DAHLONEGA — The University of North Georgia baseball team is set to kick off 2016 on Saturday with a doubleheader against Valdosta State in Dahlonega at Bob Stein Stadium. It will be the first time since North Georgia moved to the NCAA that they have played in January.
The Nighthawks are fresh off of a trip to the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship game and will look to make back-to-back trips to the postseason for the first time in the NCAA era.
Ranked No. 15 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, the Nighthawks were also voted as favorites to win the Peach Belt Conference by the conference coaches. North Georgia won the regular season championship last year by winning a UNG record 22 PBC games in a season.
North Georgia returns 20 letterwinners from last year's squad, including three that were honored earlier this month. Brandon Agar and Sam Tidaback were named to the NCBWA All-Southeast Region preseason squad, and Tidaback and Connor Hoover were named to the preseason All-PBC team.
Valdosta State comes into the season opener after going 28-19 last season, losing both of its conference tournament games in the Gulf South Conference. The Nighthawks and Blazers split last season's series with Valdosta State winning the season-opener and North Georgia winning later in the season.
The 2016 season will start at noon with game one of the doubleheader. Game two will start at approximately 4:00 p.m. The doubleheader will be broadcast live on the Nighthawk Sports Network, with coverage starting five minutes prior to first pitch.
