Georgia’s gritty win over Texas shows again it ‘can win in a multitude of ways’

Premier pitching, sacrifice bunts, timely base running — phrases not regularly used to describe the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs.

But with its season on the line, that is exactly what Georgia did in order to knock out Texas with a 2-0 win. In doing so, it advanced to the College World Series semifinals, where a rematch with Oklahoma awaits.

In a heavyweight battle between two of the nation’s top programs, Georgia needed to find a way to connect on enough haymakers to eventually land the decisive blow against the Longhorns.

“We can win in a multitude of ways,” catcher Daniel Jackson said postgame.

Georgia has relied on its offense to carry the weight all year, but right now the bats are stuck in neutral. The pitching continues to be all gas and no brakes in Omaha, however, and saved UGA once more against the Longhorns.

To get out of the loser’s bracket, most of the time teams need breaks to fall their way, but more than anything they need unsung heroes to emerge. For Georgia, it was Dylan Vigue and Justin Byrd.

After Joey Volchko tossed a 15-strikeout complete game in the first meeting, the duo delivered on the biggest stage once more.

Vigue has struggled since returning from a forearm cramp toward the back end of the year. In fact, in his past five outings, he allowed 18 hits, 20 runs and only nine strikeouts in 11 innings.

Fortunately for Georgia, Vigue looked in control and was matching what Texas starter Luke Harrison was doing on the other side. Harrison racked up 11 strikeouts in 5.2 innings and allowed only one run on two hits.

The Michigan transfer tossed four scoreless innings, struck out eight and allowed only two hits before handing the ball over to Byrd to finish out the final five frames.

In the two meetings, Georgia combined to use just three pitchers, recorded 27 punch-outs to just four walks and given up zero earned runs.

“I want to give a shoutout to our whole pitching staff for all postseason,” Tre Phelps said. “They put a great hitting group in their backpack and just carried us all the way to Omaha, where we are now.”

Through three games, Georgia pitching has used four pitchers, has a 33-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a College World Series-best 1.38 ERA.

The arms have no choice but to lead, with the offense struggling to gain momentum.

Georgia struck out 17 times Tuesday (second-most in a game this year) and is now hitting .186 at the College World Series with 40 strikeouts, 10 walks and only 12 runs scored.

To stay alive in the CWS, Georgia had to take an out-of-character approach — like laying down just the third sacrifice bunt all season to move a runner in scoring position that set up Phelps’ breakout RBI double.

Phelps had been held without an extra-base hit since the regional final vs. Liberty and was noticeably pressing at the plate. He came into the game 1 for his last 13, but Phelps said afterward his head coach just wanted him to start having fun again.

“Wes talked to me before the game, and he said, no matter what, whether you’re 5-for-5 or 0-for-5, no matter what happens, I just want to see you have fun,” Phelps said.

Phelps hit a single in the seventh that just escaped the infield to move Ryan Black to third, where he scored on a wild sac fly play at the plate. The ball was caught less than 100 feet from Black, but third base coach Brock Bennett felt confident enough to send him.