Columbus State Cougars

The Columbus State Cougars are the athletic teams that represent Columbus State University, located in Columbus, Georgia, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Peach Belt Conference since the 1990–91 academic year.

Columbus State Cougars
Logo
UniversityColumbus State University
ConferencePeach Belt (primary)
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorJay Sparks (interim)
LocationColumbus, Georgia
Varsity teams14 (6 men's, 7 women's, 1 co-ed)
Basketball arenaFrank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center
Baseball stadiumBurger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field
Softball stadiumCougar Field
Soccer stadiumWalden Soccer Complex
Tennis venueJohn W. Walden Tennis Center
MascotCody Cougar
NicknameCougars
ColorsColumbus State Blue and Columbus State Red[1]
   
Websitecsucougars.com
Team NCAA championships
5
Individual and relay NCAA champions
3[2]

Columbus State competes in thirteen intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and track and field.

Conference affiliations

NCAA

Varsity teams

The Cougars competed in women's volleyball from 2013 to 2016, compiling a 54–65 record over four seasons.[4]

Men's sportsWomen's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross country
Cross countryGolf
GolfSoccer
TennisSoftball
Track and fieldTennis
Track and field

Sports

Baseball

The Columbus State baseball team has made eight appearances to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, twenty-four NCAA Regional Championship appearances, and is frequently in the NCSWA National Top 30 Poll. The Cougars won the 2002 NCAA Division II World Series and were the national runner-up at the 1986, 2007 and 2018 NCAA Division II World Series.

NCAA Division II Baseball Championship

  • 1984
  • 1986 – Runner-Up
  • 1987
  • 1990
  • 2002 – Champions
  • 2004
  • 2007 – Runner-up
  • 2018 – Runner-up

NCAA Regional Championship

  • 1975
  • 1976
  • 1977
  • 1979
  • 1980
  • 1981
  • 1983
  • 1984
  • 1986
  • 1987
  • 1988
  • 1990
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2010
  • 2011

Golf

The CSU golf team has won six NCAA National Championships; 1978, 1980, 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1997.[5]

Rifle

In April 2015, the school's co-ed rifle program was discontinued after existing for six seasons. Prior to discontinuation the team competed at the Division I level as members of the Ohio Valley Conference starting in the 2012–13 school year.[6]

Former assistant rifle coach, Jamie Gray, won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the Women's 50 meter rifle three positions event with a score of 691.9.

Columbus State Athletics Department co-hosted the 2011 Rifle National Championship with Fort Benning. This was the first time a national championship was hosted on CSU's campus.

Women's Soccer

The Lady Cougar soccer team has made 13 consecutive NCAA Tournaments since 2006, just its third season in existence. Columbus State has won or shared 12 of the last 14 Peach Belt Conference regular season championships, making 12 PBC Tournament championship games in that span and winning eight (2006–08, 2010, 2014–16, 2018). Head coach Jay Entlich, a seven-time PBC Coach of the Year (2005, 2008, 2014–18), has guided the Lady Cougars since their 2004 inception.[7]

NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championships (6)

  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2014
  • 2015 – National Runner-Up
  • 2016 – National Semifinals
  • 2018

National championships

Team

AssociationDivisionSportYearOpponent/Runner-UpScore
NCAADivision IIMen's Golf1992Troy State1,144–1,176
1994North Florida1,175–1,179
1997North Florida1,149–1,153
Baseball[8]2002Chico State5–3
Men's Tennis[9]2018Barry5–4

Individual

AssociationDivisionSportYearIndividual(s)EventScore
NCAADivision IIMen's Golf1991Clete ColeIndividual Title287
1992Diego Ventureira285
2007Christian Ries286

Notable alumni

Baseball

Men's basketball

Softball

References