Nighthawks Picked to Repeat as PBC Champs by Coaches

1-23-16

AUGUSTA | The University of North Georgia landed the top spot in the Peach Belt Conference preseason softball coaches poll released Friday by the league office. The Nighthawks received 12 out of the possible 12 first-place votes for 144 total points. Last year’s regular season, tournament and NCAA Southeast Region runner-up, Georgia College snatched the second spot as the Bobcats totaled 130 points with one first-place vote. Armstrong State, Augusta and Young Harris rounded out the top five in the prognostication.

The Peach Belt saw an impressive five 30-win teams in 2015, including North Georgia’s 54 wins and Georgia College’s 47 victories. The Nighthawks claimed five of the Bobcats 11 defeats last season, with three of those games coming on Georgia College’s home field. The two teams will meet at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium in Dahlonega in the regular season with the two games being nationally televised by ESPN3 on March 29.

North Georgia will open up conference action with a road trip to Savannah on March 12 to take on rival-Armstrong State, who was picked to finish third in the preseason poll. The Pirates were one of just two PBC teams to earn a victory against UNG last season.

The Nighthawk road swing will continue with a stop in St. Augustine, Florida on March 14 to take on Flagler before returning to the Peach State to face Georgia Southwestern in Americus on March 16.

Returning home the following weekend, UNG will play host to UNC Pembroke and Francis Marion on March 19 and 20, respectively.

North Georgia will return to Columbus on March 25 to face Columbus State with a eight-game home stand to follow featuring Georgia College (March 29), Montevallo (March 31), and Young Harris (April 4). The Falcons of Montevallo will be making their first trip to Dahlonega in just the second year of their program’s existence.

UNG will hit the road one last time making a swing through the Palmetto State on April 8 and 10 to face Lander and USC Aiken.

The regular season will conclude with the Nighthawks hosting Augusta at the Hill on April 14.

The PBC regular season schedule features doubleheaders between all 13 schools that field a softball program. The conference tournament will return to Millidgeville, Georgia this year, hosted by Georgia College, on April 22 and 23.

The 2015 preseason coaches poll is located below as voted on by the head coaches in the league. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.