MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | The Georgia College & State University softball team opens their 2024 53-game season Saturday (Feb. 3) with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Emmanuel (Ga.) University at the Peeler Complex.

The Bobcats, who finished the 2023 season with a 26-24 overall record and finished fifth in the Peach Belt Conference with an 12-15 ledger, will conclude the opening weekend with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday. GCSU will travel to Columbus, Georgia, the following weekend (Feb. 10-11) where they will play four games in the Red-White-Blue Classic hosted by Columbus State University. The Bobcats will face Union (Tenn.) University and Lenoir-Rhyne University, which is receiving votes in the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, Feb. 10, before face Tuskegee University and Columbus State, which is ranked 24th nationally, the next day. 

The game against the Cougars is one of seven - all on the road - against nationally ranked teams for the Bobcats. GCSU will face Columbus State in a three-game PBC series March 2-3 before taking on No. 1-ranked and defending NCAA Division II champion University of North Georgia (April 13-14) in a three-game PBC set in Dahlonega, Georgia.

The Bobcats, who play 25 games at home and 25 on the road, open up their Peach Belt schedule Feb. 24-25 in Milledgeville against Flagler College. GCSU will also host series against the University of South Carolina-Aiken (March 16-17), Augusta University (March 29-30) and the University of South Carolina-Beaufort (April 20-21). Besides Columbus State and North Georgia, Georgia College will go on the road for its series against Lander University (March 23-24) and Georgia Southwestern State University (April 5-6).

The top eight team will advance to Peach Belt Tournament. The quarterfinals will have the top two teams hosting four teams in a double-elimination tournament April 26-28. The two winners will advance to the highest remaining seed for a best-of-3 series May 3-4 with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Division II Tournament.

About GCSU Athletics 
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for three consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won four consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.