DAHLONEGA - The University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team secured the No. 1 seed and will host the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament, the league announced following the conclusion of the regular season.
The eight-team, single-elimination tournament is set for May 8-10 at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium in Dahlonega, with the Nighthawks opening play Friday against No. 8 seed Flagler.
North Georgia enters postseason play after a dominant regular season, finishing 42-8 overall and 22-5 in conference action to claim the PBC regular-season title for the 12th straight year. The Nighthawks will face a Flagler squad that earned the final tournament spot with a series win over Georgia Southwestern to close the season. The Saints finished 10-17 in league play.
Columbus State claimed the No. 2 seed after taking a series from Lander in the final weekend of the regular season. The Cougars went 20-7 in conference play and carry a 33-18 overall record into the tournament. They will face No. 7 seed Augusta, which secured its spot following a three-way tie for fifth place in the standings.
USC Aiken earned the No. 5 seed with a 4-2 record among the tied teams, followed by USC Beaufort at No. 6 (3-3) and Augusta at No. 7 (2-4).
Georgia College & State University and Lander tied for third place with identical 16-11 conference records. Georgia College earned the No. 3 seed by virtue of a series win over Lander and will face No. 6 USC Beaufort in the opening round. Lander is seeded fourth and will take on No. 5 USC Aiken.
Tournament play begins Friday with four opening-round games, followed by semifinal action Saturday and the championship game Sunday. All game times are subject to change due to weather, with updates available through the Peach Belt Conference and participating institutions.
