MONTGOMERY, Ala. --- The Auburn Montgomery baseball team's 2020 campaign will commence with a three-game weekend series against no. 20-ranked University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, Ga. The Warhawks will face the Nighthawks for a single-game each day on Friday, Jan. 31 through Sunday, Feb. 2.
 
Series Information: #20 University of North Georgia 
Dates: Friday, Jan. 31 – Sunday, Feb. 2
Times:  2:00 p.m. (CST) | 12:00 p.m. (CST) | 12:00 p.m. (CST)
Location: Dahlonega, Ga.  | Bob Stein Stadium
Media Coverage:  Live Video | Live Stats
 
ABOUT THE WARHAWKS
The 2020 season marks for the Orange and Black's first as full-fledged members of NCAA Division II, where they can now compete in postseason play and earn regular-season and postseason accolades. The Warhawks were picked to finish eighth in the Gulf South Conference by fellow conference coaches in the GSC Preseason Release on Tuesday, Jan. 22. 
 
"There's a lot of excitement heading into this year.," Head Coach Marty Lovrich said. "Being able to participate for conference and regional championships will no doubt give our guys a little extra motivation to go out and take care of business." 
 
The 2019 season saw AUM post a record of 27-22. The Warhawks finished 14-15 in GSC play, which would have qualified them for postseason play as the number-eight seed in the conference tournament had they been eligible. 
 
The Warhawks will return 20 players from 2019, with 15 seniors. Nine juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen make up for the rest of the team. 
 
"We've got a great veteran group of guys," Coach Lovrich added. "A lot of them have been here for two or three years, and their work ethic has been tremendous the whole time."
 
At the plate, the Warhawks return virtually all contributors from a 2019 offense that batted .281, slugged 106 extra-base hits, drove in 276 runs and scored 318 runs over the course of 49 games. Senior outfielder Dalton Cobb (.353), sophomore catcher Zach Feaster (.322), senior utility-man Hayden Friesen (.313) and senior outfielder Matthew Zielonko (.306) all sported a .300 batting average for the Orange and Black in 2019. 
 
Cobb socked a team-high 11 homers in 2019, while also leading the Warhawks with 60 base hits, 16 doubles, and on-base percentage of .459 and slugging percentage of .665 for an OPS of 1.124. Zielonko drove in a team-best 46 runs in 2019, while drawing a team-high 35 walks. 
 
On the base paths, senior outfielder Quinterrious Arrington will look to once again be a spark plug for AUM. Arrington swiped a team-high 33 bags in 2019, while leading the Warhawks in runs scored (46), bases on balls (35) and hit-by pitches (12). 
 
On the mound, the Warhawks will return senior strikeout-leader Troy Jones, who fanned 73 batters over 70 innings in 2019, for a rate of 9.4 K's per nine. Micah Henderson, who along with Jones posted a team-high four wins in 2019, will look to be another important returning contributor on the hill. 
 
Juniors Joseph Hartsfield and Matthew Marfice were tabbed top newcomers for AUM in the GSC Preseason Release on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Hartsfield will look to add depth to both the Warhawk infield and mound as a two-way player, while Marfice will bring with him a quality bat and glove to the Orange and Black as a corner infielder.
 
The Warhawks hold an all-time record of 9-17 against North Georgia, and will look to stop a four-game skid that dates back to 2017.
 
ABOUT THE NIGHTHAWKS
North Georgia is coming off of a 2019 season that saw them finish 33-20 overall, and 19-11 in Peachbelt Conference play to earn them Co-Regular Season Champs with Flager College. The Nighthawks were picked to finish first in the PBC Preseason Poll released on Jan. 24. 
 
UNG brings back five seniors for 2020 including first-team All-Conference pitcher Steven Bower and second baseman Bill Leroy, who was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team on Jan. 22. 
 
A total of 12 juniors will also fill out the roster including Nick Clarno and Crews Taylor, who were both named preseason All-Conference, and reliever Parker Morrison who was a second-team All-Conference selection last year.
 
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