Eagles set NCAA record with 14 homers vs. Columbia

STATESBORO -- Georgia Southern set an NCAA record for all divisions Saturday by hitting 14 home runs in a 26-8 victory over Columbia.

The previous Division I record was 13 homers by Alabama in 1999 and Cal State Northridge in 1996. The Division II mark is 12 by Saint Mary's of Texas in 2001, while the Division III record is 13 by Wooster in 1986.

Chris Shehan and Griffin Benedict each homered twice for Georgia Southern, which had 12 players hit home runs. The Eagles hit five in the eighth inning, including consecutive pinch-hit homers by Roman Grimaldi, David Richardson and Chris Banker.

``I thought we took some good swings, and certainly conditions with the wind were right for it today, as well," Eagles coach Rodney Hennon said.

The teams' 16 combined homers also tied for the second-most in Division I history. Louisville hit 11 home runs and Western Illinois added six to set the record with 17 in 1991.