The NAIA's top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team completed a season-opening sweep of Cumberland University (Tennessee) with a 7-1 nine-inning victory Sunday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

GGC (3-0) outscored the Phoenix (0-7) by a 15-4 margin during the three-game weekend set. The sweep is the first for the Grizzlies against a season-opening opponent since 2018 when they opened the season winning three games from Missouri Baptist University.

Two runs in the first inning got the hosts off to a fast start Sunday. Senior Austin Bates executed a hit-and-run situation with a double that brought home junior Jake Defries. Later, sophomore Chase Evans added a run-scoring single to give the team a 2-0 advantage.

Four innings later, senior J.D. Stubbs added another run with a RBI double as the lead grew to 4-0.

Junior pitcher Rob Hamby made that early offense stand up as the right hander scattered three hits and spread five strikeouts across six scoreless innings. Sophomore Tyler Clayton tossed an additional two innings and junior Alex Friesen threw a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory.

GGC's pitching staff combined to allow five runs, with four being earned, in the series-opening weekend.


  "It was a strong start to the season. We came into this weekend well prepared. Credit goes to our guys for the work they put in during the preseason. The players came in ready to play and were rewarded with a series sweep. They earned everything. We have a good team, but this weekend showed us that we have some things to work on to get even better," said Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger.
  Cumberland was attempting to mount a late rally, trailing 5-1 in the eighth inning. The Phoenix had a runner on first base with one out when junior left fielder Blaze O'Saben climbed the left field wall to take away a two-run home run that stopped the comeback threat.
  Bottom of First
Austin Bates drove in the initial run with an RBI double that brought home Jake Defries
Chase Evans added a run-scoring single to give the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead
 
Bottom of Fourth
J.D. Stubbs hit a double down the left field line to score Chase Evans
 
Bottom of Seventh
Austin Bates gave the Grizzlies a 5-1 lead with a sacrifice fly
 

• The Grizzlies outhit Cumberland 8-5 in Sunday's series finale
• Junior Jake Defries scored four runs and stole three bases
• Seven different Grizzlies registered a hit in the nine-inning game
• GGC pitchers allowed five runs, four of them earned, within the three-game series

• GGC improved to 3-0 on the season; Cumberland falls to 0-7
• The Grizzlies are the defending NAIA national champions
• Georgia Gwinnett College leads the series history with Cumberland by a 10-3 margin
• GGC has won 25 of its last 26 games
• The Grizzlies were ranked No. 1 in the 2022 NAIA Top 25 preseason poll

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Bethel University (Tennessee) and Midway University (Kentucky) on Friday, February 11, in a pair of games from the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 2 p.m.