since 2008. UNG opens up Friday at 1 p.m. against No. 8 seed Middle Georgia. North Georgia swept the season series, with all three wins coming via run-rule.

North Georgia is led by a host of hitters at the plate, with ten guys hitting over .300 in 100+ at bats, with one more at .299. The leading hitter by average of the bunch is Kyle Robitzsch, entering postseason play at .392 with 11 doubles and 48 RBI, while also posting a 26/14 BB/K ratio to go along with 14 HBPs and a .502 OBP. Ben Hamacher leads the club in hits with 80 and is hitting .379 with 10 doubles and 36 RBI, while also going 20-25 in the stolen base department. Cam Hodge leads the team in homers (12) and RBI (66), while Jake Streeter provides some juice, as well, hitting .311 with 11 home runs and a team-high 16 doubles.

On the mound, the Nighthawks sit third in the country in BB/9 (2.80) and fifth in K/BB ratio (7.4). Andrew Duval leads the way with an 8-2 record and 3.67 ERA in 12 starts spanning 68.2 innings, while logging a 63 Ks against 19 walks. Matthew Heard is 7-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 11 starts and has a 72/17 K/BB in 74 innings. Kevin Cox also has 11 starts and has thrown 61.2 innings with a 6-1 record and 4.52 ERA, while posting a 39/8 K/BB ratio. The UNG bullpen has deployed a closer-by-committee approach, with six different arms logging one save apiece. The leader in appearances is Chandler Thiel with 16 and has posted a 4-0 record and 3.95 ERA in 41 innings with 35 strikeouts. Evan Carter (13 APP, 2.49 ERA in 25.1 IP), Dylan Holbrook (10 APP, 2.52 ERA in 25 IP) have also been reliable options out of the pen.

No. 2 seed: Lander (31-18, 20-10 PBC)

Another PBC team with a first-year head coach, Lander and Nick Popp have gotten themselves in the conversation for a regional berth, coming in at ninth in the latest NCAA rankings. Last year’s PBC Tournament champs, the Bearcats open up with No. 7 seed Georgia College at 4 p.m. Friday. Lander went on the road and took 2-of-3 from GCSU in mid-April.

The Bearcats are led offensively by veteran Oliver Zohn, as the graduate student is hitting .371 with 12 doubles, nine home runs, and a team-high 48 RBI. Zach Cowart comes in at .321 with 15 XBH and 37 RBI, while Brody Winter leads the team in home runs with 11 while batting .307. Caden Crews is the final qualified hitter above .300, coming in at .304 with just five strikeouts in 138 ABs.

On the bump, Jake Larson leads the way with a 4.32 ERA in 12 starts, logging a 5-2 record and team-highs in innings (73) and strikeouts (60). Jake Monroe leads the squad in starts with 13, turning in a 4-2 record and 5.37 ERA in 70.1 innings. Joshua Sanchez is the go-to man in the bullpen, racking up a team-leading 23 appearances and a 3-3 record with three saves. Sanchez has limited opponents to a .231 batting average with 35 Ks in 40.2 innings.

No. 3 Seed: USC Aiken (35-15, 20-10 PBC)

Yet another first-year head coach, Keith Gorman has quickly led a turnaround for USC Aiken leading the Pacers to 35 wins this season, already a 12-win improvement from last year. USC Aiken opens up the PBC Tournament at Lander against No. 6 seed Columbus State at 1 p.m. looking for its first PBC Tournament title since 1993. The Pacers dropped 2-of-3 in the regular season series against the Cougars in early March.

USC Aiken comes in ranked second in Division II in hits with 635 and is led by five guys that have posted 77+ hits this year, with Salvatore Laimo hitting a team-best .391 with 13 XBH and 60 RBI, while also going 32-37 on SB attempts. Evan Harding (.389, 19 2B, 6 HR, 45 RBI), Blake Martin (.375, 23 XBH, 45 RBI, 20-22 SB) and Chancellor Jennings (.367, 22 XBH, 43 RBI, 17-20 SB) join Laimo to make a dynamic quartet. Yariel Diaz is the final player with at least 77 hits, coming in at .363 with 19 doubles, 6 homers, and 58 RBI.

