Columbus State closing in on Peach Belt championship
The 13th-ranked Columbus State baseball team knows exactly what it needs to do this weekend to win the Peach Belt Conference championship.
If the Cougars beat UNC Pembroke at least two times, then they win the title outright. One win would give them a share of the title with Lander, which is 22-8.
The three-game series begins at Burger King Stadium at 6 p.m. Friday. The series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
“We have worked hard all year long and we have one of our goals in front of us,” CSU coach Greg Appleton said in a news release. “We can’t just walk into the ballpark and think UNC Pembroke is going to hand us wins because they are fighting for their postseason lives. Our pitchers need to limit their offense and hopefully our bats keep it going.”
CSU has won three PBC championships with the last coming in 2008.
CSU, which is 37-10 overall and 21-6 in the PBC, owns the nation’s longest winning streak at 15 games. The Cougars have not lost in April with its last loss coming on March 26.
CSU is second in the latest NCAA Southeast Region poll behind Lander. The top seven teams — three conference tournament winners get automatic bids — advance to the regional.
The Cougars have pounded teams into submission this season. The Cougars rank in the top 10 nationally in eight offensive categories. They are first in the nation in runs scored (469, 10 per game), fifth in home runs (70) and 10th in batting average (.349).
Four Cougars in the top 15 in hits with Blake Edwards is fourth, Ryan Ihle is seventh, Mike McClellan is 10th and Jackson Oliver is 14th.
Oliver leads the nation in runs scored with 69. McClellan is 15th in home runs with 16 and eighth in RBIs with 62.
In the 15-game winning streak, McClellan is hitting .500 (32-for-64) with eight homers and 28 RBIs and Ihle is hitting .446 (33-for-74) with 18 RBIs.
Note: Alumni Day will be held on Saturday before the first pitch. The 1970 as well as the 1984 CSU baseball teams will be honored.
Kevin Price: 706-320-4493, kprice@ledger-enquirer.com, @lesports
This story was originally published April 28, 2016 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Columbus State closing in on Peach Belt championship."