Rough weather in the northern part of the state isn’t supposed to have an impact on basketball in Middle Georgia, but it has.
Georgia College moved Saturday’s home hoops doubleheader with Young Harris from Saturday to Sunday because of the conditions in the mountains, the dreaded “wintry mix.”
Young Harris is less than 10 miles from the North Carolina border, and there are plenty of two-lane mountain roads before reaching any interstate.
The women’s game tips off at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday with the men to follow.
It’s a day of events at the Centennial Center.
Faculty, staff and their families get free admission with a school ID and all Georgia College employees get a voucher for free popcorn.
The Zaxby’s Kids Zone will be there, and there will be performances for “GC’s Got Talent” at halftimes.
But it’s also a fund-raising afternoon on “Play For Abe Day.”
Abe Gainous is the son of Georgia College men’s assistant Mark Gainous and his wife Tasha, John Milledge Academy’s girls head coach. Abe was diagnosed leukemia in May at the age of 2.
Abe is in remission, but the family is still making regular trips to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta.
Half of all revenue from tickets sold through John Milledge Academy -- including at the door -- will go to the Gainous family to aid with expenses.
Fans are encouraged to wear orange, the color of support, and assorted items -- such as magnets, t-shirts and bracelets -- will be for sale at the game.
Georgia College’s women are 9-7 overall and 5-4 in the Peach Belt Conference, and the men are 6-10 and 2-7. Young Harris’s women are 10-6 and 4-5, and the men are 13-3 and 8-1.
Bobcats make all-conference
Whitney Okvist, Danielle Gallucci and Jeremy Donaldson of Georgia College were named to the Peach Belt Conference preseason softball and baseball teams.
Okvist and Galluci helped the softball team to a 25-24 record last season.
Okvist was third in Division II with 52 stolen bases in that many tries, earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-America honors as well as first-team all-conference.
The junior outfielder holds the program record with 76 steals, and his .413 last season.
Gallucci appeared in 29 games despite a season-shortening injury and batted .343 with two homers. As a pitcher, she struck out 6.18 batters per game in five appearances.
Donaldson made the PBC baseball team at third base after playing last season at second base for the Bobcats.
He batted .310 with seven homers and 34 RBI, with 22 runs. Donaldson was in the conference top 10 in homers and slugging percentage (.548), and he committed only three errors at second.
First pitches
Temperatures went from baseball and softball weather back to football weather in less than a week, but first pitches are approaching.
Among the area season and home openers for college baseball and softball teams:
Georgia Military College softball: TBA, Feb. 1, at Darton tournament; vs. Truett-McConnell JV, Feb. 12.
Georgia College softball: vs. Lincoln Memorial, Feb. 2.
Georgia College baseball: vs. Mars Hill, Feb. 2.
Middle Georgia State softball: vs. Shelton State, at Albany, Feb. 2.
Middle Georgia State baseball: at Southern Union (Ala.), Feb. 7; vs. Southern Union, Feb. 9.
Mercer softball: vs. IUPUI, Feb. 8, in the Mercer Invitational.
Mercer baseball: vs. Ohio State, Feb. 15, at Snowbird Baseball Classic in Sarasota, Fla., vs. Bethune-Cookman, Feb. 22.
Wesleyan softball: vs. Elmira College, Feb. 17.