Joe Rauscher leads the way on the mound for the Pacers pitching staff, turning in an 8-1 record with a 3.57 ERA in 13 starts spanning 80.2 innings. Rauscher has racked up 74 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .244 average. Ben Shepherd also has 13 starts and has gone 4-2 with a 4.28 ERA in 61 innings. CJ Lincoln has been great out of the pen, racking up a team-leading 22 appearances and a 5-4 record with 4 saves in 45.2 innings wit 44 Ks. Brady Dunlop has been an effective swingman making seven starts and 12 relief appearances, going 3-1 with 2 saves in 49.2 innings.

No. 4 Seed: Flagler (33-16, 20-10 PBC)

The Saints are looking for their first PBC Tournament championship since joining the league in 2010, and kicks off its PBC Tournament appearance at 5 p.m. Friday against No. 5 seed Georgia Southwestern at North Georgia. Flagler went on the road and took 2-of-3 from GSW in mid-April.

Flagler is led by PBC Player of the Year – the first in program history – George Gilson, as he has posted a .406 average with 5 triples while also going 33-36 in SB attempts. Gilson also led the league in slugging (.797), OPS (1.286), doubles (21), home runs (13), and RBI (67). Four other Saints have tallied 50+ hits, with Eli Maddox (.317, 12 2B, 46 RBI), Jesse Sullivan (.313, 10 2B, 39 RBI), and Payton Palladino (.303, 15 2B, 32 RBI) combining for 44 extra-base hits. Taylor Schultz is another to watch, hitting .309 with 19 stolen bases in 24 attempts.

CJ Hanson is the ace of the staff, turning in a 7-2 record and 3.07 ERA in 13 starts spanning 82 innings, while also striking out 75. Garrett Wright has posted a 4.59 ERA and 5-2 record in 66.2 innings, while Brayden Matthews has made 10 starts and 7 relief appearances to log a 5-4 record, one save, and a 3.97 ERA in 65.2 innings. Parker Adams leads the club in saves with five, while Jackson Graden has a team-high 21 appearances with a 3-2 record, 2 saves, and 4.03 ERA in 38 innings.

No. 5 Seed: Georgia Southwestern (27-23, 18-12 PBC)

The 2023 PBC Tournament champs, the Hurricanes will take on No. 4 seed Flagler at North Georgia on Friday at 5 p.m. GSW dropped 2-of-3 to Flagler in mid-April.

The Hurricanes have seven regulars at .300 or better, led by Evan Wainman at .367 with 16 doubles, a team-high 10 homers, and 52 RBI. Devon Murphy holds the team lead in doubles (18) and RBI (58) and is hitting .350 with 13 bags. Drake Harman (.335, 11 2B, 39 RBI), Kelsen Johnson (.319, 10 2B, 29 RBI), and Drew Reaves (.302, 11 2B, 39 RBI) provide some doubles pop and add length to the GSW lineup.

Evan Koehler has been as bonafide of an ace as GSW could hope for, going 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA across 87.2 innings and leading the country in strikeouts with 114 against just 18 walks to take home PBC Pitcher of the Year honors, marking the sixth time in the last eight years a Hurricane has brought home the award. The senior RHP has racked up double-digit strikeouts five times, including games against Trevecca Nazarene, North Greenville, Tampa, and USC Aiken. Koehler has scuffled a bit down the stretch, giving up 4+ earned runs in four of his last five starts, but it would be hard to bet against his track record this season. PBC Freshman of the Year – the first in program history – Johnny Nutt gives the Hurricanes another quality starter, as the freshman LHP has logged a 6-2 record and 3.72 ERA in 75 innings, including a CG win over Tampa. Cooper Sain (16 APP, 2.59 ERA in 24.1 IP), Rem Maxwell (17 APP, 3.77 ERA in 31 IP), and Jackson Raper (18 APP, 4.50 ERA in 44 IP) provide GSW some quality options out of the bullpen.

