DAHLONEGA – Reigning Peach Belt Conference regular season champion and sixth-ranked University of North Georgia (UNG) has been selected as the favorite to capture the league title in 2026, as voted by the conference's coaches.
The Nighthawks received six first-place votes in the preseason poll. Georgia College earned two first-place votes, while Flagler and Georgia Southwestern each picked up one.
North Georgia is coming off a historic 2025 campaign in which it finished atop the PBC regular season standings and advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game before falling to Georgia Southwestern. The Nighthawks extended their postseason run into the NCAA Tournament, where they captured the NCAA Southeast Region title. North Georgia closed the year with a 48-16 overall record.
All-Americans Carleigh Knowles and Sydnee Reaves headline a large returning class for the Nighthawks in 2026.
Four Nighthawks were also named to the PBC Preseason All-Conference Team: Marycille Brumby, Knowles, Reaves and Chloe Poss.
Brumby started all 64 games in 2025, batting .300 with a .582 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage. She totaled 413 putouts and posted a .991 fielding percentage. Brumby was also named to the PBC All-Academic Team.
Knowles played and started all 64 contests, leading the team with a .384 batting average, .803 slugging percentage and .443 on-base percentage. She recorded 309 putouts and a .994 fielding percentage. Knowles earned PBC first-team all-conference and all-tournament honors, was named PBC Freshman of the Year, NFCA Freshman of the Year and Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year and collected D2CCA and NFCA first-team All-America recognition.
Reaves started all 64 games and paced the Nighthawks with a .400 batting average, adding a .700 slugging percentage and .444 on-base percentage. She totaled 89 putouts with a .970 fielding percentage. Reaves earned PBC first-team all-conference and all-tournament honors, was named to the NFCA All-Region second team and received D2CCA second-team All-America recognition.
Poss made 33 appearances in the circle, including 20 starts, compiling a 20-4 record with a 3.34 ERA and 141 strikeouts. She threw 10 complete games and earned PBC second-team all-conference and PBC All-Academic honors.
North Georgia opens the 2026 season at the Gulf Shores Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala., Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
