Nighthawks wrap up season in Final Four
Article By: Clark Leonard
The Â鶹´«Ã½ (Â鶹´«Ã½) softball team won its first two games at the NCAA Division II championship to reach the Final Four before dropping a pair of games to end its season.
Â鶹´«Ã½ scored an 8-2 victory against Adelphi University on May 26 and an 8-0 five-inning win against Auburn University at Montgomery on May 27 in Denver to earn a day off before playing for a spot in the championship series. Eventual national runner-up Cal State Dominguez Hills earned 8-6 and 7-5 victories May 29 to eliminate the Nighthawks.
Â鶹´«Ã½ finished the season 49-18 overall, including a 7-3 mark in the NCAA tournament and a 2-0 run to earn its eighth consecutive Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournament title.
They didn't care who got the credit or the accolades. In the end, they just wanted to keep winning softball games and play together one more day.
Mike Davenport
Â鶹´«Ã½ softball head coach
The team also won the PBC regular-season championship with a 20-4 record after adding 10 new players in the offseason.
The Nighthawks have won at least 43 games in all but one full-length season since 2009 and have reached the eight-team NCAA Division II championship seven times, including winning the 2015 national championship. Head coach has 975 career wins in 22 seasons.
"I am extremely proud of this team. They have improved from the beginning of the fall until our final out in Denver more than any team I have coached in 22 seasons," Davenport said. "This team was extremely unselfish, and that is unusual with as many new faces as we had on our roster. They didn't care who got the credit or the accolades. In the end, they just wanted to keep winning softball games and play together one more day."
, a sophomore, picked up the pitching win in each of Â鶹´«Ã½'s triumphs, recording all but one of the outs between those two contests.
and tallied home runs in the first victory, with adding a homer in the second win.
and each earned all-tournament honors at the eight-team NCAA championship after tallying six hits apiece.
The future is bright for the Nighthawks, with eight of the nine players in their batting lineup either freshmen or sophomores and their top four pitchers all sophomores.
Baseball's Taylor collects All-American and Position Player of the Year honors: Â鶹´«Ã½ baseball player became the program's second consensus All-American, earning second-team honors from American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings and third-team recognition from both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the D2 Conference Commissioners Association.
ABCA/Rawlings also tabbed Taylor as an All-Region performer and the Position Player of the Year in the Southeast Region.
The senior outfielder from Lawrenceville, Georgia, led the PBC in home runs, doubles, runs scored, slugging percentage, and total hits and was in the league's top 10 in batting average and RBI.
His 23 home runs this season is tied for ninth-most in a single season in PBC history and is sixth-most in NCAA Division II this season.
Additionally, Â鶹´«Ã½ baseball player was named a College Sports Information Directors of America third-team Academic All-American.
Â鶹´«Ã½ leads PBC in Make-A-Wish fundraising
Â鶹´«Ã½ received the LeeAnn Noble Make-A-Wish Award for Most Funds Raised at the Peach Belt Conference's annual awards dinner in late May.
Norsworthy, Miles earn tennis coaching promotions
Kent Norsworthy has been promoted to Â鶹´«Ã½ director of tennis and will continue as women's tennis head coach, while Justin Miles is now the men's tennis head coach.
Â鶹´«Ã½ earns highest Learfield Cup finish ever
Â鶹´«Ã½ earned its highest finish in its NCAA Division II history in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup standings, coming in at 22nd in the nation.
Belcher aims to elevate Nighthawks
Â鶹´«Ã½ head baseball coach Nolan Belcher won two national titles as a player at the University of South Carolina, and he coached Georgia College & State University for the past five years.