Jaguar baseball team is ready for Peach Belt Tournament
By Shelbie Summerlin | Sports writer
AMERICUS—For the first time since 2016, Augusta University has a spot in the Peach Belt Conference tournament.
The Jaguar baseball team is set to face Georgia Southwestern University in the first round of the double-elimination PBC tournament today (Friday, May 5). As the number one seed, GSU is hosting Columbus State University (4), Georgia College University (5), and Augusta University (8).
After sweeping conference opponent USC Beaufort last weekend to secure a spot in the tournament, the Jaguars switched gears and went hard at practice to prepare for the postseason.
Many members of Jaguar baseball are looking forward to the opportunity to play in the PBC tournament.
“These kids are willing to win,” said junior first baseman Jordan Wilkie. “These dudes don’t like to lose and that’s what I love.”
Freshman Koby Ayala believes the team fulfilled a major goal in making the PBC Tournament.
“I’m thankful to come in my first year and see that we worked through our ups and downs to meet our goals,” Ayala said.
Redshirt sophomore catcher Mike Morrison says things are changing in the program.
“I’m grateful to be a part of the change in culture that’s going on and that in my first year here we were able to work towards those goals that we set,” Morrison said.
Wilkie says this group has an underdog mentality with which to attack the weekend.
“I think people are gonna be really surprised at the noise we’re gonna make, and I’m excited to be a part of it with these guys,” he said.
Ayala, a redshirt sophomore second baseman says if the team can come out strong and not back down from the challenge, then the wanted results are sure to follow.
“We’ve played a lot of these teams very well,” said Ayala. “We’re not inferior to them. We’re just as good as these teams when we’re clicking.”
Morrison says if everyone buys in that they can be tough to compete with.
“It’s a brand season starting today,” he said. “The goal is obviously to win so we have to show up and play and I think when we’re firing on all cylinders, we’re a really hard team to beat.”
Augusta’s Pat Galvin was named to the all-conference first team, while Kyle Lodise and Harrison Aulds were named to the second team. Lodise was named the PBC’s freshman of the year.
Contact Shelbie Summerlin at ssumerlin@augusta.edu.
AU’s Kyle Lodise was named freshman of the year in the Peach Belt Conference. The leadoff hitter had 66 hits for a .325 batting average with seven home runs and 34 runs batted in. At the top of the page, Jordan Wilkie holds a runner on base for the Jaguars. (staff photos)
