DAHLONEGA – The No. 8 University of North Georgia softball team is set to host the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional Softball Tournament at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park this weekend. The second-seeded Nighthawks will face seventh-seeded Flagler on Thursday at 2 p.m. while also welcoming third-seeded Francis Marion and sixth-seeded Columbus State to Dahlonega. 

UNG will host six at least games over three days with an "if necessary" game schedule for Saturday in the double elimination tournament. The winner of the regional will advance to the super regional. With top-seeded Wingate hosting the other half of the Southeast Regional, the Super Regional host will be determined as the highest remaining seed in the Southeast Region after this weekend's games.

Thursday marks the beginning of the Nighthawks' quest to become the first back-to-back National Champion in NCAA Division II softball since California (Pa.) in 1997-98. As the second seed and host of the Southeast Regional #2 Tournament, UNG is looking to take home its fourth consecutive regional crown. Since 2014, the Nighthawks have failed to advance past the regional tournament only once in eight opportunities. In order to do so again this year, they'll have to shake off the shock of entering the tournament without a Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2014. 

UNG did win its 10th consecutive PBC regular season title this season after going 21-3 in conference and that decade-long run has been met with equal success in the PBC Tournament. However, things changed this year after PBC second-seed Columbus State rallied on the final day of the tournament for a pair of wins to snatch the crown from the Nighthawks. The Cougars' victory put them on top of the PBC for the first time in 11 years.

As the Nighthawks look to bounce back in the NCAA Tournament, they boast one of the best offenses in the country. Senior catcher and PBC All-Conference First Team selection Georgia Blair has blasted 17 home runs to lead an offense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in run scoring, batting average, doubles, home runs, on base percentage, slugging, hits, walks and stolen bases. 

In the circle, 2024 PBC Pitcher of the Year Tybee Denton has paired with PBC All-Conference Second Team pitcher Kristen Davis to dominate opposing offenses this year. UNG currently leads the PBC in team ERA, doubles allowed, home runs allowed, and opposing batting averages. After pitching two shutouts and three wins in the PBC Tournament, Denton's 26 wins this season now ranks third among all NCAA Div. II pitchers. 

Flagler enters Thursday's showdown with the Nighthawks after going 34-22 in the regular season and PBC Tournament. With 34 wins this season, the Saints have posted their best win total in seven years and are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their NCAA Div. II National Championship appearance in 2012. 

In order to get to Orlando, Flagler will have to get past a familiar foe in UNG. The paths of these two teams have already crossed numerous times this postseason. For Flagler, Thursday will mark its third game in the last four against the Nighthawks. In the PBC Tournament last weekend, the Saints fell 9-4 and 9-0 (5 inn.) to UNG, finishing the tournament in the semifinals. 

In the regular season, the two teams met in Dahlonega for a three-game series back in late March. It was in game one of that series that the Saints snapped UNG's 17-game win streak, handing the Nighthawks their first conference loss of the season. UNG would go on to win the series with 11-1 and 1-0 wins in games two and three. 

Flagler's success has been fueled by a balanced attack both at the plate and in the circle. As a team, Flagler bombed 76 home runs this season, second most in the PBC and ninth most in the country. The Saints boast four separate hitters with double digit homers led by Mackenzie Smith and Cassidy Crump who both have 11 long balls. In the circle, Flagler has posted a 3.81 ERA as a team, ranking third in the PBC. 

The Saints are coached by Kathryn Grant, 2024 PBC Co-Coach of the Year along with Nighthawks head coach Mike Davenport. In her third year, Grant became the second Flagler leader to win the award and the first since Kristen Overton in 2017. 

Thursday's 2 p.m. game between UNG and Flagler will be followed at 4:30 p.m. between Francis Marion and Columbus State.