Leading D-I baseball in home runs, Georgia has built a lineup of power
When Georgia gave up eight runs to Georgia State in the top of the eighth inning, it looked like the No. 5 Bulldogs might be headed for a disappointing midweek loss.
Instead, they exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by third baseman Tre Phelps’ second home run of the day, to win 14-9 Tuesday at Foley Field.
With a Division I-leading 87 home runs so far this season, it’s no secret hitting for power is part of this Georgia team’s identity.
“One hundred percent, especially in a hitter’s ballpark,” Phelps said. “You saw that (Tuesday) the wind was blowing out. It’s not very many days wind blows into here. So definitely take it to our advantage. I mean, we’re strong. We have a great strength coach, puts us through great lengths to get us big. So being able to use that power in the box definitely has helped us.”
Foley Field is certainly hitter-friendly, particularly with right field measuring a short 314 feet (left field measures 350 feet and center field measures 404 feet). The Bulldogs have taken their power hitting on the road, too, tallying 11 home runs when they won two of three games over Texas A&M in College Station March 20-22.
And it’s not just one player sending baseballs out of the park. Catcher Daniel Jackson is tied for third nationally and is No. 1 in the SEC with 16 home runs, with several Bulldogs not far behind him. Shortstop Kolby Branch is fourth in the conference with 13 home runs, Phelps is next with 12, followed by right fielder Brennan Hudson with 11 and left fielder Henry Allen with nine.
Four more players have hit multiple home runs so far this season: Michael O’Shaughnessy (6), Ryan Black (6), Jordy Oriach (5), Rylan Lujo (4), Bryce Calloway (3).
It’s not new for the Bulldogs to hit for power like this — they led the country in home runs (2.4 per game) last season, too, with a school-record eight players finishing with double-digit home runs. In 2024 they set a school record with 151 home runs, with Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon leading the way with an NCAA-most 37.
There’s more to Georgia’s offense than home runs, but the Bulldogs having so many players hit for power this year continues to make a statement. As a team, Georgia also leads Division I in slugging (.649).
“Honestly, I think that shows how great our coaches are at recruiting,” Phelps said. “Every single one of our guys has been able to come in under (head coach Wes Johnson), (assistant coach Will Coggins), (assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Brock Bennett), and be able to just put the work in and know that that’s what they expect from us, and that’s what we expect from ourselves, to be able to show that high expectation on the field every single day.”
To Phelps’ point, that was a point of emphasis for Johnson when he was constructing the roster, from Phelps leading off to second baseman Black, who batted ninth Tuesday, to Ryan Wynn, who pinch-hit for Black in the eighth Tuesday and plated two runs with a timely double.
“It’s one of the things when we built this team, you know, we wanted to be where one through nine could leave the yard at any time,” Johnson said. “And you look at it, we have, I mean, you got Ryan Black in the nine-hole. He’s got a handful. And Ryan Wynn, who came in and got that pinch-hit’s got a couple. There’s not a guy on our team we don’t feel like we can put in that box and him not have a chance to leave the yard.”
That kind of depth is obviously advantageous, but it’s not without its challenges, Branch pointed out.
Players often have to stay patient, depending on the matchup an opponent presents.
“We’ve got four-holes everywhere else in the country, on the bench,” Branch said. “And they platoon like crazy and, you know, it stinks sometimes. But if you look at our offense, over the numbers and all the stats, like, it works, and it’s crazy what you have coming off the bench. If it’s a matchup, if you’ve got a lefty on the mound and you need a righty, you know, we’ve got three guys for that … all those different type of matchups, you’ve got people waiting in the wings for.”
As much as Georgia is thriving with home runs and power, it’s not the only way the Bulldogs can win a game.
Against South Carolina March 29, Georgia tallied 14 hits to win 9-7 and polish off the sweep, all without hitting a single homer (that’s the first game this season they haven’t recorded a homer). Funny enough, not needing to focus so much on home runs was actually the focus in Georgia’s hitter’s meeting speech, Branch said.
“It’s like, we don’t need to go, you know, all or nothing sometimes, and sometimes we get away from that, and that’s when we have some of our tougher games,” Branch said. “But you know, when we’re hitting our singles, taking our walks, taking the doubles, you know, it builds up over time, and that’s when the big innings come.”
In that win vs. the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs hit four doubles and tallied three stolen bases.
“You look at everything, I mean, it’s not our total identity,” Johnson said of hitting home runs. “I joke with ‘em: ‘Wow, guys, we won a game on Sunday, we had 14 or 15 hits. We didn’t hit a homer.’ And we can do that. You know, you look, Daniel Jackson is now up to (14 stolen bases), (infielder) Rylan Lujo is really, really fast. So we got some guys who can steal some bases and do some, you know, some things that don’t just speak to power … We’ve got some of that. So think it was big this weekend to be able to do that.”
About the Author
Sarah Spencer, a Georgia native and UGA alum, serves as a general assignment and features writer for sports. She previously covered the Hawks from 2019-22.
