DAHLONEGA – The No. 10 University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team earned the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Regional and will open the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship against No. 5 seed Francis Marion.

The Nighthawks (41-14, 26-4 Peach Belt Conference) claimed the PBC regular-season title outright for the first time since 2017 and finished as runners-up in the PBC Championship Tournament.

North Georgia also earned multiple all-conference honors. Ben Hamacher, Kyle Robitzsch and Matthew Heard were named First Team All-PBC, while Cam Hodge, JD Coleman, Jake Streeter, Brady Skipper, Andrew Duval and Kevin Cox earned second-team recognition.

First-year head coach Nolan Belcher was named the PBC Coach of the Year.

Francis Marion (42-12, 27-6 Conference Carolinas) advanced in the Conference Carolinas Tournament with wins over Erskine and UNC Pembroke before falling to regional host and No. 1 seed North Greenville.

North Georgia holds a 22-20 all-time record against the Patriots. The teams last met in February 2021, when the Nighthawks earned a 16-7 victory.

The Nighthawks and Patriots will meet in the opening round of the Southeast Regional on May 14 in Tigerville, South Carolina. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.