Claflin Host Georgia College in Peach Belt Action

Orangeburg, SC - The Claflin University Panthers will try to get back in the win column when they host No. 8 ranked Georgia College for a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) baseball series.

The three-game series gets underway Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. with a single game. The series concludes Sunday, Feb. 20, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. All games will be played at Historic Mirmow Field. The series was originally scheduled for Friday-Saturday, Feb. 19-20, but was changed due to the threat of rain in the Orangeburg area.

Claflin (1-4, 1-4 PBC) fell to Lander University twice in a PBC series last weekend 7-3 and 11-1 (8 innings). The third game of the series was rained out.

As for Georgia College, the Bobcats season-opening series against fellow conference member Francis Marion University was postponed due to weather.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams as last year's series was canceled because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Da'Avion Sumpter leads the team in batting at .375 along with six hits, three doubles, three RBIs, and five runs scored.

Christain Carr follows Sumpter in hitting for Claflin at .294, followed by Keyon Smith with a batting average of .284, a home run, and seven RBIs. Gerardric Dobbs rounds out the foursome in hitting at .278, getting a hit in four of the Panthers' five games this season.

The Claflin offense has out-hit their opponents twice this season, the University of North Georgia 14-7 game two and Lander 11-9 game one.

On the mound, the Panthers' staff is led by Makia Holloway and X'zavier Johnson, both with two starts this season. Holloway's best outing came against Lander as the lefty pitched five solid innings, while Johnson earned a no-decision in his first start of the season versus North Georgia, going four innings allowing only one hit and three runs.

Georgia College is coming off an abbreviated 2020 season at 13-2 overall and 9-2 in the PBC. The Bobcats participated in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Georgia College is led this season by Preseason All-PBC outfielder Cam Hill, who batted .385 with 12 RBIs and 14 runs in 15 games in 2020. Joining Hill is shortstop Cassius Young, a .454 hitter last season, with four home runs and 21 RBIs.

Claflin will remain home next weekend for another PBC series versus UNC Pembroke.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Gerardric Dobbs: INF; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#11 X'Zavier Johnson: P; 5' 8"; Junior; L/L

#21 Keyon Smith: OF/1B; 6' 2"; Senior; L/L

#32 Da'Avion Sumpter: INF; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Gerardric Dobbs
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#11 X'Zavier Johnson
: 5' 8"; Junior; L/L
: P

#21 Keyon Smith
: 6' 2"; Senior; L/L
: OF/1B

#32 Da'Avion Sumpter
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: INF