No. 6 Seed: Columbus State (27-20, 18-12 PBC)

Columbus State opens up PBC Tournament play against No. 3 seed USC Aiken in the Lander-hosted pod Friday at 1 p.m. The Cougars are looking for their first PBC Tournament title since 2021. Longtime skipper Greg Appleton’s squad took 2-of-3 on the road against USC Aiken in early March.

The Cougars feature four regulars hitting .300+, as Jackson Chizek leads the way with a .391 average and .474 OBP. Jax Yoxtheimer is hitting a cool .358 – with an even cooler name – with 18 doubles and 36 stolen bases. Cayden Evans comes in at .346 with 12 doubles and a team-high 49 RBI, while Michael Cruz is the last of the .300+ hitters at .308.

Gavin Blair is the lone Cougar with a sub-4.00 ERA, coming in at 3.99 with a 2-2 record in 38.1 innings. Connor Folds leads the squad in wins (6), starts (13), and innings (70.1), logging a 6-5 record with a 6.53 ERA. Sawyer Wilson has made 12 starts with a 5-3 record and 4.50 ERA in 64 innings. Christian Harmon leads the team in saves with three, and has turned in a 4.15 ERA in 26 innings with 31 Ks against just 7 walks. Tucker Starling also provides a reliable arm in the pen, with a 4-1 record and a save with a 4.72 ERA in 26.2 innings.

No. 7 Seed: Georgia College (22-25, 14-16 PBC)

Georgia College opens up postseason play against No. 2 seed Lander at 4 p.m. Friday. The 2024 PBC Tournament champs, the Bobcats are looking to make a run at two titles in three years. GCSU dropped 2-of-3 to Lander in Milledgeville in mid April.

Georgia College has one of the top hitters in the country in Evan Cowan, as the sparkplug atop the order is sixth in Division II with his .447 average, while also logging a .528 OBP and 21 SBs on 27 attempts. Carson Phillips checks in at .367 with 11 doubles and 27-30 on SB attempts, while Luke Boone (.321) and Carson Vick (.304) have each hit a team-high 16 doubles. Boone also leads the squad in home runs with seven and RBI with 55.

On the mound, Keaton Prior leads the Bobcats in starts (12) and innings (68.1), posting a 4-7 record and 4.74 ERA with 52 Ks. Griffin Davis is the guy in the pen, logging 7 saves and holding opponents to a .211 average. Owen Thomas (5.00 ERA) and Hogan Mayhew (5.18 ERA) have made 16 appearances apiece and combined to go 5-0 with 2 saves.

No. 8 Seed: Middle Georgia (19-31, 12-18 PBC)

Middle Georgia opens up play in its first PBC Tournament against No. 1 seed North Georgia on Friday at 1 p.m. The Knights were swept by UNG in Dahlonega in late February.

Middle Georgia enters tournament play with three regulars at .333 or better, with Mikal Ashley leading the way at .379 with 14 doubles, 5 home runs, and 45 RBI. Patrick Crosby checks in at .360 with 9 doubles and 27 RBI, while Sebastian Collender comes in with a .333 average, 15 XBH, and 41 RBI.

Andrew Lowrey leads the pitching staff with a 6-2 record and 4.81 ERA in 18 appearances (6 starts) and a team-high 58 innings. The RHP picked up a win over USC Aiken with 4.2 innings of one-run ball to go along with 5 strikeouts. Ethan Gill leads the Knights with 13 starts, compiling a 3-7 record and 7.27 ERA in 52 innings, while Kody Collins is tied for the team lead with 21 appearances, striking out 30 in 31 innings with a 5.81 ERA.