North Georgia Nighthawks
| North Georgia Nighthawks | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | University of North Georgia |
| Conference | Peach Belt Conference |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Lindsay Reeves |
| Location | Dahlonega, Georgia |
| Varsity teams | 12 |
| Basketball arena | Memorial Hall |
| Baseball stadium | Bob Stein Stadium |
| Softball stadium | Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | UNG Soccer Complex |
| Other arenas | Colonel Raymond C. Hamilton Rifle Range |
| Mascot | Nigel the Nighthawk |
| Nickname | Nighthawks |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Website | ungathletics |
The North Georgia Nighthawks are the athletic teams that represent the University of North Georgia (formed after the merger of North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville State College in 2013), located in Dahlonega, Georgia, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Nighthawks compete as members of the Peach Belt Conference in 12 of their 13 varsity sports; with rifle competing in the Division I Southern Conference. All 13 intercollegiate programs are hosted on the university's Dahlonega campus.
Following the establishment of the University of North Georgia in 2013, the school's nickname was changed to the "Nighthawks," to help unify the merging schools. Prior to the consolidation North Georgia (then known as NGCSU) competed under the nickname "Saints" with a mascot of a Saint Bernard. Before joining the NCAA and the Peach Belt Conference, North Georgia competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1970 to 2005, spending the final six seasons in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).
Men's sports (5)
Women's sports (6)
Mixed sports (1)
UNG's baseball facility was constructed in 2008 for the former North Georgia College and State University. In 2010, it was dedicated to former NGC alumnus and baseball player Bob Stein, who donated much of the funds used in the construction of the field.[111] The UNG baseball team is a member of the Western Division of the Peach Belt Conference.
The University of North Georgia softball team was founded in 1997. It is the only program at North Georgia to have won a National Championship in either the NAIA or the NCAA, winning the 2015 NCAA Division II Softball Championship in Oklahoma City. Coach Ricky Sanders launched the softball program, coaching for four seasons until 2000, which was also the year Sanders and the team won the title of Champions of the NAIA Regional Tournament. The softball team has competed as a member of the Peach Belt Conference since 2006 in NCAA Division II. Their other accomplishments include nine NCAA Tournament appearances, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, and four NCAA Division II Championship appearances, including the school's first-ever National Championship in 2015. UNG has won six Peach Belt Conference titles in the past eight years, with back-to-back-to-back runs from 2009 to 2011 and 2014 to 2016. Mike Davenport has been the head coach of the program since 2001, with a winning percentage over .750 in that time. In the summer of 2015, after leading UNG to its first national championship, Davenport served as head coach of the National Pro Fastpitch league's USSSA Florida Pride, leading the Pride to the regular season NPF title and a runner-up finish in the Cowles Cup. He served as the last head coach of legendary pitcher Cat Osterman, who retired at the end of the 2015 season. Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium, also known as "The Hill," was constructed during the fall of 2008 on UNG's Dahlonega campus. In 2014, Hill Stadium received a major upgrade with the installation of FieldTurf artificial playing surface in both the infield and outfield, allowing the team to practice regardless of the North Georgia climate which can feature heavy rains in the spring and occasional snow from late fall through early spring.
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