Spartan Alert

UNC Greensboro

Spring is for Spartan Sports

Posted on February 02, 2026

Highlights of UNCG’s Spring Athletics Calendar

Winter belongs to men’s and women’s basketball in the pantheon of UNCG sports. But as the wintry weather marches our Spartan cagers towards the SoCon Tournament, held in Asheville in March, our warm-weather teams gear up for exciting seasons of their own.

From the diamond to the track to the links to the courts, spring Spartans are here for the W’s.

BATS AND BALLS

Spartans Softball is predicted to win the SoCon this year.

Baseball

Last season, the UNCG baseball team finished the regular season 21-33 overall with a 9-12 conference record, earning the sixth-seed in the SoCon Tournament, falling to Wofford in the first round of play.

This season, the third for Head Coach Cody Ellis, sees the return of outfielder Luke Jenkins. A redshirt fourth-year, Jenkins was named the 2025 Male Spartan of the Year and to the College Sports Communicators Academic All District Team. The hometown Grimsley High School graduate had a spectacular season in the field, with a .950 fielding percentage, and on the basepath, with seven steals in eight attempts.

Joining him again this season will be fourth-year infielder Jacob Budzik, who was named to the All SoCon Defensive Team last year, and third-year fielder Brantley Truitt, who led the team last season with a batting average of .318.

Schedule highlights include the season-opening three-game home stand against the 18th-ranked University of Kentucky (Feb. 13-15), an SEC powerhouse. They’ll play two other Triad squads this season: NC A&T State University at home on Feb. 18 at A&T’s field on March 3 and March 11; and 21-ranked Wake Forest University at home on Feb. 24 and in Winston-Salem on April 21. Other notable out-of-conference matchups during the regular season include a home game against Davidson College on Feb. 17 and an away game against 11th-ranked UNC on March 18.

Softball

Spartans’ softball Head Coach Janelle Breneman is the winningest coach in the team’s 41-year history, logging her 400^th victory early last season against St. Francis College and ending the season with a 39-18 record, her seventh straight with 30 or more wins. And the team has already been recognized as the No. 1 pick in the SoCon Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll.

She’s built on last year’s success with a crop of new recruits and a few returning sluggers, including fourth-year outfielder Kaylyn Belfield, who broke the UNCG single-season batting average record last year, finishing with .431. Team 40 broke the UNCG record for RBI in a single season with 318. The previous mark of 306 was set by the 2014 team. The Spartans sat second with 318 RBI behind Mercer’s 319 last season

The season kicks off with six softball tournaments, four of them with games at UNCG:

The Spiro Classic, beginning Feb. 13 with games against Columbia University, Fairfield University, and Appalachian State University;

The UNCG Invitational, running Feb. 20-24, where the Spartans will compete at home against Bucknell University, Canisius University, and Kent State University

The UNCG/Elon Tournament, starting on Feb. 27, includes home games against Indiana University.

The UNCG Tournament, from March 13-15, will bring Lehigh University and Tarleton State University to campus.

CLUBS AND GREENS

The spring season kicks of for men's golf with two tournaments in Puerto Rico. — The spring season kicks off for men’s golf with two tournaments in Puerto Rico.

Men

The men’s spring golf schedule starts next month with tournaments in Puerto Rico—the Palmas del Mar Collegiate running Feb. 8-10, and the Dorado Beach Collegiate from Feb. 22-24. Later, a flurry of road tournaments leads up to the SoCon Championship April 27-29, followed by the NCAA Regionals May 18-20 and the NCAA Championship May 29-June 3.

Highlights of the fall tournaments include a fifth-place finish at the Bryan National Collegiate at Bryan Park, where fourth-year BJ Boyce clocked a career-low 64 on his way to a third-place finish; and the Elon Phoenix Invitational that saw second-year Will Guidry card a career low –8 (63) in the second round, which included two eagles, on his way to finish in a tie for 24^th place.

Women

The women’s golf team benefited from strong fall performances, including a win at the UNCG Invitational in October, earning fourth-year Julia Baemken SoCon Golfer of the Week honors. The spring season begins on Feb. 1 at the Advance Golf Partners Collegiate in West Palm, Fla., and wends through Greensboro, Ga. (Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational, Feb. 20-22), Hilton Head, SC (Low Country Invitational, March 8-10), and Morganton, NC (Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate, March 30-31). The regular season wraps with a one-day tournament in Chapel Hill, NC (UNC Challenge Cup, April 4) followed by the SoCon Championship from April 20-22, leading into the NCAA Regionals (May 11-13) and the NCAA Championship (May 22-27).

THE RACKETS

Men’s Tennis will have a 5-game home stand from Feb. 27 to March 9.

Men

The Spartan Men’s Tennis Team began its spring run with a loss to NC State University earlier this month. Upcoming home matches include contests against NC Central University on Feb. 7 and Elon University on Feb. 8. There will be five home matches from Feb. 27-March 9 against James Madison University (Feb. 27), Florida Gulf Coast University (Feb. 28), Furman University (March 4), Samford University (March 7), and Gardner-Webb University (March 9). Other schedule highlights include a home grudge match against NC A&T State University (March 26) and a SoCon faceoff against Mercer University (April 1). The SoCon Tournament begins April 16 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

WOMEN

The women’s tennis team began 2026 with three straight losses, two to the University of Virginia and one to NC State University. Their SoCon slate includes matches against Eastern Tennessee State University (Feb. 28, at home), The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (March 15, at home), Furman University (March 21, at home), Wofford University (March 26, away), Western Carolina University (April 7, at home), and two away matches to end the regular season, Samford University (April 10) and Mercer (April 12) before the SoCon Tournament.

