In season of records and Sour Power, Georgia proves ‘powerhouse’ potential

Their magical run ended sooner than the Bulldogs would have liked.

With a second loss to Oklahoma in the College World Series, Georgia baseball fell two wins short of a trip to the finals, ending a season that featured record-breaking power at the plate, Sour Power celebration candy galore and a program-best 53 wins.

Despite a disappointing exit from Omaha, Nebraska, especially considering that power largely went dormant at Charles Schwab Field, Georgia has vaulted back into the national conversation under coach Wes Johnson, who was hired in 2023.

“I’m forever in debt to Wes, the way he just took all of us under his wing, all three years, whether it was 70 or 80 different guys, he treated everyone like we were his son,” third baseman Tre Phelps said. “And he was going to insert belief in to you … And speaking on Georgia being in a better place, for however long he’s here and then the next guy that comes in after that, it’s great to know that Georgia’s not just going to be a football school from now on.”

This year, Georgia won the SEC regular season title for the first time since 2008 and won the SEC Tournament title for the first time in program history. It earned the No. 3 national seed, the highest in program history.

After a pair of narrow wins vs. Mississippi State in super regionals, two of the wildest college baseball games of the season, Georgia earned its first trip to the College World Series since 2008. In an emotional postgame news conference, Johnson gave credit to superstar Charlie Condon for sticking at Georgia when Johnson got the job three years ago.

Condon hit a program and BBCOR-era record 37 home runs, earning the Golden Spikes Award in 2024 and becoming the highest draft pick in program history at No. 3 that same year. His success under Johnson helped give the program a boost.

After Wednesday’s 11-4 loss to Oklahoma, players echoed the words of former Georgia star and major leaguer Gordon Beckham, who was leading the charge back in 2008: with Johnson at the helm, Georgia baseball is back.

“I think that the University of Georgia will have a good baseball program for the next however many years,” senior shortstop Kolby Branch said. “I believe in this place. There’s a lot of people that believe in this place. Just going back to the great players, Charlie Condon, getting to play with that guy and setting that foundation. And obviously Wes coming in here and just doing an amazing job and leading in a great way, in a way that I look up to.

“He’s a good man. It’s a good man to play for. And he represents the University of Georgia well. And the University of Georgia should be a powerhouse in baseball for the next however many years. And I truly believe that with all my heart.”

It helps that Johnson has established an annual routine of bringing in talent through the transfer portal, with the Bulldogs landing the No. 1 transfer class in the nation entering this season.

That portal class included pitcher Joey Volchko, who tallied a career-high 15 strikeouts in Georgia’s 7-1 win against Texas in its first CWS game Saturday.

Of course, carrying on Condon’s power-hitting legacy at Foley Field this year was catcher Daniel Jackson, who transferred from Wofford after his freshman year in 2024. Winner of this year’s Dick Howser Trophy, Jackson finishes the year with 32 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He’s the first catcher (and one of only three players) in Division l history to tally at least 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a single season.

In Johnson’s words: “That will go down as one of the best single-season performances in the history of our game.”