AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has revealed the 2021 baseball season preview with Columbus State atop the preseason coaches poll and 12 players named to the preseason All-Conference team. The 2021 season will begin for most teams the weekend of Feb. 5 with conference play beginning in earnest the following weekend.
The PBC Tournament has undergone some format changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic with four teams competing over two weekends beginning on May 7. The tournament will be hosted by the higher seeds.
Columbus State is the preseason favorite for the second year in a row, capturing nine first-place votes and 115 total points. The Cougars were 18-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play and ranked #13 in the nation when the 2020 season was shut down in March. Six seniors and six juniors return for the 2021 season including 2019 first-team All-Conference reliever Devin Dudal, second-team All-Conference infielder Dane Bullock and second-team All-Conference catcher Robert Brooks.
North Georgia finished second in the preseason voting with one first-place vote and 104 total points. The Nighthawks captured at least a share of their third PBC regular-season title in five years in 2019 and were ranked in the preseason top-20 in 2020. Four seniors and nine juniors return for the Nighthawks in 2021 including 2019 first-team All-Conference pitcher Steven Bower and second-team All-Conference reliever Parker Morrison.
UNC Pembroke was third in the coaches preseason poll with 99 total points. The Braves were 18-5 overall and 10-2 in conference play in the shortened 2020 season. For 2021, UNCP returns three seniors and 13 juniors including 2019 PBC Player of the Year Ethan Baucom in the outfield. Also back is 2019 first-team All-Conference catcher Trevor Clemons.
Georgia College was fourth in the voting with 90 points while USC Aiken was fifth and Flagler sixth, followed by Young Harris and Lander. A tie between Francis Marion and Georgia Southwestern, Augusta and Claflin rounded out the voting.
The 2021 preseason coaches poll is below followed by the preseason All-Conference team. Each was selected by the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to rank their own team or vote for their own players.
2021 PBC Baseball
Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Columbus State (9) |
115 |
| 2. |
North Georgia (1) |
104 |
| 3. |
UNC Pembroke |
99 |
| 4. |
Georgia College (2) |
90 |
| 5. |
USC Aiken |
72 |
| 6. |
Flagler |
71 |
| 7. |
Young Harris |
57 |
| 8. |
Lander |
54 |
| t9. |
Francis Marion |
44 |
| t9. |
Georgia Southwestern |
44 |
| 11. |
Augusta |
31 |
| 12. |
Claflin |
11 |
Preseason All-Conference Team
1b – Jake Arnold, North Georgia
- A fourth-year junior from Peachtree City, Ga.
- Started all 19 games for the Nighthawks in 2020, hitting .308 with eight doubles, a home run and 15 RBIs
- Ranked third in the PBC in doubles with five multi-hit games
- Did not commit an error in 168 chances last season and was third in double plays turned and sixth in putouts
2b – River Ryan, UNC Pembroke
- A junior from Huntersville, N.C., who was also named preseason All-Conference relief pitcher (see below)
- Led the team and was third in the PBC with a .422 batting average in 23 games last season
- Also ranked second in the PBC in hits, fifth in on-base percentage, sixth in runs scored, seventh in RBIs and led the conference with four triples
- Also led the PBC with 61 assists with a .960 fielding percentage in 99 chances at second base
3b – Todd Mattox, Francis Marion
- A senior from Winnsboro, S.C.
- Started in 19 games for the Patriots in 2020, his first year with the team, leading the squad with a .357 batting average
- Also led the team with 23 RBIs and a .586 slugging percentage; finshed 10th in the PBC in RBIs and tied for fourth in triples
- Had nine multi-hit games in 2020 and finished the season with an eight-game hitting streak
3b – Noah Mendlinger, Georgia College
- A third-year sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga.
- Played in all 15 games for the Bobcats in 2020, hitting .356 with four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs
- Was held without a hit only twice last season, collecting multiple hits in six games
- Finished 2020 on a nine-game hitting streak
SS – Cassius Young, Georgia College
- A fourth-year junior from Atlanta, Ga.