FLEET FEET

**Spartans are already breaking records on the track this season.**

Early in the spring season, indoor runners for the Spartans Track Team have already set record times. First-year Maddison McIntyre broke the UNCG record in the 400 meters in December at the Winston-Salem College Kickoff, while in January at the Mondo College Invitational, first-year students Ayzia Jefferson set a new school record for the 200-meter for the women, and Emery Anderson and Jeremiah Jones broke the 200-meter and 600-meter school records, respectively. Jefferson bested her own 200-meter record in January at the Liberty Open, where first-year Alana Hill also set a UNCG record by beating the mark set by McIntyre in the 400.

Just four regular-season meets remain, all on the road: The Tryon College Banked Invitational on Jan. 30, The Sound Invite on Feb. 14, The Tryon Last Chance on Feb. 20, and The JDL Last Chance Invitational on Feb. 21. The SoCon Indoor Track & Field Championship happens Feb. 27-28 in Lexington, Va. and the NCAA Championships are March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark.

CHEER THEM ON

Remember that all spring sporting events, aside from men’s basketball, are free to attend. So come on out and support your Spartans this spring.

SPRING INTO ACTION

Support Your Spartans!

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UNC Greensboro

Alum and Filmmaker Fulfills a Promise of Impact for Media Studies Students at UNCG

Posted on February 03, 2026

Changee Chun addresses a group of students with a microphone and a smile

Acclaimed South Korean filmmaker and producer Changhee Chun fortifies media studies with strategic initiatives to enhance student experience

South Korean filmmaker and producer Changhee Chun took the helm of UNC Greensboro’s Media Studies Department in August 2025 with a vision to bridge academia and industry, better prepare students for careers in emerging media and AI, and help them build a network to support their endeavors.

“Media has such a strong impact on our society,” Chun says. “Because of social media and other digital platforms, we now create media for a global audience, not just an American audience. That perspective is what I want to instill in my students.”

An Early Calling to a Global Industry

A native of South Korea, Chun grew up always knowing he wanted to be in the film industry. Part of the Korean Wave of the 1990s—when South Korean pop culture grew in popularity as access to the internet grew—Chun studied at Hanyang University Film School during the time other rising film producers were coming through universities, including Hwang Dong-hyuk, known for Netflix’s “Squid Games,“ and Bong Joon Ho, who created “Parasite.”

Chun worked in the South Korean film industry as an assistant director and director before joining Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), one of three major networks in South Korea, to produce TV documentaries. In 1996, he served as an executive producer for Samsung Broadcasting Center (SBC) at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

“I decided to stay in the U.S. and started my production company,” Chun says. “That’s when I joined UNCG for my graduate studies in broadcasting and cinema.”

He studied under his mentor and “American father” Michael Frierson (retired). The two stayed connected as Chun built his career as an award-winning independent filmmaker in the U.S. Chun developed over 50 commercial films, music videos, and documentaries, and received a Fulbright Senior Scholarship. While creating his prolific portfolio, he joined the University of Texas, where he served as Morgan Woodward Distinguished Professor in Film, leading the Cinematic Arts undergraduate and graduate programs.

Last year, he heard from his mentor.

“Michael told me when I graduated that I had to come back to UNCG,” Chun says. “In early 2025, he emailed me and said, ‘It’s time to keep your promise.’”

$3.78

Trillion

The amount the U.S. media and entertainment industry is projected to reach by 2031.*
*Mordor Intelligence]

Revitalizing Media Studies at UNCG

Chun returned to UNCG in August 2025 as the department head of the Media Studies Department. Immediately, he laid out his vision for strengthening the department, executing tactics designed to give students the training and experience needed to compete in the booming U.S. media and entertainment Industry. He established Spartan Media Productions, a student-powered media company at UNCG. There, students get hands-on experience in professional-quality video production, delivering creative results for clients while building their portfolios.

“I hired 26 undergraduate students, and we completed five productions in the fall semester,” Chun says. “We have already received 15 different production requests this spring from campus clients, nonprofit organizations, and other community organizations.”

Poster for 48-hour film festival at UNCG

As a professional production house, Spartan Media Productions charges clients and pays the student workers.

“Our costs are very reasonable, and we provide high-quality productions,” Chun says. “The students really enjoy the process, and our clients appreciate that they receive professional creative work at affordable prices.”

This March, SMP will host a 48-hour Film Festival for local community college and high school students. The students will create a video in just two days and present their work at a screening at the festival.

“The idea is to bring awareness about the Media Studies Department and create a good connection with our local community,” Chun says.

In addition, Chun spearheaded a curriculum revision that created a new required course, “Professional Practice,” to better prepare students for their careers by focusing on internships, portfolio development, and alumni networking.

“Many of our successful alumni in the industry have agreed to come to campus to give us a masterclass on a myriad of topics from how to prepare e-portfolios to deep dives into different careers,” Chun says. “We want to make students feel less daunted as they enter the real world.”

He is also working to create a new graduate program: an MFA in Emerging Media.

“Media industry jobs are diversifying beyond traditional entertainment into other fields that require professionals who understand how to use visual techniques as a major communication tool,” Chun says.

A Leader with a Multitrack Mind

Beyond strengthening the Media Studies Department, Chun continues actively working on personal creative projects, including the final episode of an eight-part documentary series on social justice and a sequel to his K-drama, “City Hunter.”

“I’m in pre-production for the new K-drama,” Chun says. “Once all is greenlit, my plan is to take our media studies students to the set as interns so they can have professional experience. That is a couple of years away, but that is the plan.”

In the meantime, Chun will continue to engage with his students through his East-West Cinema, Korean Media, and Media Production classes.

“I love teaching,” Chun says. “It makes me a better department head to communicate with and get to know my students.”

Story by Alice Manning Touchette

Photography courtesy of Changee Chun