UWG Baseball Achieves Remarkable 20 Wins in Inaugural DI Season

CARROLLTON, Ga. - When making the jump up to Division I, it often takes time for an athletic program to adjust to the level of competition to garner any success, but that is not always the case. In their first season competing at the highest level, West Georgia baseball defied the odds by securing an impressive 20 total wins (11 in-conference), a milestone that is rarely matched.

In the ASUN, three other teams have made the jump in the last 10 years: Bellarmine, Queens and North Alabama. In the Knights' first DI season (2021), BU went 13-36 while posting an 8-16 ASUN record. The Royals finished their inaugural season (2023) posting a 17-38 record while going 9-21 in-conference. UNA wrapped up their first year in DI (2019) boasting a 16-38 record while going 7-16 in the ASUN. Taking away the shortened Covid-19 season (2020), these teams have totaled one 20-win season in their combined 14 in DI.

West Georgia's 20-win achievement continues to impress when considering transitioning teams outside the ASUN. Lindenwood's inaugural season's record was 13-42 (2023), Stonehill College posted a 14-35 record in their first season of DI (2023), St. Thomas went 16-29 (2022), Southern Indiana went 17-38 (2023) and Mercyhurst posted a 17-35 record in their first season (2025), making Le Moyne's 22-27 inaugural DI record (2024) the only one better than West Georgia's out of the current group of reclassifying schools.

"The 20-win season was an outstanding achievement for our players. It's something that is going to set the foundation for next year's club," said head coach Jeff Smith. "We are really excited about where things are going in year two. I think we surprised a lot of people with our talent level and the way we were able to compete. Our guys went out there and competed everyday with a chip on their shoulder. They did what they needed to do to elevate the program to the next level."

"I'm so proud of our guys and our staff. I especially want to give a shout-out to Bryan (assistant coach Bryan Niedbalski). He has done an outstanding job," said Smith. "I'm so happy for our seniors to finish the season off with a conference series win. I'm very appreciative of the players' commitment level and work ethic. We are excited to build on the foundation of this season."

Continuing to talk about the future of Wolves baseball, Smith said, "After seeing the level of the competition we are going to play, especially in-conference, we are going to need to improve our level of athleticism in certain areas, particularly on the mound and some areas defensively. Year two started after our last game. Our guys are already in the weight room, getting bigger and stronger for next year. We still have a lot to improve on in order to be where we want to be."

Capping off the historic 2025 season, Jack Witmer was voted Third Team All-ASUN as a designated hitter and Dosie Drakeford earned a spot on the Academic All-ASUN team.

Be sure to stay up-to-date with all things West Georgia baseball by following the team's social media @UWGbaseball on Instagram and X.

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UWG Baseball Achieves Remarkable 20 Wins in Inaugural DI Season