- Started all 15 games for GC and led the team with a .453 batting average to go with six doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs
- Led the PBC and was ranked 21st in NCAA Division II in batting average; also led the league in slugging percentage
- Ranked second in the PBC in on-base percentage and eighth in runs scored
C – Andres Perez, North Georgia
- A junior from Duluth, Ga.
- A 2018 first-team All-Conference selection and named to the 2018 All-Tournament team
- Did not play in 2019 with a redshirt, but returned for nine games in 2020, hitting .353 with three doubles, six home runs and 17 RBIs
- Tied for fourth in the PBC in home runs, he was named the Player of the Week on Feb. 11, 2020
OF – Ethan Baucom, UNC Pembroke
- A fifth-year senior from Rockingham, N.C.
- The 2019 PBC Player of the Year, first-team All-Conference selection and two-time All-American
- Currently fifth on the PBC all-time career list in home runs (49) and fourth in RBIs (215)
- Hit .307 in 23 games last season, leading the PBC with nine home runs and 37 RBIs; was second in NCAA Division II in total RBIs and tied for third in home runs
OF – Trevor Clemons, UNC Pembroke
- A fourth-year junior from Randleman, N.C.
- A 2019 first-team All-Conference selection as a catcher and named a PBC Player of the Week on March 3, 2020
- Hit .373 in 23 games last year with five doubles, two triples, two home runs and 26 RBIs
- Led the PBC in hits and runs scored, was second in stolen bases, tied for fifth in RBIs and ninth in batting average
OF – Cam Hill, Georgia College
- A third-year sophomore from Marietta, Ga.
- The 2019 PBC Freshman of the Year, he was also named second-team All-Conference that season and named Freshman of the Week six times
- Hit .385 in 15 starts for the Bobcats in 2020 with four doubles, two triples and 12 RBIs
- Ranked seventh in the PBC in batting average, tied for second with six stolen bases and tied for fourth in triples
DH – Leniel Gonzalez, Francis Marion
- A fifth-year senior from Sumter, S.C.
- A 2019 second-team All-Conference selection at DH, he played and started all 19 games for the Patriots in 2020
- Hit. 356 with five doubles, one triple, two home runs and 14 RBIs; was second on the team in batting average and RBIs
- Ranked fourth in the PBC in on-base percentage and ninth in walks drawn
SP – Steven Bower, North Georgia
- A fifth-year senior from Lawrenceville, Ga.
- A 2017 and 2019 PBC first-team All-Conference selection and four-time Pitcher of the Week including Feb. 11, 2020
- Went 4-2 in six starts last year, pitching 37 innings with a 3.86 ERA and 54 strikeouts
- Ranked second in the PBC in strikeouts last year, tied for third in wins and fourth in innings pitched
SP – Tucker Smith, Georgia Southwestern
- A senior from Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
- The 2019 PBC Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-Conference selection
- Started six games for the Hurricanes in 2020, going 2-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched
- Was second in the PBC in innings pitched in 2020 and tied for 10th in strikeouts; named PBC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 25
RP – River Ryan, UNC Pembroke
- A junior from Huntersville, N.C., who was also named preseason All-Conference at second base (see above)
- Made eight appearances, all in relief, with a 1-0 record and four saves
- In 16 innings of work, had a 0.56 ERA with five hits and one earned run allowed, two walks allowed and 24 strikeouts
- Averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings while holding opponents to a .096 batting average and did not allow an extra base hit
2021 Peach Belt Baseball
Preseason All-Conference Team
1b – Jake Arnold, North Georgia
2b – River Ryan, UNC Pembroke
3b – Todd Mattox, Francis Marion
3b – Noah Mendlinger, Georgia College
SS – Cassius Young, Georgia College
C – Andres Perez, North Georgia
OF – Ethan Baucom, UNC Pembroke
OF – Trevor Clemons, UNC Pembroke
OF – Cam Hill, Georgia College
DH – Leniel Gonzalez, Francis Marion
SP – Steven Bower, North Georgia
SP – Tucker Smith, Georgia Southwestern
RP – River Ryan, UNC Pembroke