MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University baseball seniors look back on their time spent with GCSU and the baseball program.

The Bobcats take on the University of South Carolina-Aiken in a 5 p.m. elimination game Saturday (May 2) at the 2026 Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Greenwood, South Carolina.
 
Carson Phillips, Bryson Whited, Evan Cowan, Jake Beaver, Caden Tillman, Rand Bestermann, Owen Thomas, Keagan Baxter and Blake Wood share what made their years at GCSU memorable.
 
Phillips, from Roswell, Georgia, plans to land a job as a sales representative post-graduation with his degree in marketing major. Phillips described his time at GCSU as "unreal and I wouldn't change it for anything."
 
His favorite memory was a walk-off home run against the University of Mount Olive earlier this season. He described his teammates as "the guys are electric and wouldn't trade the group of guys for anyone>".
 
Whited, a business management major from Vidalia, Georgia, described his time at GCSU as "the best time of my life."
 
Baseball has taught him "how to handle adversity and deal with struggles." His favorite moment as a Bobcat was winning the regional in 2024.
 
Cowan, from Richmond Hill, Georgia, is a finance major with a minor in managemernt information systems. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in wealth management in Savannah, Georgia.
 
Cowan describes the camaraderie with his teammates.
 
"It's my family away from home," said Cowan.  "We push each other, we challenge each other, and we always have each other's backs. It's a special bond that will live on long past baseball, and there isn't anyone else I would want to have that with."
 
From Columbus, Georgia, Tillman is a marketing major who plans to find a career in sports marketing.
 
Tillman describes his years playing for the Bobcats.

"I'm blessed and privileged to play for the GCSU program," said Tillman. "I have loved all my teammates that have been here through the years and have enjoyed seeing people from different backgrounds come here together and bond over baseball."
 
His favorite moment was the conference tournament in his sophomore year.
 
Bestermann, from Braselton, Georgia, says his time at GCSU "has been a good time full of experiences I will remember for a lifetime."
 
Bestermann is a finance major and baseball has taught him "how to experience and handle failure and how to bounce back from it."
 
Similar to his teammate, Thomas, from Peachtree City, Georgia, says baseball taught him "failure, it has taught me how to overcome adversity in every aspect, and how to deal with the unknown, even when the future is not clear."
 
Thomas is a business management major and plans to work at Atlantic Tape and Packaging in operations as well as sales.
 
Someone who inspired Thomas is his father. "He has shown me how important hard work is in every aspect of life," said Thomas.
 
 Baxter, from Gray, Georgia, is a marketing major and plans to pursue medical device sales as a representative.
 
A lesson Baxter has learned from baseball is "to be process-oriented and not to ride the highs and lows but to stay consistent and work hard."
 
His favorite memory was making a Super Regional run and described his time at GCSU as "the best time of my life".
 
From Brunswick, Georgia, Wood is an exercise and nutrition science major who plans to pursue medical device sales after graduation.
 
"This year had a lot of ups and downs, but it taught me a lot about myself and the guys. It was only a year, but it meant a lot to me," said Wood. "I had a great time and was able to meet some really good people who truly made the experience what it was. Through everything, those relationships made it all worth it, and it's something I'll always be grateful for and never forget."
 
Baseball has taught him "how to keep going anyway, how to be disciplined, how to be consistent, and how to push through when things aren't going your way. More than anything, it helped me grow up and learn how to truly compete, not just when it's easy, but when it's hard."
 
Beaver, from Gainesville, Georgia, is an Exercise Science major and Business Administration minor.

About GCSU Athletics 
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six 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.