By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

            Central Georgia, especially West Laurens, has been good to the Georgia College baseball team this season.

            So good, that they’ve had big roles in the Bobcats winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament and the first round of the NCAA Regionals, earning a spot in the Super Regionals.

            Georgia College takes a 37-20 record into the Division II Southeast Super Regional series, starting Friday at 6 p.m. at Catawba. Game 2 is Saturday at 3:30 p.m., with the third game to follow if needed.

            John Milledge’s Brandon Bellflower – who had a 15-game hitting streak - leads the Bobcats with a .374 average and is second with 10 homers and third with 43 RBI. West Laurens’ Matthew Mebane tops the team with 70 RBI, and is third with six homers, and fourth at .322.

            Bradley Wilson of West Laurens has a 4.98 ERA in 14 appearances and 13 starts, owning a 4-3 record. Former high school teammate A.J. Mathis has 10 appearances, nine in relief, and a 3.44 ERA.

Four Bobcats, including John Milledge & West Laurens alums, earn All-Southeast

            Mebane went off on Mount Olive in the 14-5 win in the regional, with three homers and eight RBI, Wilson getting the complete-game win. Mebane belted a walk-off homer to beat Flagler in the Peach Belt Tournament championship series finale that sent the Bobcats into the NCAAs.

Also on the roster: IF Keagan Baxter, Fr., Jones County; P Trent Ringer, Jr., Houston County; OF Aiden Payne, Fr., Jones County

            Catawba went 2-1 in the Southeast Regional 1, losing to Young Harris 5-3, then beating UNC Pembroke -4 and Young Harris 6-4 to advance.

            In the final region rankings before the postseason started, as of May 5, Catawba was No. 1 in the Southeast. Mount Olive, who Georgia College took out, was No. 3.

            The South Atlantic champs are 42-15, and went 5-1 against Peach Belt teams. Only seven players aren’t from North Carolina or South Carolina for Catawba, located in Salisbury, N.C., northwest of Charlotte.

            Head coach Jim Gantt, the region coach of the year, is in his 27th season, and is 986-499, with 13 conference titles, and 14 regional trips.

            The Bobcats followed a 22-25 season in 2023 – with six one-run losses – with this year’s 37-20 mark, and they take a nine-game winning streak into the series.

            Head coach Nolan Belcher is 102-82 in his fourth season as head coach. He was the Bobcats’ pitching coach in 2017-18, the staff setting a program mark with 468 strikeouts in 2018. They have the No. 3 ERA in the Peach Belt, are tied for second with 11 saves, and tied for fourth with a .274 opponents batting average.

            This is the Bobcats’ first Super Regional – Division II adopted the format in 2021. The winner advances to the Division II World Series in Cary, N.C.

            Georgia College lost in the 1995 championship, and reached the championship round of the tournament last in 2010, going 3-2 and being eliminated late by eventual champ Southern Indiana.