DAHLONEGA – The No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team will host No. 17 Wingate at Haines and Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park for the Southeast Super Regional. The winner of the Super Regional will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Nighthawks earned their way to the Super Regional after defeating eighth-seeded King 8-0 before taking two wins over fifth-seeded Columbus State to win the Southeast Regional #1 in dominant fashion. UNG scored eight runs in all three games, posting two shutouts and two run-rule victories.
On the other side of the region, Wingate battled through the loser's bracket after dropping their second game of the regional to third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bulldogs defeated Francis Marion for the second time on the weekend, 7-6, to advance to the regional #2 finals. They avenged their loss to Lenoir Rhyne with 6-2 and 4-1 wins to grab a spot in the Super Regional against North Georgia.
Players to Watch
- Tybee Denton - Denton has earned an 18-1 record this season while posting a 2.09 ERA in 26 appearances and 123 innings pitched. Denton has thrown 11 complete games this season, with four shutouts holding opposing batters to a .170 batting average.
- Hannah Forehand - Forehand leads nationally in RBIs with 76, ranking second across all divisions in the category. She helps lead a powerful North Georgia lineup in run production. Forehand earned All-Conference honors this season and currently ranks 14th nationally in home runs and seventh in the conference in slugging percentage.
- Savanna Brooks (Wingate) - Brooks earned All-SAC honors while hitting a team-best .404 on the year, leading the Bulldogs with 13 homers, 15 doubles, 52 RBI and 51 runs scored. Brooks leads the SAC in runs scored, ranking third in homers, RBIs and total bases, fifth in slugging percentage and doubles, sixth in hits, eighth in on-base percentage and 11th in average.
- Raechel Cutcher (Wingate) - Cutcher earned All-SAC honors and is 12-5 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 128 against just 17 walks in 110 innings of work, tossing nine complete games while adding a pair of saves. She ranks fourth in the SAC in EA and saves, fifth in wins and strikeouts and eighth in batting average against while ranking in the top 10 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Numbers
North Georgia - The Nighthawks reached the 50-win mark for the first time since 2018. Holding a 57-6 record, North Georgia has the third-best winning percentage in NCAA Division II this season while boasting one of the top offenses in the country. UNG ranks first nationally in hits, first in runs, second in doubles, and fourth in batting average. The Nighthawks get the job done at the plate and inside the circle, ranking sixth nationally in shutouts.
Wingate - It is the third time in program history the Bulldogs have hit the 40-win mark in a season. Wingate ranks 17th in the NFCA Top 25 and second in the Southeast Region. The Bulldogs rank seventh in the nation in runs and hits, ninth in homers and 15th in slugging percentage. South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year Jamie Stanclift has led Wingate to a 48-15 record and the program's first outright regular season conference title since 2009.
Schedule
