The No. 2-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team concluded its final home weekend series of the season with a dominant doubleheader sweep against Lindsey Wilson University (Kentucky) by 14-3 and 16-2 scores during Cody Butler Day on Saturday at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.

The Grizzlies (40-5) outscored Lindsey Wilson 38-8 and tallied 43 hits across the three-game set.

The Georgia Gwinnett College baseball program honored former GGC student and social media influencer Cody Butler throughout Saturday's doubleheader. A special seat at the Grizzly Baseball Complex commemorates Butler. He founded the NAIA Ball social platform that currently has nearly 47,000 followers on X and 27,000 followers on Instagram. The organization provides daily social media updates and breaks down all the action within NAIA baseball with a weekly podcast, pitcher and hitter honors and a Top 25 media poll.

"It's unfortunate that a person's impact may not be felt until they are gone. We lost Cody young in life, but you can truly see his impact throughout NAIA Ball," said GGC Head Coach Tommy Goodale. "When NAIA Ball first started, I would rush after games as a student-athlete (at St. Ambrose) to check out the scores of other games across the nation or what Cody and others were saying about your game. It's awesome to see where Cody's passion took him and that he has left an endearing legacy on NAIA and GGC baseball."

The Grizzlies scored five runs in the opening frame to take a 5-2 lead during the first contest. Senior catcher Grant Pohlman gave the hosts a 4-2 lead with a two-run triple to left-center field. Junior first baseman Jackson Legg then lined an RBI single to center field. Junior left fielder Trey Smith started the big frame with an RBI ground out before junior third baseman JJ Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
One inning later, Smith had a run-scoring triple before scoring on an RBI single by junior designated hitter Lance Bratlien. The base hit gave GGC a 7-2 advantage.

The team pushed across three runs during the fifth inning and four additional runs in the sixth inning, when senior pinch hitter Coleman Willis connected on a two-run homer.

Senior starting pitcher Caiden Johnson recorded nine strikeouts and allowed two hits across five strong innings to pick up his first win of the season. It was his first start of the 2026 season. Senior reliever Max Miller added three strikeouts across the final two frames.

GGC opened the nightcap by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Junior right fielder Kyle Phin connected on a three-run home run to give the hosts a 5-0 lead. Pohlman followed with a homer as the Grizzlies hit back-to-back home runs. Junior shortstop Peyton Watts hit a sacrifice fly to bring home the seventh run of the frame.

Junior second baseman Payton Fort lined a run-scoring double down the left field line and Watts added an RBI single up the middle to extend the team's lead to 9-0 in the third inning.

Phin brought home another run with a single during a four-run fourth inning. Freshman center fielder Vick Gann lined an RBI double before Fort and Watts contributed RBI.

Junior starting pitcher Peyton Castellow improved his record to 6-0 on the mound by allowing two hits and one unearned run across five innings.

Watts went 5-for-5 and scored five times across Saturday's doubleheader sweep. Phin went 3-for-4, with four RBI, and scored three runs in the nightcap. Smith scored three runs and drove in four runs as part of a 2-for-3 performance during the opening contest.


 
Coach's Corner
"I'm proud of how the group attacked today. We had more than 40 hits over the weekend and that's something you like to see. I was most pleased with how Caiden (Johnson) responded after allowing a two-run home run in the first inning of the first game. He had the mindset that they weren't going to score again," said Head Coach Tommy Goodale.
 
Turning Point
The Grizzlies combined to score 12 runs in the first inning of both games on Saturday. Senior catcher Grant Pohlman lined a two-run triple to give the hosts a 4-2 advantage in the opener. Junior first baseman Jackson Legg followed with an RBI single. During the nightcap, junior right fielder Kyle Phin connected on a three-run homer and Pohlman added a solo home run as the team built an early 7-0 lead.
 
Key Plays
First Game
Bottom of First
Trey Smith hit an RBI ground out to shortstop that started a five-run inning
JJ Garcia added a sacrifice fly that tied the contest at 2-2
Grant Pohlman lined a two-run triple, giving the Grizzlies the lead
Jackson Legg followed with an RBI single to center field
 
Bottom of Second
Trey Smith hit an RBI triple to right-center field
Lance Bratlien followed with a run-scoring single
 
Bottom of Fifth
Trey Smith legged out a run-scoring double to plate a pair of runs
Coleman Willis connected on a two-run home run
 
Second Game
Bottom of First
Trey Smith opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field
Lance Bratlien hit a run-scoring single to left field
Kyle Phin connected on a three-run home run to left field, giving GGC a 5-0 lead
Grant Pohlman followed with a home run to left field
Peyton Watts capped the productive frame with a sacrifice fly to left field
 
Bottom of Third
Payton Fort lined an RBI double
Peyton Watts collected a run-scoring single up the middle
Trey Smith registered an RBI double to plate the team's 10th run of the contest
 
Bottom of Fourth
Kyle Phin tallied a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield
Vick Gann lined an RBI double to right field
Peyton Watts collected a run-scoring single
 
Inside The Numbers 

• The Grizzlies amassed 32 hits across Saturday's doubleheader sweep
• Junior shortstop Peyton Watts went 5-for-5 and scored five runs across the two games
• The team connected on three home runs in the sweep
• GGC's pitching staff combined for 21 strikeouts, with 12 coming during the first contest

News & Notes 

• GGC improves to 40-5 for the season; Lindsey Wilson falls to 17-26 in 2026
• The Grizzlies are ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll
• Georgia Gwinnett College won all six games this season against the Blue Raiders and lead the all-time series 19-3
• Saturday's contest remembered the legacy of former GGC student and social media influencer Cody Butler, the founder of NAIA Ball

Up Next 
Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to host Spartanburg Methodist College (South Carolina) in the regular-season home finale on Tuesday, April 21, at the Grizzly Baseball Complex, starting at 5 p.m.