Columbus State Releases 2012 Baseball Schedule

Columbus – After a 32-19 record, finishing the season ranked 18^th and winning a Peach Belt West Division title in 2011, Columbus State University head baseball coach Greg Appleton released the 2012 schedule for the upcoming season. The 52-game marathon features 30 home games at Ragsdale Field, 30 tilts against Peach Belt Conference opponents and 13 games against teams that made the 2011 NCAA Tournament. 

"This season's schedule is no different in that we are playing very good competition out of conference," stated CSU's all-time winningest coach."We are playing six more conference games this season which makes the team excited because those games have a different feel to them."

The season will begin with a three-game series against Clark-Atlanta beginning on Saturday, February 4. Like all weekend series throughout the year, a doubleheader will be played on Saturday with a single game on Sunday. St. Leo will then come to town for a weekend set beginning on February 11. The Lions took two-of-three from the Cougars last season, however, CSU threw a combined no-hitter in the lone victory. 

The first midweek game of the year will come on Wednesday, February 15 as NAIA powerhouse Auburn-Montgomery will make a visit to Ragsdale Field. After the ballgame, the Cougars will have to prepare for their first conference series of the year as they will face the Peach Belt Conference regular season champions, Francis Marion. The highly anticipated weekend series will begin on February 18.  

Coach Greg Appleton will face his former school, Young Harris, on February 21 before yet another key PBC series this time against Armstrong Atlantic State University. Armstrong and CSU have two of the richest baseball histories in the PBC as both caoches are two of the winningest active coaches in Division II. The weekend set will be played in Columbus on February 25 and 26.

The first month of action will wrap-up with a midweek game against West Georgia on February 29.

One of the hardest stretches on the schedule will be on tap starting on March 3 when Northern Kentucky makes a rare trip to Columbus. The Norse are a perennial Great Lakes Valley Conference power winning the conference championship five times in the past nine seasons. Last season, NKU went 36-21 and made the NCAA Tournament.

It does not get any easier for CSU as they will travel to Pensacola for a two-game series with the defending National Champions, West Florida on March 6 and 7.  West Florida swept two games from the Cougars last season in Columbus.

Columbus State will host a three-game conference series against USC Aiken on March 10 and 11 and then play a single game against NCAA Tournament participant from a season ago, Stillman on March 13. The Cougars will then hit the road on March 17 for a series against PBC foe Lander at the newly constructed Jeff May Complex in Greenwood, SC.

A game against the Golden Rams of Albany State will take place on March 21 before the Cougars travel to Augusta to take on Augusta State in a conference series. The Jaguars made an improbable run to the PBC Tournament Championship game last season.

Columbus State will complete a home-and-home series against West Georgia on March 28 traveling to Carrollton to face the Wolves. A  three-game series against Montevallo at Ragsdale Field will end the month of March and begin the month of April.

Another home-and-home series will be wrapped-up on March 4 as Albany State comes to Columbus for a single-game. Another big PBC series will then be next on the schedule as the Cougars travel to Dahlonega for a three-game set against North Georgia beginning on March 6.

A single-game against Young Harris will be played before CSU welcomes Georgia Southwestern into Columbus for a series beginning on April 13.

Columbus State will play Stillman (April 17) and Auburn-Montgomery (April 18) before the final crucial Peach Belt Conference series of the year as the Cougars will travel to Milledgeville to face Georgia College. The Bobcats were ranked number one in the nation for two weeks during the 2011 season.

The final non-conference game of the year will be played against Valdosta State on April 25 at Ragsdale Field. The Blazers had a down year last season finishing the campaign with a 22-27 record.

The final games of the 2012 season will be played against Flagler in St. Augustine, FL. The Cougars and Saints have not yet played a game against each other since FC became a part of the PBC in 2010.     

This year's Peach Belt Conference Tournament will be once against hosted by Columbus State and the Columbus Sports Council. The tournament will be held from May 9-13 at Historic Golden Park in Colunmbus. The top-four teams in each division will qualify for the double-elimination tournament.  

Click here to view the 2012 schedule.