Baseball 3/25/2021 11:38:00 PM Morris Wright

Claflin Host Columbus State in Peach Belt Conference Series

Orangeburg, S.C. - Claflin University will battle No. 25 ranked Columbus State University in a Peach Belt Conference (PBC) baseball series at Historic Mirmow Field.

The series will consist of a single game on Friday (Mar. 26) at 6 pm and a doubleheader on Saturday (Mar. 27) beginning at 1 p.m. No fans are allowed in the stadium. Live streaming will be available at game time.

Claflin is 1-19 on the season, all against conference opponents. The Panthers' lone victory came at home against the University of North Georgia at 16-13 in February.

Columbus State brings a league record of 8-6 into the series and 10-6 overall following an 8-3 win over Albany State on Wednesday (Mar. 24).

Claflin will enter the matchup fresh off its second-best offensive performance in back-to-back games. In the last two games of the Young Harris series, the Panthers batted .292 (19-for 65) with three home runs. Nicholas Johnson, Jordan McCray, and Da'Avion Sumpter each homered for Claflin, pushing the team's total to seven for the season.

McCray, along with Tavion Towers and Steve Joyner, collected four hits each in the three-game series.

Keyon Smith continues to lead the team in the home run department with two and 10 RBIs, while Sumpter is the Panthers' top run-producer at 12.

Joyner sits atop of the team's hitting category with a .284 average and 21 hits. Quinten Kinard is second on the team in hitting at .269 followed by Sumpter, who's batting .261 with 18 hits.

As a team, the Panthers are hitting .224 with 141 hits and 64 runs.

The workhorses of the Claflin pitching staff are X'zavier Johnson, Charles Jackson, and Makai Holloway, all with 20-plus innings of work each. They have combined for 18 of the staffs 20 starts this season. The three pitchers, along with Talmon Hubbard, have accounted for 64 of the team's 104 strikeouts. Hubbard and Jackson are tied for the most strikeouts on the staff with 22 apiece.

The Claflin pitchers will face a Columbus State offensive unit that has generated 24 home runs in 16 games. The mark is good for second in the conference along with Young Harris. North Georgia is the top home run hitting team in the league with 37.

Robert Brooks has belted eight home runs this season for the Cougars and second-best in the PBC, along with 17 RBIs. Isaac Boulton is Columbus State's other leading hitter at .379 with 25 hits and 23 RBIs.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Makai Holloway: P; 5' 10"; Senior; L/L

#13 Talmon "T.J." Hubbard: UTIL; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#8 Charles Jackson: UTIL; 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R

#33 Nicholas Johnson: INF; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

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

#2 Steve Joyner: OF/P; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#28 Jordan McCray: C; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#5 Tavion Towers: UTIL; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

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

#22 Quinten Kinard: 2B; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#4 Makai Holloway
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/L
: P

#13 Talmon "T.J." Hubbard
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: UTIL

#8 Charles Jackson
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; S/R
: UTIL

#33 Nicholas Johnson
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: INF

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

#2 Steve Joyner
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: OF/P

#28 Jordan McCray
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: C

#5 Tavion Towers
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: UTIL

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

#22 Quinten Kinard
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: 2B