Can UGA repeat last year's run in CWS?

They had lost four of their past five games entering the 2008 tourney and dropped their regional opener to Lipscomb in Athens. Then the Dogs got hot — winning 10 of their next 11 games, scoring an improbable 111 runs in the process, to move within one victory of the national championship.

That's the type of roll this year's team seeks, recent struggles notwithstanding. One caveat, of course: Georgia would like a different ending than last year, when it lost the final two games of the College World Series to Fresno State, the surprising champion.

"We definitely want to redeem ourselves," Poythress said. "As good an experience as [last year's tournament run] was, it's tough anytime you finish second in anything. We want to get back and give ourselves another chance."

The Bulldogs will start the quest on the road, having lost their shot at hosting a regional with their poor regular-season finish. And they'll have to survive a tough Tallahassee regional that includes the teams with the best regular-season records in the ACC (Florida State) and Big Ten (Ohio State).

The offense that boomed for Georgia in last year's postseason has been mostly quiet in the past month. Even Poythress, who leads the team in batting average (.370), home runs (21) and RBIs (77), has slumped. And today's opposing pitcher poses a big challenge: Ohio State's Alex Wimmers (9-1, 2.68 ERA, 131 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings) is the Big Ten's co-pitcher of the year.

"We're excited to try to get a little bit of a start-over," Poythress said. "It's been a tough month for us."

Georgia is in the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in David Perno's eight seasons as coach, matching its total NCAA appearances under all previous coaches. The Bulldogs have reached the College World Series three times in the past five years.