Walters State travels to Georgia Highlands for NJCAA Appalachian District Baseball Series
CARTERSVILLE, GA – Coming off a TCCAA/Region 7 Baseball Championship, No. 13 Walters State has a quick turnaround as they look to punch their ticket to the JUCO World Series for the 13th time in program history.
Beginning Tuesday, the Senators will travel to No. 17 Georgia Highlands to play in the NJCAA Appalachian District Baseball Series. It will be a best 2-of-3, with the winner moving on to the World Series.
This will be a rematch of last year's District Series, a series that Walters State won in two games. The two teams also met in the district series in 2022, and the Senators also won that in two games.
All three games of the series will begin at 1 pm ET and will be played at Georgia Highlands on their Cartersville campus (5441 GA-20, Cartersville, GA 30121).
To stream all three games, visit https://www.jockjive.com/.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Walters State
The Senators reached the NJCAA Appalachian District Series after winning the TCCAA/Region 7 Championship.
It wasn't easy for Walters State, as they had to come out of the loser's bracket to do so. The Senators, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, opened things up with a 6-1 win over Chattanooga State but fell 8-7 to Columbia State. The Senators then defeated Chattanooga State again, 11-3, to set up a rematch against Columbia State in the Championship.
Needing to beat the Chargers twice, Walters State opened Saturday with a 22-4 win. In the if necessary game, Columbia State jumped ahead 2-0 early, but Walters State scored the final five runs to win the championship.
Bridger Hamilton was named the TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament MVP after pitching for the first time in a month in Saturday's game one against Columbia State. Hamilton saved the pitching staff by tossing six innings, allowing just two runs.
Other standouts during the tournament were Drew Blalock with nine hits, four home runs and nine RBIs, Holden Pantier with nine hits, three home runs and 10 RBIs, Kole Fenton with seven hits, two home runs, seven RBIs and multiple run-saving plays at shortstop, Brady Dalton with six hits and five RBIs, Major Osbolt with 14 strikeouts in six innings pitched and Tim Tyler with 14 strikeouts and no runs allowed in 6.1 innings of work. Tyler allowed just one hit, as well.
The Senators are currently 50-11 on the year and are winners of 14 of their last 15 games.
Georgia Highlands
The Chargers made it to the NJCAA District Series, and did so the same way as Walters State.
Following a 5-3 win over Gordon State to open the GCAA Tournament, the Chargers suffered a 9-5 loss to South Georgia State College. Fighting out of the loser's bracket, Georgia Highlands defeated Gordon State, 12-2, to advance to the championship against South Georgia State.
In the Championship, Georgia Highlands scored a run in the top of the ninth to lift them to an 8-7 win and force an if necessary game. In the final game, the Chargers broke out to an 8-0 lead through four innings. However, South Georgia State tied the game at eight in the seventh inning, and the game would eventually go to extras. In the bottom of the 10th, Highlands put runners on and a hit down the left field line won the game and the conference championship.
Jack Burns was named the GCAA Tournament MVP after throwing in three games and picking up two wins. Burns allowed one hit in 4.2 innings of work and struck out six. Other standouts for Georgia Highlands were Matthew Perkins with three earned runs allowed in eight innings of work, Andrew Bishop with seven hits, two home runs and four RBIs and Kenton Collier with six hits and seven walks.
Georgia Highlands are 47-13 on the season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Walters State
Holden Pantier (3B): .484 BA, 25 HRs, 113 RBIs, 30 2Bs, 109 Hits, 16 SBs. The TCCAA Player of the Year. Pantier holds the Walters State program records for career hits, career RBIs, single-season doubles, single-season RBIs and single-season hits.
Drew Blalock (1B): .392 BA, .508 OBP, 29 HRs, 81 RBIs, 78 Hits. All-TCCAA First Team member at first base. Blalock has homered in four straight games and is two home runs away from tying the single-season program record.
Kole Fenton (SS): .402 BA, .482 OBP, 10 HRs, 70 RBIs, 94 Hits, 26 2Bs. Second Team All-TCCAA member at shortstop. Fenton holds the Walters State program record for doubles in a season and was the 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove winner at shortstop.
Hayden Blair (C): .399 BA, .553 OBP, 26 HRs, 78 RBIs. First Team All-TCCAA Catcher.
Major Osbolt (RHP): 7-1, 62.2 IP, 3.73 ERA, 95 Ks, 13.64 K/9. First Team All-TCCAA Starting Pitcher. Osbolt hasn't allowed an earned run in 15 innings and has 28 strikeouts during that time.
Tim Tyler (LHP): 8-2, 3 SVs, 52 IP, 4.67 ERA, 85 Ks, 14.71 K/9. First Team All-TCCAA Relief Pitcher. Tyler has allowed just seven hits and no runs while striking out 28 in his last 14.1 innings of work.
Georgia Highlands
Aidan Larkin (3B): .422 BA, .537 OBP, 17 HRs, 76 RBIs, 87 Hits, 25 2Bs. GCAA Player of the Year.
Andrew Bishop (1B): .376 BA, .483 OBP, 24 HRs, 86 RBIs, 79 Hits. All-GCAA First Team.
Mason Moore (OF): .413 BA, .510 OBP, 10 HRs, 62 RBIs, 69 Hits, 32 BBs. All-GCAA First Team.
Carson Page (2B): .420 BA, .542 OBP, 8 HRs, 47 RBIs, 13 2Bs. All-GCAA Second Team.
David McKechnie (LHP): 8-1, 65 IP, 3.32 ERA, 84 Ks, 1.18 WHIP. GCAA Pitcher of the Year.
Matthew Perkins (RHP): 9-1, 56.2 IP, 4.29 ERA, 48 Ks. All-GCAA First Team.